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Last Updated: October 24, 2018
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Having water to drink is a basic necessity, and many of us assume that the water that comes out of our tap is fine to drink.
However, studies and events have shown us that tap water can be contaminated with various nasties that aren’t good for our bodies. Plus, sometimes it just tastes weird – definitely not what you want from a nice refreshing glass of water.
One way to ensure that you always have fresh, healthy and great tasting water is to invest in a water filter. These at-home systems filter out the bad stuff from the water and ensure you have a good experience every time.
There are several different kinds of water filters available, and some of the best are produced by the PUR, who have been manufacturing water filters for over thirty years.
Their products are guaranteed to remove more than 70 different contaminants from water, including 99% of lead.
PUR offer two different products, the Basic and PUR MineralClear Faucet. To help you decide which one is best for you, we’ve compared both and come to our conclusions. Let’s take a closer look.
Price
Let’s take a look at price first, since it’s one of the most important things to consider when buying a new product.
Although water filters can be great value (especially compared to buying bottled water), you still want to make sure that you’re getting good value from spending your hard-earned cash.
As the names would suggest, PURMineralClear is more expensive than the Basic filter model. When buying a PUR filtration faucet, you first need to buy the faucet itself, and then replace the filters every three months or so.
Therefore, you need to consider the up-front cost as well as the ongoing cost for the replacement filters.
In terms of upfront costs, Basic filters are considerably cheaper – they are typically about 40% cheaper to buy than the MineralClear faucets.
In regards to replacement filters, Basic filters are again about 40% cheaper than the MineralClear filters. Luckily, neither product is extremely expensive and both are pretty friendly on your wallet.
However, you’d hope that the MineralClear filters would offer more features to account for the price hike. Let’s find out if that is the case.
Filtration
PUR pride themselves on being market leaders for water filtration and they certainly offer a great quality product. All of their products are independently verified by scientists as removing more than 70 types of contaminants, and 99% of lead.
Most filters on the market are certified to NSF-53, which certifies that a raft of different metals and chemicals have been removed – however it is not the most demanding certification.
That is NSF-401, which is the level of certification that both PUR filters have achieved. This certification means that the filter removes pharmaceutical and microbiological contaminants (such as ibuprofen or herbicides) as well as all of the other metals and chemicals that NSF-53 certifies for.
The fact that both filters are certified to NSF-401 means that PUR is one of the best filters available on the market.
In regards to a comparison between the PURMineralClear and PUR Basic, both filters have been certified to the same standard, so in terms of quality in removing contaminants, both filters do equally well.
Installation
Both the Basic and MineralClearPUR systems feature a unique, one step installation. Reviewers have commented on how convenient this is, although some have found issues attaching it to European style taps.
Overall, however, both styles of faucets are generally quick and easy to install and have a sleek, modern look once installed.
Reliability
One issue that has been raised with both faucets by customer reviews is that they are prone to fine cracks after a couple of years of use. PUR does offer a two-year manufacturer’s warranty, however, so if you notice any damage on your faucet you should replace it right away.
Overall, however, many customers have stated that they have used their faucet for many years without any problems, and PUR is a very well-respected name in water filtration systems.
Taste
So far, we’ve determined that the MineralClear filter is significantly more expensive but that the filtration results of both types of filter are identical. So, what’s the reason for this price difference?
The only major difference between the PURMineralClear and the PUR Basic is that the PURMineralClear is supposed to have better tasting results than the Basic model.
Essentially, the PURMineralClear runs the water through a filtration system that includes additional minerals that are designed to give the water a refreshing and consistent taste.
PURMineralClear vs Basic: The Verdict
Both PUR water filtration systems are undoubtedly some of the best products on the market, removing more contaminants than most of their competitors.
The filtration system is also modern and stylish, and fits easily on nearly all faucets. So, should you buy the Basic or PUR MineralClear Faucet range?
As we’ve seen from this comparison, the only major difference between the two is that the significantly more expensive MineralClear filters offer a fresher, more consistent taste.
However, we are not convinced that this justifies the significantly higher price tag, and the Basic range still tastes great – much better than normal tap water.
Therefore, unless you are extremely sensitive to the taste of water, we recommend the Basic filter system. Of course, if you want to upgrade at a later date, you can for an affordable price.
However, we think that most customers will think that the Basic filter offers the best value for money.
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Carolyn Crutcher
First, let me introduce myself, my name is Chef Carolyn and I would like to welcome you all to my personal blog Kitchen Gadgets Maven! Wohoo let’s jump in....
