PUR

The r/BuyItForLife community has genuinely mixed feelings about PUR. Many users appreciate it as a practical, affordable upgrade over Brita for taste and contaminant reduction, and some have used their units for years without issue. However, a vocal minority considers it outright inferior to alternatives like Berkey or Clearly Filtered, and water filtration specialists note it underperforms on actual contaminant removal.

PUR faucet filters offer solid mid-range filtration, good certification credentials, and reasonable durability, but the pitcher line has quality concerns and the product overall isn't a top performer for users with serious contaminant removal needs.

PUR is widely praised for improving water taste, ease of use, and solid mid-range filtration performance relative to its cost. Its faucet-mounted filters in particular earn repeat recommendations, including from Wirecutter.

• Effectively removes chlorine taste, outperforming Brita for many users
• PUR Advanced faucet filter certified for 71 contaminants including particulates
• Faucet filters praised for easy installation and swivel head design
• Filters reported to last longer than stated lifespan in real-world use
• Good customer service — replacement parts sent proactively after breakage
• Affordable filter replacement costs compared to competitors

Criticism centers on PUR's plastic build quality — pitchers have been reported to crack — and limitations in filtering advanced contaminants like PFAS, arsenic, and pharmaceuticals. A water filtration specialist rated it poorly in independent testing.

• Pitcher body prone to cracking, leading users to switch brands
• Underperforms on contaminant reduction compared to Clearly Filtered or Epic pitchers
• One expert tester rated Brita and PUR weak on actual filtration performance
• At least one user found it failed to remove unpleasant tap water taste
• Now owned by Helen of Troy conglomerate, raising concerns about brand quality

A user who tried several filter systems found PUR's water taste comparable to ZeroWater, but with cheaper, longer-lasting filters — and they simply swap it out when the taste starts to decline rather than following a fixed schedule.

A water quality specialist who tests filters professionally noted that no pitcher is truly buy-it-for-life, since filters are consumables and the plastic scratches over time, and rated both Brita and PUR as weak on actual filtration.

A long-term PUR faucet filter user noted the housing has proven durable for years, and PUR proactively sent replacement adapters when the original broke during a move — with no obligation to do so.

One user switched away from ZeroWater to PUR specifically because ZeroWater strips out beneficial minerals, while PUR strikes a better balance between filtering contaminants and preserving healthy mineral content.