Clearly Filtered Review: A Contaminant Count and a Blank Certification Field
A box that leads with a contaminant count is selling the loud half, and this Clearly Filtered review covers 3 records where the quiet half is missing. The flagship jug claims 386 targets, the restock pack claims 365 and the third record claims 232. Two of the 3 keep the certification field blank, and the third doesn't agree with its own copy.
Clearly Filtered Review: What the Records Print
Three records sit in this line and every one of them leads with a contaminant count. The 10 cup jug files 386 targets at up to 99.99 percent removal, the restock pack files 365, and the under counter box files 232. The count is the whole pitch, and it's in the bullet copy rather than in a data field we can read.
The one field the brand fills on all 3 is the price tier, and it's the top one. Every item here sits in the premium tier of its own shelf. The life figure is a different story: only the refill box carries a figure, and it's 100 gallons. That works out to roughly 200 refills, or about 4 months of pouring.
- The capacity: 3 records claim the same 100 gallon life and there's only one that puts that figure in the data.
- The standard: the pitcher's data sheet lists NSF 42, 53 and 372. The other 2 list nothing at all, though both name four standards in the bullets.
- The claim: every record prints a removal percentage, and not one carries a document under it.
- The clock: about 4 months a cartridge in the copy, with no figure in that field on 2 of the 3.
What that adds up to at the glass: a line where the removal claim outruns the documents behind it. The pitcher filter roundup scores this shelf against the rest, while the under sink roundup covers the box sold at the top of its range.
The short version
A count on a box is a promise about breadth, and a standard number is the receipt. This line prints the promise in bold, which is the easy half, and then leaves the receipt in the drawer. Both are fair statements, and they're not the same thing. Only one of them can be checked by a reader.
Clearly Filtered Review: 5 of 7 for the 10 Cup Pitcher
No record in the line has a page of its own yet, so this scorecard belongs to the flagship pitcher. Seven lines, 1 point each, and there's no partial credit.
The pitcher takes its 5 points on a named standard, a printed cartridge life, a low entry band, a broad removal claim and a body that fits a fridge shelf. Its 2 zeros are the transparency behind the testing and the reorder rhythm you can't avoid.
| Criterion | Points | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Certified removal scope | 1 point | The 10 cup sheet names three standards for taste, health and lead free materials, so part of the claim sits under a number a reader can look up |
| Certification and test transparency | 0 points | No listing number in the line, and the pitcher's own copy line says 43 where its data field says 53 |
| Filter life and replacement schedule | 1 point | A cartridge the copy puts at 100 gallons, or about 200 refills and 4 months of pouring |
| Cost per gallon | 1 point | A premium band spread across a cartridge rated for 100 gallons, which still comes in above a penny a gallon |
| Removal breadth | 1 point | 386 targets claimed at up to 99.99 percent, the widest list any record here prints |
| Install and footprint | 1 point | An 80 fluid ounce body that stands on a fridge shelf with no plumbing |
| Maintenance burden | 0 points | A cartridge to reorder every few months, and a reorder the brand builds into the pitch |
The zeros land on the testing paperwork and the reorder. One is a document nobody printed, and the other is a cartridge that returns every few months, which is the shape of every pitcher on the market.
Clearly Filtered: Who the Line Fits
This line fits 2 buyers and it charges them very different money. Someone pouring a jug in the kitchen who wants a wide removal list without plumbing, and someone who wants the whole tap handled under the counter.
Start with the pitcher if the wallet matters, because it's the record with the most printed detail.
The pitcher holds 80 fluid ounces and sits under $115, so it'll sit on a fridge shelf. The under counter box sits in a far dearer band and ties into the cold line with a wrench. The fluoride removal roundup prices that claim against the shelf, and the full index sorts every class on the same 7 lines.
This Is Not Your Pitcher If
- You want a listing number before you buy. The pitcher's own sheet names a standard but carries no document.
- You want a single purchase and nothing to reorder. A cartridge returns every few months.
- You want the cheapest water per gallon. This is the premium tier of the shelf, and the math says so.
- You'd rather not think about the filter at all. This brand wants you on a reorder.
The way I see it
A pitcher is a commitment to a routine. You fill it, you wait, you pour, and in about 4 months you buy the cartridge again. The count on the box is a reason to start that routine, and the cartridge is the reason it continues.
Clearly Filtered: The Trade-offs to Know
The strength is a removal list that runs well past the usual pitcher. The jug claims 386 targets, including fluoride, lead, PFAS and microplastics, and its data field doesn't stay silent on the health and lead free standards.
The weakness is the paperwork under that claim. Two of the 3 never fill the certification box while their bullets name four standards, and the pitcher field says 53 where its own copy line says 43. Nothing in the line comes with a listing number.
What You Get
- A named standard on the flagship's sheet, so one slice of the claim can be checked.
- One filter with a 100 gallon rating on the copy, and roughly 200 refills between swaps.
- An 80 fluid ounce body sized for a fridge shelf.
- A counter option for buyers who want the tap handled, not the jug.
What It Costs You
- No listing number sits on any record, so the removal claim rests on the brand's own copy.
- A blank certification field on 2 records, and a standard that disagrees with the copy on the third.
- A cartridge to reorder every few months, with a running cost that shows it.
- Premium bands at every level, including the entry pitcher.
The Nerd Stamp™ methodology lists what each of the 7 lines asks a page like this one to show.
The pick, and the body the widest claim in the line sits in.
What Clearly Filtered Costs to Run
The line sells in 3 bands and every one of them sits in the premium tier. The pitcher lands under $115, the restock pack in a band around $185, and the counter unit near $550. The running cost is where this line parts company with a filter you never rebuy.
- The pitcher: under $115 for the jug and 1 cartridge, which lasts 100 gallons.
- The 3 pack: roughly $185 for three cartridges, or about 300 gallons of pouring.
- The counter unit: a band near $550, with a cartridge the maker expects to run about a year.
- The running cost: roughly 60 cents a gallon on the 3 pack, worked from the band and the rated life.
Here is what the listing leaves out. That's what the wide removal list costs you. A cartridge you never rebuy lands under a penny, and a premium pitcher and its 100 gallon filter land in the tens of cents. The replacement cartridge roundup prices the same arithmetic across the shelf.
The cheapest refill in the line, spread across 300 gallons.
Clearly Filtered Review: The 3 Records Side by Side
Every row comes from the records we hold: the format, the life figure filed, the certification field, the entry band and the points. Two rows read not scored, since the pitcher's the one record with a scorecard behind it.
| Record | Format | Life figure filed | Certification field | Entry band | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Cup Pitcher (B0DFC22BHT) | a jug and a cartridge | blank, copy files 100 gal | NSF 42, 53, 372 | under $115 | 5/7 |
| Cartridge 3 Pack (B074CNYPC2) | 3 cartridges, no jug | 100 gal filed | nothing in the field | $180 to $190 | not scored |
| Under Sink 3 Stage (B01MY31GHU) | a box for the cold line | blank, copy says a year | no standard filed | $500 to $575 | not scored |
The 3 bodies serve 3 different kitchens and 2 of them share the same cartridge. The jug and the restock box run on the 100 gallon filter, while the under sink unit carries a part of its own.
The lead removal roundup sorts the shelf on that single claim, and the cartridge roundup covers the restock side of the line.
Put another way
These 3 are one brand with 3 doors on the same pitch. A jug, a restock box and a fitting under the counter all lead back to the same contaminant count. You'll pick the door, and the count won't move.
Clearly Filtered FAQ
- Do Clearly Filtered filters remove PFAS
- The copy claims it, at 99.5 percent on the cartridge pack and inside the 386 target list on the pitcher. No listing number sits under that claim, so it rests on the company's own testing.
- Are Clearly Filtered filters NSF certified
- Partly. The pitcher's sheet lists 42, 53 and 372, while its own copy line prints 43 and 372 instead. The other 2 records leave that field blank even though their bullets name four standards.
- How long does a Clearly Filtered filter last
- About 100 gallons, which the copy describes as roughly 200 refills or 4 months of daily pouring. Just the restock pack files that figure in the data, and the other 2 push it into the sales copy.
- What does Clearly Filtered cost to run
- Roughly 60 cents a gallon on the 3 pack, a box that sells near $185 and covers about 300 gallons. That's the cost of the wide removal list, and it's far above a filter you rinse and reuse.
- Does Clearly Filtered remove fluoride
- The copy claims 99.54 percent on the cartridge pack and lists fluoride in the pitcher target set. Neither claim brings a listing number with it, so you're left with the maker's word rather than a document.
Clearly Filtered Review: Where the Line Lands
The pick is the jug: 5 points, a named standard, a cartridge rated to 100 gallons and the widest removal claim in the line. Its 2 zeros land on the testing paperwork and the reorder rhythm.
For the whole tap, the counter unit moves the same pitch below the sink, with a cartridge rated at about a year. For restocking, the refill box spreads 300 gallons across roughly $185. No document sits behind any of the 3.
3 records, one shared contaminant count and an empty certification field on 2 of them. The claim is loud and the paperwork is thin. That's the trade here.
The Count on the Box and the Receipt in the Drawer
A big count is easy to print and hard to check. This line prints a big one, and won't fill the fields that would back it.
Clearly Filtered Terms and Standards
- Affinity filtration
- The brand's name for its own media, which it says binds contaminants ionically rather than trapping them in a mesh. No record files the media itself, only the number it targets.
- Contaminant count
- The figure a box leads with: 232 on the counter unit, 365 on the restock pack and 386 on the jug. It's a target list rather than a test result, and the two are not the same document.
- NSF/ANSI 42 and 53
- The pair of standards behind most carbon filters. 42 covers taste and odor, 53 covers a named health list, and only the jug's record files both.
- NSF/ANSI 372
- The lead free materials standard, which describes the plastic around the water rather than what the media removes. It shows up on the 10 cup sheet and nowhere else.
- Listing number
- The document a certifier issues once a part passes its testing. Not one record in this line carries one, so the removal claim rests on the brand's own words.
- Running cost
- What a cartridge spreads across the gallons it rates. On this line it lands in cents rather than pennies, which is the price the wide list carries.
Keep Reading: More Clearly Filtered
- Best Pitcher Water Filters: the shelf the jug sells on.
- Best Under Sink Water Filters: where the 3 stage box is listed.
- Best Replacement Cartridges: the restock side of this line.
- The Nerd Stamp Methodology: what each of the 7 lines asks for.