Review: Brita Lake Water Filter Pitcher (10-Cup)
Written by: Alexandra Uta // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Nov 22, 2023
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The Brita Lake is a water filter pitcher with a straightforward design and a budget price.
Let’s break down the system in detail, so you’ll have a better idea of whether or not the Brita Lake makes sense for you.
Contents
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Brita Lake Water Filter Pitcher |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange |
| Filter Life: | 40 Gallons |
| Total Storage Volume: | 10 Cups |
| Annual Cost: | ~$40-50 |
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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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Brita Lake Water Filter Pitcher – All Specs
- Model: Wave (OB58)
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$40-50
- Filter Media/Process: Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange
- Filtering Capacity: 40 gal or 2 Months
- Storage Volume: 10 Cups
- WxHxD: 6.77”x10.43”x10.94”
- Weight: 1.54 lb.
- Water Temperature: 32-85 °F
- NSF Certifications: Standard 42, 53
- Warranty: 90 Days
Brita Lake – Key Features
The Brita Lake Water Filter Pitcher is a compact pitcher-style filter that comes with 2 of Brita’s Standard filter cartridges. These are not as effective as Brita Elite cartridge which you can switch to later on if you want. But as far as Brita Standard filters are concerned, here is what they do:
- A mesh screen catches larger particles.
- Coconut-based activated carbon granules reduce mercury (96%), and chlorine taste and odor (95%).
- Ion exchange resin binds copper (86-94%), zinc (64%), and cadmium (93-96%).
Simply put, filtration is rather basic focusing more on improving the aesthetics of drinking water rather than removing harmful contamination. Good news is, the above reduction rates are backed by NSF standards 42 and 53.
What’s more, the Brita Lake is manufactured without the use of BPA and has a standard 10-cup capacity.
The clever autofill lid design allows you to fill the pitcher by simply placing the lid under a running faucet. Like other Brita pitchers, the Lake features an electronic filter indicator to let you know when your filter cartridge is getting close to the end of its life.
The pitcher retails for a reasonable price, and annual maintenance costs are less than that of most pitcher systems.
Brita offers it in both white and “blue lake horizon” colors and backs it with a 90-day limited manufacturer warranty.
Brita Lake Pitcher Pros
Perhaps the Brita Lake’s biggest selling point is its budget price and low cost of maintenance. Retailing for less than $50 and with an annual maintenance cost of just $40 to $50, you’ll have a pitcher-style filter for significantly less than the competition.
The Brita Lake also features a compact design – allowing you to fit a full 10 cups of water inside the compact pitcher that can fit in smaller fridges.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
The included Brita Standard cartridge features three different filter stages, and will remove some of the more common contaminants in municipal water: Sediments, chlorine (95%), mercury (96%), zinc (64%), copper (86-94%), and cadmium (93-96%).
As mentioned previously, the Brita Standard cartridges can be swapped out with the more advanced Brita Elite cartridges should you wish to upgrade the system’s effectiveness.
The Brita Lake – learn more on Amazon.com
Assembly and Filter Priming
While the system requires very little when it comes to setup and maintenance, the filter does require priming/flushing before use. Likewise, the pitcher must be washed before assembling.
To set up for the first time:
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
- First, clean your hands.
- Remove the pitcher from its packaging, and hand wash it with mild soap and water.
- Then, remove the cartridge from its packaging and flush it under cold water for 15 seconds. This step is important to ensure the proper functioning of the cartridge.
- Now, position the cartridge into the reservoir using the groove as a guide. Push down until it seals tightly.
- At this point, you’ll want to set up the electronic filter indicator. Depress the button labeled ‘STATUS’ and hold for two seconds until the green-colored LED flashes.
- Now, fill the reservoir with water. Fill and discard the first three pitchers of water or use them for cleaning/plant watering. You’ll notice fine carbon particles in these initial pitchers, this is normal and not a cause for concern.
The Package (Parts)
- Brita Lake Pitcher
- Lid
- Filter Cartridge
Maintenance
Like other water filter pitchers, the Brita Lake requires very little in terms of maintenance. All that’s needed is occasional cleaning and changing the filter cartridge every 40 gallons or about every 2 months of normal usage. As mentioned, the filter life indicator well tell you when. Annual replacement cost is affordable at around $40-50.
To replace the filter cartridge follow these steps:
- First, remove the old filter cartridge and discard it. Then remove the new filter cartridge from its plastic packaging.
- Flush the new cartridge under cold water for at least 15 seconds.
- Now, line up the cartridge groove with the corresponding edge inside the lid. Push down until a secure seal forms.
- At this point, the filter cartridge is installed, and all that’s left to do is flush the first three pitchers’ worth of water.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
NSF and Other Certifications
The system is tested and certified by both the WQA and NSF against NSF/ANSI Standard 42. This is the standard for the removal of ‘aesthetic effects’ from water and includes chlorine taste and odor as well as particulates.
The system is also tested and certified by the WQA and NSF against NSF/ANSI Standard 53. This standard is for the removal of contaminants with ‘health effects’ from water. In this case, this refers to the removal of cadmium, copper, and mercury.
Earlier Product Versions
As you are probably aware, Brita has been producing many pitcher-style filters for years. Many of them use the same Brita Standard cartridges as this model.
Brita Lake Filter Cons
When it comes to downsides, the most obvious one would be the lack of thorough contaminant removal. While the Brita Lake pitcher has 2 NSF certifications, it’s only certified to remove 5 contaminants, and for the most part, the contaminant reduction rates are not particularly impressive. If you’re looking for a pitcher capable of removing more than basic contaminants, then you’ll want to look elsewhere.
Another downside is the manufacturer’s warranty. 90 days is on the short side for a system like this, with 1-year warranties being more typical.
When it comes to customer reviews, while the majority were overwhelmingly positive, there were a few issues that popped up repeatedly. First, several users had issues with the plastic handle or reservoir cracking. Secondly, another group of users had issues with leaking due to the auto-fill lid malfunctioning. While both of these issues were relatively rare, they are something to be aware of nonetheless.
Brita Lake Review: Our Verdict + Best for
Overall, the Brita Lake makes a good option when you’re looking for a budget-priced filter pitcher to remove basic contaminants found in relatively clean tap water. Its purchase price is reasonable, as are the annual maintenance costs.
On the other hand, if you need a pitcher system capable of removing more stubborn or difficult contaminants, then the Brita Lake comes up short. It’s only tested and certified to remove 5 contaminants, far less than the hundreds of contaminants more advanced pitchers can remove. While you also have the option of upgrading the Brita Lake by swapping out the included cartridges with Brita Elite cartridges, even then the performance falls short of more advanced pitchers.
All in all, we would only recommend the Brita Lake Water Filter Pitcher if all you wanted to do is improve how your drinking water tastes and smells.
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 3.0/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 3.5/5.0
- Purchase Price: 5.0/5.0
- Annual Cost: 5.0/5.0
- Overall: 3.5/5.0
Comparison to Other Water Filter Pitchers
Let’s compare the Brita Lake with some of the top pitcher filter systems on the market – the Clearly Filtered Pitcher and the Epic Pure.
Clearly Filtered |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon + Composite Shell |
| Filter Capacity: | 100 gal |
| Total Storage Volume: | 17 Cups |
| Annually: | ~$150 |
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Overall Rating: 5.0/5.0 ⓘ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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Epic Pure |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon Block, Ion Exchange |
| Filter Capacity: | 150 gal |
| Total Storage Volume: | 14.8 Cups |
| Annually: | $90-135 |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Brita Lake |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange |
| Filter Capacity: | 40 gal |
| Storage Volume: | 10 Cups |
| Annually: | ~$40-50 |
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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 Clearly Filtered Pitcher is a premium unit featuring a combination of granular activated carbon and proprietary filter media to remove a wide array of contaminants. These include chlorine/chloramine, fluoride, lead, chromium-6, DBPs, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, VOCs, PFAS, semi-volatile compounds, radiological contaminants, and more – far more effective than the Brita Lake.
The pitcher system features independent third-party testing against NSF standards 42, 401, and 53 and has been shown to reduce or remove over 350 contaminants. The filter life is 100 gallons – over double that of the Brita Lake. The water storage of 17 cups (10 filtered volumes) also exceeds the Brita Lake’s. Additionally, the system is made in the USA, BPA-free, and comes with a lifetime warranty and 30-day satisfaction guarantee. The only notable downside is the Clearly system costs more to buy and maintain.
A tad more budget-friendly, the Epic Pure is another popular water filter pitcher designed specifically for filtering tap water containing fluoride. The filter media features a combination of activated carbon and proprietary mixes which is NSF-tested (42, 53, and 401) to remove over 200 contaminants. This includes fluoride, chlorine, chloramine, nitrates, arsenic, sulfate, cadmium, lead, hexavalent chromium, mercury, trace pharmaceutics, VOCs, disinfection byproducts, PFOA/PFOS, and many more.
The filter cartridges feature an impressive 150-gallon filter life, which is significantly more than Brita’s 40-gallon life, and the Clearly Filtered Pitcher’s 100 gallons. Like the Brita, the Epic Pure features a built-in filter life countdown timer. Additionally, the system features an impressive 14.8-gallon storage, is BPA-free, with filters made in the USA, and is backed with a lifetime warranty and hassle-free return policy. Another selling point for the Epic pitcher is the company’s excellent recycling program which allows you to send in four used filters for a new one free of cost.
Overall, both the Epic Pure and the Clearly Filtered would make better options for the majority of users. The only situation where the Brita would beat out the above two would be when budget is your primary concern and you only require basic filtration to improve taste/aesthetics.
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This completes our review of the Brita Lake Water Filter Pitcher. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Alexandra Uta
Information provided on BOS is for educational purposes only. The products and services we review may not be right for your individual circumstances.
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