LARQ PureVis Pitcher Review (Data-Driven Analysis)

The LARQ PureVis Pitcher is a high-end water filter pitcher that filters water and prevents bacteria growth in the filtered water chamber with a unique 2-stage process. 

We tested the pitcher (with the Advanced filter), obtaining our own firsthand data to evaluate its performance across a number of key categories. Here, we’ve shared our take on the pitcher’s design, contaminant reduction, filtration speed, and more. 

Overall Score: 8.21

How We Test & Score

8.14 Contaminant Reduction

8.10 Design

9.00 Maintenance

7.00 Filtration Rate

9.00 Setup

8.35 Company

What We Like

Uses UV purification to reduce cleaning frequency

Effectively reduced most contaminants in our water

Easy assembly & maintenance

Portable and doesn’t need electricity

What We Don’t Like

Not performance certified

Didn’t reduce fluoride in our water

Expensive

Plastic design

UV may cause issues with the plastic

Price	$139.00
Contaminants Reduced	60+
Certifications	Not Certified
Process	Activated Carbon + UV Purification
Filter Capacity	60 gallons
Annual Cost	~$150
Warranty	1 year

See price at livelarq.com

See price on Amazon

📊 Scoring Data

We scored the LARQ PureVis pitcher using our own objective testing data, analyzing its performance across 6 different testing categories. Here’s how the pitcher performed in each category. 

Criteria	Results
Overall Score	8.21
Health Related Contaminants	8.30
Aesthetic Related Contaminants	9.90
Performance Certification	Not Certified
Filtration Rate	0.60 GPH
Component Quality	Outstanding
Component Certification	Not Certified
Setup	Excellent
Servicing Requirements	Exceptional
Costs	$0.54/ gal
Warranty Length	1 year
Shipping	Free on orders over $80 within the contiguous US
Returns	30 days, but only if unopened

🎬 Video Review

🚰 Contaminant Reduction

Score: 8.14

The treated groundwater that we tested with the LARQ PureVis system contains a handful of contaminants that we were keen to reduce as thoroughly as possible with the LARQ pitcher. 

Along with our own test results, we looked for official certification data to award the pitcher’s overall contaminant reduction score.

Our Performance Testing

Score: 8.38

We used Tap Score tests by SimpleLab to test our water twice: 

• Once before it was filtered
• Again after it had been filtered through the LARQ PureVis filter

To determine the quality of our unfiltered and filtered water, we compared the concentrations of contaminants detected to Tap Score’s HGLs (Health Guideline Levels).

Health-Related Contaminants

Score: 8.30

There were 8 contaminants with health effects detected in our unfiltered water. 

These contaminants are associated with a number of health effects, including blood effects, kidney problems, developmental issues, and gastrointestinal effects. 

Uranium and fluoride were the only two contaminants that were detected in concentrations exceeding their HGLs. 0.014 PPM of uranium was present, exceeding the HGL of 0 PPM, and 1.1 PPM of fluoride was detected, surpassing the HGL of 0.8 PPM.

Of these two contaminants, the PureVis pitcher did a great job at reducing 100% uranium in our water. But our test results showed that the filter reduced no fluoride whatsoever. 

As for the other health-related contaminants, which were detected below their HGLs, the LARQ PureVis reduced 100% barium, 100% strontium, 100% molybdenum, 97% copper, 88% sulfate, and 20% nitrate.

Aesthetic Contaminants

Score: 9.90

Around 1 PPM of chlorine was detected in our unfiltered water. Chlorine is considered an aesthetic contaminant because it affects water’s taste and smell.

The LARQ pitcher reduced 100% chlorine in our water, and we could no longer detect any chemical tastes or odors – the expected outcome given that activated carbon is a component of the filter.

Minerals & pH 

The LARQ PureVis pitcher isn’t marketed for mineral reduction, and it hasn’t been tested to reduce minerals like calcium and magnesium. 

We were hoping that the system would retain healthy minerals in our water, only removing the bad stuff. 

But unfortunately, the filter reduced 83% calcium and 93% magnesium, as well as just under 50% sodium. 

Potassium in our water increased from 0 PPM to 77.3 PPM, so we think the PureVis pitcher uses a form of potassium-loaded cation exchange resin, which exchanged some metal ions and minerals with potassium. 

Microorganisms & Biofilm Prevention

We wanted to take a moment to discuss microorganisms in water, since the LARQ PureVis system has a UV-C light that prevents reverse contamination of water. 

What exactly does this mean? 

Let’s say you use a water filter pitcher for a few months, and, as is inevitable, contaminants begin to accumulate in the filter media. The filter’s moist environment and the presence of various impurities presents the optimal environment for mold and bacteria growth, which could affect the quality and safety of the filtered water.

Our water had been treated, so it didn’t contain microorganisms to begin with. The LARQ pitcher is not intended to kill or remove microorganisms from unfiltered water – it’s intended for treated water only. That means you shouldn’t deliberately use it to filter an untreated water source that you know to be unsafe. 

LARQ says that a typical filter has a bacterial load of 50,000 within 12 days. We couldn’t find the study that LARQ had referenced for this data, but a recent study of faucet water filters found that bacteria counts could “increase up to 100 times” in water filtered through a faucet filter.

Performance Certifications

Score: 6.00

If a water filter manufacturer gets their product performance-certified, customers have the reassurance of knowing that the filter has been tested by a reputable organization (the NSF, WQA, or IAPMO) and proven capable of reducing certain contaminants. 

The LARQ pitcher let us down in this category. Most of the other water filter pitchers we tested had been certified to reduce at least one contaminant, but LARQ has only provided third-party testing data for its pitcher filtration performance. 

Given that the pitcher isn’t certified, it got the lower score from us here. 

But we still wanted to analyze the filter’s third-party performance data* and compare it to the results we saw in our own testing. 

The third-party testing data shows that the LARQ PureVis pitcher can reduce up to 98.8% copper, so its 97% copper reduction in our water was pretty spot on. 

The pitcher hasn’t been tested to reduce uranium, barium, strontium, or molybdenum, so we were pleased that it reduced 100% of these contaminants in our water. 

We also couldn’t find any test results suggesting that the pitcher could reduce sulfate or nitrate, so the reductions we saw (88% and 20% respectively) were a bonus.

Finally, the pitcher hasn’t been tested to reduce fluoride, so although its 0% fluoride reduction in our own testing was disappointing, it wasn’t surprising. The good news is that LARQ has commented that fluoride reduction is a “future development” for its filters, so maybe soon we’ll see an upgrade in the filter design that enables this contaminant to be addressed. 

We hope that LARQ invests in getting the PureVis officially performance-certified soon. We think this would help convince people to buy the pitcher without feeling like they were taking a risk, especially given that the system is up to five times more expensive than most other pitchers we’ve tested. 

🚦Filtration Rate

Score: 7.00

The LARQ PureVis pitcher filtered 0.281 gallons of water in 28 minutes and 6 seconds, giving it a filtration rate of 0.60 GPH.

Of the 8 pitchers we tested, LARQ was slowest. The average filtration rate of these pitchers was 2.30 GPH – almost 4x faster (3.8) than the Larq’s 0.60 GPH.

We were surprised that the LARQ pitcher’s flow rate wasn’t faster given that the filter design is pretty simple. 

The filtration time was excessive, especially since the pitcher’s holding capacity was a bit smaller than others (8 cups versus the typical 10-12 cups). It took nearly 30 minutes for a full pitcher of water to filter. 

📐 Design

Score: 8.10

The LARQ PureVis pitcher is the only pitcher size/model that LARQ sells. It’s an 8-cup pitcher available in two colors: blue and white. 

Most of the pitchers we’ve tested so far have been pretty basic and cheap-looking, but LARQ’s pitcher has a more tech-forward design, with a sleek, minimalist body and a blue UV light bordering the reservoir. If you want a pitcher that’s attractive enough to sit on a countertop in a modern kitchen, we think the PureVis should tick your boxes. 

The PureVis pitcher did well on the design front, but what let it down was its lack of a materials safety certification. 

Component Quality

Score: 9.50

We reached out to LARQ’s customer service to learn about the filter materials, as we couldn’t find this information on the website. 

We were told that the filters used in the pitchers are made from BPA-free PP (polypropylene), and the pitchers are made of BPA-free ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and SMMA (styrene methyl methacrylate copolymer).

Out of all the water filter pitchers we tested, the LARQ pitcher was one of the best quality systems in terms of look and feel. While the Brita, PUR, Santevia, and Waterdrop pitchers felt thinner and more brittle-feeling, LARQ seemed more durable and solid. 

The plastics used in the PureVis pitcher are scratch-resistant, have good rigidity, and are resistant to chemicals. 

We couldn’t find any conclusive evidence that these plastics don’t leach microplastics. But leaching seems to be most likely to occur when plastic is exposed to heat or UV light. 

For instance, we found a study on the release of microplastics from polypropylene face masks, which noted that 483,888 plastic particles could be released from one virgin disposable mask, although this depended on the extent of the UV weathering. 

Another study by North Carolina State University concluded that polypropylene could only last six days before losing up to 70% of its strength as a result of UV exposure. 

This is actually a potential issue with LARQ’s pitcher, which does emit a UV light. 

Certification

Score: 6.00

The LARQ PureVis system hasn’t been certified for materials safety, so it got the lower score from us here. 

Filter Materials

Like most water filter pitchers, the LARQ PureVis uses an activated carbon filter to attract and adsorb contaminants. We also suspect the pitcher contains an ion exchange resin based on the additional contaminants it reduced in our water. 

The system also contains a UV wand, which emits a UV light when water reaches the pitcher. 

Biofilm growth and bacteria in water pitcher filters is a real issue. A 1996 study of microbiological contamination of drinking water from Brita water filter pitchers found that bacterial counts in the filtered water increased up to 6,000 cfu/ml in 24 of 34 filters used in households. 

So we felt really reassured by the fact that the PureVis pitcher uses UV to prevent bacterial growth and reduce our pitcher cleaning duties. We’ve seen this feature becoming increasingly popular in filtered water bottles, but currently, LARQ is one of the few water filter manufacturers using UV light for this purpose.

⚙️ Setup

Score: 9.00

We generally find that setup for a water filter pitcher is easy because we don’t have to follow a long list of instructions, and we don’t need any special plumbing knowledge. 

But we found that the setup for the LARQ PureVis pitcher was a bit more involved. We had to soak the filter for 10 minutes before installing it, which was easy, but more time-consuming than many of the other pitcher filters we tested (many could simply be rinsed under running water or installed straight away). 

We also had to charge the lithium polymer battery pack for the UV-LED wand, and we also planned to set up the app. However, the app was iPhone only, so we couldn’t install it on our Android phone. 

Setup took about 20 minutes total, not including the time it took to charge the battery pack (we left it to charge overnight).

We also washed out the pitcher and reservoir to clean them before assembling them.

The LARQ App

After we set up our pitcher, we intended to download the LARQ app and use the Bluetooth function to pair the pitcher. The app would give us a smarter alternative to the usual pitcher filter life trackers, which are usually built into the pitcher lid. 

Customers can use the app to keep track of our filter life status (based on the amount of water filtered). The PureVis UV wand runs by battery, and the app also gave us an easy way to keep track of its battery life. 

The PureVis wand stores data, too, so we could use the pitcher with no app connection, and the app would update the filter/UV information when we reconnected the system.  

We identified one key issue with the app: we couldn’t actually use it because it’s only compatible with iPhones. This is a setback that excludes a large portion of LARQ’s customers from the benefits we listed above.

Luckily, the app isn’t a must-have if you want to use the LARQ pitcher. We think it’s a helpful addition, but it’s not essential – you can track the filter life and the PureVis wand’s battery life by keeping an eye on the status button on the lid. 

Ease of Use

While the LARQ pitcher is a bit more tech-heavy than the other pitchers we’ve tested, we still found it practical and easy to use on the whole. 

The swinging lid on the reservoir meant that we could fill the pitcher one-handed without having the hassle of getting a flimsy lid on and off. 

It did take us a while to get to grips with the button on the pitcher that displays different colors/symbols, but the user manual and Quick Start Guide lists this information, and we got used to the different colors and their meanings quickly.  

🔧 Maintenance

Score: 9.00

We calculated the LARQ PureVis pitcher’s maintenance costs and evaluated its servicing requirements to award its overall maintenance score. 

Servicing Requirements

10.00

The PureVis filter had two main servicing requirements: 

1. Replacing the filter
2. Recharging the UV wand

Replacing the filter was standard practice and we found it similar to all of the other pitchers we tested. The filter should last up to 3 months of use or filter up to 60 gallons. LARQ says their filters should last up to 50% longer than other water pitcher filters, but we think this is exaggerated – we’ve found that the “typical” lifespan for a water pitcher filter is around 40 gallons.

To replace the filter, we just removed the old one, then followed the instructions to soak the replacement filter before installing it in the pitcher. We also reset the wand at this time, so it would accurately track the lifespan of the replacement filter. 

We charged the UV wand whenever the light on the lid flashed green. The pitcher comes with a magnetic USB charger, and the charging process was easy enough – it was just an extra maintenance task to remember if we wanted to make use of the UV function. 

The pitcher has a self-cleaning mode, which activates every 6 hours (the cleaning process takes 60 seconds). That meant we didn’t have to wash it out every week, as we did with the non-self-cleaning pitchers we tested. 

LARQ still recommends that you clean the pitcher and reservoir every 2-3 months, or whenever you replace the filter. The system is dishwasher safe – just make sure to remove the filter cartridge first, and the UV wand is hand-wash only.

Costs

Score: 8.00

The LARQ PureVis pitcher has an ongoing cost of $0.54/ gallon (based on the manufacturer’s estimated filter lifespan).

That makes the PureVis more expensive than most other pitchers we tested, which were typically within the $0.17-$0.27 per gallon price range.  

The pitcher’s upfront cost is higher, too – it cost around $139 when we got it to review. 

We think LARQ has chosen to sell the pitcher as a premium product at a higher cost because of the added benefits of the UV wand and app, which most other systems don’t have. 

But the filters themselves aren’t certified and don’t perform exceptionally well, which brings the value down.

🏢 Company

Score: 8.35

We were generally pleased with the PureVis pitcher, but we wanted to know whether LARQ as a company could be trusted. We assessed LARQ in this category by analyzing its warranty, shipping, and returns offerings. 

Warranty 

Score: 8.50

LARQ offers one of the highest warranties we’ve seen for a water filter pitcher brand: the PureVis pitcher is backed by a 1-year limited warranty for replacing/repairing any defective material or component. 

We were pleased to see this longer warranty given that the pitcher is more expensive than most other pitchers we tested. 

View LARQ’s warranty information here. 

Shipping 

Score: 9.00

LARQ’s shipping information isn’t readily available online, which seemed like an oversight to us.

We contacted customer service, who told us that free shipping is available for orders above $80 within the contiguous US. 

That means you’ll get the pitcher shipped to you for free, but you’ll probably have to pay a shipping fee for the replacement filters unless you choose to stock up. 

Returns

Score: 7.50

Like most other water filter pitcher manufacturers, LARQ offers a 30-day returns policy, which entitles customers to a full refund if they return with the product within 30 days after their purchase. 

However, the product must be unused and in its original packaging, otherwise a refund won’t be issued. This defeats the purpose of the return policy because it doesn’t actually allow the user to test the product.

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