Most pitcher filter reviews don’t mention what a filter doesn’t remove. They list the certifications, mention the price, and call it a day. But for PFAS, fluoride, and arsenic, the question isn’t whether a filter has good marketing. It’s whether independent labs documented the removal.
Clearly Filtered publishes those lab results. That’s the starting point for everything that follows.
Why the Testing Transparency Matters
Clearly Filtered is a San Diego-based company founded in 2011. Their pitch is simple: they built a pitcher filter for health protection, not just taste, and they publish third-party lab data to prove the contaminant reductions work. Most competitors don’t.
The published data covers 365+ contaminants. The NSF certifications are:
- NSF/ANSI 42 (aesthetic contaminants: chlorine, taste, odor)
- NSF/ANSI 53 (health effects: lead, cysts, benzene, VOCs)
- NSF/ANSI 401 (emerging contaminants: pharmaceuticals, hormones, pesticides)
- NSF P473 (PFOA and PFOS)
That last one is the differentiator. NSF P473 tests specifically for the two most common PFAS compounds. No other pitcher filter currently on the market holds this certification. If you’re trying to reduce PFAS in drinking water and you want independent verification rather than manufacturer claims, Clearly Filtered is the only pitcher-format option.
Documented Removal Rates
From Clearly Filtered’s published third-party lab data:
- PFAS: greater than 99.5% reduction
- Lead: greater than 99.5% reduction
- Fluoride: approximately 98% reduction
- Arsenic: approximately 99% reduction
- Chromium-6: greater than 97.5% reduction
- Chloramine: greater than 99.5% reduction
- Pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen, naproxen, others): greater than 99% reduction
These figures come from their published lab reports, not from the product page. We’re citing what they’ve documented. If you want to verify any specific contaminant before purchasing, their website has the full lab reports available for download.
What it doesn’t remove: there’s no pitcher filter that removes everything. Clearly Filtered doesn’t remove dissolved minerals that aren’t contaminants (calcium, magnesium), and it isn’t designed for bacterial contamination. If your water source has bacteria, you need disinfection, not a carbon filter.
The Pitcher and Filter Design
The 10-cup pitcher is BPA-free Tritan plastic, pitcher body and lid. The filter threads in from the top by twisting clockwise. No housing, no tools, no additional parts required.
The filter itself uses a multi-stage media blend: activated carbon, ion exchange, and proprietary media for the broader contaminant range. More filter media than a standard carbon pitcher filter means slower flow, which we’ll address below.
The 10-cup capacity fills about 2.5 liters, enough for a pitcher in the fridge that gets refilled once or twice a day for most households.
Check current pricing (affiliate link, see disclosure above)
The Flow Rate Trade-Off
This is the honest limitation of the Clearly Filtered pitcher.
More filter media creates more resistance. Gravity filtration through Clearly Filtered is noticeably slower than a Brita or ZeroWater pitcher. Filling the pitcher and coming back in 5-10 minutes is the pattern. If you want to pour a glass immediately after filling, you’ll be waiting longer than you would with a basic carbon filter.
For most households, this is a habit adjustment, not a dealbreaker. Fill the pitcher before bed, it’s full in the morning. Fill it when you get home, it’s ready after dinner. But if instant-fill is a priority, a countertop RO system or faucet filter gives you on-demand filtered water without the gravity wait.
Cost and Replacement
Pitcher: approximately $90. That’s three to four times the price of a Brita.
Replacement filters: about $25-35 each, or around $10-14 per month on a 3-month auto-delivery subscription (15% discount). The subscription brings the per-gallon cost to roughly $0.10-0.14.
For comparison, Brita Longlast+ runs about $0.15-0.18 per gallon at list price, so the per-gallon cost difference narrows considerably at the subscription rate. The upfront pitcher cost is the bigger difference.
Who This Filter Is For
Households with PFAS detection in their municipal water report. The EPA’s April 2024 enforceable limits for PFAS in drinking water mean more utilities are now reporting PFAS levels. If your consumer confidence report shows PFAS detections, this is the only pitcher-format filter with documented independent testing for those compounds.
Homes with older plumbing where lead is a risk. Greater than 99.5% lead reduction puts Clearly Filtered in the same performance tier as point-of-use RO for lead, at a lower price point and with no installation.
Anyone who wants documented fluoride removal in a pitcher. No Brita, PUR, or ZeroWater model removes fluoride. Clearly Filtered’s approximately 98% reduction is one of the few documented fluoride reductions available outside of a reverse osmosis system.
Compared to AquaTru
AquaTru is a countertop RO system, not a pitcher. It removes more contaminants, produces filtered water on demand, and covers everything Clearly Filtered covers plus more. It also costs $300-400, requires a countertop footprint, and needs a power outlet.
Clearly Filtered is simpler. It sits in the fridge, requires no power, and covers the main health-effect contaminants most households actually face. For households who want strong protection without a counter installation, Clearly Filtered is the better fit. For households with very high-TDS water or extensive contaminant concerns, the RO system covers more ground.
Concrete Recommendation
If you want the most complete pitcher filter available, Clearly Filtered is it. No other pitcher on the market has NSF P473 certification for PFAS plus documented removal rates for fluoride, arsenic, lead, and 365+ tested contaminants. That’s not marketing copy. It’s verifiable in their published lab data.
The trade-offs are real: higher upfront cost and slower flow. If your only concern is chlorine taste or modest lead reduction, a Brita Longlast+ at a third of the price does the job. But if you’re looking for the most thorough protection available in pitcher format, the documentation backs Clearly Filtered up.
For the full pitcher filter comparison including ZeroWater and Brita, see our best pitcher water filters guide. For context on PFAS in water, our PFAS contaminant page has the full breakdown.
Test your water before choosing treatment. Source water varies by region. What a filter removes in certified testing reflects testing conditions, which may differ from specific contaminant concentrations in your water.