10 Best Countertop Reverse Osmosis Systems in 2024 (Lab-)Tested + Reviewed

[@boswater6065]

*Countertop RO Recommendations* *1. Best Overall: AquaTru Classic* → Buy Here (Deal Includes Free Replacement Filter Set): shrsl.com/4fo7t - Use code “BOSAQUATRU” for an additional 15% off! *2. Best Budget Pick: AquaTru Carafe* → Buy Here (New Deal): aquatruwater.com/product/carafe-countertop-reverse-osmosis-water-purifier-variation/?oid2=50&affid2=1286&c=boswater - No Code Needed. $100 Discount Already Applied With Link! *3. Best for Hot Water: NU Aqua 4-Stage Countertop Reverse Osmosis System and APEC ROCT-PLUS* → Buy NU Aqua 4-Stage Here: nuaquasystems.com/products/nu-aqua-countertop-reverse-osmosis-system?rfsn=4096226.c90f2b&.c90f2b&subid=YTTOPCTRO - Use code “BOSWATER” for 5% off! → Buy APEC ROCT-PLUS Here: amzn.to/3SUfwxR *4. Honorable Mention: Bluevua RO100ROPOT* → Buy Here: amzn.to/3SSMPkU

[@Allaiya.]

This was very helpful. For me, another important thing is I don’t want my water stored in plastic. Especially if it’s being heated in plastic… I don’t think anyone tests for microplastics but it’s obvious a growing concern since they’re everywhere. Aquatru carafe it is.

[@boswater6065]

Glad that you liked it! Yes, testing for microplastics is extremely expensive.

[@AmmYisraellChaii]

Other systems, not just Aquatru, use borosilicate glass

[@habiburrahman8497]

Based on these tests, Bluevua is good as others, and removes the most fluoride. Thank you for testing.

[@boswater6065]

Correct, but remember that we could only test for those contaminants actually present in our water supply. That's why we value NSF certifications so much. And you are welcome!

[@tammyvenezia9117]

I loved my Bluevua until it stopped working properly, their customer service was phenomenal.

[@boswater6065]

@tammyvenezia9117 Could the problem be solved?

[@a.debbarh8527]

@@boswater6065 Your promotional product is Aquatru?

[@boswater6065]

@a.debbarh8527 I'm not sure what you're asking. Our channel runs on affiliate commissions if that's what you mean. This includes AquaTru but is not limited to it.

[@RealCyberSeb]

Thank you for this great new video and your fantastic work! You not only help customers to choose the right unit, but also force the manufacturers to improve.

[@boswater6065]

You are welcome, and thank you so much for saying that!

[@silentcovemusic]

This is the most comprehensive and detailed analysis and comparative review of these systems. I am so absolutely grateful that I've received such good guidance before my first purchase!

[@a.r.walker6255]

I've had the Bluevua ROPOT for a year now and love it. Water tastes great and even better with the remineralization filter. Customer service is also great.

[@boswater6065]

Thanks for sharing!

[@ZorahGold]

Sorry but Bluevue for the win. I've gone through three AquaTru classics in a year plus one carafe, every single one of them defective. As "great" as it may be, doesn't matter if the thing doesn't work. I will say the company stands by the warranty but constantly shipping the system back to wait for a replacement is ridiculous. Everyone I've spoken to who also had (past tense) an AquaTru had similar stories. I've switched to Bluevue and absolutely couldn't be happier. Works beautifully, zero issues, does what it's supposed to do. Those I know who had AquaTru have taken my rec and switched to Bluevue.

[@boswater6065]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Timeka0210]

Thank you for this comment. I've had my aquatru for 2 years, and yesterday, it stopped working. So, of course, I am searching for a replacement. Your comment is very helpful. Thank you for your insight.

[@amazotron3471]

i'm on my second year of BlueVua under very heavy use and have been very happy with it.

[@boswater6065]

Great to hear!

[@phototristan]

My uncles Blue Vua unit died within three months and he complained that he had a hell of a time working with them for any kind of warranty. Both his family and my family have the AquaTru carafe now and are quite happy with them.

[@thomashuff628]

This is such a great video! Thank you for the awesome info! I love my Nu Aqua System! Glad to see it made it on the list!

[@boswater6065]

Glad you liked it!

[@harryhoesch3793]

Love my Bluevua. Using for 4 months now and the pitcher has the trace mineral add filter, to put minerals back in, that the body needs. 2 pitchers a day for 1 persons for 96 oz. a day supply. For a family, I'd go under sink RO.

[@markandrushchenko6470]

The elephant in the room with AquaTru is they don't recommend using it on the water harder than 10 gpg (or 171 mg/l). Quote from their web-site under the Classic model: Can AquaTru filter hard water? AquaTru is intended for water with hardness below 10 gpg (grain per gallon). If the hardness is higher, lime scale will build up on the membrane RO filter replacement. We do not recommend that AquaTru is used with water in excess of 10 gpg hardness, unless the water is softened prior to filtering in AquaTru, or unless you regularly complete our descaling maintenance.

[@boswater6065]

First of all, you are right that the AquaTru is recommended for a maximum hardness level of 10 gpg. Btw, the same applies to the AquaTru Carafe. But this is not really the elephant in the room in my opinion. I've just checked all 8 other countertop ROs we reviewed as part of this video and none of them even mentions a maximum hardness level - but not because you could use them on any hardness level you want. Hard water will always cause scaling and this will also affect all other countertop ROs. The question is, to what extent? Can they handle more than 10 gpg or less? We don't know. What I know is that both AquaTru units are recommended for a TDS level of up to 1500 mg/L. The Bluevua is recommended for up to 800-1000 mg/L. And Waterdrop C1H, Waterdrop A1, and SimPure Y7P-BW are only recommended for a TDS level of up to 500 mg/L. Now TDS =/ hardness, but calcium does contribute to TDS. Finally, 10 gpg isn't too bad. So, I'm not saying that what you said is wrong - not all at. I just don't think that the other systems are necessarily better in that regard.

[@markandrushchenko6470]

Good point. At the same time, say, I know for a fact my water hardness is well above 10 gpg. So, I know the producer does not recommend this system for my water. And then you read those reports about the leaks. If that happens it's solely my responsibility. And if I buy a different system (1) there's a chance it will work just fine with my water and (2) if something happens there's a warranty. Thanks for the review. I was considering the apec for a while now. But fluoride results seem disappointing. Do you think the Bluevua and its lite version could produce the same quality water? The lite version is way cheaper to buy and to own.

[@boswater6065]

Agreed! I'm not familiar with the light version. But I'd say if it uses the same filter elements, then it should produce similar results. If lite means smaller filter elements, then it may not perform as well.

[@thebooper8988]

There are some reports on Amazon of aquatru's filter clogging after a few months of water that's only a hardness of 6 which really makes the system inconvenient/costly if true. I read one review which had it happen to 3 filters and the customer service, after sending out a replacement that got clogged, told the customer that's as far as their resolution was going to go.

[@boswater6065]

@thebooper8988 From my experience, there are complaints about clogging filters for every single water filter I know. I'm not saying that this isn't valid criticism, but it makes it really hard to find a suitable product.

[@MrJosiahCochran]

please review the Stokk T1! I like that it has the remineralization filter and UV filter in addition to the 4 standard filtration steps

[@boswater6065]

Added to our list!

[@gm3353]

would be interested to see how much microplastic contamination these RO's leave from the plastic tubes and non-glass water tanks.

[@boswater6065]

Microplastic testing is extremely expensive, unfortunately. We would like to do it at some point in future, though.

[@lourdesfrance5924]

If I'm no mistaken, tap water testing for microplastics costs the same as testing for contaminants - $300

[@boswater6065]

I saw prices much higher than that, but this also depends on how thorough the testing I guess. But let's say it's "only" $300. That would still roughly double our lab costs for each video. So it would be either testing for microplastics or testing for all the other contaminants combined, and we feel that testing for all the other contaminants has priority.

[@nyleve07]

Can you please reviews the Sans water purifier? I find it’s very similar to the aqua tru but still not sure which to get between the two.

[@boswater6065]

Added to our list!

[@h2eauu]

I would love to see a review of the SimPure Y10C system! Thank you for such thorough reviews!

[@boswater6065]

Noted!

[@Jellybellycat]

We have been trying to SimPure Y7 and are so impressed. Thinking of upgrading though to the Y10

[@TheAscensionPod]

Just what I was looking for, thank you! Was thinking on the Bluevua 100 but needed more about RO systems

[@boswater6065]

You're welcome!

[@minihoneybee]

I like the scientific rigor in your reviews. Surprise that you get much fewer subscribers than another channel who review without independent tests

[@boswater6065]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@MarkDickson-dp3ld]

Thank you for this video! Do you have any comments on the cfu (colony-forming units of bacteria) levels in the lab reports? The raw tap water had zero cfu/ml, but the AquaTru Classic had more than 1600 cfu/ml, more than the 500 cfu/ml EPA limit.

[@lalulu14]

Oh dear.... Thank you for pointing that out!

[@boswater6065]

@MarkDickson-dp3ld Great question, and I appreciate the fact that you are asking about this rather than drawing your own conclusions as so many other people do that end up being false. So first of all, you are right with what you say about the total bacteria count in the lab reports. However, what this measurement basically says is that there is - and I'm citing the EPA here - "low disinfectant residual" in the water. In other words, total bacteria count is used to check if a water supply is being properly treated with a disinfectant like chlorine. But because pretty much all water filters remove chlorine and other disinfectants from the water, the total bacteria count goes up - which makes total sense due to low or even no disinfectant residual. That said, these types of bacteria exist literally everywhere in our environment and they are not harmful.

[@cherylwin9364]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VALUABLE RESEARCH 😇🙏🏽👍🏾👍🏾👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@markandrushchenko6470]

Hey, Sarah! Can you clarify a few questions for me if you have any time for that? I still can't make my mind up. RO membrane should not let viruses and bacteria through. Does that mean UV light is redundant? If not how bad is it for AquaTru not to have one? What about secondary contamination, what is the AquaTru pure water tank made out of? Why do RO systems need another stage after RO if the RO membrane is so thorough and much better than everything else?

[@boswater6065]

1. RO membrane should not let viruses and bacteria through - true, they are too large in size. But there are several factors that could still cause those pathogens to end up in the filtered water, like a tiny amount of water bypassing the RO membrane. That said, most if not all RO systems for household use are only recommended to be used with potable and microbiologically-safe water. Some use UV light but that is only to stop the water from taking on a bad taste. In other words, if there are any potentially harmful pathogens in your water, please don't use a reverse osmosis system to remove them. Properly disinfect the water first, and then you can filter it using RO. 2. How bad is it for the AquaTru to not have UV light - I wouldn't worry about that at all. Again, this is only to try and make the filtered water taste better for a longer time. But as long as you're not allowing the water to to sit in the tank for too long, this shouldn't be an issue. 3. The website says it's Tritan plastic (BPA-free). But if you're worried about that, you could also use the AquaTru Carafe. 4. I might be wrong about this, but I think that when back in the day there were only tank-based systems, they used a carbon post-filter to refresh the taste of the filtered water after it has been sitting in the tank. So maybe they just kept doing that even with tankless systems. Or some manufacturers might use a post-filter to make sure that there aren't any chemicals from the membrane manufacturing process that could end up in the filtered water. Activated carbon is great for removing those.

[@markandrushchenko6470]

​@@boswater6065is that true that both AquaTru carafe and Bluevua have their carafe lids made out of plastic?

[@markandrushchenko6470]

​@@boswater6065Do you think it is a problem that AquaTru carafe lid is made out of plastic? Btw, is it the same way with the Bluevua? Another thing is on Amazon a 2-year set of replacement filters is $220 for either AquaTru Classic or Carafe, but the first one produces twice as much water for the same money. Not sure which one is the budget version.

[@boswater6065]

No, they are both glass.

[@boswater6065]

I don't know the prices on Amazon. This is based on prices you can find on waterandwellness.com

[@user-uv385yusrtf]

It's so hard to find a countertop water dispenser that offers cold water. It might have the symbol ❄️ but it doesn't get chill enough. I see that the lowest it goes is 49 degrees. I have a thermometer inside my refrigerator and i have seen that i prefer my water at 40°F. I can't find any countertop water dispenser that can get this cold 🥶. Sucks!!!!

[@Parkourmattstrong]

Just filter a bunch and leave it in the fridge

[@spynack1]

Thanks so much for making this! I recently went down a rabbit hole on a filtration system for my wife's birthday. Ended up getting the Clearly Filtered pitcher, but we are somewhat underwhelmed. I wanted an undercounter system, but price of the unit and of install was pretty high. Is $400 for install appropriate in your opinion? I thought a countertop unit might be best for now. But lack of effortless/affordable remineralization steered me away. I'd love to get your thoughts on if I'm overthinking that? I've heard that the vitamins you get through food are somehow not an entirley sufficient replacement, but don't know if that's legit science.

[@boswater6065]

$400 for installation seems reasonable. As for remineralization, according to the WHO what you should be most concerned about are calcium and magnesium. We always recommend people to at least consider remineralization, so you are not overthinking this imo. I know that the AquaTru can also be used with a remineralization filter. Or you could add those minerals manually with a mineral blend.

[@username00009]

I thought I wanted a remineralization filter, but the water filter article on the Eat Beautiful blog links articles that say adding calcium to water can cause heart disease.

[@Shadowca3]

Thank you so much for the video! This was the only reliable comparison I could find after tens of hours researching RO filters. I ended up buying the AquaTru from the link you provided. I’m still confused on whether I need to remineralize the purified water after or if it’s safe to drink long term as it is? Thank you again for your thorough work!

[@boswater6065]

Thank you so much for your kind words and for using our link! According to our research, there are only 2 important minerals when it comes to drinking water: Calcium and magnesium. The optimum for calcium seems to be 50 mg/l and for magnesium it's 20-30 mg/l. The minimum recommended levels are 20 mg/l and 10 mg/l respectively. I would assume that after RO filtration your water is pretty much free from minerals, so these are the amounts you'd need to add to reach the minimum/optimum minerals levels. Also, you should be able to find a converter online that allows you to switch from mg/l to oz/gal if needed.

[@KoolViking3]

The Aqua Tru Carafe shows 300% aluminum increase is that equal to the mentioned .04 ppm? Thank you so much for the videos!

[@boswater6065]

Right, it increased aluminum from 0.01 ppm to 0.04 ppm. So 300% sounds like a lot but it really wasn't that much.

[@JennEric19]

The AquaTru Carafe shows a 300% increase in aluminum? Where is the aluminum coming from?

[@boswater6065]

We don't know. Might be coincidence. Also, remember that 300% increase sounds like a lot, but it was from 0.01 mg/L to 0.04 mg/L which is still well below the strictest health goal of 0.6 mg/L set by the OEHHA.

[@lalulu14]

Did you ask the company Aqua about the 300% increase in aluminum after filtering?

[@boswater6065]

@lalulu14 I don't think so, no. But please remember that 300% sounds like a lot because this is only because the feed water concentration was at the lowest possible level at 0.01 ppm.

[@lalulu14]

​@@boswater6065thank you. based on Any increase in aluminum, I would not purchase.

[@boswater6065]

@lalulu14 I see where you are coming from and definitely agree that this isn't great. Still, remember that the average diet includes many, many times the amount of aluminum (10 mg/day) that you could possibly ingest using the AquaTru Carafe.

[@ryanj7841]

Aquatru all the way right here. I've had just the opposite experience than some others who touted Bluevua. My Aquatru hasn't leaked once in four years, and everybody I know who has one is very pleased. Aquatru holds the most stringent certification in N. America and the test results speak for themselves.

[@boswater6065]

Thanks for sharing!

[@JennEric19]

@@boswater6065 I don't understand why the aluminum added to the water isn't being marked as a concern?

[@boswater6065]

Because there's plenty of other test data that showed no aluminum leaching, and the level we detected in our water was 10 times below the strictest health goal. So as mentioned in the video, this isn't ideal but we still think the AquaTru is the best option.

[@-iIIiiiiiIiiiiIIIiiIi-]

Thank you BluVua is my pick! Whoever gets rid of the most flouride. There's my winner right there!

[@boswater6065]

You're welcome!

[@AmmYisraellChaii]

Why do you have a problem with fluoride in particular?

[@jinxycast]

​@AmmYisraellChaii fluoride has been proven to be toxic. It also increases a person's "agreeableness" or willingness to go along with authority. Whatecer part of the brain that is.

[@gabrielmartinez2455]

Wow amazing video. Do these RO systems remove forever chemicals?

[@boswater6065]

Glad that you like it. And yes, they do remove forever chemicals.

[@mozee06]

I was curious about the SimPure results, so I looked up the manual. You state that you ran one gallon of water through each system before taking the water samples. The flushing procedure from SimPure is to go through the outlined steps 3-5 times, which would require at least four gallons of water. I'd be curious to see the lab results after doing a full flush.

[@boswater6065]

No, that's not how we did it. We've installed and primed each system according to the instructions. So we did flush the SimPure 3-5 times. And then we flushed an additional gallon immediately before taking the water sample in order to avoid TDS creep.

[@carlosgarcia1165]

hi guys have you considered testing the water fountains for pets like cats and dogs? there are tons of them and it would be great to see how effective they are. thanks

[@boswater6065]

No, we haven't thought about that yet. Thanks for the idea!

[@carlosgarcia1165]

very nice. Another thing is that we are planning to get a Bluevua mainly for the remineralizing filter, so we wouldn't like that our pet's fountain remove the mineral again. Please take that into account when you make the pet fountain review. I think chatgpt suggested to use catit brand because it can be used without filters, but then debris like hair wouldn't be removed. I'd love to find an equilibrium between using bluevua and a pet fountain haha. Thank you guys you rock

[@jeremiahnelson2739]

As someone who prefers cold water vs room temp. Do any of these brands have a refrigeration option that’s makes the water cold before dispensing?

[@boswater6065]

From the top of my head I only know the Waterdrop A1.

[@SauerkrautX]

Just put it in a mason jar and put it in the fridge. Problem solved

[@yazars]

I believe that the RKIN U1 also dispenses cold water, but it is pricey, retail $750

[@SauerkrautX]

@@yazars are people really this lazy? Dump the water in a pitcher and put it in the fucking fridge like I said

[@yazars]

Do you know if the APEC ROCT-plus and Waterdrop K19-H are basically the same device? The machine itself, manuals, error codes, and filters seem to be of similar design. Even if similar design, is it possible that the filtering performance could be different depending on individual specifications for the manufacturers? Any additional data about whether other Waterdrop RO systems had dichloromethane issues similar to the Waterdrop A1 and C1H or follow up beyond their statement?

[@boswater6065]

You are right, they look pretty similar, and the filter element looks pretty much identical. That said, we haven't tested the K19-H so far, so I can't say anything about filtration performance. If they use the same filter element, then you can expect similar filtration results, although this also depends on things like water pressure etc. No new data about Waterdrop RO systems yet. And we are currently waiting for an update from Waterdrop.

[@yazars]

@@boswater6065 Thank you! Even though the APEC ROCT-plus costs more than the Waterdrop K19-H, I decided to go with the APEC for a bit of extra reassurance in part because it tested well in your analysis. APEC has a more well established reputation for reverse osmosis compared to Waterdrop, correct?

[@boswater6065]

That's great! Well, if I'm not mistaken APEC has been on the market for much longer. I'm not sure about the well established reputation. But what I know is that both Waterdrop ROs that we tested may have problems with releasing VOCs into the water, and the APEC ROCT-Plus didn't - all based on our lab testing.

[@yazars]

@@boswater6065 Yeah, I'm hoping that the little bit of extra security buying something from a US-based company with a longer history will provide a bit of security in case something breaks while under warranty. Are you all going to publish a standalone review of the APEC ROCT-plus any time soon? I was unable to find much about it in contrast to the Waterdrop K19-H (they seem to be more aggressive in giving review samples to people), so I was thinking about recording an unboxing and setup video so there'd be at least a little more info out there.

[@boswater6065]

We're not planning to at this point, no.

[@tamermogannam]

I just saw the video you posted on your channel 5 months ago about the test results of the Waterdrop A1. Video title “Cancer causing chemical found in RO water…”. In that video you mention that the unit in question is the Waterdrop A1. I’m surprised to see that you still recommend the A1 in this video. Was there an update that I have missed? Please elaborate. Thanks for all your effort in providing this super helpful information. Great channel.

[@boswater6065]

We're not really recommending it. Our final rating was 2.5/5.0.

[@tamermogannam]

I see that now after reviewing your Google sheet. Bottom line after watching the “Cancer causing….” video, I was shocked to see this unit on the top 10 best list for 2024. Thanks again for all the helpful information, it helped me make an informed decision.

[@boswater6065]

Okay, yes, I see your point now. Glad we could help!

[@renneahoward8422]

Would love for you to review the sans water filter! ❤

[@boswater6065]

It's on our list!

[@rentpostevand9716]

Amazing work. It must have taking some time. Thank U very much.

[@dazone705]

Thanks for the great reviews. I wish you would tell us where are you getting the water tested The one screenshot seems to indicate a different company than you used for testing aqua true classic. Also would buy from your company if you sold the AquaTrue alkaline filter and extended warranty. Right now AquaTrue is having some good deals themselves with $100 off the carafe

[@boswater6065]

This is the water test we are using: etrlabs.com/product/premium-water-test/ Waterandwellness.com is not our company, we just participate in their affiliate program.

[@dazone705]

@@boswater6065 Thanks for the quick reply and help, and a wonderful review videos. In this video, you didn't retest the aquatru because it had been tested on a previous review, but in that review he used tap score to test the water. The tap score test is slightly more expansive for the advanced one but looks more thorough, any thoughts on the two companies? Thanks

[@boswater6065]

With ETR, you only get the lab report with no explanations whatsoever. Tap Score does a much better job here, but it also costs a bit more. So I guess it depends on what you prefer. For our purpose, we consider ETR to be totally fine.

[@onyemaifuma2805]

Looking at the results of this tests and Bluevua seems like the best of the bunch. How did AquaTru Classic come out on top? is this video sponsored by them?

[@boswater6065]

All of this is explained in the video.

[@wendybrown9205]

Thanks for the reviews. I would love to know what you think of the Bluvua Ropot lite and the travel. The combine all the stages in one cartridge vs four separate ones.

[@boswater6065]

You're welcome. They're both on our list!

[@thebestofenergy]

When it comes to the AquaTrue Classic, the aluminum section says added (see below). I don't see the results. What does it say for the reduction of aluminum in the test?

[@boswater6065]

We found no aluminum in the feed water and 0.05 ppm in the filtered water. So not ideal as mentioned in the video, but this is a very tiny amount of aluminum and 12 times below the strictest health guideline we could find. Also, the average adult ingests around 10 mg of aluminum a day via food which is much, much more than what you might be exposed to using the AquaTru Classic.

[@Tah96522]

Hello, do these RO systems remove chlorine and lead?

[@boswater6065]

Hi there, chlorine 100%. We couldn't test for lead ourselves because it isn't in our water supply, but both AquaTru units are certified against NSF standards for lead removal (99.1% and 99.2% average reduction). Also, the combination of activated carbon + RO which all of these systems use is highly effective at reducing lead from water.

[@baptistewinckler9595]

Thanks for all the work! It's so great! Do you know the arktisquelle produkt? The price goes really up. I m wondering if they really deliver as they say. If u have an opinion would be great ! Thanks

[@boswater6065]

Look like this is a German system? Never heard of it and I can't really say anything about it, except that it seems really expensive.

[@randysmith3990]

Do you have a video about what happens to the waste water of a countertop RO system that just has one water holding tank. I assume that the RO waste water goes back into the tank. Seems problematic?

[@boswater6065]

The wastewater gets recycles and filtered again. They do this to lower the amount of wastewater that's being produced. This is nothing to worry. What's important is that the water you're drinking is clean, and based on our lab testing we can't see a difference between a system that recycles the wastewater and one that doesn't.

[@mabidi_eth]

Great video! Thank you

[@boswater6065]

Glad you liked it, and you are welcome!

[@whodat9198]

Why are you guys claiming the carafe has the same certifications as the Classic when it's missing the 473 rating?

[@boswater6065]

P473 was for PFOA and PFOS reduction, and that is now part of NSF 53 and NSF 58. So P473 merged into 53/58. And because the AquaTru is certified for PFOA and PFOS reduction, it basically has P473.

[@whodat9198]

@boswater6065 very cool, I'll look into that. Thanks!

[@lindsaycoles1453]

An anyone tell me if the Bluevua comes with the remineralisation filter from Amazon or do you have to order that separately?

[@boswater6065]

There are both versions available.

[@suras8984]

why would we want to remove things like zinc? Isn't it healthy for us?

[@boswater6065]

Yes, zinc only causes aesthetic issues when found at very high levels in drinking water. It's just that RO removes all the bad stuff but the good stuff, too.

[@rossh1152]

What does it mean when these filters say they are tested against NSF standards or meet nsf standards but none of them are listed on the NSF contaminate reduction claims website page ?

[@boswater6065]

There are 3 organizations accredited to award NSF certifications: NSF, WQA, and IAPMO. If a water filter is NSF-certified (meaning certified against an NSF standard), then the certification must show up in the directories of one of these 3 organizations. Last time we checked, the AquaTru Carafe and Classic were the only 2 from our list with actual NSF certifications, awarded by the IAPMO. The Bluevua is in the process of getting certified apparently. All other systems claim to have performed their own independent testing against NSF standards. But that wasn't done by the NSF, WQA, or IAPMO, and thus there are no NSF certifications for that, so we need to take this test data with a grain of salt. Side note: Certified by the WQA or IAPMO is as good as certified by the NSF directly. There is no qualitative difference there.

[@zwankarma]

Can you test the Sans water filter?

[@boswater6065]

Added to our list!

[@eckankar7756]

I had an Aquatru and in 2 months it was leaking everywhere.

[@boswater6065]

Thanks for sharing. We never had an issue with leaking so far.

[@RapturereadyNOW]

I saw sev complaints about the leaking as well on a reddit post and on amazon. I'll be avoiding that one.

[@eckankar7756]

@@RapturereadyNOW This is useless to 'review' a brand new unit. They should be a few months old with constant use and then do a review. Definately do not invest in this brand, mine I had to toss out, Customer Support was non existent.

[@boswater6065]

We've been using 2 units for months and never had an issue except for what was mentioned in the video.

[@bigdogalldayeveryday]

When will you guys release the video about gravity countertop filters (ie Berkey, ProOne, etc)?

[@boswater6065]

Hopefully within the next few weeks.

[@Luneyaroc]

Will these reverse osmosis systems remove plastics at a micro level?

[@boswater6065]

Yes!

[@bintuna86]

Whats is ph after filtration through the aqua thru counter top classic

[@boswater6065]

Before was 7.66 and after was 7.61 (according to lab reports). But pH doesn't matter with RO water - it's alkalinity that matters.

[@InLawsAttic]

Does the Aquatru have coconut in its filters and their mineral replenish filter? Thanks. Subscribed.

[@boswater6065]

The pre-filter and the VOC filter both contain activated charcoal derived from coconut shells. I'm assuming it's the same with the mineral filter, but the website only says that it's "made up of a proprietary blend of our activated carbon", so I'm not 100% sure.

[@InLawsAttic]

@@boswater6065 thank you!

[@InLawsAttic]

@@boswater6065 Thank you !

[@boswater6065]

You're welcome!

[@ketolifestyle68]

which one actually gets the tds monitor to read 000

[@SamTheMan55555]

None with reverse osmosis. Zero water filters are what you are looking for. I used to use them. I switched to reverse osmosis because it is more cost efficient. TDS alone is not a good measure of safe water.

[@Decay3333]

do these also remove microplastics?

[@boswater6065]

Yes

[@ZanderHe]

Hi, would you please test express water roc001 as well! It seems a lot of people use it too!

[@boswater6065]

Thanks. I've added it to our list!

[@Thewilksfam]

How’s the waterdrop? I didn’t see anything on that one

[@boswater6065]

Both their filtered water samples contained elevated levels of dichloromethane (aka methylene chloride), so no recommendation at this point.

[@Thewilksfam]

@@boswater6065 Could you please help me choose the best system for our situation. We’re trying to be as non toxic/plastic reducing as possible. We love the idea of the Aquatru glass carafe but we’re a family of 4 with 2 cats who will be drinking the water. How is the safety of the plastic with the Classic model and does it shed microplastics into the fresh water container? Is the plastic BPA free? We also will be transferring the clean water into a glass carafe to sit in the fridge for cold water!

[@Thewilksfam]

Their website shows they're NSF/ANSI 58&372 Certified but the google sheet says they're not NSF certified. Any clarification? 🙏🏼 I just purchased the Aquatru Classic. Ive heard good things about Waterdrop though

[@Thewilksfam]

i actually realized this certification is for the under the sink model

[@boswater6065]

The Google sheet lists all NSF certifications for contaminant reduction, and it lists several certifications for the AquaTru Classic and the Carafe. It doesn't matter that the NSF certifications were awarded by the IAPMO. IAPMO is fully accredited. About your other questions, we couldn't test for microplastics. The plastic is BPA-free. I think that if you store enough water in a glass carafe or two, then the AquaTru Carafe will provide your family with enough water.

[@akayh5169]

Can you review the WaterFirst® Dr.Water countertop RO filter also please?

[@boswater6065]

I've added it to our list!

[@charles8994]

Do you do a comparison to spring water?

[@boswater6065]

We're planning to lab test some popular spring water brands at some point, yes.

[@jsh33]

Amazing video!

[@psychictype5168]

i wish the aquatru classic came in glass, or the carafe was faster! seems like there's no perfect solution in the mean time

[@nellyb.9340]

New filters emerging, notably Skuma; could you test it next time you test

[@boswater6065]

Thank you. I've added it to our list.

[@nellyb.9340]

@@boswater6065 I very much appreciate that. It’s a countertop RO filters price are very competitive comparing to other countertops you reviewed so results would be very interesting. Filters are a fraction of the price compared to the leading brands

[@dawnraynor1093]

Can you compare/review the Sans RO Countertop system with AquaTru?

[@boswater6065]

This one is on our list! Thank you.

[@tinzurc]

Hi @boswater6065, do you ship AQUATRU products in Australia? Hope you can answer me. Planning to order. Thank you!

[@boswater6065]

We don't sell any products, we only review them. But I've checked with the seller we use and it looks like they do ship to Australia!

[@BnR1038]

Hey there, is super pure water supposed to taste kinda sweet and bitter? idk if that's normal or my aquatru is defective or if it's just my taste buds

[@boswater6065]

Most people would describe RO water as tasting flat, so like not much at all. When was the last time you replaced your filters?

[@BnR1038]

@@boswater6065 it's brand new and I ran the system through 4 times before using. might just be my taste buds haha. thanks for replying

[@boswater6065]

Hm, weird. Would be interesting to do a pH test!

[@BnR1038]

​@@boswater6065 yup, had the same idea! ordered some test strips, will test the raw tap, purified, and wastewater. it's not too late to cancel my order, are there any reliable test strips you'd recommend? btw bought my aquatru with your code, keep up the great work!

[@boswater6065]

No, I can't recommend any strips specifically. But I used some before and they weren't accurate at all. I can't remember the brand, though.

[@williechavez6029]

Thank you.

[@boswater6065]

You're welcome!

[@tricia761]

On all the systems you shown in video do they remove bacteria & virals

[@boswater6065]

RO in general has a very high effectiveness at removing bacteria and viruses. But it should not be your preferred method of treatment.

[@tricia761]

Thank you for responding just making sure those get cleaned out as well as the chlorine all chemicals

[@bbgunn917]

@@boswater6065 I'm curious about this - I want to get a machine to ship to Mexico as hauling huge plastic containers is ghastly. Many expats here use an under counter RO system for drinking water - to remove the bacteria and pathogens. Are you saying this is not a good idea?

[@boswater6065]

@bbgunn917 An RO membrane definitely has a small enough pore size to reject bacteria and some other types of pathogens, but they might also accumulate and grow in the system over time. Also, just a few germs need to bypass the treatment somehow and you could still get sick. So I'd only use RO as a short-term solution but the go-to methods are boiling and disinfection.

[@trinideemcconnell7186]

So did the aquatru carafe make aluminum rise 200%

[@boswater6065]

The level increased from 0.01 mg/L to 0.04 mg/L - definitely not ideal but this is well below even the strictest health guidelines. Also, the average American diet contains around 10 (7-9) mg aluminum a day. So drinking water at 0.04 mg/L adds such a tiny amount of aluminum that it becomes negligible in our opinion.

[@trinideemcconnell7186]

@@boswater6065does the regular aqua tru system lead to a rise in aluminum as well ?

[@trinideemcconnell7186]

@@boswater6065I have metal toxicity so I need to be careful

[@trinideemcconnell7186]

@@boswater6065was the large aquatru not the carafe one raising aluminum as well

[@boswater6065]

Possibly, based on our lab data. But please always keep in mind that our before vs after lab testing is not an exact science, and we didn't repeat the testing to confirm our findings. So this might be coincidence.

[@JohnSaff123]

Can you please review the Sans Water Filter? Thank you

[@boswater6065]

This one is on our list already. Thank you!

[@joannebaek4551]

You were off to a good start and then it became very disappointing. I went to the google sheet to check on the removal results for the honorable mention, and in fact, none of the test results were listed for any of them there. Fluoride and aluminum removal are important to me and your top picks don't satisfy me. I wanted to see other options. Maybe there isn't that much aluminum in my water to be a problem in the first place, but still an increase is worrisome if there is. And fluoride really needs to be removed in municipalities that add it.

[@boswater6065]

I'm not sure if I'm understanding you correctly, but I think you didn't check the document properly. There are 3 different sheets contained in this one document. Sheet #1 which is called "Filtration Results" lists all the reduction rates + the raw lab data.

[@SeasonofGhosts]

I wonder if this water (remineralised) is safe for cats. Anyone?

[@LifeOptimise]

Please test the Osmio Zero from the UK 😅

[@boswater6065]

Added to our list!

[@LifeOptimise]

Amazing thank you 🤩

[@ampr411]

The most important question...are these companies sponsoring you to make these tests and reviews?

[@boswater6065]

It depends on what you mean by sponsoring. So we literally spend thousands of dollars on videos like this because not only do we have to pay for all the lab testing which is incredibly expensive (but 100% independent), we also have to buy most of the products. In other words, the only way for us to run this channel is by participating in affiliate programs. So for every successful referral we get a commission. That said, we're not being paid directly by any of the companies in return for including their products in our videos or anything like that. We understand that this isn't ideal, but again, it's the only way for us to even make these videos. And it's the reason why we publish our full analysis including all the lab reports for each product, which again are 100% independent. Hope that answers your questions!

[@nevergonnadiet]

What about Sküma?

[@boswater6065]

Haven't tested this one.

[@VE4NSA]

Please explain why many of your tests showed unhealthy levels of all kinds of stuff after filtration by the different units when there was zero in the unfiltered water. I am really questioning the result of your "lab," especially since you did not do repeated analysis of the same sample for testing variation! Instead of focusing on NSF certification, focus on the quality of your results!

[@boswater6065]

We are confident that our lab results are accurate and reliable. There were only 3 chemicals found in the water above public health goals: 2 of them (dichloromethane and styrene) are commonly used in RO membrane manufacturing processes - so this makes 100% sense. And then there was also manganese leaching but at really low levels. Also, our findings are congruent with other lab data we've seen from the SGS and Tap Score (we use ETR Labs). The simple reason why we cannot repeat the lab testing is because this would make our videos even more expensive that they already are, and so we couldn' make them at all.

[@boogywoogy]

Is BOS Water under new ownership?

[@boswater6065]

No. Why do you ask?

[@pranava9862]

What about crystal quest

[@boswater6065]

Didn't perform great at all (check the Google Sheet).

[@stevensims8922]

Unfortunately the filtered water then goes right in to a PLASTIC container to be infused with nano plastics. I prefer my balls without plastic shards.

[@nossy232323]

That's why I went with the Aquatru Carafe.

[@charzpak7173]

Middle of the video is where it's more important

[@achilles8205]

aquatru did not do well on amazon reviews, i wont be anything under 80% positve

[@standardtuning4guitars423]

the way this video does not mention microplstics and features containers made from plstic makes me think either they are very naive or...

[@lark4231]

Did you test for the cancer causing chemicals

[@boswater6065]

Yes.

[@lark4231]

@@boswater6065 is the waterdrop k19 safe and cancer causing chemical tested.. After the waterdrop A1 test was concerning.

[@boswater6065]

We haven't tested the K19 yet.

[@techthis9568]

300% increase in aluminum on the carafe model? Why and how is that safe?

[@boswater6065]

Because the initial aluminum concentration in the water was as low as it could have been (0.01 ppm). 300% increase means we found 0.04 ppm in the filtered water, which is 15 times lower than the strictest health guideline we could find. Also, it is estimated that adults ingest around 10 mg of aluminum a day via food which is many, many times more than what you might get exposed to using the AquaTru Carafe.

[@Linda-ol1zz]

Ok so this is just an Anqua Tru advertisement, right?

[@SolosbySoma1]

Please do not buy Aquatru classic filter from water and wellness and for 3 times i always got defective products. I assume it is just that third party dealer not able to do packaging right and also once i got used water filter where i do see water inside filter.Finally these filters are not cheap though.

[@boswater6065]

We never had any issues with them, but thanks for sharing!

[@charzpak7173]

Aqua Tru not really true

[@a.debbarh8527]

And why did it ADD aluminum?