Berkey vs Brita: which is actually certified — and what does a certified gallon cost?
Last reviewed July 2026.
Same job, same shelf — but the certifications underneath are not the same. Here is Berkey against Brita on the only two axes we score: what the certification actually covers, and what a certified gallon costs.
- Berkey: certified to NSF/ANSI 42 only — genuinely certified, but no certified lead claim.
- Brita: cheapest certified-for-lead filter is the OB06 at $0.167/certified gallon (WQA, NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401).
Every model, side by side
| Filter | Standards | Lead (53) | PFOA/PFOS | Certifier | $ / certified gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brita Elite Replacement Filter (formerly Longlast+) OB06 buy ↗ | 42 53 401 | ✓ | ✓ | WQA | $0.167 |
| Brita Standard Replacement Filter (Original) OB03 buy ↗ | 42 | ✗ | ✗ | WQA | $0.200 |
| Berkey Big Berkey / Royal Berkey / Travel Berkey (Phoenix element) Phoenix Gravity New Millennium Edition brand ↗ | 42 | ✗ | ✗ | NSF | — |
Price per filter ÷ certified capacity in gallons. Certification data from the certifiers' public listings; the listing always wins.
The full stories: Is Berkey NSF certified? · Is Brita NSF certified? · what 42, 53 and 401 mean
We do not test filters — we index what accredited certifiers publish, with attribution, and make no health or treatment claims. A certification covers a specific model against a specific standard; it is not a general seal of quality. We are not affiliated with NSF International.
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