- Includes docking station and lid, one Filtrete Fast Flow Filter, four - 16.9-Ounce (500mL) water bottles
- Filters from tap directly into four, reusable bottles in seconds
- Bottles are BPA-free and dishwasher safe
- Save up to 3,000 bottles of water per year
- Also includes leak-proof caps for bottles
The 3M Filtrete Water Station is a good product idea with some positive aspects. But the product''s poor design will inevitably show its flaws after long term use. I advise anybody considering this product to buy an alternative.
This is clearly marketed towards families who drink a lot of bottled water. The product website repeatedly lists how using the water station is better than drinking bottled water. But they should have taken some time to compare this product to other water filtration systems on the market instead.
The bottom line: use a home filter or purchase an alternative filter system from ZeroWater, Mavea, PUR or Brita, and buy your own bottles to fill. I like the Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle but see-through plastic bottles are also available.
PROS:
++ New filter design works quickly
++ Indicator system tells you when it''s time to change your filter after 3 months
++ Filters are designed so that they can be disassembled and partially recycled
++ Can fill 1 4 bottles at once, or a pitcher using the spout
++ Bottles are BPA free, & also are nice and clear so you can see your water
++ Bottles are dishwasher safe
CONS:
-No information is provided on filtration percentages or elements that are filtered; both Pur and Brita have this data on their websites and product packaging
-Station does not drain well; standing water will provide a breeding ground for bacteria
-Filter is not secured in place, so water will run around it if you over-fill it
-To avoid that problem, you must fill the well slowly because it holds little water at a time
-Bottles overfill, especially when filling fewer than 4
-Mounting bottles is clunky
-Spouts leak when you remove bottles
-Bottles close via clumsy lever arms that are hard to close and open
-That makes it easier to screw off the tops rather than drink from the tops
-Drinking from the bottle tops also spreads germs when you attach them to the spouts for refills
-Getting the water out of a specific spout requires you to lean the station all over, leading to leaks and more mess
-If you refrigerate the bottles, the station itself becomes a space waster
-If you leave the bottles attached, the water becomes stale
-The only way to prevent stale water is to disassemble and dry the components nightly
-Even after doing this, it''s almost impossible to shake all the water out of the filter itself
-Even after washing the filter many times and filtering 10+ gallons of water, there is still tons of filter sediment in the water station when I disassemble and clean it
-Replacement filters are more expensive than alternatives
-MSRP is also much higher than most alternatives
CONCLUSION
This product may work for a small number of people. Perhaps few people are as picky as I am, but I recommend you choose one of the alternatives outlined above. As for me, I have developed my own work-around to use this unit.
1. I filter my water with my Pur pitcher first.
2. I run the filtered water through the Water Station.
3. I use the filled bottles for drinking at home.
4. I disassemble the entire unit every few days to let it air out.
Happy shopping.
Buy 3M Filtrete Water Station Now
Last week this item wasn''t available through Amazon, so I drove to a Wal*Mart 40 miles away. It was worth the drive. I am thrilled with this product. It does everything and more than the ads say. It will fill one bottle at a time if you want and it has a spout on the side so you could fill a container to make coffee.
But just a little info., shame on this vendor for their price. I paid $37.95 for this at Wal*Mart. I know it''s hard, but if you can''t find it somewhere for that price...wait. Soon it will be all over the web.
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I have been using this system for about 4 months now and about 2/3 weeks ago I started having a musty/mold type taste in my water. I replaced the filter since it was time to replace it anyway. I flushed about 3 full sets of bottles through the filter and system to make sure there was no residue left from the old filter. The first set after that seemed to be ok. After about 2 weeks though it now has a mold/mildew taste again. I tasted the water right out of the tap and that flavor is not there. After having it happen twice I will not be using this filter system again.
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This filter is incredibly fast, especially compared with pitchers, faucet-mounts, and distillers. But the bottles leak more than 50% of the time in the week I used it. And more troubling: the system doesn''t seem to purify the water much. The claim that it "helps reduce sediment, chlorine taste and odor from tap water" is not exactly specific chemical information. "Helps reduce" doesn''t say much, nor are sediment and chlorine odor and taste the biggest things I want filtered out of tap water. As far as I can tell, this system reduces dirt and chlorine from water faster than letting the water sit in a glass for a couple of hours (which gets rid of chlorine and allows sediment to settle to the bottom), but not much more than that. None of the information on the box, the marketing copy, or the 3M web site specify what the filtrete water station removes from water. What percentages and what chemicals does it remove? If they don''t specify, chances are it''s still in the water.
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As soon as I saw this advertised on TV, I started searching for it online and in the store. I ended up finding it at Walmart for $37 as another reviewer did. The system filters very quickly much more convenient than my Brita pitcher than I''ve been using for years. No more waiting 5 minutes to fill the pitcher! It only takes about 30 seconds to fill all four bottles and the overflow valve is handy as well. Also, no soaking filters for 15 minutes in addition to wasting a gallon of water. Just run water over the filter for a minute or two and you''re ready to go! The bottles are a little difficult to open and close but the fact that they are leak proof is worth it. Also, my 2 year old daughter can''t open them so that is a plus! However, the opening is small enough that she can drink from them without spilling. The bottles are attractive, a nice size, and good quality as well as BPA free!!
I suppose you can fill the bottles, take them off the station and put them in the fridge, or you can just put the whole thing in the fridge if you are like me and have more fridge space than counter space. My husband even likes it and that it a shocker!
Installed this as a pre-filter for my Alkalux/Tyent water ionizer to reduce scale. Works great! It was easy to install with the included 1/4" fittings, and most importantly...no leaks! I have well water which is very hard and I get a lot of lime scale. This small investment should help my larger investment (the water ionizer) last longer.
