The 6 Best Water-Filter Pitchers for Crystal-Clear H2O Every Time

Best Overall

A water-filter pitcher doesn't need Wi-Fi connectivity, a flashy design, or LED lights. Ultimately, it needs to make good-tasting water, be easy to clean and refill, and have a compact footprint. We think this affordable pitcher from Brita fits the bill. It holds 10 cups of water (which should be plenty for most), and it has a wide lid that's removable for easy refilling and cleaning, so you won't have to deal with any gross black specks floating in your water.

The pitcher is compatible with Brita's fantastic Longlast Filter, which is certified to reduce chlorine, cadmium, mercury, lead, asbestos, and benzene. This pitcher comes with Brita's standard filter, but we recommend splurging for the Longlast, which only needs replacing every 6 months, compared to the standard filter's 2-month required replacement rate.

Related: Our Favorite Water Bottles for Hydrating Anywhere

Best for Families

When you have a spouse, children, pets, and plants to hydrate, it's easy to go through a standard-sized pitcher in no time. This water dispenser is perfect for large families and those who like to cook with purified water. It has a large reservoir that holds 23 cups of water — or about 1.5 gallons, which is two times larger than most of our other picks.

The pitcher features a 5-stage filtration system that's NSF-certified to reduce lead and other heavy metals, and it comes with a water quality meter to test the quality of your water. We're big fans of its flip-top lid, which makes it easy to refill, and love its convenient spigot that can be used one-handed. The container has a slim design that won't take up an entire shelf in your fridge, and it has a durable build that doesn't leak. 

Our only complaint is that it's slower than most other pitchers at filtering, but that's to be expected, considering how much water it holds.

Best for Convenience

If you're too lazy to lift your pitcher out of the fridge to pour yourself a glass of water, but don't want a huge water dispenser with a spigot that takes up a ton of precious fridge space that you need for takeout and pizza boxes, you can't go wrong with this ZeroWater pitcher.

It holds 10 cups of water and has a convenient spigot nozzle that's typically found on much larger pitchers. Plus, it's NSF-certified and features a nonslip handle. It even comes with a battery-powered TDS meter for checking water quality.

Best for Saving Space

For dorm-dwellers with mini fridges, we recommend this ultra slim Brita pitcher. It's compatible with Brita's outstanding Longlast Filter we previously mentioned, and its 4-inch width allows it to easily fit into narrow, tight places like your fridge door. The pitcher comes in white, red, and turquoise colors, and its lid offers a convenient indicator that reminds you when it’s time to replace your water filter. The included filter needs changing every 40 gallons, which equates to an estimated 2 months of use.