AquaTru Review: My Honest Thoughts

Looking for an honest AquaTru review? Here’s everything you need to know about AquaTru water purifiers before making a purchase.

If you’re overwhelmed with all of the conflicting information about water filters, you aren’t alone. I put off purchasing a water filtration system for years because there were so many different options to choose from. After months of research and testing, I finally invested in both the AquaTru Countertop and Under Sink water purifiers.

As you likely know, all water filters are not created equal. Some water filters contain one type of filter, while others contain a combination of filters to remove most contaminants. I ultimately chose a reverse osmosis water filtration system because they are highly effective at removing 95-99.99% of contaminants in drinking water. They remove chlorine, fluoride, lead, arsenic, bacteria, viruses, nitrates, prescription drug residue, pesticides, PFAS, and much more. Many of these contaminants are known carcinogens and neurotoxins, and chronic exposure has been linked to everything from immune suppression and cancer to reproductive issues.

For me, it was all about removing heavy metals, fluoride, and PFAS. Not too long ago I read a Consumer Reports independent investigation that found arsenic, lead, and PFAS in a large majority of the tap water across the US. It opened my eyes to just how much is actually making it into public drinking water.

Now, after months of testing both the AquaTru Countertop and Under Sink water purifiers, I have some thoughts. Below I’ve included my extensive AquaTru review, along with tips and tricks for getting the most out of your water filtration system.

What is AquaTru?

AquaTru provides all-in-one reverse osmosis water filtration systems that remove up to 99% of all contaminants in tap water. They are certified to NSF standards to remove more than 80 contaminants. The company believes everyone has the right to pure water, and regularly supports efforts to bring clean water to people in need. Currently, they provide three different types of reverse osmosis water purifiers to choose from: AquaTru Countertop Water Purifier, AquaTru Carafe Water Purifier, and AquaTru Under Sink Water Purifier.

The company was founded in 2016 by Peter Spiegel and Kate Williams. The brand is part of Ideal Living, and operates from its headquarters in California.

How Does the AquaTru Water Purifier Work?

After reviewing many different purifiers, I quickly found that AquaTru offers one of the most efficient reverse osmosis filter systems. It has a 4-stage filtration process, which combines four different types of filters, including a reverse osmosis membrane. Here’s a quick look at the filtration process:

Stage 1 & 2: Pre-Filter and Carbon Filter (Yellow)

The first two stages involve both the pre-filter and carbon filter. The pre-filter is a mechanical filter that removes larger particles like sediment and rust, and the carbon filter removes chlorine and chloramines.

Stage 3: Reverse Osmosis Membrane (Blue)

The second filter is the reverse osmosis membrane. This is what filters out dangerous inorganic chemicals, including lead, chromium 6, arsenic, uranium, nitrates and many more.

Stage 4: VOC Carbon Filter (Green)

The last stage is the activated coconut block filter which removes rocket fuel, prescription drug residue, herbicides, pesticides, and PFAS. Note: reverse osmosis is one of the only ways to effectively remove PFAS from water.

To operate the countertop versions, all you do is remove the tap water tank, fill it with fresh tap water from your sink, and then secure it back into the unit. The water filtration system will automatically begin pumping the tap water through the 4-stage filtration system into the clean water tank. Then, just use the dispenser to release purified water into your glass! To repeat, just dump the waste water and fill it up again. Now, let’s get to my personal AquaTru review after months of using it.

What I Love About It

• Removes 99% of all contaminants, including fluoride, chlorine, PFAS, and more
• Doesn’t need an extra filter for fluoride, which is true of other systems
• Easy to set up and use
• Certified to NSF standards (Note: This is largely the problem with the Berkey. Berkey isn’t certified to NSF standards, which any reputable company will do in order to certified a water filter’s performance.)
• Multiple options to choose from—both countertop and under sink
• Price is much cheaper than other RO systems. Get $100 off with this link.
• Lightweight and easy to lift the tap water tank to refill
• Easy to clean
• Compact and fits on the countertop in my kitchen
• Less waste water in comparison to other RO systems
• The water tastes amazing. This is a pet peeve of mine, and I’ve never tasted cleaner water.
• The filters last a very long time and are the most affordable ones on the market. No blowing through endless plastic replacement filters!
• 30-day money back guarantee
• 1-year warranty

Cons

• Countertop units need to be close to an outlet
• Removes about 80% of dissolved solids, including some minerals in water (notes on remineralization below)
• For the countertop versions, you need to manually refill/dump waste water
• The dispensing button isn’t an immediate shut off. If you’re used to fridge dispensers, you need to get used to holding your glass there for a second after releasing the button to catch the last little bit of water.

Types of AquaTru Water Purifiers

The unit that is right for you will depend on the water needs of your household. Do you need something small and convenient? Or do you need a high volume system that can provide water for your entire family? In general, I recommend going with whatever makes it easier for you to drink purified water on a daily basis. Here’s a quick review of each AquaTru unit:

• AquaTru Carafe Water Purifier: Great for single use. This is a smaller unit that holds 64 oz of purified water in a small carafe. Incredibly convenient and you can place the carafe in the fridge to keep it chilled. Best of all, it’s a glass carafe! This unit needs to be plugged in.
• AquaTru Countertop Water Purifier: Great for 1-3 people, including smaller families or shared spaces. The clean water tank holds 3 quarts of water and can easily be dispensed right from the unit. This unit needs to be plugged in. Hot tip: Once all of the water has been purified from the tap water container, dump out the waste water and immediately fill it with fresh tap water and load it in again. The AquaTru system will automatically filter the water from the tap water tank into the clean water tank as you dispense it throughout the day, which helps when things are busy and you need more water.
• AquaTru Under Sink Water Purifier: Great for 3+ people. A perfect solution for high volume needs. The filters and the reverse osmosis storage tank go underneath your sink. This one comes with a stainless steel RO faucet. It needs to be installed by a professional, but it’s easy to do. Since we’re a family of four, we love using this for drinking water, cooking, and our humidifiers.

Installation and Maintenance

When I was researching and evaluating AquaTru reviews, I really wanted to know about the installation and overall maintenance. So, here’s what I’ve experienced. With the AquaTru countertop units, there is little to no set up required. Just place the tanks and filters in the unit, plug it in, and it’s ready to go.

The AquaTru Under Sink water purifier requires installation by a professional. Installation requires drilling into the countertop, and drilling into the pipes under the sink. We had our handyman install it and it took just under two hours from start to finish. For all of the units, you’ll need to flush out the filters before use. For the Under Sink unit, you need to wait for the tank to fill up completely and drain it until empty twice through. This takes about 3-4 hours, then you’re ready to roll!

Luckily, there is very little maintenance required for any of the units. For the countertop units, AquaTru recommends cleaning the tanks once a week with soapy water.

If you have hard water, or if you do not wash your tanks regularly, you may notice that your tap water tank may develop some scaling, or mineral build-up. If this does not come off easily with soap and water, you can soak the tank in a 50/50 solution of distilled vinegar and warm water for 10-15 minutes, then wash clean with soap and water.

Replacement Filters

You can easily purchase replacement filters from the website. The filter are low cost and long lasting. Each unit will let you know when you need to replace a specific filter, and the filters take about 20 seconds to install. The AquaTru Under Sink purifiers uses the same filters as the countertop units. Here’s a general guideline for how often you’ll need to replace your filters:

• Pre-Filter (yellow): 6 months or 600 gallons, whichever comes first
• RO Filter (blue): 2 years or 1200 gallons, whichever comes first
• VOC Filter (green): 1 year or 600 gallons, whichever comes first

Should I remineralize reverse osmosis water?

Reverse osmosis removes about 80% of dissolved solids, including some minerals. The USDA looked at the mineral composition of tap water. Assuming two liters of tap water are consumed daily, only four minerals provided more than 1% of the U.S. Daily Value (DV): copper, 10%; calcium, 6%; magnesium, 5%; and sodium, 3%.

While there isn’t any evidence that purified water “strips” your body of minerals, if you aren’t getting minerals from your water, your body will use its own stores to make up for the difference. So, you can get the minerals you need from food, or just get the remineralization “add on” filter when you purchase your AquaTru. Here are your options:

• Eat a mineral rich diet and use an unrefined sea salt, which has trace minerals
• Sprinkle a very small amount of unrefined sea salt to each glass of water to add trace minerals or add trace minerals drops to your water.
• Select the VOC Mineral Boost Filter when purchasing the AquaTru.

PS: I love talking about minerals! Download my free mineral guide for more information about trace minerals and mineral balance!

AquaTru FAQs

Where to Buy

I always recommend purchasing direct from the manufacturer for the best price and customer service. It’s easy to get customer service and support and the company will have all of your purchase information. You can also immediately purchase filters with your order so you’re good for years to come.

Looking for a coupon code? Get $100 off with this link!

Final Thoughts on my AquaTru Review

Ultimately, I chose AquaTru reverse osmosis water purifiers because I wanted my water filter to remove chlorine, heavy metals, fluoride, and PFAS, in additional to other common contaminants like pesticides and prescription drugs. This system is incredibly effective, efficient, and certified to NSF standards to the life of the filter. I want to know that the filter I’m using filters out contaminants and the start and the finish of the filter, which has become an issue in the industry. I trust the performance of AquaTru, and I love that it’s incredibly affordable and easy to use.

For more information about water filtration and contaminants, check out my podcast interview with reverse osmosis expert Helen Christoni here: 415: Water Filtration, Contaminants, And Filter Controversies With Helen Christoni

Have more questions about my AquaTru review? Let me know in the comments below!