ZeroWater 5-Stage Pitcher vs Clearly Filtered Pitcher
Bottom line
In our scoring the ZeroWater 5-Stage Pitcher comes out ahead at 4.9/10 against 2.5/10 for the Clearly Filtered Pitcher, a 2.4-point gap driven almost entirely by certification. The ZeroWater backs its lead, chromium-6, mercury and PFOA/PFOS claims with IAPMO NSF/ANSI 53 listings, while the Clearly Filtered carries two hard-fail flags in our rubric for marketing lead and PFAS removal without the matching NSF certifications. Both still land in our Limited band, and the Clearly Filtered does hold one genuine edge: at about $0.495 per gallon it is less than half the ZeroWater's $1.167, since the ZeroWater's 15-gallon cartridge is its weakest area in our scoring (total cost of ownership 1.0/10). In our view the ZeroWater is the better-evidenced pick for verified contaminant reduction, even though it is the more expensive pitcher to keep running.
The biggest real difference is certification scope. The ZeroWater 5-Stage Pitcher holds IAPMO certification to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead, chromium-6, mercury, PFOA and PFOS, plus NSF/ANSI 42 for chlorine. The Clearly Filtered Pitcher is certified only to NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 for chlorine - we found no accredited certification for its lead, fluoride, PFAS, arsenic or mercury claims. On running cost it flips: the Clearly Filtered works out to about $0.495 per gallon versus $1.167 per gallon for the ZeroWater, whose short 15-gallon cartridge makes it the costlier pitcher to run.
| 1 certified / 9 marketed | Certified vs marketed contaminants | 6 certified / 7 marketed |
| 1.0 | Verified Contaminant Reduction35% | 7.0 |
| 0.0 | Total Cost of Ownership25% | 1.0 |
| 8.0 | Certification Independence15% | 8.0 |
| 3.0 | Capacity & Flow Fit15% | 2.0 |
| 5.0 | Practical Fit10% | 7.0 |
FAQ
- Is the Clearly Filtered Pitcher better than the ZeroWater 5-Stage Pitcher (7-Cup)?
- In our scoring the ZeroWater 5-Stage Pitcher (7-Cup) rates 4.9/10 and the Clearly Filtered Pitcher 2.5/10. In our scoring the ZeroWater 5-Stage Pitcher comes out ahead at 4.9/10 against 2.5/10 for the Clearly Filtered Pitcher, a 2.4-point gap driven almost entirely by certification. The ZeroWater backs its lead, chromium-6, mercury and PFOA/PFOS claims with IAPMO NSF/ANSI 53 listings, while the Clearly Filtered carries two hard-fail flags in our rubric for marketing lead and PFAS removal without the matching NSF certifications. Both still land in our Limited band, and the Clearly Filtered does hold one genuine edge: at about $0.495 per gallon it is less than half the ZeroWater's $1.167, since the ZeroWater's 15-gallon cartridge is its weakest area in our scoring (total cost of ownership 1.0/10). In our view the ZeroWater is the better-evidenced pick for verified contaminant reduction, even though it is the more expensive pitcher to keep running.
- Which pitcher is certified to remove lead?
- Only the ZeroWater in this matchup. It holds an IAPMO NSF/ANSI 53 listing covering lead, chromium-6, mercury, PFOA and PFOS. The Clearly Filtered Pitcher is certified only to NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 for chlorine - we found no accredited certification for its lead or PFAS claims, which is why we flag those claims in our scoring. Certification is not a substitute for testing your own water supply.
- Is the Clearly Filtered Pitcher worth its higher price?
- In our view it is hard to justify on the verified data. It costs $90 up front against $24.99 for the ZeroWater, yet its certified scope is limited to chlorine while the ZeroWater's certified scope covers lead, chromium-6, mercury and PFOA/PFOS. The Clearly Filtered's one real advantage is a lower running cost of about $0.495 per gallon versus $1.167, but in our scoring that does not offset the certification gap, and it lands at 2.5/10 to the ZeroWater's 4.9/10.
- Why is the ZeroWater more expensive per gallon?
- Its cartridge is rated for just 15 gallons, so you replace it often, which pushes the cost to about $1.167 per gallon. That makes total cost of ownership its weakest area in our scoring at 1.0/10. The Clearly Filtered's cartridge is rated for about 100 gallons, giving it the lower per-gallon figure of roughly $0.495.