One of the biggest challenges of tiny living is storage space management. One of the biggest consumers of this precious space is bottled water.

Be sure to read the updates at the bottom.

Well, I’ve got some good news that will save you money, end your water hauling duties, and give you better drinking water than you’re probably getting now. If you’re living in a small home or in a situation where you don’t want to invest in a central water purification system, a great alternative is a water filter pitcher.

I prefer the water filter pitcher over the faucet mount units because you can chill the filtered water in your refrigerator. And it’s, of course, more mobile. But if you want great tasting, clean water, you’ve got to take care in which water filter pitcher you choose. I’ll tell you about the outstanding one that I finally settled in a moment. First, let me talk a little bit about bottled water.

If the idea of giving up bottled water in favor of a water filtration system is too much of a stretch for you right now, I encourage you to read “Kick the Bottled Water Habit.” In this article, I share a lot of information that may inspire you to quit the bottled water habit. I also talk about how the documentary that inspired me to stop buying bottled water. Now back to the pitcher.

After an insane amount of online research and several trials of competing products, I found the Clear20 Water Filtration Pitcher. It was rated a “Best Buy” by Consumer Reports.

The Clear20 is an ingenious device that is completely different from its competitors. It has a hose attached to it that you connect to your kitchen water faucet.

Here’s why I think the Clear20 is better. Its competitors rely on gravity to push the water through their filters. The Clear20 takes advantage of a home’s water pressure to push the water through their filter. This allows the Clear20 to have a more complex filter and still fill the pitcher in a short amount of time. Competitors are forced to compromise on their filters otherwise it would take too long to fill the pitcher. And consumers wouldn’t like waiting that long.

I was surprised to find that the Clear20 Water Filtration Pitcher is only sold at a few stores. The best deal I could find for the Clear20 Water Filtration Pitcher were at Amazon and All Filters. I suggest you check both for the best price.

Update 1 – I recently bought a new Clear20 Water Filtration Pitcher and a 3-pack of replacement filters from All Filters.com. I purchased my first one about four years ago. Since I was moving into a brand new home, I decided to buy a new one. I was pleased to find that the connector to the faucet is easier to use and the automatic opening lid seems to operate better.

Update 2 – Tip: Be sure “not” to turn up your water faucet to maximum flow/pressure when filling your Clear2O as is could blow out one of the rubber washers or O-rings causing it to leak at the base.  I just turn on the faucet to 1/2 to 3/4 flow/pressure.

Update 3 – Since Clear2O filters are not available at local stores like Walmart and they are more expensive (but do an outstanding job), buying another leading brand is a money and time-saving alternative.  Walmart sells two of the best water filter pitchers, PUR and Brita, and filter replacements at a low cost in comparison. In addition, you don’t have to hook them up to a faucet so you can take them along when you go camping or stay in motels during a road trip.

As soon as I use up my Clear2O filters, I am going to make this change. I have not decided which brand I’m going to buy, but I’m leaning toward the PUR.

Update 4 – Clear2O now has a gravity water filter pitcher.  I am now strongly considering buying it instead.

Update 5 – I bought the Brita because it was on sale.

Update 6 – I got a Zero Water Filtration Pitcher after learning how well it purified tap water. It also comes with a TDS (total dissolved solids) meter so you can test the water’s purity. The Zero Water tested at 0 — perfect! The Brita tested at 350 — poor. There is one drawback to the Zero Water system. The filters are more expensive but they do a far better job. Zero Water and Clear20 filters are 5 stage whereas the Brita and Pur are only 3 stage.