Is Brita NSF certified?

Last reviewed July 2026.

Yes — but only some models. Brita filters appear in the public certified listings (WQA), yet the certification is per model, and the models differ on the one thing most buyers care about: lead. Some Brita filters carry a certified lead claim, made under NSF/ANSI 53. Others don't: certified only for chlorine, taste and odour, or holding 53 for other contaminants but not lead. All of them are honestly "certified". Only some are certified for lead.

What the listing actually says

OB06: WQA Gold Seal certified to NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401. Brita's US pitcher filters are certified by WQA, not NSF — they do not appear in the NSF listing database.

OB03: Brita's OB03 performance data sheet (read 2026-10-02) says WQA certifies it to NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine, zinc) and NSF/ANSI 53, but its 53 claims are cadmium, copper and mercury only. Lead is not one of them, so the OB03 makes no certified lead claim despite holding 53. A WQA directory search for OB03 on the same day showed only an NSF/ANSI 42 entry. Brita's US pitcher filters are certified by WQA, not NSF, so they do not appear in the NSF listing database.

The lead claim, model by model

OB06: WQA lists the Brita OB06 replacement element under NSF/ANSI 53 for asbestos, benzene, cadmium, lead and mercury. Brita's OB06 performance data sheet adds that IAPMO R&T and NSF International also certify its lead claim in named pitcher models. Source: WQA Gold Seal listing, Brita LP, read 2026-10-02.

OB03: Brita's OB03 performance data sheet says WQA certifies it to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53, but its NSF/ANSI 53 claims are cadmium, copper and mercury. Lead is not among them, so the OB03 carries no certified lead claim. Source: Brita Standard (OB03) performance data sheet, read 2026-10-02.

What those standard numbers mean

• NSF/ANSI 42 — aesthetic effects (chlorine, taste and odour). Not a health claim.
• NSF/ANSI 53 — health effects. A certified lead or PFOA/PFOS claim is made under 53, but a 53 listing covers only the contaminants its claim set names: it is not automatically a lead claim.
• NSF/ANSI 401 — emerging compounds: pharmaceuticals, BPA, DEET, microplastics. On the listings we read, no 401 claim set includes PFOA or PFOS.

Verify it yourself: every Brita row above links the certifier's own listing. If a number here disagrees with the listing, the listing wins — tell us and we'll fix it.

What the certified claim costs to run

Certification is per model, and so is the running cost. The cheapest Brita model carrying the claim is the Elite Replacement Filter (formerly Longlast+) (OB06) at about $19.99 per filter for a certified 120 gallons — $0.167 per certified gallon.

That capacity is what the certifier tested to, not a marketing estimate. For one person drinking about half a gallon a day it is roughly 8 months per filter; for a family of four, closer to 2 months. Run past the rated capacity and the claim no longer applies — the media is exhausted even though the filter still passes water.

See how Brita ranks on cost per certified gallon against every filter we track →

Related: Does Brita remove lead? · Does Brita remove PFAS?

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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