Brita is the most recognized water filter brand in the US, and that recognition creates a problem. Millions of households assume their Brita pitcher is covering them for the water issues they actually care about. For many of those households, it isn’t.
That’s not a knock on Brita. It’s a clarification that most product pages skip. Here’s the honest breakdown.
The Two Filters That Change Everything
Brita sells two filter types, and the difference between them matters a lot.
The Standard filter (white) is certified to NSF/ANSI 42 only. That standard covers aesthetic contaminants: chlorine taste, odor, and zinc. It also reduces Class VI particulates. That’s it. If your tap water tastes like a swimming pool, the Standard filter fixes that. It doesn’t address any health-effect contaminants.
The Longlast+ filter (blue) adds NSF/ANSI 53 certification. Standard 53 covers health-effect contaminants. The Longlast+ is certified to reduce lead by greater than 99%, asbestos by greater than 99%, benzene, cadmium, and mercury. These figures come from NSF testing, not manufacturer marketing. They’re verifiable in the NSF database.
If you own a Brita and you’ve been using the white Standard filter, you’ve been running a taste filter, not a health filter. The upgrade costs about $5-8 more per filter, and the Longlast+ lasts three times as long (120 gallons vs. 40 gallons), so the per-gallon cost is actually lower.
What the Longlast+ Doesn’t Remove
This is what most Brita reviews bury, so we’ll put it plainly.
The Longlast+ does not remove:
- PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, or any other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)
- Fluoride
- Nitrates or nitrites
- Arsenic
- Pharmaceuticals
- Bacteria or viruses
If your water quality concern falls into any of those categories, Brita’s pitcher filters won’t help. The NSF 53 certification Brita holds covers lead and a handful of other heavy metals and organic chemicals. It doesn’t extend to the emerging contaminants that have gotten the most attention in the past decade.
This is particularly relevant for PFAS. The EPA’s April 2024 PFAS maximum contaminant levels set enforceable limits for the first time. If you’re in a municipality that has detected PFAS or near a site with known PFAS contamination, the Longlast+ filter is not the right tool. A Clearly Filtered pitcher (NSF P473 certified) or a reverse osmosis system is what you need.
The Pitcher Lineup
Brita makes five or six pitcher sizes depending on the year, but they all use the same two filter cartridges. The Metro (5-cup), Standard (10-cup), and Grand (18-cup) are the core lineup. All are BPA-free plastic. All accept both the Standard and Longlast+ filters.
There’s no functional advantage to any specific pitcher beyond capacity. Pick the size that fits your fridge door and household usage.
The faucet-mount filter is a different product category and worth mentioning. Brita’s faucet filter holds NSF 42 and 53 certifications, same contaminant coverage as the Longlast+ pitcher filter. The advantage is flow rate: you get filtered water on demand without waiting for gravity filtration. The trade-off is installation (requires fitting to your faucet aerator) and a faster clogging rate if your water has high sediment.
Filter Costs and Replacement Math
Longlast+ filters run about $18-22 each. At 120 gallons per filter, that’s roughly $0.15-0.18 per gallon. For a household of 4 drinking one gallon per day, that’s one filter about every 4-5 months.
Brita’s subscription plan brings the cost down to around $10-12 per filter. If you’re going to use Longlast+ long-term, the subscription math works in your favor.
The Standard filter costs less per unit but runs out faster (40 gallons). For most households, the Longlast+ is cheaper per gallon and better on contaminant coverage. There’s no good reason to use the Standard filter anymore unless you have an older Brita pitcher that physically doesn’t fit the Longlast+.
Check current pricing (affiliate link, see disclosure above)
Who Brita Is Right For
Brita with the Longlast+ filter is the right choice for households where the main concerns are:
- Chlorine taste and odor in municipal tap water
- Lead from older plumbing (pre-1986 fixtures, older homes with lead service lines)
- Budget constraints that make a $90+ Clearly Filtered or $300+ RO system impractical
The lead protection is real. Greater than 99% lead reduction at about $15-18 per filter is a genuinely good deal for the millions of American homes with older plumbing that may have lead solder, lead service lines, or brass fixtures with lead content.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
If your water concern is PFAS, fluoride, nitrates, arsenic, or pharmaceuticals, Brita isn’t the right filter. It doesn’t matter which pitcher size or filter type you use.
For PFAS specifically, look at the Clearly Filtered pitcher, which holds NSF P473 certification. For PFAS plus the ability to handle high water volume, a countertop or under-sink RO system covers more contaminants and filters on demand.
If you have lead concerns, Brita Longlast+ covers that at the lowest cost of any pitcher filter option. If you have PFAS concerns on top of lead, Clearly Filtered covers both.
Concrete Recommendation
Buy the Longlast+ (blue), not the Standard (white). The price difference is small, the filter lasts three times as long, and the lead certification is worth having whether or not you currently think lead is an issue. Older homes especially.
If you’re already using Brita and wondering whether to upgrade, check what filter you’re currently running. If it’s the Standard, swap it for a Longlast+ on your next replacement.
If PFAS or fluoride are on your radar, Brita is not going to solve those problems. That’s not a Brita-specific failure, no standard pitcher filter except Clearly Filtered covers PFAS. But it’s worth knowing before you assume your filter is handling something it isn’t.
For more on the pitcher filter category as a whole, including how Brita, ZeroWater, and Clearly Filtered compare head to head, see our best pitcher water filters guide.
To understand what the NSF certification numbers actually mean, the NSF certification standards explainer has a complete breakdown.
Test your water before choosing treatment. Source water varies significantly by region, and what a filter removes in one city’s water isn’t necessarily the issue in yours.