Introduction

A good quality drinking water filter can be one of the best investments you make in terms of your family's health. However, choosing between the vast variety of home water filters on the market can be tricky. In this review, we compare the Berkey water filter vs AquaRain, looking more specifically at the Royal Berkey (3.25 gallon capacity) and the AquaRain 303 (3 gallon capacity), highlighting their unique features to help you select the best option for your household.

At a glance

Comparing the AquaRain vs the Berkey is a close call as they are both well constructed gravity fed water filters and are very similar in design. They both have advantages and disadvantages, but the Berkey beats the AquaRain on several key points. When it comes to filtering ability, the AquaRain boasts that it can remove pathogenic bacteria and cysts to 99.9% even at the end of its life, and claims that it is capable of removing chlorine, pesticides, organic chemicals, and contaminants that give water a bad taste or odor, yet there doesn't appear to be any laboratory proof detailing a full list of contaminants it is capable of removing — at least none that is readily available to scrutinize. The Berkey, on the other hand, has been independently lab tested to remove more than 200 common drinking water contaminants, and has certified lab results available to review online. The Berkey is also able to remove fluoride while the AquaRain cannot. It delivers clean water at a much faster rate, and it has a wider range of models to choose from, catering for every budget.

So how does the Berkey compare to the AquaRain? If you are looking for a portable water filter that you can take anywhere and your primary goal is to remove disease causing pathogens, then the AquaRain will do the job and the filters will outlast those of the Berkey before needing to be replaced — which could be a plus point if you are stuck in the backwoods somewhere. However, if you want peace of mind that your water filter can efficiently remove over 200 drinking water contaminants, including fluoride and arsenic (optional), the Berkey would be a much better choice.

Comparison of the Big Berkey vs AquaRain

Filtration quality

Both the Berkey and the AquaRain water filters are able to remove a wide range of pathogens commonly found in drinking water such as bacteria, viruses and cysts.

The AquaRain can reduce common pathogenic bacteria and cysts by >99.9%, while the Berkey can reduce bacteria and cysts by >99.9999%.

Both the Berkey and AquaRain also claim to remove organic chemicals and foul tastes and odors. While it is rather vague as to which contaminants the AquaRain can specifically remove, and to what degree, the Berkey has been independently certified to remove over 200 harmful contaminants, with common drinking contaminants, including lead and other heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), industrial chemicals such as PFAS, pharmaceuticals, BPA, chlorine and chloramines being reduced by >99.9%.

• A full list of contaminants the Berkey is certified to remove can be found here.
• A full list of contaminants the AquaRain claims to remove can be found here. A full list of contaminants the AquaRain is certified to remove can be found

When comparing the Big Berkey vs AquaRain in terms of what contaminants they remove, the Berkey is lab certified to remove a much wider range of contaminants, including heavy metals, radiologicals, pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants, to a higher degree.

Advantage: Berkey

Performance comparison

Filtration quality is important, but so is the rate of filtration. So let's compare the Berkey water filter vs AquaRain in terms of filtration performance.

The Royal Berkey is capable of filtering 4 gallons of water per hour (with the standard 2 Black Berkey filter elements that are sold with the filter fitted in the upper chamber). However, the flow rate can be speeded up to 8 gallons per hour if an additional 2 filters are fitted, bringing the total number of filter elements in the upper chamber to 4.

The AquaRain by comparison is capable of filtering 0.5-1 gallon (maximum) of water per hour with 3 filters fitted, meaning it will take 4-8 hours to filter 4 gallons of water and 8-16 hours to filter 8 gallons of water. Filtering time can be speeded up to achieve the maximum output by topping up the upper chamber with water every 15 minutes; however, this could be a bid tedious.

No matter how you look at it, the Berkey delivers clean water at a much faster rate than the AquaRain — in fact, up to 8 x faster with 2 Black Berkey elements fitted and 16 x faster with filter elements fitted. This is an important point, especially if you have a large, thirsty family.

Advantage: Berkey

Models & upfront cost

Lets now compare the different models offered by AquaRain vs Berkey, along with their associated upfront costs.

Berkey models

Berkey has a wide range of water filters that come in different sizes ranging from 1.5 gallons (the Travel Berkey) to 6 gallons (the Crown Berkey). They also offer a light-weight BPA-free plastic model (the Berkey Light) with a 2.75 gallon capacity, which is a good option if you have a limited budget but still want a top of the range water filter without compromising on performance. 

• Travel Berkey water filter (1.5 gallons) - $249
• Big Berkey water filter (2.25 gallons) - $278
• Berkey Light water filter (2.75 gallons - $243
• Royal Berkey water filter(3.25 gallons) - $305
• Imperial Berkey water filter (4.5 gallons) - $335
• Crown Berkey water filter (6 gallons) - $360

As we can see above, the upfront costs of the Berkey systems start from as low as $249 and go up to $360 for the largest system in their range. The Royal Berkey — which at 3.25 gallons is the closest size to the AquaRain AquaRain 303 (3 gallons) — retails for $305. Two Black Berkey elements are included in the purchase price. However, you can optionally upgrade your system to improve flow rate and lengthen filter element lifespan by purchasing an additional set of filter elements at a cost of $120 per pair. You can also purchase a set of 2 PF-2 arsenic and fluoride filters (optional) at a cost of $65 per pair, which are inserted into the lower chamber of the filter to remove arsenic and fluoride from your drinking water. While this does increase the upfront cost slightly, it is a good option for consumers who are concerned about the presence of these contaminants in their drinking water.

AquaRain Models

The AquaRain currently only comes in one size (the 3 gallon capacity) and costs $329.99 with 3 filter elements included in the purchase price. 

The upfront cost of the Royal Berkey fitted with the standard 2 Black Berkey filter elements is $305, whereas the initial purchase price of the Aquarian 303 fitted with 3 filter elements is $330. When comparing the AquaRain filter vs Berkey, we can see that Berkey has a much wider range of options to choose from, and the most comparable water filter in their range comes with a cheaper price tag.

Advantage: Berkey

Filter lifespan & replacement costs

Filter lifespan and their cost of replacement tend to vary from brand to brand, and can significantly affect the overall costs associated with having clean, safe water readily available on tap. Let's take a look at how these factors compare between the AquaRain vs Berkey.

Berkey filters

The Royal Berkey is sold with two Black Berkey filter elements included in the price. Since each Black Berkey filter element can filter 3000 gallons before needing to be replaced, a set of 2 filters will purify 6000 gallons of water before the filter elements will need to be replaced. This equates to an estimated lifespan of four years. If you opt to upgrade your system by fitting an additional 2 Black Berkey filters in the upper chamber (total of 4 filter elements) the filter elements will filter approximately 12,000 gallons, before needing to be replaced, extending the lifespan to around 8 years. Black Berkey filter elements are sold in sets of 2 and cost $120 per pair (so $240 for 4 filters).

AquaRain filters

The AquaRain fitted with 3 filter cartridges is capable of filtering 10,000 gallons of water before needing to be replaced. The replacement cost per filter is $45 (so $135 to replace 3 filter cartridges).

Costs Breakdown	AquaRain 303 Standard	Royal Berkey Standard	Royal Berkey Upgrade
Initial Cost including Filters	$330	$305	$415
Filters incl in purchase price	3	2	4
Lifespan per filter	3,333 gallons	3,000 gallons	3,000 gallons
Water filtered per initial cost	10,000 gallons	6,000 gallons	12,000 gallons
Cost per gallon	$0.033	$0.050	$0.034
Cost of replacement filters	$135 per set of 3	$120 per set of 2	$240 per set of 4
Total cost per 6,000 gallons	$330	$305	$415
Total cost per 10,000 gallons	$330	$435	$415
Total cost per 12,000 gallons	$475	$435	$415

* Prices based on retail prices in May 2021

The above table gives a clearer picture of the longterm running costs associated with the Royal Berkey vs AquaRain 303. As we can see, when comparing the cost of filtering 6,000 gallons of water, the Berkey works out cheaper, but when comparing the cost of purifying 10,000 gallons of water, the AquaRain outperforms the Berkey in terms of lifespan and running costs. However, when one compares the cost of filtering 12,000 gallons of water, the Berkey with standard set of 2 filters outperforms the AquaRain, and the upgraded version (4 filters fitted — at an additional cost of $110 if selected when purchasing the unit) fares even better still.

So, in order to determine the overall running costs, it is important to look at the bigger picture. It is difficult to draw a clear winner here, as it really depends on the volume of water we are comparing. However, one advantage that AquaRain does have over the Berkey is that it comes with an end of life filter gauge to help you determine when the filter cartridges have reached the end of their useful life. This handy tool takes the guess work out of trying to figure out when your filters need to be replaced, and gives AquaRain a slight edge over Berkey.

Advantage: AquaRain

Cleaning and care

Both the AquaRain and the Berkey are easy to clean. Simply clean the stainless steel chambers regularly (once a month is recommended) with soapy water and rinse before use. The filter elements of both the AquaRain and the Berkey can be cleaned with a ScotchBrite pad or something similar should they become clogged with debris or scale that negatively affects the flow rate.

AquaRain

When cleaning the AquaRain ceramic filters, take care not to scrape off too much of the exterior layer when cleaning as this will shorten the life of the ceramic filters, which can normally be cleaned up to 200 times before needing to be replaced. When the filter gauge fits over the ceramic filter cartridge, you will know it is time to replace the filters.

Berkey

The Berkey Black elements will need to be primed before use, and again after they have been cleaned. Priming the filters is a simple process whereby water is forced through tiny pores in the filter elements to clear away any air that may be trapped in the micro-pores of the filter.

As the AquaRain filters don't need to be primed, just reinstall back into the upper chamber of the filter unit, and AquaRain also includes a scrub pad that can be used to gently brush the ceramic filters, they have an advantage over Berkey in this department.

Advantage: AquaRain

Pros and cons of Berkey vs AquaRain

So how does the berkey filter compare to the AquaRain? Before we answer that question, let's first take a look at some of the pros and cons of the Aquarian water filter vs Berkey. 

Berkey Pros:

• Wider variety of models to choose from — Berkey has 7 different models to choose from, meaning there is something for everyone and every budget.
• Wide range of contaminants effectively removed — The Berkey removes more contaminants, and their levels are reduced significantly
• Fast flow rate — Berkey's flow rate significantly outperforms that of the AquaRain
  

Berkey Cons:

• Filters need to be primed
  

AquaRain:

• Lab tested to remove pathogenic microorganisms to USEPA standards
• Filters don't need to be primed
• Includes 3 filters in purchase price
• Can filter 10,000 gallons before filters need to be replaced
  

Cons AquaRain:

• Slow flow rate
• Does not remove fluoride
• Single model - no further options to choose from

Verdict

When comparing the Berkey vs AquaRain we can see that the Berkey outcompetes AquaRain on many key points. In fact, all points except maintenance and lifespan, and the latter is a close call as its only really when comparing costs per 10,000 gallons that the AquaRain fares better. 

Berkey vs AquaRain: which water filter is best for me?

If your biggest concern in terms of your water quality lies with harmful disease-causing pathogens, and you want to remove these at the lowest long-term cost, then the AquaRain may be a good solution for you. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a water filter that not only protects you from pathogens, but also a much broader range of harmful contaminants, including common carcinogens and other pollutants that can have severe health effects after longterm exposure, then a Berkey water filter would be a better choice.