Water, water everywhere, but does it matter how you get the drops you drink? Yes! If you’re drinking the recommended eight glasses a day, then a family of four will go through 730 gallons a year in drinking water alone. That comes to around 5,800 half liter bottles of water per year if you’re buying your H20 prepackaged. It’s expensive and it's wasteful. It's alo not particularly good for your back to be constantly hauling bulky flats of bottled water out of your car and into your house.Not everybody can stomach tap water “as-is”, though. Depending on your local water system,the liquid coming out of the faucet could be over-chlorinated,rusty, or smelly with sulfur. It could even contaminated with lead, pharmaceuticals or dangerous microorganisms. People who want to enjoy the best of both worlds filter their affordable tap water at home. The savviest consumers of them all know how to buy great water filters at an affordable price.I’ve researched the best discount water filters that are widely available on the market today. These are the ones that have floated to the top of the pool. PUR 18 Cup Water Filter Dispenser This workhorse from long-time filtration leader PUR is one of the best-selling water filters on the market today. This is a great filter for busy families. Its large, 18-cup tank ensures that everyone gets a glass when the crew rolls in from soccer practice, or the scout troop is meeting at your house. Even better, the slim profile uses precious fridge space wisely. It uses only minimal amounts of prime, front-of-shelf space, with no room wasted on a bulky plastic handle. The simple pour spigot makes for easy operation even by young children. It's also great for adults with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or other conditions that can make stabilizing a heavy pitcher a chore.This dispenser also receives solid marks for its high capacity, low cost filter cartridges. PUR’s cartridges use carbon sustainably sourced from coconut shells. Each cartridge can filter 40 gallons of water, and name-brand replacements cost less than $10 per unit. Check The Best Price Here PUR Advanced Faucet Water Filter Chrome FM-3700B PUR’s best-selling faucet mounted water filter is available in four colors. It'styled to blend seamlessly with a wide array of kitchen designs. Like all faucet mounted filters, this model is a great way to ensure that you’re never left twiddling your thumbs while you wait for the tank to fill. Just turn on the faucet, twist on the filter, and fill your glass in seconds. When the filter needs changing, a light will go off, alerting the consumer that it’s time for a replacement.The MineralClear filter cartridges used by this product are also a great value. Each one filters up to 100 gallons of water at a cost of less than $10 each. Bear in mind, though, that some buyers have had complaints about this filter’s longevity. Consumers whose kitchens experience a lot of wear and tear may want to seek out a product with fewer moving parts. Check The Best Price Here Brita 10 Cup Everyday BPA Free Water Pitcher with 1 Filter Brita has always marketed its products as the most refined glass of water you can get outside of a sparkling Alpine ski lodge, and this entry into the discount water filter category is no exception. The pitcher is light on functional frills. However, it still boasts the elegantly curved lines of a fine crystal decanter, and will complement any well-adorned table. The carafe is relatively small, and probably best suited to use by couples and singles. As a result, it's easy to lift for pouring and refilling the tank.Brita’s cartridges can accommodate 40 gallons of water each. At less than $5 per replacement cartridge, this pitcher combines high-class style with very economical sensibilities. Check The Best Price Here LeDoux Waters 10 Cup Water Pitcher The new upstart in the American household water filtration market is LeDoux, making this list with their 10 cup water pitcher. Like the similarly-sized cheap water filter from Brita on this list, LeDoux’s product is small and sleek. It uses a carbon-based filter to remove sediment and unpleasant smells and flavors. Where the LeDoux distinguishes itself is in its LED filter change light. If you find yourself struggling to keep up with stickers or forgetting to change your filters until the bad smells start to creep back, LeDoux will help you keep track of your filter change needs. Check The Best Price Here Life Straw Personal Water Filter Attention, campers! Just because you’re far from a sanitary public water system does not mean you’re stuck hauling around bottled water. The Life Straw is lightweight and designed to filter out the dangerous microorganisms that can turn a fun weekend on the trail into a life-threatening visit to the hospital. The Life Straw filter does not correct for minerals dissolved in water that may leave an unsavory taste. However, if safety, simplicity and portability are your chief concerns then you should consider keeping a Life Straw in your trail pack, camper or bug out bag. Check The Best Price Here Conclusion A good discount water filter will make it much easier to keep you and your family hydrated with the freshest, cleanest water possible. You don’t need plastic bottles taking up space in your pantry, or expensive water delivery services. There's no substitute for clear, refreshing water, on tap (literally) at a moment’s notice, and these products are a reliable way to make it possible. Choose the option that best fits your household’s needs, recycle the last of your old disposable plastic bottles, and make the switch to affordable, sustainable filtered water technology.
