Review: APEX MR-1050 Advanced Alkaline Mineral Countertop Water Filter
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Mar 5, 2024
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The APEX MR-1050 Advanced Alkaline Mineral Countertop Water Filter offers a simple filtration process, reasonable pricing, and a compact, mobile design. Added to its fair maintenance cost, it sounds like an ideal system for travel and minimalist kitchens. So is it worth a shot? Find out in this review!
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APEX MR-1050 Advanced Alkaline Mineral Countertop Water Filter |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Sediment Filtration, KDF-55, GAC, Remineralization |
| Filter Life: | 1,500 Gallons |
| Flow Rate: | 1.0 gpm |
| Annual Cost: | ~$60-120 |
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Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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APEX MR-1050 Advanced Alkaline Mineral Countertop Water Filter – All Specs
- Model: MR-1050
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$60-120
- Filter Media/Process: Sediment Filtration, KDF-55, GAC, Remineralization
- Filter Stages: 5 (7)
- Flow Rate: 1 gpm
- Filtering Capacity: 1,500 gal or 4-8 Months
- WxHxD: 6″x14″x6″
- Weight: 6 lb.
- Water Temperature: 39-100 °F
- Water Pressure: 20-125 psi
- Warranty: 1-Year (Limited)
APEX MR-1050 Advanced Alkaline Mineral – Key Features
Let’s start with the important stuff: the filtration process. It works like this:
- In stage one, a KDF-55 eliminates bacteria and reduces heavy metals like lead, mercury, and iron. Hydrogen sulfide will also be removed.
- Stage two is a 5-micron filter pad that removes sand, rust, dirt, and particles.
- In the third stage, GAC (granulated activated carbon) reduces chlorine, chloramine, benzene, radon, organic chemicals, pesticides, foul odor, THMs, and other (volatile) organic chemicals.
- Stage four features alkaline beads that infuse your water with calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They also enhance the water’s taste and balance pH levels.
- Stage five features another 5-micron filter pad that removes sand, dirt, rust, and particles.
- The last stage features calcite, which also balances water acidity and pH.
All in all, this basic filtration process is fine if you only need to remove a few common contaminants. The system also improves water taste and smell, making drinking water more refreshing and enjoyable. We have alkaline beads and calcite, which remineralize the water and increases its pH. Of course, the whole claims of alkaline water follow — detoxification, balancing body acidity, reducing fatigue, fortifying bones, bolstering the immune system, and enhancing hydration. However, we take these with a grain of salt.
Once connected to your kitchen faucet, filtered water flows at 1 gpm, which is fair enough. Filters last 1,500 gallons or 4 to 8 months, and they cost $60-$120 to replace per year. This also fits within the average.
What’s more, the APEX MR-1050 Advanced Alkaline Mineral Countertop Water Filter is available in red, light blue, blue, white, black, and transparent. You can choose any color you prefer.
APEX MR-1050 Pros
One thing we appreciate is that the APEX MR-1050 is fairly priced. Both at purchase and during maintenance, you won’t have to break the bank.
Also, the countertop water filter is easy to install connecting to your existing kitchen or bathroom faucet with a simple twist-on process. You don’t need to drill anything or even hire a plumber; it’s so easy to DIY. The one downside is that only standard-sized faucets are compatible, so no designer, pull-out, or sprayer-type faucets.
Speaking of installation, the system package includes four extra faucet adapters. You should find one that fits your faucet among them, and even if you don’t, the company’s technical support stays on deck to help you troubleshoot and send more adapters if necessary. Big plus!
Then, there’s the overall design — very compact and portable making it practical for minimalist kitchens and travel. Any guarantee to fall back on? Yes, APEX offers a one-year limited manufacturer warranty and a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
APEX lists the following water contaminants for removal:
- Sand, particles, rust
- Microorganisms
- Heavy metals (lead, iron, mercury)
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Chlorine
- Chloramine
- Taste, smell
- Benzene and other organic chemicals (pesticides, THMs, VOCs)
- Radon
The APEX MR-1050 Advanced Alkaline Mineral – learn more on Amazon.com
Installation
As mentioned earlier, the APEX MR-1050 countertop filter connects directly to any standard-sized faucet featuring a simple twist-on installation process. It’s easy to DIY since you don’t need to do any drilling. You also have different adapter options, so you can pick which fits your specific faucet.
Here’s how to install the filter:
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
- Remove your faucet aerator.
- Install the diverter valve.
- If your faucet has external threads, the valve will screw in easily. If it has internal threads, use the enclosed adapter ring and gasket.
- Set the water filter in an accessible spot, positioning the spigot over your kitchen sink.
- Switch on your cold water and diverter valve.
- Let the water run for a few minutes to wash off carbon fines.
- Enjoy your filtered water!
Video
The Package (Parts)
- Diverter valve
- Faucet adapter
- Spout
- Tubing
- Elbow
- Filter housing
- Cartridge
- System guide
- Filter wrench
- Faucet adapter
- Wrench
- Quick setup guide
Maintenance
To keep the filter effective, you must replace its cartridge every 4-8 months or after it filtered 1,500 gallons. You’ll spend about $60-$120 annually, which is okay. Here’s how you replace the filter element:
- Switch off the water supply and remove the filter housing.
- Turn the housing upside down on your cabinet and take out the old cartridge.
- Examine the O-ring and replace or lubricate it if necessary.
- Bring out the new filter cartridge and slot it inside the housing (make sure the blue O-ring faces up when you place the filter in the housing).
- Lubricate the plastic threads and connect the base back to the housing.
- Leaving the filter housing on your cabinet, screw the filter base back on tightly.
- Allow water to flow through the system for about three minutes before you resume using your filter.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
NSF and Other Certifications
This system has no NSF certifications.
Earlier Product Versions
There are no earlier product versions either.
APEX Countertop Water Filter Cons
Our biggest issue is that the APEX MR-1050 has no NSF certifications. There are no specific reduction rates from NSF testing either. The company only says it removes “up to 99% of chlorine and reduces chloramine, pesticides, benzene, radon, VOCs, lead, iron, mercury, sediment, hydrogen sulfide, foul taste & odor” and other common tap water contaminants. How much chlorine and other impurities does it remove precisely? We do not know.
And even though you get different faucet adapters, you can’t install this system if you use a sprayer, pull-out, or designer faucet. The unit only fits standard faucets and nothing else. Some customers couldn’t use their filters because of this issue.
We also found reports about mold and slime growing in the filter housing after some time. Some customers also said their filtered water smelt and tasted terrible. And although filter replacements seem easy, users have reported finding it very difficult to change their filters.
APEX MR-1050 Advanced Alkaline Mineral Review: Our Verdict + Best for
The APEX MR-1050 Advanced Alkaline Mineral Countertop Water Filter offers a simple filtration process (fine for removing basic contaminants), fair price, easy installation, and affordable maintenance. However, there are no certifications or specific reduction rates from NSF tests. In our opinion, 3.5 stars!
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 3.5/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 4.0/5.0
- Purchase Price: 5.0/5.0
- Annual Cost: 4.5/5.0
- Overall: 3.5/5.0
Comparison to Other Countertop Water Filters
Finally, let’s compare the APEX MR-1050 to the AquaTru and the ProOne PMC-3000.
AquaTru |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filtration Process: | Sediment/Carbon, RO, Carbon Block |
| Filter Life: | 600-1,200 gal |
| Water: | 1 Gallon in 10-15 Minutes |
| Annually: | ~$100-120 |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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ProOne ProMax PMC-3000 |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filtration Process: | Ceramic Outer Shell, Carbon Block Core |
| Filter Life: | 900-2,600 gal |
| Water Flow Rate: | 0.2-1.0 gpm |
| Annually: | ~$85 |
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Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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APEX MR-1050 |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Sediment Filtration, KDF-55, GAC, Remineralization |
| Filter Life: | 1,500 gal |
| Water Flow Rate: | 1.0 gpm |
| Annually: | ~$60-120 |
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Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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The AquaTru is an installation-free countertop RO system, our top-one RO filter in fact. A brief background: RO systems are different from the usual countertop water filters; they are more effective but also waste some of the water. The ProOne PMC-3000, on the other hand, works much more similar to the APEX with an almost identical installation process.
So, what do we like about the AquaTru? Its 4-stage filtration process is thoroughly tested and certified against NSF/ANSI standards for over 80 contaminants. It has certifications for NSF standards 42, 53, 58, 401, and P473, outstanding evidence that you’ll get clean and safe drinking water. The certifications also prove that you can bank on these reduction rates:
- 96.6% chlorine
- 95% to over 99% VOCs
- 97.2% chromium-6
- 87.1% TDS
- 99.99% cyst
- 93.5% fluoride
- 99.1% lead
- 96.4% radium 226/228
- 99% BPA
- 86.7%-96.6% several trace pharmaceuticals and pesticides
- 97.5% PFOA/PFOS
This is way better than the APEX, which has no specific reduction rates or NSF certifications whatsoever.
In addition, the AquaTru is designed such that it fits in small spaces. It is easy to use and set up (takes just minutes) and filters water very quickly. While standard RO systems waste 3-5 gallons for every gallon of purified water, the AquaTru wastes only ⅕ of the feed water. It has an 80% recovery rate, all thanks to the internal pump. The AquaTru is also one of those safe systems that won’t leach BPS or BPA into your water.
On the other hand, it is more expensive to purchase. We also learned that some systems leaked due to design mistakes, and some even stopped working after only a few months. But we didn’t have these issues at our end.
The second system, ProOne PMC-3000, uses different layers of foam-like media. Each layer contains GAC (granulated activated carbon) and other customized filter media targeting specific contaminants. The system has been tested against NSF/ANSI standards 42 and 53 for over 200 impurities. It has these reduction rates:
- Dozens of VOCs (99%)
- Heavy metals like aluminum (99.7%), lead (99.4%), arsenic 3+5 (98.0%), nickel (99.0%), cadmium (96.7%), mercury (91.5%), chromium 3+6 (98.3%), copper (99.8%), iron (98.8%)
- Dozens of pesticides and herbicides (95.2-99.9%)
- Dozens of semivolatile contaminants (99.8%)
- chlorine (95.5%)
- chloramine (96.7%)
- nitrates (61.3%)
- nitrites (72.4%)
- perchlorate (90%)
- cyanide (99.9%)
- sulfate (62.5%)
- sodium fluoride (90%)
- TDS (86.7%)
- Turbidity (92.5%)
- PFOA/PFOS (99%)
- Trace Pharmaceuticals and other chemicals (99.5%)
So we have really thorough testing here but sadly, no NSF certifications. That means we have to rely on the test data being accurate. Still, this is better than APEX, which has neither testing nor certification.
Both ProOne and APEX are easy to install, featuring faucet adapters and a diverter valve for switching between filtered and direct tap water. Additionally, the ProOne is BPA and BPS-free with a limited 2-year warranty. Its filter life is rated at one year or 900 to 2,600 gallons. The filters are very easy to replace and they cost only $85 annually.
On the flip side, we noticed some contradicting information about the filter on the company’s website. Also, the system’s flow rate is between 0.2 gpm and 1 gpm, which is a wide range. 1 gpm is fine, but 0.2 gpm is just too slow. Lastly, ProOne is pretty expensive to buy.
Here’s the bottom line: The AquaTru RO system is our favorite, because it offers highly effective and NSF-backed filtration, a space-saving design, and low wastewater. If you want a regular countertop filter, we recommend ProOne over APEX because it has NSF testing combined with affordable maintenance and an easy installation and replacement process.
This completes our review of the APEX MR-1050 Advanced Alkaline Mineral Countertop Water Filter. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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