AquaTru Countertop Water Filter Reviews

About AquaTru Countertop Water Filter

By Derek Lakin

HighYa Staff

Updated on: Apr 23, 2018

AquaTru Countertop Water Filter is a patented, 4-stage reverse osmosis system that promises to remove (or substantially reduce) all of the toxic chemicals from your tap water, including lead, chromium-6, herbicides and pesticides, and many other dangerous cancer-causing contaminants — without installation or plumbing required. AquaTru also removes 15 times more contaminants than the best-selling water pitcher filter.

AquaTru even claims their Ultra Reverse Osmosis technology is identical to systems used by major bottled water brands, just smaller (and without the potential microplastic contamination). Unlike these commercial systems though, AquaTru fits on your countertop.

To use your AquaTru, simply fill the tank with a gallon of tap water, and you’ll have bottled-quality water in 12 to 15 minutes.

This way, whether you’re at work, at home, or on the go, AquaTru provided us with strong certification to support their claims that their countertop water purifier can help positively impact your health and that of your family, as well as potentially save you over a thousand dollars per year by not buying bottled water. Not to mention the positive environmental impact, considering over 40 billion plastic water bottles are discarded annually into our landfills and other dumping sites.

After browsing the AquaTru website, you might be wondering if it's just an updated version of those old-school filters that used to attach directly to your faucet, or those pitchers that took forever to do their job. We can tell you upfront that it’s quite different. But even if this countertop water filter works better, does it still mean it’s a solid buy? We’ll explore it all in this review.

AquaTru’s Tech Specs

Overall, the AquaTru Filter is 14″ tall x 14″ deep x 12″ wide and consists of the following parts:

4 Different Stages of Filtration (in 3 replaceable filters) :

• Stage 1: Mechanical Pre-Filter
  The pre-filter removes sediment and cloudiness (turbidity) from the water.
• Stage 2: Activated Carbon Pre-Filter
• The carbon filter removes 99 percent of chlorine and chloramines.
• Stage 3: Ultra Reverse Osmosis Filter
  Removes toxic inorganic contaminants, including lead, chromium-6, and drug residue. AquaTru claims this is the filter that does all the “heavy lifting.” We won’t go into detail, but this article can give you a basic primer on how reverse osmosis works.
• Stage 4: Activated Coconut Shell Carbon VOC filter
  Removes toxic organic chemicals and ensures great tasting water.
• A back water tank that holds tap water and contaminated wastewater after the unit has completed a filtering cycle (this wastewater is then discarded from the tank and refilled with tap water)
• A front water tank that holds the clean, filtered water. Both tanks are manufactured from Tritan BPA and BPS-free, dishwasher safe plastic.
• Base unit, where the electronics and filters are housed
• Power cord (similar to what you’d have with a notebook computer)

How Does the AquaTru Water Filter Work?

Before using your AquaTru Filter, the manufacturer states you’ll need to wash each tank with warm, soapy water and dry.

First, plug your power cord into AquaTru. Then, after lifting the side cover away from the base, you'll thread each of the three filters into their specific color-coded receptacles. Replace the cover.

Next, place the filtered water tank into the front of the base, remove the back unfiltered water tank, fill it with tap water, and then put it back in place on the base.

At the back of your AquaTru base, you'll flip the red on/off switch, at which point the device will start filtering. The company notes that you might notice some bubbles and cloudiness when you turn it on for the first time, although this is simply the trapped air escaping from the three filters.

Over the course of the next 12-15 minutes, the gallon of water in the tap water tank will turn into 3 quarts of water inside the filtered tank. The control panel will show each filter doing its job as the water circulates through them.

Finally, you’ll just place your glass underneath the front of the filtered water tank, press the blue button, and water will dispense. The clean water tank can also be placed directly into the refrigerator for cold water at the touch of a button.

Important note: AquaTru advises that the first time you use the unit, you’ll need to cycle four tanks of water before you drink anything.

How Often Do AquaTru’s Filters Need to Be Replaced?

Back to those old-school filters: Remember how quickly they became clogged and needed to be replaced? Will you experience something similar with AquaTru?

AquaTru’s website tells us the pre-filter and the VOC filter will last 600 gallons (depending on water usage and local water quality), while the RO filter will last 1,200 gallons. The unit will tell you when it’s time to replace the filters.

Let’s quickly carry these thoughts over to the next section.

What’s the Difference Between Water Filtration & Purification?

In one of the videos on AquaTru’s website, we see Peter Spiegel (more about him in a second) talking about outdated pitcher filters and other devices that only filter out a few basic chemicals, and therefore make your water taste better. Comparatively, he tells us that AquaTru can filter out 128 toxic chemicals and gasses, while dropping the word “purifier” on at least one occasion.

The terms “filter” and “purify” might seem similar, but they’re not interchangeable, so it’s important you understand the difference. As you might guess, filtration is the physical act of filtering something; i.e., to prevent something from making it into the water supply. In the case of AquaTru, this task is handled in a 4-stage process using its three different filters.

On the other hand, purification isn’t necessarily a process like filtration; it’s an end result intended to remove unwanted substances. But purification doesn’t necessarily mean “pure.” For example, if your goal was to remove just a handful of unhealthy chemicals from water, you could then claim that it was purified.

What’s the takeaway? While AquaTru filters and purifies, so do many other devices on the market (more soon). Where AquaTru really differentiates itself is the number of contaminants it filters out of your water and the fact that it can be done with a unit that requires no plumbing or installation.

Important note: According to their website, AquaTru is “designed to filter municipal water. Although the RO membrane will filter out micro-organisms and pathogens, it is not recommended for lake, stream or well water.”

How Much Does AquaTru Cost?

Currently, AquaTru is priced at $349, plus $19.95 S&H.

An additional filtered water tank that can be left in the refrigerator can be purchased for $50, plus $6.95 S&H. Perfect Minerals (drops that turn your AquaTru water into naturally alkaline mineral water) cost $15, plus free S&H.

Although the company claims that AquaTru can save you anywhere from $100 to $2,800 over the course of 5 years, when compared to the cost of purchased bottled water, keep in mind you’ll have some minor ongoing costs. The pre-filter and the final carbon VOC filter cost about $20 each to replace, and the reverse osmosis filter costs about $40. If you choose, you can save money by purchasing one or two-year filter replacement bundles in advance through their website store.

Finally, AquaTru operates off a 120 volt AC wall plug and uses about $2.00 of electricity a year.

What’s AquaTru’s Refund Policy?

On their website, AquaTru offers a full 30-day money-back guarantee and a one-year limited warranty.

Have additional billing or refund questions? You can reach out to customer service at 800-220-6570 or cs@aquatruwater.com.

Enough with the details. Let’s find out what AquaTru’s customers are saying.

What We Learned From AquaTru Filter Reviews

On Amazon, 83 percent of customer ratings (more than 40 as of 4/2018) were either 4 or 5 stars (4-star average). Most compliments appeared to reference fast processing, quality manufacturing, great taste, and excellent customer support.

The relatively few complaints frequently related to high price and results that didn’t meet expectations.

We did also come across an AquaTru review on NaturalNews.com, which admittedly doesn’t exactly have a reputation for journalistic credibility. Nonetheless, they claimed to have tested the before and after results using clinical-grade equipment, so we thought it was important to highlight their results:

“To test AquaTru myself, I mixed up a concoction of extremely toxic heavy metals and chemicals in the lab. After analyzing the starting concentration of toxic elements via ICP-MS, I poured it into the AquaTru system and let it filter the water. (It filters very quickly; far faster than gravity water filters.)

I then took the resulting "post-filtered" water and tested it in my lab using an Agilent 7700X ICP-MS instrument, which is a top-of-the-line laboratory instrument used by the FDA, universities and private commercial labs. It's sensitive to single parts per billion concentrations of most elements.”
What did they find? Some pretty astonishing results. For example, 100% of cadmium, cesium, mercury, and uranium was removed; 99%+ of copper, arsenic, and lead; and 92% of aluminum.

At the time of our research, AquaTru Water LLC was not currently listed with the Better Business Bureau.

How Did Peter Spiegel Come Up with the Idea For AquaTru?

So, what about the man behind the company?

According to the AquaTru website, inventor Peter Siegel used an under-the-sink reverse osmosis filtration system for more than two decades. He enjoyed the quality it provided, but understood that it was much too bulky to purchase, install, and maintain for the average consumer.

Instead, he set out to build something that could be used right out of the box to provide pure drinking water, “without the financial expense or cost to the environment.” Over the course of 5 years, working with engineers and industrial designers, the AquaTru Countertop Water Filter was born.

Prior to founding AquaTru, Peter worked extensively within the direct response industry, having founded the Ideal Living group of companies, which manufactures products like Paint Zoom, Cebria, Prosvent, and more.

Before wrapping up, let’s find out if AquaTru has any competition.

AquaTru Water Filter vs. Berkey

If you’re in the market to achieve high-grade filtration and store your filtered water until it can be used, your two top choices are arguably AquaTru and Berkey. How do these compare?

One of the first things you’ll notice is that Berkey is a gravity fed water purifier that is good for emergency situations. It typically takes hours to filter a gallon of water from the Big Berkey (up to 6 gallons) while AquaTru (3 quarts) filters a similar amount of water to a higher degree of purification in under 15 minutes. Berkey’s lowest priced model (1.5 gallons) comes in at $228, compared to AquaTru’s $349.

Each of Berkey’s models also come with 2 or 4 Black Berkey filter elements, which work differently than AquaTru’s 3-filter (4 Stage Reverse Osmosis) system. However, even the smallest Berkey model is 19” high, so it probably wouldn’t be considered a countertop model like AquaTru.

Is an AquaTru Water Filtration System Right For You?

As Peter alluded on the AquaTru website, the basic idea behind this device’s 4-stage reverse osmosis system is nothing new, as it’s been used in under-the-counter systems for decades. As a matter of fact, I have one in my home that I’ve enjoyed for years.

But, if you’re in the market for something that’s portable, that can easily fit on a countertop, and with a pitcher that can fit nicely inside your fridge, the AquaTru Filter system really is the only game in town. While some Berkey models might hold more water, calling them “portable” might be a bit of a stretch—not to mention that you might look like you’re setting up for a banquet.

Is the AquaTru worth more than $350, though? Based on online feedback and reviews, it appears that the majority of those who have purchased Aquatru seem pleased by its performance and quality.

Yes, it is more expensive than those carbon-filter water pitchers, but if you want to remove the majority of contaminants (as certified by the IAMPO according to NSF standards) and achieve better-tasting water, an RO (reverse osmosis) system is frequently recommended by professionals.

But if you’re not interested in the cost and hassle of installing (and maintaining) a built-in RO system, this might be a good option to consider.