BOROUX Water Filter Review – Our Complete No BS Review

Disclosure: I sometimes earn products or commissions from affiliate links or partnerships on my blog. I only recommend products and services I trust to serve you. Learn more.

We’ve lived off-grid since the end of 2017, and since shortly after we moved in, we’ve been filtering our cistern water with a Big Berkey filter. We’ve loved our Berkey! It has provided us with safe, clean drinking water without all the plastic waste of buying bottles. 

But when Berkey replacement filters started becoming hard to find in the wake of the EPA’s stop sale order, I knew I needed to find other options. I did a ton of research on what happened legally with Berkey, as well as the most viable countertop gravity filter alternatives. You can read that one here:

READ: What happened to Berkey? Water filter alternatives and options

Enter Boroux.

I purchased our Berkey from BerkeyFilters.com, which was run at the time by James Enterprises Inc. (JEI). As I entered into the world of Berkey ownership, I forged a relationship with the people at JEI, first as a customer and later as an affiliate. I’d become a super fan. They were so nice to me when I accidentally ruined my first set of filters. They helped troubleshoot my issues and honored the warranty to send me replacements (even though they would have been right to decline me).

Unfortunately, as one of the largest distributors of Berkey Filters in the US, they were the first to close their Berkey operations. However, they were able to pivot instead of simply closing for good.

TODD EMERSON, WHO STARTED JAMES ENTERPRISE INC. (JEI) AND WHO OPERATED BERKEYFILTERS.COM, DECIDED TO WORK WITH BOROUX TO CREATE THEIR OWN FILTER SYSTEM.

Boroux had previously been known for their high-quality shatter-proof glass and stainless steel tumblers. We actually have four of their stainless cups that came as part of the bundle deal they had going when I first purchased our Berkey and they are still our FAVORITE cups. I mean, I can’t break them on our concrete floor. And I am notoriously clumsy.

Taking some lessons from their frustrations with New Millenium Concepts, Ltd., the maker of Berkey, BOROUX has poured a lot of effort into obtaining the proper testing and certifications. They strive to stay as transparent as possible about their methods and processes, which is something I personally really appreciate. I had tried to ignore some of Berkey’s excuses about not obtaining things like ANSI/NSF certifications, but especially once I read their countersuit to the EPA, I found much of their reasoning to be lacking.

I’m pleased BOROUX was able to make this pivot, and even more pleased that they are so strongly committed to doing things the right way.

So I reached out about trying some of their filters.

BOROUX was looking for folks like me to try out their products, so I threw my name in the hat, and to my delight, they said yes! We had a lovely conversation about our mutual frustrations and seemed to be on the same page.

It was also made abundantly clear to me that they are looking for the most honest and thorough reviews possible. We’re not here to blow sunshine at anyone. We’re both after transparency and honesty. That’s always been my M.O. I want people to be prepared for the what-ifs in all situations.

I thought they were just going to send me a set of two black filters or something to try since I already had a Berkey. I really wasn’t looking for much.

So imagine my surprise when they sent me an absolute TON of stuff to try out! I was absolutely over the moon.

I immediately got to work. My goal has been to put the filters through their paces and find the good AND the bad.

This review is going to walk you through ALL of the nitty gritty of using a BOROUX water filter.

Specifically, we’re going to be breaking down all of the following (and more!):

• What the filters are
• User experience
• Pros and cons
• Cost-effectiveness
• Recommendations and considerations
• Final thoughts

Since BOROUX does not claim to be able to remove microbes and other biological pathogens, I will be testing these on two different municipal water sources: one at my mother’s house and the other at my husband’s office. I may attempt to test them on our cistern water in the future, but not yet.

So if BOROUX has been on your water filter list, let’s dive in and see if it’s something you should get for YOUR home.

BOROUX Filter Review: Is it worth it??

What is a BOROUX legacy. filter?

The BOROUX legacy. water filter system is a 3-gallon countertop gravity system. This is a unit that sits on your countertop instead of something that is plumbed into your sink or a pitcher that fits in your fridge.

They state they are HSA/FSA eligible at checkout, which may be an interesting part of your calculus if you have healthcare funds sitting around that you can use.

There is an upper chamber that houses the black “foundation.” filter elements, and a lower chamber that stores the filtered water.

You simply pour tap water into the upper chamber and it slowly filters through the black elements into the lower chamber. In other words, it lets gravity do the work, hence a “gravity filter” system. A steel spigot on the lower chamber allows you to easily dispense water.

Other gravity systems like Berkey, Alexapure, and ProOne only come in plain stainless steel. BOROUX has started offering coated black and white options in addition to the standard shiny stainless steel look. Since I already had experience with stainless steel, I figured I’d try out the coated model. I picked white to match my mom’s kitchen appliances and trim.

What are BOROUX foundation. filters?

The black BOROUX foundation. filter elements are akin to the Black Berkey filter elements. Made of activated carbon and other materials, these are what actually do the job of filtering the water. According to their website, “they ensure years of reliable service with a lifespan of up to 6,000 gallons per filter (12,000 gallons per pair). The filters, equipped with Stem Saver technology, are reinforced for added durability during handling and cleaning.”

Specifications:

• Up to 12,000 gallons per pair depending on the quality of the influent water.
• Dimensions 2.75” x 9.75”
• Comprised of a specialized blend of activated carbon. The BOROUX foundation filters contain silver, an antimicrobial agent, to prevent microorganisms from degrading the product itself. This filter is not intended to filter microorganisms.

Their black filter elements claim TWICE the rated number of gallons per filter and have specs VERY similar to Berkey. They filter out a vast array of contaminants and provide spec sheets for all of their independent third-party testing.

They can also fit into all sizes of Berkey as well as a number of other major gravity filters, including Alexapure Pro and the ProOne Big+ and Big II. We even put one into the tiny Go Berkey system that holds about one quart at a time!

Like the entire legacy. unit, the replacement filters by themselves are also HSA/FSA eligible at checkout.

Stem Saver

BOROUX partnered with Clearbrook, the formulator of Berkey filters, to use the same formulation to create the foundation. filters. They retain much of the same shape and size, but do have an important new feature to protect the stems.

Berkey’s black elements have thin plastic stems that allow water to drip through, sealed with plastic wingnuts and washers. These stems always seemed fragile, prone to snapping or bending when tilting the unit for cleaning or draining.

BOROUX addresses this with the Stem Saver, a BPA-free plastic cradle that supports the filter element and stem. It evenly distributes the weight, reducing pressure on the stem and making it less likely to break.

I found this feature surprisingly helpful. If you’re trying to assemble your system by yourself, it is often hard to avoid having the top chamber tilted or on its side, and if you’ve primed your black elements then they’re a lot heavier due to the weight of the water inside. With Berkey, I always had to be extra careful, but the BOROUX filters felt much more stable and durable during setup. I have a feeling they’ll hold up better over time.

The legacy. filter housing

The BOROUX legacy. filter has a 3-gallon capacity. At the time of this writing, they only offer one size, which falls smack dab in the middle of the Berkey range. The smallest regular Berkey (not including the Go Berkey kit) is the Travel Berkey at 1.5 gallons, while the largest is the Crown at a whopping 6 gallons.

Our Big Berkey is 2.25 gallons, and when I put them side-by-side I was NOT expecting to see such a huge size difference!

The footprint of the unit isn’t too different, but the height was surprising. Without the stand, the BOROUX legacy. is 23 inches tall. With the stand, it is 29″. The Big Berkey, by comparison, is 2 inches shorter.

Common Issues with Size and Space Requirements

One issue many folks have with countertop filter units like Berkey, BOROUX, Alexapure, ProOne, and others is a lack of space for it in some kitchen designs. My mom had basically one countertop area where it could fit without bumping into base cabinets, which thankfully is by the sink.

That being said, its height plus the countertop height did make it tricky to see into it while I was filling it. I actually dragged a chair over so I could see a little better, and I’m not super short or anything. I’m 5′ 5″. Seeing into the top isn’t something I struggle with at home, as our Big Berkey is only 21 inches high and doesn’t sit on a stand. We fill it with a pitcher since our sink faucet sprayer can’t reach it and let the spigot hang over the edge of the counter.

If we were using the BOROUX in our home, I might be inclined to set it on a lower surface like a plant stand or side table so I could see into the top and avoid overfilling the upper chamber.

Stainless vs. Coated Options

BOROUX started off with just the standard stainless steel housing that is familiar to most countertop gravity filters. Recently, they started offering black or white coated models. I opted to try one of the coated models since I already knew what the shiny stainless steel experience would be.

The coating is purely on the exterior of the unit. The interior is still a shiny stainless steel.

I like that the coating lets you match it to your appliances and hides fingerprints. Our stainless steel Berkey is always covered in handprints, especially with kids around.

However, I do worry about the coating’s durability. I tried to be careful, but still managed to scuff it within a day.

If you don’t mind wiping off fingerprints, stainless steel might be a better option, and it’s cheaper. But if you want a different look for your kitchen, the coated versions are still a nice choice, and I’m glad I tried it.

Accessories

The BOROUX comes standard with a stainless steel spigot, while Berkey includes a plastic one and charges extra for the steel upgrade. I was impressed by how solid the steel spigot felt compared to our plastic Berkey spigot, which has gotten loose after six years.

They offer a Water Level Spigot , which would be useful for a housing as large as the Boroux. I usually estimate the water level by the flow rate or by lifting the upper chamber to peek inside, but with the BOROUX, it’s much harder. This spigot could be a great solution.

They also sent along a set of their borosilicate glass tumblers. I honestly wasn’t sure I’d ever use these, but they’ve quickly become our favorite glasses. They’re skinny enough that they fit in cup holders, fridge doors, and in drink pockets that our other travel cups don’t. I can even fit one in the drink pocket on my Travelon purse, which usually can’t fit anything beyond a standard plastic bottle. You can get silicone sleeves if you’re worried about breaking them, but I am often clumsy and live in a house with concrete floors and even I haven’t managed to break one yet.

The Assembly Process

If you’ve ever assembled a Berkey, the process is almost exactly the same, so it will feel very familiar. If you HAVEN’T assembled anything like this before, BOROUX makes it very easy to figure out. I recommend working with another person, especially if it’s your first time putting one together. As the saying goes, many hands make light work.

They include a set of easy-to-follow instruction booklets, as well as instructions printed on the inside of the filter box along with a QR code.

Since this wasn’t my first filter rodeo, I did just fine with the printed instructions. But I do appreciate how clear all of their instructional videos are. They show the components up close and give detailed instructions on how to assemble everything safely and correctly.

LINK: BOROUX Instructional Guides and Videos

Priming the black filters

The black filters come in their own box with a blue priming tool, a priming button, and a small bottle of red dye to run a performance test.

When I first got into Berkey filters, they only had the small brown priming button, which was tricky to use. I usually preferred their standalone priming tool for both priming and purging during cleaning or storage.

As it was, I didn’t have it with me when I was assembling everything at my mom’s, so I did my best with what I had.

First, I tried using the tan priming button, a small rubbery donut that you hold between the stem and faucet. It usually works fine for me, but my mom’s faucet kept switching to “spray” mode no matter how I held it. Not helpful.

So next I tried the blue priming tool. This is a bit more straightforward, and if you have a basic or skinny sort of faucet it works REALLY well.

Unfortunately for me, the little tool wouldn’t fit over her bubble-style faucet. So what to do? I went and tried it in her bathroom sink! And though the priming tool did have to bend a bit in order to fit everything inside the sink, worked very well to get the filters primed.

If I hadn’t made it work, soaking the filters for 8 hours or overnight would have been an alternative. Priming is essential and shouldn’t be skipped! According to BOROUX, this is why:

The media that the BOROUX filter is made of has a micropore structure. These micropores are miniscule which can create tiny pockets of air. Along with the high surface tension of the filter material, without being primed first, water cannot pass through those air bubbles. Priming uses water pressure to force water through those micropores so that when water is passing through only using gravity, it can. If the filters are not primed, the flow can be extremely slow, if not completely nonexistent.

Boroux.com, How to Set Up legacy. FAQ’s

The User Experience

It can take some adjusting if you aren’t used to filling a countertop gravity filter. We’ve been doing it long enough now that we have a routine that works for us. We use a pitcher to get water from the sink and pour it into our Berkey 1-3 times per day, depending on how much we drink or cook or if we have company over.

The BOROUX filter is nearly a gallon bigger and my mom is using it as a single person. She is also making a concerted effort to drink more water to prevent her troublingly frequent kidney stones, so her usage may be more than the average single person but less than our family of three.

She has the filter positioned next to the sink in such a way that the faucet hose can reach the upper chamber so she can fill it directly. She fills it every 1-2 days and keeps extra filtered water on hand in pitchers either on the counter or in the fridge.

My husband has been using a BOROUX filter inside of a small Go Berkey, which holds roughly one quart of water at a time. He’ll fill the upper chamber and it’ll all filter through in roughly 20-30 minutes. Then he pours it into one of the two BOROUX glass bottles he keeps in his mini-fridge so he always has a rotation of clean, cold water ready to go. I will say that, just like the Berkey black filter, the Boroux filter sits up just a hair in this unit and makes it so the lid never really sits right. This is a GoBerkey design issue though and not Boroux’s…just something to consider if you have one.

Once you get used to how a countertop filter works, it’s actually pretty easy to create a routine that works for you.

How does the water taste?

Taste is subjective, but I’ll do my best to describe our experience after filtering water at my mom’s house and my husband’s office. Both get their water from different municipal sources in different states.

At my mom’s house, the unfiltered water has a metallic taste, and we often add flavoring to make it more palatable. The water at my husband’s office, on the other hand, is almost undrinkable, with distinctive notes of old garden hose and rusty nails. I couldn’t even finish a cup from their water fountain and poured it into our filter as soon as I got home.

In both instances, the water filtered through the BOROUX filters tasted IDENTICAL. Identical to the point that it almost felt suspicious. The starting flavors of both waters were very different from one another and yet they both came out the same.

The flavor is also nearly identical to our Berkey. I notice slight differences given that we’re mostly filtering rainwater with occasional city water thrown in if we have to haul. But given that they have the same basic formulation, a nearly identical flavor isn’t all that surprising.

Similar to Berkey, the flavor of water from BOROUX was “clean” but not “empty”. It was a round flavor, if not slightly “sweet”, though I don’t know if that is the right word for it. Perhaps it was simply the absence of the more abrasive flavors allowing a more regulated mineral content to shine through. Either way, it was refreshing.

Buy a BOROUX legacy. directly from BOROUX

Buy BOROUX legacy. system on Amazon

Pros and Cons of BOROUX

Given my experience with Berkey and other countertop gravity filters, I feel like the pros and cons of BOROUX are very much in line with similar options on the market.

Pros of BOROUX:

• Easily the most cost-effective countertop filter on the market (see more below)
• Much lower cost over time compared to popular water filter brands you can purchase at the grocery or big box stores
• Has the potential to limit a lot of plastic waste from water bottles
• Filters last for years before needing replacement
• Made of high-quality materials
• 1-year warranty on black filter elements
• Lifetime warranty on stainless steel housing
• Family-owned and based in the USA
• Reduces a wide variety of contaminants, including many heavy metals and forever chemicals
• Very committed to transparency and rigorous third-party testing to NSF/ANSI standards

Cons of BOROUX:

• Requires daily filling (don’t want to forget and then realize you don’t have enough water!)
• Doesn’t fit well in some kitchen layouts, especially where upper cabinets are a concern
• Only comes in one size, which may not be best for single folks or very large families who need something smaller or larger, respectively
• Requires some routine cleaning and maintenance to operate optimally
• Assembly can be difficult for first-timers or those with mobility/dexterity issues (it goes better if you work with a friend!)
• Not a huge fan of the little tab on the side of the lid to help lift it up instead of a knob like the Berkey has. I get that this could actually be a PRO if space under a cabinet is a concern, but lifting the lid from the side as opposed to the center feels a bit awkward. Not a deal breaker, just a pet peeve.
• They couldn’t ship to our PO Box! This probably isn’t an issue for most folks, but it matters for us and our 1/2 mile driveway, so I ended up shipping it straight to my mom’s.

On the whole, I feel like the pros far outweigh the cons, but I encourage you to examine your situation and decide what matters most to you.

Cost Effectiveness

I went down the rabbit hole of comparing prices per gallon of Boroux versus potential competitors. I was expecting the foundation. filters to be a better value than, let’s say, a Brita. But when I actually ran the numbers I was surprised how stark the difference was.

All numbers are for prices as I pulled them from either dealer websites or Amazon in September 2024. All comparisons are for the number of CLAIMED gallons each brand makes. The actual number of gallons can change based on the quality of your influent water, but should be similar enough. I’ve also included common bottled water solutions that many people use instead of drinking tap water. Results are listed in order from least to greatest price per gallon.

Type of Filter	Price (Sept. 2024)	Number of Gallons	Price per gallon
BOROUX	$140 for set of 2	12,000	$0.012
ProOne 9″	$157 for set of 2	2,400	$0.065
Douton 7″ Ultra Sterasyl	$72 for set of 2	800	$0.09
Brita Elite	$18 for 1 filter	120	$0.15
Alexapure	$120 for 1 filter	200	$0.60
Primo Bottled Water	$6 per refill	5	$1.20
A plastic gallon of drinking water	$1.50 on average	1	$1.50

No matter how you slice it, BOROUX is the most cost-effective option by a landslide.

Who is this filter best for?

This filter is best for individuals or families who:

• Have a questionable city water source
• Are worried about “forever chemicals” in your water source
• Are in a home or area with known lead issues
• Are in a home that may still be serviced by lead pipes
• Already use a store-bought filter pitcher or faucet mount and want to reduce costs
• Frequently spend money on plastic bottled water in any quantity

At this point, I do not feel safe recommending it to other folks like us who have cistern water or questionable well water. If BOROUX ever goes through testing for microbes and pursues FIFRA compliance as such, then I would feel confident making that recommendation. You’re welcome to read through their testing data and make that decision for yourself.

At three gallons, I feel like BOROUX is a solid option for folks who would have chosen a larger Berkey or a ProOne+. This size works well for families of 3-4+. I could also see this working well in a breakroom for a small firm, teachers lounge, office, etc.

Who is this filter NOT best for?

This filter is NOT best for folks who are looking for a filter system that is plumbed directly to a fixture or for a whole-house water filter solution.

Countertop filters are also not the best option if they will frequently be unused for weeks at a time, such as with frequent travel or in a second/vacation home. It is important to keep the filters wet after you’ve primed them and follow the correct storage protocols. While it isn’t a disaster if they dry out and go unused for several days or even weeks, it does affect their performance.

In other words, BOROUX filters aren’t “sometimes” filters — they are meant to be used and enjoyed on the regular.

You can read more about how to properly store your black filter elements here.

Final thoughts and recommendations

Overall, I’m a huge fan of countertop water filters. They tend to perform way better than their plastic pitcher counterparts and cost a LOT less in the long run. They also lend a unique aesthetic to your kitchen. If a countertop gravity water filter has EVER crossed your mind as something that would be great for your household, I wholeheartedly hope you give this a try.

How to Buy BOROUX Filters

I always recommend making these kinds of purchases directly from the manufacturer so you know exactly what you’re getting. You also can be sure that they have a proper record of your purchase in the event you have a warrantied issue. I know I was grateful for that when I purchased our original Berkey from JEI back in 2018 and the same holds true here.

Buy a BOROUX legacy. directly from BOROUX

If you only need replacement filters and don’t need the entire housing, you can buy those below as well:

Buy BOROUX foundation. replacement filters directly from BOROUX

A word about buying from Amazon

BOROUX does have its own Amazon storefront, so if you have gift cards or prefer to use Amazon for other reasons, I always recommend buying directly from a manufacturer’s storefront and not from a third-party reseller. Berkey often had trouble with knock-off filters being sold on Amazon that would break easily or not pass a red-dye test. This is often true of other big-ticket items across Amazon writ large, so no matter what you’re buying, make sure you buy as directly as possible!

If you want to learn more about water filtration, rainwater harvesting, or living off the grid, I invite you to read further:

• How We Set Up an Off-Grid Rainwater Harvest System
• Is Harvesting Rainwater ILLEGAL?
• 15 Easy Tips for How to Save LOADS of Water at Home
• What Happened to Berkey? Options for 2024 and Beyond

Learn more about our original cordwood homestead project here. And be sure to join us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for more homesteading goodies that don’t necessarily make it to the blog. Thanks for reading!