Review: Brita Marina Water Filter Pitcher
Written by: Alexandra Uta // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Dec 1, 2023
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The following review features the Brita Marina Water Filter Pitcher. We’ll discuss key features, pros, cons, and more. Let’s find out if the Brita Marina makes a good buy!
Contents
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Brita Marina Water Filter Pitcher |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange |
| Filter Life: | 40 Gallons |
| Storage Volume: | 8 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 Marina Water Filter Pitcher – All Specs
- Model: OB47
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$40-50
- Filter Media/Process: Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange
- Filtering Capacity: 40 gal or 2 Months
- Storage Volume: 8 Cups
- WxHxD: 6.14”x10.45”x7.94”
- Water Temperature: 32-85 °F
- NSF Certifications: Standard 42, 53
- Warranty: 90 Days
Brita Marina – Key Features
What sets the Marina apart from other Brita water filter pitchers is its round design. Why round? This is simply an aesthetic thing. The pitcher can hold 8 cups of water and is offered in two color schemes – black and white.
Included in the package is the Brita Standard filter cartridge. Unfortunately, that one doesn’t quite work as well as the Brita Elite, but the good news is that the two are interchangeable. Still, if you’re curious about the performance of the Brita Standard, here’s what you need to know about its filtration stages:
- Mesh screen: captures larger particles.
- Coconut-based activated carbon granules: capture mercury and improves the taste and odor of water.
- Ion exchange resin: captures copper, zinc, and cadmium, among other water contaminants.
Despite the changes in the physical design, Brita has still retained some of the most important features of its previous models, including the comfort grip handle and the easy-fill lid. You also get a built-in indicator that lets you know when it’s time to change the filter.
The pitcher is made of BPA-free materials, and comes with a 90-day warranty.
Brita Marina Pitcher Pros
- NSF and WQA certifications 42 and 53 for guaranteed contaminant removal.
- Comfortable, visually appealing design.
- Price and maintenance cost are affordable.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
The Brita Marina is capable of dealing with a limited range of contaminants:
- Mercury: 96%
- Chlorine: 95%
- Copper: 86-94%
- Zinc: 64%
- Cadmium: 93-96%
The Brita Marina – learn more on Amazon.com
Assembly and Filter Priming
Preparing your Brita Marina for first use isn’t all too complicated. Just follow these steps:
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
- Wash the body, lid, and reservoir. Do this by hand and don’t use a dishwasher.
- Flush the filter cartridge for 15 seconds under cold, running water.
- Insert the filter into the reservoir by ensuring the filter groove is aligned with the reservoir ridge. Make sure to push it in tightly to get a good seal.
- Press and hold the “STATUS” button for two seconds.
- Fill the pitcher with cold water.
- Wait for the water to filter completely, then discard it.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 two more times.
The Package (Parts)
- Jug
- Reservoir
- Lid
- Standard filter cartridge
Maintenance
You will need to regularly replace the filter cartridge in your Brita Marina in order to keep it operating properly. This should be done once every 40 gallons, or 1-2 months – but this depends on your usage habits.
Simply rinse the new filter cartridge under cold water for about 15 seconds, then follow the steps from “Assembly and Filter Priming” above to insert it into the pitcher. Pay attention to the filter life indicator, as it will let you know when it’s time to replace the cartridge.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
NSF and Other Certifications
The pitcher comes with NSF and WQA certifications 42 and 53.
- 42 – WQA – aesthetic chlorine, nominal particulate class I, taste and odor, zinc.
- 53 – WQA – benzene, cadmium, carbon tetrachloride, copper, ethylbenzene, lead, mercury, methoxychlor, simazine, toluene, xylenes.
Earlier Product Versions
Brita is a very active manufacturer of water filter pitchers, and the company has a long line of previous products. Many of those use the same cartridges in the end though, and the main changes are usually in the jug design.
Brita Marina Water Filter Cons
- Only 90 days of warranty.
- Despite the two NSF certifications, we only have contaminant reduction rates provided for 5 contaminants, and those are not the most important ones to cover. On top of that, the reduction rates aren’t very impressive to begin with.
- May occasionally leak.
Brita Marina Review: Our Verdict + Best for
A relatively okay water filter pitcher that doesn’t shine with anything special, the Brita Marina can work fine for improving the smell and taste of drinking water, but will likely do very little to deal with any more serious contaminants. Even in terms of smell and taste improvement, the pitcher likely leaves some room for improvement, given the listed reduction rates.
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
The Clearly Filtered and Epic Pure are two of the top contenders for a viable alternative to the Brita Marina, in our opinion. Let’s see what each of them has to offer in comparison.
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: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon Block, Ion Exchange |
| Filter Capacity: | 150 gal |
| Total Storage Volume: | 14.8 Cups |
| Annually: | $90-135 |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Brita Marina |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange |
| Filter Capacity: | 40 gal |
| Storage Volume: | 8 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 aimed at those who want a truly premium experience. It comes with extensive testing, covering NSF standards 42, 53 and 401, and can reduce/remove more than 350 water contaminants overall, thanks to the special blend of proprietary filtration media and activated carbon. The contaminants addressed by the Clearly Filtered Pitcher include:
- Lead
- Chromium-6
- Arsenic
- Fluoride
- PFAS
- Chlorine
- Chloramine
- Disinfection byproducts
- Pharmaceuticals
- Pesticides
- VOCs
- Semi-volatile compounds
- Radiologicals
The 100-gallon/4-month filter lifespan is better than what Brita offers, too. The pitcher has various additional beneficial features as well, such as a BPA-free body that’s made in the USA, a removable lid for easy refilling, as well as a limited lifetime warranty and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
If you need something slightly less expensive, you should consider the Epic Pure. It also uses special, proprietary filtration media in combination with activated carbon, and can address more than 200 water contaminants, covering NSF standards 42, 53, and 401.
If you need a long-lasting filter, this is one of the best options you have, with a 150-gallon filter life. You’ll also know when it’s time to replace the filter thanks to the built-in indicator. And if you feel like recycling, you can gather four of those expired filters and have them exchanged for a brand new one for free.
Filters are made in the USA, and the pitcher itself uses BPA-free materials. Your purchase is backed by a lifetime warranty and a return policy that’s very easy to take advantage of. In addition, you can get a discount if you’re a member of the military, a first responder, medical professional, teacher, student, senior, or an owner/employee of a non-profit organization.
All things considered, the Clearly Filtered is a great choice if you want the most thorough water filtration possible. If that’s too expensive for you, we recommend going with the Epic Pure instead. The Brita Marina’s only real advantage is its affordability.
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This completes our review of the Brita Marina 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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