If you’ve found yourself on this page, chances are you’re in the market for a gravity water filter. Defined by their use of gravity to filter and dispense water, gravity water filters use no electricity or water supply connections. While gravity water filters are great for traveling, camping and emergency situations, they’re also great for the kitchen or office. Simply fill up the water filter and allow gravity to do the rest.
When it comes to deciding on what brand of gravity water filter to purchase, Berkey and Propur are the two brands that always seem to be compared. While Berkey has been around longer and has more experience in the space, Propur’s line of filters are deserved of their comparisons to Berkey’s units.
Below, you’ll see a side-by-side of the various options provided by each brand, as well as the other pertinent information, such as the type of warranties they offer as well as some of the most popular types of contaminants these filters remove and reduce.
While we have a preference (we use our gravity water filter every day), you really can’t go wrong with either brand. That being said, we’ve revealed our choice near the end of this article!
Berkey vs Propur Comparison Chart
| Berkey | Propur | |
|---|---|---|
| View Pricing | View Pricing | |
| Size Options | 7.5"D x 19" H (Travel Berkey) 8.5"D x 21" H (Big Berkey) 9"D x 28" H (Berkey Light) 9.5"D x 24" H (Royal Berkey) 10"D x 27"H (Imperial Berkey) 11"D x 31" H (Crown Berkey) | 7.5"D x 18.5" H (Propur Traveler) 8.5"D x 19.5" H (Propur Nomad) 9.25"D x 22.5" H (Propur Big) |
| Capacity Options | 1.5 Gallons (Travel Berkey) 2.25 Gallons (Big Berkey) 2.75 Gallons (Berkey Light) 3.25 Gallons (Royal Berkey) 4.5 Gallons (Imperial Berkey) 6 Gallons (Crown Berkey) | 1.6 Gallons (Propur Traveler) 2 Gallons (Propur Nomad) 2.75 Gallons (Propur Big) |
| Housing Material | 304 polished stainless steel or high-quality, BPA-free, food-safe, copolyester* *Copolyester available with the Berkey Light | 304 polished stainless steel or 304 brushed stainless steel |
| Spigot Material | FDA approved, BPA free polypropylene spigot included with purchase 304 Food Grade stainless steel spigot available for an additional charge | 304 stainless steel spigot included with purchase |
| Filter Material | Carbon composite with high-grade coconut shell carbon and a proprietary blend of 5 different types of media | Granular activated carbon and silver-infused ceramic |
| Filter Lifespan | 3-5 years | 6 months |
| Warranty | Standard 2-Year Warranty If you register at the time of purchase, Berkey will provide a lifetime warranty on certain systems: Travel Berkey, Big Berkey, Royal Berkey, Imperial Berkey, and Crown Berkey | Standard 2-Year Warranty |
| Contaminants Removed/Reduced | Aluminum >99% Chloramines >99% Chloride >99.6% Trihalomethanes >99.8% E. Coli >99.999% Arsenic >99.9% Pharmaceutical Drug Contaminants >99.9% | Aluminum 98% Chloramines >99% Chloride >99.9% Trihalomethanes 99.4 E. Coli >99.999% Arsenic 99.7% Pharmaceutical Drug Contaminants 95.88% |
| View Pricing | View Pricing |
Berkey Overview
Founded in the late 1990’s in Colorado, Berkey Filters has made a name for itself in the water filtration industry and produces the gold standard of gravity water filter. Their goal is to ensure that each customer is 100% satisfied; judging by the number of five-star reviews they have on their website and across the internet, it seems that they’ve accomplished that goal, and then some.
Their flagship gravity filter is the Big Berkey, which you’ll see listed in the above chart. Since releasing the Big Berkey to market, Berkey Filters has released five other variants, of which you can also see in the above chart.
Propur Overview
As it was stated earlier, Berkey Filters has been around a good while longer than Propur. Founded in 2011, Propur does business out of Michigan and strives to “bring healthy drinking water to all corners of the earth“.
While Berkey has chosen to focus specifically on building out their line of gravity filters, Propur has spread much wider and produces a plethora of water filters and water softeners. Propur is a very ambitious company, with products sold all over the world and a desire to expand their filtering method by using cutting edge filtering technology.
Berkey vs Propur
Berkey and Propur both create fantastic gravity water filters that are highly rated and touted among first-hand users. Regardless of the system you decide on, you’ll be drinking highly purified water and bettering your health as well as the health of your loved ones.
That being said, we do believe that one brand has the superior product: Berkey. As a forewarning, we have a Berkey system ourselves and absolutely love it. We haven’t had an opportunity to try out a Propur unit yet, so we can’t speak to the first-hand experience of these two units side-by-side.
However, when you look at the number of years Berkey has been in business compared to Propur, the warranties offered, filter lifespans and contaminants reduced, Berkey comes out on top in virtually every category. The only two areas where Berkey falls short in comparison to Propur is first the fact that Berkey’s filters come standard with a plastic spigot and Propur’s includes a stainless steel one. Having said this, Berkey does offer a stainless steel spigot for purchase, albeit at an additional cost above and beyond the price of the unit. Furthermore, while we believe it’s completely warranted, Berkey’s units are slightly more expensive when compared at a per-gallon price.
Now, the last paragraph make it seem as if Berkey’s units blow Propur’s out of the proverbial water. While we believe Berkey produces the superior product, Propur’s filter really are fantastic. Regardless of the filter you choose, cheers to drinking cleaner, healthier water.
Conclusion
Purchasing a gravity water filter is an easy and relatively affordable way to get clean water at home or wherever you go. When it comes to deciding between a Berkey or Propur unit, the decisions can be a daunting and confusing one. While stressful, know that you’re in good hands with both brands. We hope this article and its corresponding comparison chart has been helpful in deciding on which brand is best for your particular situation. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to reach out to us!
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