Let's start with purified water:

Purified water (or pure water) is water that has undergone a process to remove impurities—including bacteria, viruses, and contaminants.

However, the specific method used (such as activated carbon filtration, distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis, or ion exchange) determines what is actually removed—and what may still be left behind.

Many people assume purified water is the best choice for clean drinking water, but purified water has many of the same downsides as distilled water (more on that in just a minute).

Here are just a few drawbacks to consider:

• Purification processes strip water of beneficial minerals (like magnesium, calcium, and other healthy electrolytes), leaving you with demineralized water.

• Purified water can have an empty, flat, or unfamiliar taste. Removing healthy minerals can alter water taste.

• The purification process wastes a significant amount of water. Methods like Reverse Osmosis can waste up to 4 gallons of water for every 1 gallon purified.

• Storing purified water properly is crucial because, like distilled water, it can absorb contaminants from its environment.

So while purified water removes many harmful contaminants, it also removes the good stuff—leaving you with "clean" water that isn't necessarily healthy water.

Although purified water isn’t the best choice for daily drinking, it can still be useful in specific situations.

Purified water is often used in:

• Medical settings where ultra-clean water is required.

• Laboratory experiments where minerals and other impurities can interfere with results.

• Industrial applications such as pharmaceutical manufacturing and cosmetics production.

• Some bottled water brands, although not all purified bottled water is free from contaminants introduced during storage.

However, for daily hydration and home use, purified water often lacks essential minerals, wastes significant amounts of water during production, and may reabsorb contaminants if not stored properly.

Distilled water is water that has gone through a process called distillation. 

During distillation, water is boiled, and the steam is collected and cooled back into a liquid.

This process removes most viruses, bacteria, and many contaminants, but it does not remove all of them for several reasons (including differences in boiling points and volatility).

• It lacks beneficial minerals (like magnesium, calcium, and other electrolytes). That’s why the vast majority of health experts say you should NOT use distilled water as everyday drinking water (or home water).

• It can have an empty, flat, or unfamiliar taste. Removing healthy minerals can alter taste.

• It takes hours to get clean water. Even a small, countertop distiller can take up to 6 hours to produce just one gallon of distilled water.

• Water distillation can be expensive and energy-intensive. The energy needed to boil water and power distillation equipment can harm the environment and raise your energy bills.

• Proper storage is a hassle. Distilled water can easily absorb impurities and contaminants in the environment if it’s not stored properly. (Just like a clean white shirt is more likely to show stains than a colored shirt, distilled water is more likely to absorb impurities than water that has minerals in it.) That’s why distilled water should be stored in a clean, airtight container and in a cool, dark place.

As mentioned, distilled water should not be used as daily drinking water because it lacks minerals that can have important health benefits. But due to its cleanliness, distilled water is often used in:

• Laboratories and medical procedures.

• Certain appliances (like irons, steam cleaners, and sleep apnea devices) to prevent buildup and clogging.

• Neti Pots and nasal rinses, since it lacks minerals that can cause irritation.

Filtered water is any water that has been through a physical filter to remove certain contaminants.

In other words, it’s any water supply that has gone through any filtration process or filtration method.

Here's the key:

Water quality depends on the quality of your filter!

For example:

• Reverse Osmosis (R.O.) filters remove beneficial minerals from water and produce significant waste! 

• Typical carbon filters ONLY regulate as few as 5 of the 365+ dangerous contaminants found in tap water (which means they can leave you vulnerable to hundreds of hidden dangers including cancer-causing arsenic and PFAS)!

• Our proprietary Affinity® Filtration Technology protects you from hundreds of dangerous contaminants typical carbon filters can’t—without targeting the beneficial minerals purification, distillation, and R.O. remove from your water. 

In fact, our best-selling filtered water pitcher is the ONLY pitcher on the planet proven to protect you from 365+ dangerous contaminants without targeting beneficial minerals!

In other words:

Don’t confuse the most popular water filters with the most effective... because when it comes to water filtration, filter quality is key!

It depends on your filter / filtration system! However, our filtered water is ideal for everyday use like cooking, cleaning, and drinking. 

Since our filters target hundreds of dangerous contaminants others can't, our filtered water is far cleaner and safer than tap water and typical bottled water.

Plus, since our filters do not target beneficial minerals, you don’t have to worry about many of the drawbacks associated with purified water, distilled water, and R.O. water.

• Purified water is free from bacteria and viruses, but often lacks beneficial minerals and wastes large amounts of water.

• Distilled water is created through distillation, which removes contaminants but also strips water of essential minerals—making it potentially unsuitable for daily drinking.

• Filtered water is water that has been passed through a physical filtration system to reduce contaminants, with the effectiveness depending on the filter’s quality.

If you care about your water quality and cleanliness, then Clearly Filtered is for you! Before you go, shop all of our advanced water filtration systems so you can enjoy easy access to the cleanest, safest filtered water. Cheers!