Our tap water comes with hundreds of chemicals and compounds, but fluoride is arguably the most hotly debated – for the simple reason that it’s deliberately introduced to our drinking water. The American Dental Association and Center of Disease Control and Prevention are among institutes supporting the inclusion of this ion in water, attributing it to a reduction in cavities in children, especially those who can’t afford dental care.
However, the flip side of the debate questions the ethics of arbitrary water fluoridation for everyone, including those who didn’t sign up for it. This is especially concerning considering that excessive levels of fluoride have been associated with quite a few health concerns, including dental fluorosis (the staining of teeth due to excess fluoride exposure) and thyroid and developmental disorders, even previously linked to instances of lower IQ following a study conducted in China. It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that you might want to filter out fluoride from your water, especially if you tend to drink more than the average person and/or are already exposed to enough fluoride, for instance in your toothpaste, mouthwash and so on. Thankfully, there are a couple of great devices out there that’ll help you do just that.
KEN’S PICK
Aquagear Water Filter Pitcher
This filter pitcher not only meets NSF’s contaminant extraction standards for its certification, but surpasses them, specifically certified as a lead and fluoride water filter under NSF 53, as well as meeting the NSF 42 standard for improving your water’s taste and smell. In fact, tests conducted in independent ISO 17025 accredited laboratories have found that this sleek, contemporary filter pitcher can not only remove up to 90% of the fluoride in our tap water, but also nearly a 100% of other contaminants, including heavy metals like lead, mercury and copper, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like pesticides and herbicides, inorganic compounds like arsenic and even the chlorine added during the treatment and disinfection stages of municipal water processing. And that’s not all – this pitcher was tested with contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, and found to reduce copper and lead traces from hazardous to barely detectable levels, making this not only one of the most impressive water filters in this category, but one of the most impressive water filters period.
Filtration is a meticulous 5-stage process armed with filters of a lifetime of 150 gallons, and when you do have to replace them, you do so with the knowledge that with every unit and replacement purchased, Aquagear donates 6 months’ worth of clean drinking water to the underprivileged in lesser economically developed countries, through its partnership with Thirst Relief International. Filters use a combination of active coconut carbon and ion exchange for every glass of safe, clean water for you and your family, making this a great pitcher that not only looks out for you, but also for the community and environment.
KEN’S BUDGET PICK
ZeroWater ZP-010 10 Cup Pitcher
Using a five-stage filtration process that puts this pitcher several notches above typical active carbon filtered pitchers, the ZeroWater is NSF certified for reduction of both lead and chromium, but also for its nearly 100% extraction of dissolved solids, including fluoride, zinc, aluminum and more. A combination of active carbon filtration, ion exchange and oxidation reduction gives you the purest glass of water you could ask for, all at a pocket-friendly budget.
A highlight of this device is the digital “Total Dissolved Solids” or TDS meter it comes built in with. The TDS meter notifies you of any dissolved substances or compounds in your water which might alter or affect its taste undesirably, ensuring it delivers water of 000 PPM (parts per minute), compared to the typical 190-200 PPM of tapped water. In fact, this makes the ZeroWater the only water filter in its category to meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s TDS standards for purified bottle water. If the readings show figures above 000 PPM, it’s an indication that it’s time to change the filter.
RUNNER-UP
Invigorated Living pH Restore Alkaline Water Pitcher
Packing the power of not one but several filtration methods, this pitcher comes with a filter layered with active carbon, ceramide, resin, tourmaline, zeolite beads and more, to ensure your water is as pure as possible by the time you get it into a glass to drink. This A-team of filtration techniques works together not only to reduce fluoride levels in your drinking water, but also removes heavy metals, traces of VOCs, sediment or other solids, even softening hard water through ion exchange. It also comes with high negative ORP or Oxidation Reduction Potential, so the water you end up with is high in anti-oxidants – great for battling free radicals in the body, which escalate the process and signs of aging. The filter is also built to resist bacterial growth, maintaining, as the name suggests, a healthy pH balance by moderating the optimum alkalinity for your water.
A digital display at the top of the pitcher lid handily informs you of the filter’s lifetime, with an opening that lets you refill the pitcher without needing to pop the lid open.
RUNNER-UP
Epic Pure Water Pitcher With Fluoride Filter
Another contender with negative ORP to combat those age-accelerating free radicals, this pitcher also bears a filter combining the effectiveness of active carbon filtration and ion exchange to make sure your tap water is rid of not just fluoride, but also heavy metals, VOCs and by-products of water treatment and disinfection. The ion exchange resins also ensure that hard water compounds are broken down and swapped to soften the water, so it’s more pleasant to taste, as well as moderating the minerals present in the water, such as calcium and sodium, topping up the elements we do need while removing undesirables. As the name indicates, the pitcher is also designed to bump up the alkalinity levels of your water to a more desirable pH, reducing acidity levels that might be harmful when ingested. The pitcher is constructed out of highly durable, BPA-free ABS plastic, guaranteed to last you a long time.