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Our Verdict (Best for)
The Aquagear water filter pitcher offers solid usability with pretty speedy filtration and a smooth pour. On the downside, the design feels kind of backwards and the pour-through tab doesn’t move freely or close all the way. The main reason, however, why the Aquagear didn’t become one of our pitcher top picks was the rather weak performance in our lab testing and the taste that remained in our filtered water. And while the company tested reduction of 80 contaminants against NSF standards (and other), they were primarily limited to easier-to-remove organics. Plus, no actual NSF certification. Bottom line: No buying recommendation.
The Aquagear is a water filter pitcher. It’s designed for use as a drinking water filter and can purify both tap water and properly disinfected well water.
As usual, we’ve tested the pitcher with our own hands:
- Hands-on experience: We assembled, primed, used, and maintained it.
- Filtration effectiveness: We sent an unfiltered and a filtered tap water sample to a professional lab for analysis in order to determine real-life contaminant reduction capabilities. Plus, we checked for NSF certifications and other test data.
- More testing: We performed a taste & odor test as well as a filtration speed test.
- All other product aspects: We considered initial + long-term cost, product warranties, additional features, frequent customer complaints, etc.
Contents
Overall Rating: /5.00
Filtration: /5.00
Usability: /5.00
Costs: /5.00
| Type: | Water Filter Pitcher |
| Price (Jan 20, 2025, w/o Short-Term Sales): | $69.95 |
| Estimated Yearly Cost (Mar 19, 2024): | ~$125 (Save 20% With Filter Subscription) |
Overall Rating: /5.00
What We Like Most
- Filtered water was free from odor.
- NSF and other testing for 80 contaminants.
- Easy to set up and use (pours nicely even when fast).
- Filters quite fast.
- Easy to maintain with long 120-gallon filter life.
- Lifetime warranty.
What We Don’t Like
- No or partial reduction for 4 (5) contaminants in our lab testing.
- Filtered water had some taste left to it.
- No actual NSF certifications for contaminant reduction.
- NSF testing mostly limited to “easier-to-remove” organics.
- Design feels “backwards” + pour-through tab doesn’t move freely and won’t close all the way.
- No filter life indicator.
- A bit pricey to purchase and maintain.
- 3rd-party customers complained about slow filtration, clogged filters, and spilling when pouring.
How the Aquagear Compares to…
10 Other Water Filter Pitchers
In this video, Mike highlights our water filter pitcher top picks. The Aquagear was included in our testing, but didn’t make the cut.
Please note: Our full guide on the best water filter pitchers is available here.
Video Chapters + Comparison Sheet
- Link to Comparison Sheet
- 00:00 – Intro
- 00:58 – Our 11 Pitchers
- 02:00 – How We Tested & Ranked
- 04:29 – Pitcher Assembly & Filter Priming
- 05:21 – Sampling Process
- 06:18 – Taste & Odor Test
- 06:58 – Speed Test
- 08:28 – Best Overall (Clearly Filtered)
- 12:27 – Best for Usability + Affordability (Waterdrop)
- 15:45 – Best for Bacteria & Cyst (LifeStraw)
- 18:30 – Best for Nitrate (ZeroWater)
- 23:00 – Best for Fluoride
- 23:39 – Summary
Full Analysis of the Aquagear
Filtration: /5.00
1. Lab Results: /5.00
Remember that our before vs after lab comparison is not an exact science. It’s informational and subject to variability, inaccuracies, and interferences caused by natural fluctuations in water quality, accidental contamination, human error, instrumentation issues, and more. Furthermore, our lab-testing is limited to those contaminants present in our water supplies and at their respective concentrations. As such, it can only give us a general idea for how effective a certain water treatment product might be.
Lab Results Chart
| Potentially Harmful | Aesthetic Issues | Feed Water Level | Filtered Water Level | Reduction Rate | |
| Water Disinfectants | |||||
| Chlorine (mg/L) | ✖ | ✖ | 0.2 | 0 | 100% |
| Disinfection Byproducts | |||||
| Bromodichloromethane (µg/l) | ✖ | 0.58 | 0 | 100% | |
| Bromoform (µg/l) | ✖ | 0.75 | 0 | 100% | |
| Dibromochloromethane (µg/l) | ✖ | 0.94 | 0 | 100% | |
| Metals | |||||
| Copper (mg/L) | ✖ | ✖ | 0.01 | 0 | 100% |
| Barium (mg/L) | ✖ | 0.01 | 0 | 100% | |
| Boron (mg/L) | ✖ | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0% | |
| Lithium (mg/L) | ✖ | 0.01 | 0.02 | 100% Increase | |
| Strontium (mg/L) | ✖ | 0.18 | 0.15 | 17% | |
| Salts | |||||
| Nitrate (N) (mg/L) | ✖ | 1.65 | 0 | 100% | |
| Fluoride (mg/L) (Flawed?) | ✖ | 0.46 | 0.59* | 28% Increase* | |
| Other | |||||
| Uranium (µg/L) | ✖ | 7 | 5 | 29% | |
| Aesthetic Parameters | |||||
| Hardness (mg/L) | ✖ | 111.9 | 239.7 | 114% Increase | |
| Impurities NOT Detected in Unfiltered Tap Water Sample | |||||
| Zinc (mg/L) | ✖ | 0 | 0.01 | ||
| *Due to known interferences of the applied testing method, we assume fluoride levels must be taken with a grain of salt. | |||||
| Explanation: | |||||
| Full Removal | |||||
| Considerable Reduction | |||||
| Concentration More Than Double of Unfiltered Water Sample | |||||
| Potential Leaching Reached or Exceeded the Strictest Public Health Guideline We Could Find | |||||
*100% means reduction to below the minimum detection level. To learn more about our testing procedures check our editorial guidelines.
Link to Filtered Water Report
Link to Unfiltered Water Report
Usability: /5.00
Costs: /5.00
Please note: This page is still a work in progress. Additional content and details will be added shortly – stay tuned!
About the Author(s)
Mike is a former team member who made his mark by contributing to our first big water filter pitcher comparison video and reviewing a couple POE water treatment systems. Beyond the world of water solutions, Mike is a full-time blogger and YouTuber alongside his wife, Ashley. Together, they’ve transformed their passions into a creative space called Joyfully Growing, where they share DIY tutorials and simple home improvement tips to help others love the homes they’re in.
Raoul has a background in mechanical engineering and has been writing about home water treatment since 2015. He designs our product review processes, analyzes the results, and ties everything together. As editor-in-chief, he tries hard to keep the whole operation running smoothly behind the scenes.