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54 of 56 found the following review helpful:
 Good filter, but correcting another review, it is Not made by Paragon Jul 08, 2008
By Saycheese
Just wanted to note a correction to the lengthy review previously posted 2/13/08 by Waterboy, which stated that this Bestfilters Countertop model was the same as the Paragon mdl 2900ct. This is not the case. I do not know if there is any difference in the filtering abilities of either (likely not) but I do know that this Bestfilters unit has a metal spout mounted on the side, instead of the built-in upper plastic spout of the Paragon, and comes w/a KX Industries-made "KX Matrikx PB1" filter cartridge inside -not one made by Paragon, and takes industry standard 10" sized replacement filters.
With carbon block filters such as these of the same size/construction, no brand make is better than another's. The only way to improve your filtration (other than getting a reverse osmosis system) is to increase the amount of filter media the water passes through. So either add an additional filter unit in-line, or get a unit that takes a larger carbon filter. Or to lesser extent, slow down the flow of water passing through the filter, for more filter media contact time.
It's good to have a unit that takes a non-proprietary filter, as it gives you options of where and what to buy re replacement filters. Learned when my old PUR countertop unit's repl filters were discontinued. This Bestfilters model accepts a standard 10" cartridge; I am not sure if the Paragon does or not.
ps. the other model non-replaceable filter "maintenance-free" countertop units made by Paragon do Not have as good a filter as the ones noted above, and Paragon CS told me they were designed to remove only chlorine for taste/odor reduction.
40 of 41 found the following review helpful:
 Hard to beat for the $$ Jan 19, 2009
By carl
I just moved from WA state to San Jose, CA and was disgusted by the taste and smell of the city water here. It may meet regs for safety, but who cares if nobody can stand to drink it? In desperation, I went to buy a small faucet Brita unit and it barely touched the stink and taste, so I knew I needed something with more carbon contact time and capacity. All the hardware stores wanted to sell the big undersink units and I'm not about to install that in a rental, so a countertop was what I needed. None of the stores I went to had them, so Amazon to the rescue.
This BestFilters unit is the cure for BAD water and the flow rate is really good. Supposed to last for 2500 gallons but I dont believe it. Maybe with normal water, but this San Jose stuff should trash it in half that time. Even so, still a good deal compared to the small toy filters for the faucet. This one installs in minutes and bam!, instant bottled water taste/quality. Highly recommended.
228 of 259 found the following review helpful:
the best water filter is also one of the cheapest.. Feb 14, 2008
By Waterboy
Great filter, great price, and a low cost of ownership...
Though I want to be forward with my biases. I am convinced water filters and bottled water for health reasons are unnecessary for cityfolk... what comes to your house if you get city water is very likely to be fine... in fact.. great; compared to what the rest of the world drinks, and especially compared to what people used to drink.
It may smell or taste funny, but not because its bad for you. Tests are conducted at the water treatment facility constantly, and they send you, and the powers that be, a water quality report regularly. Learn to read it. You will see that from the source, the municipal water standards are better than a) bottled water must be, and b) what most filters actually filter out.
That said... bottled water is usually just tap water... and filtered only for flavor, and maybe a little sodium added. Sometimes your really unlucky, and its well water (or gravity fed spring water) or artesian well water (lower water table under pressure.. less organic toxins, and more inorganic ones)... measured via the inferior FDA standards for water, and then only if its brought over state lines. Remember the FDA are the people that think less than 2% bug guts and rat poop in food is just fine.
I trust my unfiltered tap water over bottled water.
Most filters? They are one of two things... aesthetic filters that remove the most common substances that cause bad flavors, odor, and color (water pitchers, disposable filters, whole house filters, faucet mounts), possibly leaving all kinds of stuff you don't want in your mouth, or something like ultraviolet sterilization that leaves all the bad non-living substances but kills germs, or ceramics that are little better than aesthetic filters, or reverse osmosis filters that create a mineral free water which replaces those minerals with whatever it touches, like the container its in, or the carbon dioxide in the air... becoming acidic.. dissolving more potentially nasty stuff...
I trust my unfiltered tap over a bad filter.
Oh... long story short; You get this filter, and you live in the city, and you got this water thing licked. Its going to taste good, and that 1 micron filter will give you all the peace of mind you need. Even if your water was as scary as you fear, this filter would take care of it. Lead, chlorine, copper, cryptosporidium, volatile organic chemicals, plastic softeners, all out. You get a replacement filter every six months for $30 and you'll be just fine. You'll spend less on this superior housing and filter than you will on anything else out there now... even the junk that doesn't work is more expensive.
This filter is great. Its manufactured by Paragon and is often rebranded..
Look closely, and you'll see that this is the same model as the chrome filter that sells from Gaiam for $100, and the same as the chrome model that sells from Amazon from this store (Bestfilters) for $88... they both use the exact same filter cartridge inside.
The extra $30-50 is for chrome colored plastic and maybe a brand. My suggestion is to save your money. Go with the white plastic. If you don't, you are probably a sucker, and would better enjoy a $350 filter that does the same thing as this one. May I suggest Multipure, or any other filter from a multilevel marketing company?
Buy this and you are getting a good deal.
What about quality? Don't take my word for it... check the reviews on this model (the 2900) and the Chrome model (the 3200). On every site I could find the average review is 4.5 to 5 stars. I definitely give it that as well. It does what its supposed to.
Secondly, many companies put their reputations on the line when they rebrand and put their name on these filters. The quality is there. This filter isn't going to break in six months and flood your counter like... the Aquasana countertop filter reportedly does... constantly.
If you don't have municipal water... then you should be getting your well, or canteen, or cistern, or whatever the heck you have tested regularly. Consult a professional (not Amazon reviews) for your special needs... you probably don't have a countertop to set this filter on anyway... :)
One more bias... I am a bartender. I have nothing to do with the water filter industry, despite my glowing review of this one product. I've spent all this time learning about water because I was very nearly fooled by a waterfiltercomparisons web site that pretends to be unbiased, but is actually run by the president of a water filter company... complete with fake 'consumers digest" award... (I challenge you to subscribe to consumer's digest. go ahead. try.) It made me angry.
I spent a day on the national science foundation website reading about water filters and looking through their database of certifications (and picking the best of the best), and even went so far as to track down and interrogate a Paragon engineer about their filters. I actually read my municipal water report, and spent the time researching it long enough to understand what it said. I watched a half hour tv program about water, its bottling history (a scam 100 years ago), where it comes from, and how its treated. I read New York Times editorials about why we should be drinking tap water... and on and on...
I did all that so I wouldn't be scammed. I've written all of this so you won't be scammed either.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Great Value Nov 03, 2008
By PDN
"Valley Gay Press"
This is an amazing product that is easy to install and works so well you'll wonder why you ever bothered to schlep bottled water into you house in the past. The water from this filter tastes clean and fresh. The price is excellent for all it does. It's easy to wonder if the original marketer - Sears - is trying to downplay its availability because it works better than most of their much more expensive models.
The one serious flaw is that earlier models have a plastic tube that connects the faust to the unit, and the plastic breaks, splits or shears off easily. I got two broken ones in the mail and had to return them for exchange. But newer models seem to have a connector made of metal that is much more durable. Be sure to get that style.
20 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 Water tastes great, but using the filter takes practice Mar 26, 2009
By J. True
I've been using this filter for a couple of months. The water tastes great, has no chlorine smell, and is really clear. (My water was looking kind of brown, which is why I bought the filter.) The price was also very reasonable.
It took a while to get used to operating the filter, and I still get annoyed sometimes, but I think it's the design and other filters of this style would probably have the same issues. It's still better than a pitcher filter, because the flow is much faster.
My issues are:
The filter spout drips, so I have to leave a glass under the spout to catch the drips (which get poured into my cat's dish). I could leave the spout over the sink, but that seems so wasteful.
To get water to the filter, you have to pull the diverter at the same time that you turn on the water. This requires two hands, so you can't hold the glass that you're filling. You can set the glass on the counter under the spout, but you have to get it positioned just right or the water goes on the counter instead of in the glass. It takes practice to get it right.
I'm still really glad I bought the filter. Having clean water is worth a little work.
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