A water filter jug is the cheapest change you can make to your tap water: no plumbing, no installer, a cartridge you swap once a month. It is also the product where the gap between what the box implies and what the cartridge is listed to do is widest. Two of the four jugs here are taste products that remove chlorine and a few metals. One is a removal product certified for PFAS, fluoride and nitrate. None of them stops limescale.
This guide starts with a plain ledger of what each jug does and does not remove, set against what is actually in UK water, then covers hard water and the kettle, the “which BRITA” question, what each jug costs per litre, and reviews of all four.
According to TapWater.uk's 2026 comparison, the ZeroWater 12-Cup is the best water filter jug for contaminant removal in the UK, and the BRITA Marella XL with MAXTRA PRO the best for taste. ZeroWater is the only jug of the four certified to NSF/ANSI 53 and 401 and listed for PFAS. No water filter jug in this guide reduces water hardness.
This guide contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which funds our independent water quality research. Recommendations are based on real water data, not sponsorship. Full disclosure
Every tick below is a removal the maker lists for that cartridge. Where a cell is empty, the maker does not claim it, which for BRITA and PUR on PFAS is something they state outright. The right-hand note says whether the contaminant is even a question in UK mains water.
| Contaminant | BRITA | Aqua Optima | ZeroWater | PUR | In UK water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | In every UK mains supply; the taste most people buy a jug to fix | ||||
| Lead | From old supply pipes in pre-1970 homes, not from the mains | ||||
| Copper | From copper plumbing, especially new pipework | ||||
| Mercury | Rarely detected in UK supplies | ||||
| Cadmium | Rarely detected in UK supplies | ||||
| PFAS (total) | Detected in some UK postcodes; check yours | ||||
| Fluoride | Added in parts of the West Midlands and North East | ||||
| Nitrate | Higher in farming areas; regulated to 50 mg/L | ||||
| Arsenic | Rare in UK mains water |
Three things stand out. Chlorine, the reason most people buy a jug, is listed by BRITA, Aqua Optima and PUR; ZeroWater's listing is built around metals and PFAS instead. Lead is listed by all four, but only PUR and ZeroWater carry the NSF/ANSI 53 certification that covers it, which matters if lead is your reason for buying. And PFAS, fluoride, nitrate and arsenic are ZeroWater alone. If your postcode flags any of those, the other three jugs are the wrong purchase.
Removal pick
ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour
NSF/ANSI 53 and 401 certified; the only jug here listed for PFAS, fluoride, nitrate and arsenic. Highest running cost.
£40
typicalTaste pick
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO
3.5 litres, MAXTRA PRO cartridges in every supermarket, listed for chlorine and four metals
£25
typicalBudget pick
Aqua Optima Liscia + Evolve+
Cheapest to buy and run; Evolve+ cartridges also fit BRITA jugs
£20
typicalFamily pick
PUR Plus 11-Cup Pitcher
NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 certified for lead, 11 cups, two-month cartridges
£35
typicalAffiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How recommendations are funded
We hold the readings your water company reports for your supply zone. If nothing but chlorine shows up, a BRITA or Aqua Optima is enough. If PFAS, nitrate or lead is flagged, you want ZeroWater or something bigger than a jug.
“Best water filter jug for hard water” is a search with a disappointing answer: there is not one. Hardness is dissolved calcium and magnesium, and none of the four cartridges here lists hardness or limescale as something it reduces. A BRITA-filtered kettle in Hertfordshire furs up almost as fast as an unfiltered one.
ZeroWater is the partial exception, and it is worth being precise about why. Its five-stage cartridge reduces total dissolved solids, which is why it ships with a TDS meter to prove it and why ZeroWater say the filters last only two to three weeks in hard water: the minerals use the cartridge up. So a ZeroWater jug will put less scale-forming mineral in your kettle than the other three, but ZeroWater sells it as a contaminant filter and makes no limescale claim, and at roughly £120 a year it is an expensive way to descale.
The most common jug question in Britain, and the answer is that it barely matters. The filtering is done by the cartridge, and current BRITA jugs take the same MAXTRA PRO cartridge, so the water out of a small fridge-door jug and a large family jug is the same water. The jug decides capacity, whether it fits your fridge, and how often you refill. The one we list, the Marella XL, holds 3.5 litres, which suits a household of up to four, and it is the size we would pick for a family kitchen. A one-person flat can go smaller.
Two things to know before buying any BRITA. MAXTRA PRO is rated for four weeks and works out at roughly £52 a year, and it is listed for chlorine, lead, copper, mercury and cadmium with TUV SUD testing, not for PFAS, fluoride or nitrate, which BRITA state themselves. And if the running cost is what bothers you, the Aqua Optima Evolve+ cartridge is BRITA-compatible and works out at about £36 a year, so a BRITA jug can be run on cheaper cartridges with a similar removal list.
The jug price is close to irrelevant; the cartridge habit is the cost. The per-litre figures below divide each maker's annual cartridge cost by 1,095 litres, which is 3 litres a day of drinking and kettle water for a small household. Filter more and the pence per litre falls, up to the point where the cartridge is spent early.
| Jug | Cartridge life | Per year | Per litre at 3 L/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Optima Liscia + Evolve+ (opens in new tab) | 30 days per cartridge | £36 | 3.3p |
| BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO (opens in new tab) | 4 weeks per cartridge | £52 | 4.7p |
| PUR Plus 11-Cup Pitcher (opens in new tab) | 2 months per cartridge | £60 | 5.5p |
| ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour (opens in new tab) | 2–4 weeks depending on TDS | £120 | 11.0p |
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Even the dearest jug is a fraction of bottled water per litre. The more useful comparison is with an under-sink filter, which costs more on the shelf and less to live with once cartridges are counted; the five-year table further down puts them side by side.
Three taste jugs with different price points and one removal jug. Every removal claim below is the maker's own listing.
Taste pick: the UK default, with cartridges in every supermarket
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO
Jug Filter · TUV SUD
Typical price
£25approx.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Budget pick: the cheapest to buy and to run
Aqua Optima Liscia + Evolve+
Jug Filter · TUV SUD
Typical price
£20approx.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Removal pick: the only jug here listed for PFAS, fluoride, nitrate and arsenic
ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour
Jug Filter · NSF/ANSI 53, NSF/ANSI 401
Typical price
£40approx.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Family pick: NSF/ANSI 53 for lead, two-month cartridges
PUR Plus 11-Cup Pitcher
Jug Filter · NSF/ANSI 42, NSF/ANSI 53
Typical price
£35approx.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour
Typical price
£40approx.
The only jug here certified for health contaminants and listed for PFAS. You pay for it in cartridges.
The ZeroWater 12-Cup is the jug to buy if you want something removed rather than the water to taste nicer. It is certified to NSF/ANSI 53 and 401 and listed for lead, chromium, mercury, PFAS, fluoride, nitrate, arsenic and cadmium: a longer list than some under-sink filters. The five-stage cartridge reduces dissolved solids as it goes, and the TDS meter in the box lets you check that it is still working, which no other jug offers. The trade-offs are real. Cartridges last two to four weeks, and only two to three in hard water, so the running cost is around £120 a year, the highest here by a wide margin. A full jug takes five minutes or more to filter, and replacement cartridges cost more than the competition. If your postcode flags PFAS, nitrate or lead, none of that matters much, because it is the only jug that addresses them.
Listed to remove
Certifications and testing
Pros
Cons
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO
Typical price
£25approx.
The UK default for a reason: chlorine gone, 3.5 litres, cartridges everywhere.
The BRITA Marella XL is the jug most British kitchens already have, and it does the taste job well. MAXTRA PRO is listed for chlorine, lead, copper, mercury and cadmium with TUV SUD testing, it filters quickly, and the 3.5 litre capacity suits a family of up to four. Cartridges are in every supermarket, rated for four weeks, and work out at roughly £52 a year. Be clear about what it is not: BRITA say it does not remove PFAS, fluoride or nitrates, so if your postcode flags any of those, this is not the jug. It is also the largest jug here, which is good for a family and bad for fridge space. For a household whose only complaint is the chlorine taste, it is the sensible buy.
Listed to remove
Certifications and testing
Pros
Cons
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Aqua Optima Liscia + Evolve+
Typical price
£20approx.
The cheapest jug to buy and to run, with a cartridge that also fits BRITA jugs.
At around £20 for the jug and about £36 a year in Evolve+ cartridges, the Aqua Optima Liscia is the lowest-cost route into filtered water here. The removal list is the taste list, chlorine, lead, copper and mercury, with TUV SUD testing, so it does a similar job to BRITA for less. The Evolve+ cartridge is BRITA-compatible, which means you can run an existing BRITA jug on these and cut the running cost. The slim design fits a fridge door. The compromises are capacity, at 2.4 litres filtered, which is small for a family, and a lid that can leak if it is not seated properly. For one or two people who want chlorine out at the lowest possible cost, it is hard to argue with.
Listed to remove
Certifications and testing
Pros
Cons
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
PUR Plus 11-Cup Pitcher
Typical price
£35approx.
Certified lead removal, the longest cartridge life here, and a light that tells you when to change it.
The PUR Plus is the jug for a bigger household that wants a certification behind the lead claim. It carries NSF/ANSI 42 and 53, the second of which covers lead, and lists chlorine, lead, mercury, cadmium and copper. The 11-cup capacity is large, the cartridge is rated for two months, the longest here, so around £60 a year, and the indicator light on the lid takes the guesswork out of changing it. Two limits: it does not list PFAS or fluoride, which PUR state, and a full jug takes ten minutes or more to filter, the slowest here. Replacement cartridges are also harder to find in UK shops than BRITA's, so order them online rather than expecting to pick one up. For a family in an older house with lead pipes, it is the jug we would choose.
Listed to remove
Certifications and testing
Pros
Cons
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Listed removals, typical price and annual cartridge cost from the makers' own specifications. None of the four reduces hardness.
| Filter | Price | Rating | Chlorine | Lead | PFAS (total) | Fluoride | Nitrate | Mercury | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO (opens in new tab) Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget | £25 | 4.5 | £52/yr | ||||||
| Aqua Optima Liscia + Evolve+ (opens in new tab) Budget-conscious buyers wanting basic filtration | £20 | 4.4 | £36/yr | ||||||
| ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour (opens in new tab) Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals | £40 | 4.3 | £120/yr | ||||||
| PUR Plus 11-Cup Pitcher (opens in new tab) Families wanting certified lead removal in a large jug | £35 | 4.2 | £60/yr |
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Replacement cartridges cost more than most of these filters do. Counting them changes the order. The £70 Waterdrop costs £420 less to own over 5 years than the £40 ZeroWater, despite costing more to buy.
| Filter | Upfront | Cartridges/yr | 5-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Optima Liscia + Evolve+ (opens in new tab) 4 contaminants listed | £20 | £36 | £200 |
| Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink (opens in new tab) 3 contaminants listed | £70 | £30 | £220 |
| BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO (opens in new tab) 5 contaminants listed | £25 | £52 | £285 |
| PUR Plus 11-Cup Pitcher (opens in new tab) 5 contaminants listed | £35 | £60 | £335 |
| Doulton HIP Ultracarb (opens in new tab) 5 contaminants listed | £120 | £80 | £520 |
| ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour (opens in new tab) 8 contaminants listed | £40 | £120 | £640 |
Cartridge costs are the manufacturer’s stated replacement schedule at typical UK household use. Yours will vary with how much water you filter and how hard it is. Prices are approximate — the retailer sets the final price. Across this table the gap between cheapest and dearest to own is £440.
The under-sink filters need fitting under the kitchen sink; the jugs need nothing. Our under sink filter guide covers when that step up is worth it.
Buy the ZeroWater 12-Cup if your postcode flags PFAS, nitrate or lead, or you simply want a jug whose removal claims are certified to NSF/ANSI 53 and 401. Budget around £120 a year in cartridges and accept the slow pour.
Buy the BRITA Marella XL if chlorine taste is the whole problem and you want cartridges you can pick up with the shopping. Buy the Aqua Optima Liscia for the same job at the lowest cost, or run its Evolve+ cartridge in the BRITA you already own. Buy the PUR Plus if you have a big household and want NSF/ANSI 53 lead certification without ZeroWater's cartridge bill.
Buy none of them for limescale. A jug does not soften water; the kettle guide and the softener guides are where that problem gets solved.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How recommendations are funded
It depends on what you want out of the water. If you want chlorine gone and better-tasting tea, the BRITA Marella XL with MAXTRA PRO is the sensible default: around £25, 3.5 litres, filters in every supermarket, roughly £52 a year. If you want contaminants removed rather than taste improved, the ZeroWater 12-Cup is the only jug here certified to NSF/ANSI 53 and 401 and the only one listed for PFAS, fluoride, nitrate and arsenic, at a higher running cost of around £120 a year. The Aqua Optima Liscia is the cheapest to buy and run at about £36 a year, and the PUR Plus 11-Cup is the family pick with NSF/ANSI 53 lead certification and the longest cartridge life at two months.
The filtering is done by the cartridge, not the jug, and current BRITA jugs take the same MAXTRA PRO cartridge, so the water that comes out is the same whichever shape you pick. Choose on size and where it will live. The Marella XL, the one we list, holds 3.5 litres and suits a family of up to four; smaller BRITA jugs suit a fridge door or a one-person household. Whatever the jug, MAXTRA PRO is rated for four weeks and works out at roughly £52 a year, and it is listed for chlorine, lead, copper, mercury and cadmium, not PFAS, fluoride or nitrate.
None of the four jugs here lists hardness reduction, so do not buy one for that. BRITA, Aqua Optima and PUR cartridges are carbon and ion-exchange blends aimed at chlorine and metals, and the calcium that furs your kettle passes through. ZeroWater is the partial exception: its five-stage cartridge takes out dissolved solids, which is why it ships with a TDS meter and why its filters run out in two to three weeks in hard water, but ZeroWater sells it as a contaminant filter and makes no limescale claim. For a kettle that stays clean in a hard water area, a kettle designed for hard water or a whole-house softener is the honest answer.
They are different products at similar prices. BRITA MAXTRA PRO is listed for chlorine, lead, copper, mercury and cadmium and is TUV SUD tested; its job is taste. ZeroWater is certified to NSF/ANSI 53 and 401 and listed for lead, chromium, mercury, PFAS, fluoride, nitrate, arsenic and cadmium; its job is removal, and the listing does not even lead with chlorine. The trade is cost and speed: ZeroWater cartridges last two to four weeks against BRITA's four, so around £120 a year against £52, and a full ZeroWater jug takes five minutes or more to filter. If your postcode shows nothing but chlorine, BRITA is enough. If it flags PFAS, nitrate or lead, ZeroWater is the only jug that addresses them.
Only one of the four here. The ZeroWater 12-Cup is certified to NSF/ANSI 53 and 401 and lists PFAS among its removals. BRITA, Aqua Optima and PUR do not list PFAS, and both BRITA and PUR say so in their own limitations. If PFAS has been detected at your postcode, a ZeroWater jug is the cheapest way to reduce exposure at the glass; a reverse osmosis system is the more reliable route if you want it out of all your drinking and cooking water.
BRITA MAXTRA PRO: every four weeks. Aqua Optima Evolve+: every 30 days. PUR Plus: every two months, the longest here, with an indicator light on the lid. ZeroWater: every two to four weeks depending on how much is dissolved in your water; in hard water areas it is the shorter end. ZeroWater includes a TDS meter, and when the filtered reading climbs towards the tap reading the cartridge is spent. For the others, the date on the calendar is the only reliable signal, because a saturated carbon cartridge quietly stops removing chlorine before the water tastes any different.
For taste, yes, and cheaply: every UK mains supply is chlorinated, and a £20 to £25 jug with a £36 to £52 a year cartridge habit takes the chlorine out. For safety, usually no: UK tap water already meets the Drinking Water Inspectorate's standards, so most households have nothing to remove beyond taste. The exceptions are homes with lead pipes, where a jug certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead such as the PUR Plus or ZeroWater reduces what reaches the glass, and postcodes where PFAS or nitrate has been detected, where ZeroWater is the only jug that helps. Check your postcode first; it tells you which case you are in.
All four list lead, but the paper trail differs. The PUR Plus and ZeroWater are certified to NSF/ANSI 53, the standard for health-related contaminants including lead. BRITA and Aqua Optima list lead reduction with TUV SUD testing rather than an NSF certification. If lead is the reason you are buying, and it usually is in homes built before 1970 that still have a lead supply pipe, pick one of the two NSF/ANSI 53 jugs and read our lead pipes guide, because the permanent fix is replacing the pipe.