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 for the Clearly Filtered we found no matching NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 listing as of 2026-06-01, which draws two hard-fail flags in our rubric for the lead and PFAS removal it markets. Both still land in our Limited band, and the Clearly Filtered does hold one genuine edge: at about $0.65 per gallon it is roughly half the ZeroWater's $1.23, 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 as of 2026-06-01 for its lead, fluoride, PFAS, arsenic or mercury claims. On running cost it flips: the Clearly Filtered works out to about $0.65 per gallon versus $1.23 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 for the Clearly Filtered we found no matching NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 listing as of 2026-06-01, which draws two hard-fail flags in our rubric for the lead and PFAS removal it markets. Both still land in our Limited band, and the Clearly Filtered does hold one genuine edge: at about $0.65 per gallon it is roughly half the ZeroWater's $1.23, 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 as of 2026-06-01 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 $99 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 $0.65 per gallon versus $1.23, 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 $1.23 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 $0.65.