Most people in the modern world have easy access to drinking water in their homes and out and about, but not all water sources are created equal. Whether you’re dealing with murky or rusty well water, you don’t trust the chemically treated municipal water in your area, or you are dealing with unknown water sources while camping or RVing, a portable water filtration system can be a great solution. As their name implies, these systems filter out contaminants and bacteria from questionable water sources, ensuring you have access to clean, safe drinking water wherever you are. In this review, we’ll take a close look at the best-selling Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System to help you decide if it’s the right fit for you. We’ll explore its features and benefits, pros and cons, pricing and more so you have all the details you need to make an informed purchase decision.
| Highlights |
|---|
| Glacier Fresh Gravity-fed Water Filter System |
| Reduce Chlorine content by more than 99% |
| Uses activated carbon to reduce bad taste, odor, rust, heavy metals, & more |
| Gravity-fed filtration system for indoor or outdoor use |
| Free shipping on all US orders |
About the Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System
Glacier Fresh’s Gravity-Fed Water Filter System is a simple, filter-based system that doesn’t require electricity or fuel to run, which means it is easily used almost anywhere you can take it, and that it will continue to function in a power outage.
The Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System uses a dual-chamber design that allows three gallons of water at a time to naturally drip through two sets of three filters. In the top chamber, three carbon filters remove contaminants such as VOCs, chlorine, lead, fluoride and pesticides. In the lower chamber, three fluorine filters remove fluorine and heavy metals from the water before it enters the storage chamber. Safe drinking water is then ready for use at the spigot.
The unit is constructed from a single piece of food-grade stainless steel to minimize places where standing water can leave residues or create rust, contaminating your purified water from within.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Indoor/outdoor system that travels easily for camping & RVing | Limited instructions for initial setup |
| Simple design requires minimal maintenance | Some may find it tall and bulky for smaller living spaces |
| Long-lasting filters won’t need replacement for 1,000 gallons | |
| Power-free operation perfect for outages or off-grid living | |
| Reduces waste of plastic water bottles | |
| Reduces contaminants like heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, chemicals & odors | |
| Meets NSF standards | |
| One-piece stainless steel design minimizes standing water issues | |
| Six-filter design in two stages | |
| 30-day 100 percent money back guarantee | |
| Lifetime warranty | |
| Ships free within the contiguous U.S. |
How the Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System Works
There are lots of filtration systems available to households these days. Pitcher-style filters from companies such as Brita remove some contaminants and odors but are tedious to fill and most people don’t change their filters frequently enough, defeating the purpose. Whole-home and under-sink filtration systems are effective but expensive.
The Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System finds a middle ground, providing effective multi-stage filtration and up to three gallons of drinking water for households with a minimal upfront cost and an easy-to-maintain design.
Filtration Step 1: The upper chamber uses three carbon filters to passively filter water of almost all sediments, odors and chemicals. Glacier Fresh states that these filters are effective for 3,000 gallons worth of filtered water.
Filtration Step 2: The lower chamber of the gravity-fed system uses a fluorine filter to capture and remaining fluorine and heavy metals. These filters need to be replaced more frequently but are stated to last for 1,000 gallons of filtration.
Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System Pricing
At the time of this writing, the Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System was deeply discounted on the Glacier Fresh website for $229.99, a $140 savings off the MSRP of $369.99. The system is sometimes available on Amazon as well though it was out of stock at the time of this review.
The unit ships with the six filters you’ll need to get started and replacement filters can be purchased on the Glacier Fresh website as needed. The system comes with a small stand to keep the spigot at a more convenient height, plus a small wrench and the necessary hardware to install the filters into the chambers.
Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System Setup
The Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System is a pretty simple design so it doesn’t need a lot of setup, but there are a few simple steps to prep and install the filters for your first use. Some online reviewers complained that the included instructions were lacking, but videos on the Glacier Fresh site and Amazon product listing page make the steps clear and easy to follow.
One important step is to thoroughly rinse the carbon filters before installation and then to discard the first batch of filtered water in case of any debris from filters or manufacturing processes.
100 Percent Satisfaction Guarantee and Warranty
Glacier Fresh backs your purchase with a 30-day money back guarantee, which gives you ample time to set the unit up and determine if it meets your needs. Beyond that initial trial period, the product has a lifetime warranty.
Comparing the Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System to the Competition
Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System vs. Big Berkey
Berkey is one of the more popular brands in the home water filtration space and their Big Berkey model is very similar in design to the Glacier Fresh system reviewed here, using a gravity-fed filter system and stainless steel chambers. The Big Berkey is a 2.25-gallon system, making it a bit smaller than the amount of filtered water held by Glacier Fresh’s system. Berkey claims extra-long life for its filters, but unlike Glacier Fresh, it’s not NSF-certified. The Big Berkey is a bit more compact for smaller households, but it’s also slightly more expensive.
Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System vs. Waterdrop Gravity Filtration System
Like the Big Berkey, this budget-minded option from Waterdrop is a smaller, 2.25-gallon system that uses only two carbon filters instead of the three carbon and three fluorine filters in the Glacier Fresh system. The biggest upside of the Waterdrop system is the price, costing just over $100. This system may appeal to households with very basic goals for water filtration such as improving the taste slightly, though it won’t be as effective at fully filtering the water as the Glacier Fresh system.
The Bottom Line
The Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System provides a cost-effective solution for clean household drinking water for folks that are sick of the waste of buying clean water but don’t want the hassle and expense of a whole-home or under-sink filtration system. Because of its simple, passive design and small form factor, it’s also a great option for camping and RVing or as peace of mind for preppers and folks building out an emergency preparedness plan.
FAQs
Is the Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System easy to install?
Unlike whole-home and under-sink systems, the Glacier Fresh system requires no plumbing and only minimal setup. The system requires a little bit of setup in the form of attaching the filters to the stainless steel chambers and videos from Glacier Fresh show you exactly how to connect each piece and filter your first batch.
What sets the Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System apart from traditional water filtration solutions?
There are several similar gravity-fed systems on the market from companies such as Berkey and Waterdrop. The biggest advantages of the Glacier Fresh system are the capacity and amount of filtration. The six filters used over two separate stages provide a much higher level of filtration than the other systems, most of which only use two carbon filters. The three-gallon capacity of the Glacier Fresh system is also almost a full gallon larger than the competitor systems, making it a better choice for larger households and folks that grow tired of constantly refilling the system.
How Long Do Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System Filters Last?
There are two different types of filters used in the Glacier Fresh Gravity-Fed Water Filter System: carbon and fluorine. The carbon filters have an estimated use life of 3,000 gallons of water while the fluorine filters need to be replaced more frequently at 1,000 gallons each. The system comes with the six required filters, but you can order more filters in bulk on the Glacier Fresh website to make sure you have them on-hand when you need them.
Methodology
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