How Does Sans Compare to its Competitors?
So, you want to invest in a water purifier but don’t know how to pick from the many options available to you. Which brand should you choose? What should you be on the lookout for? How are all of these water filters different? In this blog, we’re comparing four brands — Brita, Zero, Berkey, and Sans — to see how they stack up against each other.
4 Populer Water Purifier Brands
For this product comparison, we reference refillable filtered pitchers because three of these brands have a variation of that. We’re also focusing mostly on the types of filtration that they use since this is what makes the biggest difference in how effective a water purifier is.
1. Brita
Read our blog, Your Brita Water Filter Isn’t Removing These Contaminants.
Brita is probably a name you’re familiar with, but are their water purifiers all they’re cracked up to be?
Looking at their water pitcher with a filter, as an example, it utilizes the Brita Elite™ filter, which they say reduces contaminants like chlorine and lead. It does not filter out copper, zinc, or trichlorobenzene 1, 2, or 4.
Beyond that, the product page doesn’t offer much detail regarding what exactly the Brita Elite™ filter even is. The site does explain that the filter is made up of three main components: activated carbon, fibrous matrix, and absorbents.
The filter lasts for about six months or 120 gallons. There is only one other Brita filter that lasts as long. The Brita Elite™ also filters more contaminants than some other filters from the brand. For example, four of the seven available filters don’t even filter out lead. Five can’t target asbestos. In fact, none of their filters offer complete protection.
We like to look at Brita filters as “beginner” filters. In fact, their pitchers are part of their “starter set.” You might recognize the name, and we like that they have very affordable options. However, all of their models are still missing a key component for effective water filtration. More on that in a moment.
2. Zero
The ZeroWater Ready-Pour Pitcher uses a five-stage filtration system, although the more finite details of those stages are not provided on the product page. It claims to remove nearly all total dissolved solids (TDS), like metal and salts. It’s also IAPMO-certified to reduce lead, forever chemicals, chromium, and mercury — all things it says Brita can’t do. In fact, it boasts better testing results than its counterpart. For example, it filters 98% of arsenic III while Brita filters 63%. It filters 99% of lead, but Brita only filters 85%.
We couldn’t find guidelines for how long the filters last but they offer subscriptions that send new ones every two, three, and four months. A one-star review shared that the brand advertised filters that last three to five months, but theirs lasted only three weeks.
So, it appears that Zero offers superior filtration to Brita, although it’s still missing a few key things that water purifiers should have.
3. Berkey
Berkey is different from the other brands on this list in terms of its design and price point.. The stainless steel chambers are more of an investment, although they are also designed for travel and outdoor use.
The water filter uses the Super Sterasyl™ filter element, which, by default, includes the Sterasyl™ ceramic. Part of the ceramic shell is filled with granular activated carbon, which helps reduce chlorine and organic chemicals. In addition, the Super Sterasyl™ filter removes parasites, VOCs, and some more. However, based on the site, it doesn’t remove other common contaminants, like fluoride.
Depending on the exact model and filters you purchase, it can filter up to 3,000 gallons of water before needing a replacement filter. Worth noting is that in recent years, there have been some legal concerns. (Keep reading.)
4. Sans
The biggest distinction between Sans and other brands of water purifiers lies in the specific type of filter it utilizes.
The Sans glass water pitcher is the only device on this list that leverages reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration, which is the latest and most powerful water filtration technology on the market. The reason it’s so important to use a water purifier with reverse osmosis filtration is that it can remove impurities as small as 0.0001 microns in size, meaning that up to 99.9% of fluoride, forever chemicals, and microplastics are filtered out. In other words, the only thing that can get through a reverse osmosis water filter is water molecules.
Sans also uses UV-C light, the ultimate defense against pathogens like viruses and bacteria. With this multi-stage filtration approach, Sans offers cleaner, purer water than any of its competitors.
The pre-filter/activated carbon filter, and VOC filter last about 12 months or 600 gallons. The reverse osmosis filter lasts about 24 months or 1200 gallons.
We’ve already established (at least, generally) what type of filters the other brands use, but where do they stand, exactly, when it comes to reverse osmosis?
Brita PRO (not the main Brita brand) offers whole-home water filtration that they must install under your sink, but this looks to be the only option if you want reverse osmosis. ZeroWater doesn’t use RO and calls out on its website that if you do use a water purification system with reverse osmosis, it needs to be designed with UV light to prevent the growth of bacteria. (Sans uses UV-C light.)
Berkey does not use reverse osmosis, either. Also worth noting is that the EPA tried to put Berkey out of business, stating that because their gravity-fed mechanical water filters incorporate silver, the device needs to be classified as a pesticide and should come with “aggressive warnings.”
What’s on the Inside Counts
When choosing a water purifier, look at the inner workings. As of today, there is no technology that can outrun reverse osmosis. Without it, many contaminants in your drinking water will stay exactly where they are.
RO, UV-C, and other layers of defense — such as those you’ll find in Sans — are non-negotiable.