UltraMax Filtered Water Dispenser vs Pitcher: which is safer?
LARQ Pitcher is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Brita
UltraMax Filtered Water Dispenser
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleBacterial growth in filter media
ReportedIncomplete contaminant removal claims
PossiblePitcher housing durability and degradation
Our pick
LARQ
Pitcher
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleBacterial growth in filter housing if unmaintained
PossibleFilter composition leachables (unspecified binders and media)
PossibleThermal shock cracking of borosilicate glass
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Bacterial growth in filter media, Incomplete contaminant removal claims and Pitcher housing durability and degradation on the Brita and not on the LARQ.
- We flag Bacterial growth in filter housing if unmaintained, Filter composition leachables (unspecified binders and media), Thermal shock cracking of borosilicate glass and Contaminant removal efficacy not independently verified on the LARQ and not on the Brita.
- The Brita is BPA-free plastic pitcher with activated carbon filter cartridge where the LARQ is borosilicate glass pitcher, replaceable activated carbon filter, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are 5 points apart, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More countertop filters, see the full ranking