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Our Verdict (Best For)
The Waterdrop Chubby is our #1 water filter pitcher if usability, looks, and affordability are your top priorities. The pitcher is easy to assemble/prime and use, and the natural wooden handle lends it a lovely modern aesthetic. More pros: Our filtered water tasted and smelled perfect, filtration speed is excellent, and we have budget-friendly costs. However, filtration performance is less impressive. The biggest issue was that, in our lab testing, the filter failed to completely remove 5-6 contaminants. Additionally, the Chubby is NSF-certified for chlorine and taste/odor reduction only, and it has just one published contaminant reduction rate (also for chlorine).
The Waterdrop Chubby 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
Final Rating: /5.00
Filtration: /5.00
Usability: /5.00
Costs: /5.00
| Type: | Water Filter Pitcher |
| Price (Jan 20, 2025, No Short-Term Sales): | $27.49 (Use Code RCPT for 21% Off!) |
| Yearly Cost for 300 gal Based on Rated/Claimed Filter Life (Mar 19, 2024): | ~$45 (Save 5% With Filter Subscription) |
(Use Code RCPT for 21% Off!)
Final Rating: /5.00
What We Like Most
- Taste and odor of filtered water were perfect.
- Very easy to set up, use, and maintain.
- Pour-through tab works great and pours nicely even when fast.
- Looks nice!
- Excellent filtration speed.
- Filter life indicator.
- Affordable costs especially upfront.
What We Don’t Like
- No or only partial reduction of 5 (6) contaminants in our lab testing.
- Only 2 NSF certifications for contaminant reduction (for chlorine and taste/odor) and no additional 3rd-party testing.
- No detailed information given on filter process.
- Short 3-month warranty.
- 3rd-party customers complained about spilling water when pouring.
How the Waterdrop Chubby Compares to…
10 Other Water Filter Pitchers
In this video, Mike explains why the Waterdrop Chubby became our #1 pitcher pick if usability, looks, and a low price are your priority.
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 Waterdrop Chubby
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 | 0.03 | 25% | |
| Lithium (mg/L) | ✖ | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0% | |
| Strontium (mg/L) | ✖ | 0.18 | 0.04 | 78% | |
| Salts | |||||
| Nitrate (N) (mg/L) | ✖ | 1.65 | 1.12 | 32% | |
| Fluoride (mg/L) (Flawed?) | ✖ | 0.46 | 0.46* | 0%* | |
| Other | |||||
| Uranium (µg/L) | ✖ | 7 | 2 | 71% | |
| Aesthetic Parameters | |||||
| Hardness (mg/L) | ✖ | 111.9 | 25.6 | 77% | |
| Impurities NOT Detected in Unfiltered Tap Water Sample | |||||
| Aluminum (mg/L) | ✖ | ✖ | 0 | 0.01 | |
| Iron (mg/L) | ✖ | 0 | 0.05 | ||
| *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!
Further Reading
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.