Considering it’s one of the more popular filters, that can even be found in a Walmart. I thought it was a good idea and time to ask… does ZeroWater remove fluoride?
Now just like the other 33+ water filters I’ve tested, it’s best to not depend on what ZeroWater tells us about their filter. Since many brands lie. But instead, I’m going to buy and test one with a fluoride meter.
This way we know for sure.
Does ZeroWater Remove Fluoride?
According to Zerowater, their water filter can remove 90% of fluoride. Quite a bold claim, so to figure out if this is true, I did two things…
The first thing was to test my tap water for fluoride before filtering (pictured below) and then test the water after filtering with a Zerowater filter… genius idea, I know.
Now as you can see, the fluoride meter registered 0.6 ppm of fluoride in my home’s tap water.
Now while Brita filters were shown to NOT remove fluoride in do Brita filters remove fluoride – I do have slightly higher hopes for ZeroWater. But let’s see what the fluoride meter tells us.
So, does ZeroWater remove fluoride?
Yes, according to the fluoride meter, ZeroWater filters can remove fluoride. In fact, it took water that contained 0.6 ppm of fluoride all the way down to 0.0 ppm, virtually removing all fluoride from my home’s tap water.
Now if I’m being honest, this surprised me…. Usually it’s the more expensive filters that can remove fluoride while the cheaper ones fail.
But before you head on over to Amazon and buy yourself your very own ZeroWater pitcher. Let’s first find out if this is the best option for you, along with everything else you should know about ZeroWater.
Other Water Filters That Remove Fluoride?
It’s great that Zerowater can remove fluoride.
But unfortunately many brands can’t and lie about it. So in case you’re considering a different brand or a different filter like reverse osmosis, distillers, or gravity-fed filters… it’s best you know which filters can and can’t remove fluoride.
So to help you avoid being tricked, I’ve taken the fluoride test results of 33+ filters and put them into one PDF. And all you have to do is enter your email below and I’ll send the results right away.
Enter your email below to receive fluoride test results on 41+ water filters + my top picks!
Now if you’re wondering which pitcher is the best out of all the pitchers I’ve tested, that’s an easy question.
The best pitcher that can remove fluoride is Clearly Filtered (link to their website… way better than ZeroWater). In fact, Zerowater was the main filter I’d recommend for fluoride the first year I started this website. But the past couple years I’ve switched to Clearly Filtered and the readers like it way better. But don’t get me wrong, Zerowater is still a good choice, just not the best choice.
Now let’s continue with everything else you should know about Zerowater filters.
How Does ZeroWater Remove Fluoride?
Considering fluoride is a very difficult chemical to filter. Especially in a small size like a water pitcher, there needs to be multiple stages of filtration in order to do the job successfully.
In this case, water pitchers like Brita that are composed of 2-stages will fail to filter fluoride and several other toxic substances. While on the other hand, a brand like ZeroWater is composed of 5 stages.
Which results in properly filtered water.
- Stage 1: Coarse filter screen, removes suspended solids such as dust and rust that make your water appear cloudy.
- Stage 2: Foam distributor, removes additional suspended solids.
- Stage 3: Multi-layer activated carbon & oxidation reduction alloy, removes organic contaminants; pesticides, herbicides, Mercury, Chlorine, Chloramine, and stops bacteria from growing
- Stage 4: Dual comprehensive ion exchange resin, removes inorganic compounds i.e. metals, nonmetals and radiological contaminants.
- Stage 5: Ultra-fine screen & non-woven membrane layers, removes remaining suspended solids, holds the resin in place.
Besides Fluoride, What Else Does ZeroWater Remove?
Fluoride is something you definitely don’t want in your water and thankfully ZeroWater can help with this.
However, there are many other contaminants you also don’t want in your water. Here’s a graph comparing ZeroWater to Brita in filtration performance.
Clearly, ZeroWater outperforms Brita..
But that’s nothing special. Almost all filters do.
Now Zerowater does do a great job at filtering water. The only problem with Zerowater filters are the things we’re about to discuss. Not to mention, I’ve had many more complaints with Zerowater than I ever do recommending all the other filters at best fluoride water filters combined!
Possible ZeroWater Filter Problems
1. How Long Does A ZeroWater Filter Last?
This is a problem but it depends for who.
That’s because how much water you consume is one of the biggest factors when choosing the right filter.
Each ZeroWater cartridge can typically filter anywhere from 25-40 gallons of water. However this depends on the level of TDs (total dissolved substances) in your water. The higher the level, the harder the filter works and the faster it gets worn out.
To find this out, you need to test the TDS levels of your water. Thankfully a TDs water meter (pictured above) comes with a ZeroWater filter. Once you have the TDs level of your water, match it with the “Quantity of Water Expected Per Cartridge” column in the table below.
This will show you how much filtered water you should expect before having to replace the filter.
Water TDS Reading | Contaminants Level | Quantity of Water Expected Per Cartridge |
002-050 | Moderate | Above 40 Gallons |
051-200 | Normal Range for Tap Water | 25-40 Gallons |
201-300 | Above Normal | 15-25 Gallons |
301-400 | Very High | 8-15 Gallons |
401+ | Extremely High | 8 Gallons and below |
2. How Much Does It Cost?
Regardless of how many gallons you get per filter, most people run into the problem of replacing their Zerowater filters often which get’s expensive, compared to other options.
For example, let’s say 2 people are using the filter and both drink an average of 1 gallon a day and a typical filter lasts them for 40 gallons (not likely, but let’s pretend). In this case, a filter won’t last an entire month. Best case scenario, the 2 people would have to buy around 18 filters a year.
Now prices change but a filter costs me an average of $15, which equals to $270 dollars a year just for filters. If you live alone this is somewhat reasonable but regardless, there are more wallet-friendly options for removing fluoride cheaply (with better quality).
More on that later.
3. How Fast Does ZeroWater Filter Water?
My ZeroWater pitcher filtered a full jug of water in exactly 5 minutes and 16 seconds.
However this also depends on the TDs levels of your water (mine was 170 before filtering, 0 after filtering). The higher the level, the longer it’ll take to filter.
4. Can ZeroWater Be Used On Well Water?
We know tap water is not safe to drink but unlike well-water, city tap water is treated for microbiological contaminants like bacteria and viruses. The problem here is that ZeroWater can not remove these contaminants. Which means Zerowater can be used on tap water but it can NOT be used on well water.
Final Word – Should You Get A ZeroWater Filter?
Unlike other brands like Brita, Waterdrop and Aquagear – when it comes to ZeroWater it can and will remove fluoride found in your water.
A great first step when you consider this will also help you reduce your total fluoride intake by reducing how much fluoride you consume alongside other sources (tea, coffee, etc.).
But as you can guess from what I’ve already said, there are many better options than ZeroWater. For example, when it comes to water filter pitchers, Clearly Filtered is way better than ZeroWater. And the same thing applies to the more expensive filters like reverse osmosis. Which by the way is my favorite type of filter and saves you a ton of money.
So I’d strongly recommend you don’t go with ZeroWater and instead go with any of the other 3 filters I recommend in my article on the best fluoride water filters (link to article). And if you’re unsure which filter to choose, the article will also help you decide.
Anyways, there you have it, the truth about fluoride in regards to ZeroWater.
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