Is Clearbrook a Good Berkey Alternative? An Honest Review

Quick verdict: yes, for most people. Here's the honest breakdown, including where Clearbrook doesn't quite match Berkey.

Shop Clearbrook systems in our Clearbrook water filters collection.

Why People Go Looking for a Berkey Alternative

Price is usually the trigger, or availability, or the 2025 regulatory dispute between the EPA and Berkey's parent company that disrupted supply and got a lot of buyers asking questions about the brand for the first time. Whatever brought you here, the honest answer about Clearbrook starts with understanding what it actually is.

Where Clearbrook Genuinely Matches Berkey

Clearbrook, LLC is the original manufacturer of the BB9 filter element used in Black Berkey Purification Elements, a relationship going back to Clearbrook's founding roughly three decades ago. The CB9 elements Clearbrook now sells directly are built on that same design and fit into Berkey systems without adapters or modification. Assembly is nearly identical too: both brands use the same basic gravity-system design, wash the chambers, assemble the spigot, install primed filter elements, and stack the unit. Priming works the same way on both, either with a pump or a priming button pressed against a faucet. If you've used a Berkey before, a Clearbrook system will feel completely familiar.

Where Clearbrook Has the Advantage

Clearbrook holds WQA certification to NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine taste and odor, plus a Class I particulate reduction claim) and NSF/ANSI 372 (lead-free construction materials). Black Berkey elements are independently lab-tested to NSF/ANSI protocols, but Berkey has stated it considers formal certification optional for its product category, and Black Berkey elements haven't been certified by an accredited body like NSF, WQA, or IAPMO. Both approaches involve genuine lab work, but Clearbrook's is the one that's gone through the full accredited certification process. If third-party certification specifically matters to you, Clearbrook has the edge here, not the other way around.

Where Berkey Still Has the Advantage

Brand history and ecosystem size. Berkey has been the recognized name in gravity filtration for much longer, with a wider range of system sizes and accessories to show for it. Some buyers value that track record on its own terms, independent of the underlying filtration technology, and that's a legitimate reason to stick with Berkey. It's a familiarity and selection advantage, not a performance one.

Where does Clearbrook fall short?

Clearbrook is a smaller, newer-to-market direct-to-consumer brand, which means less third-party review volume and a shorter public track record than Berkey has built up over the years. If having a long history of independent reviews and word-of-mouth matters to your buying decision, that's still Berkey's advantage. Clearbrook's certifications also don't cover every contaminant claim on its marketing pages; broader claims like PFAS and lead reduction rest on independent lab testing rather than an accredited certification specific to those contaminants, same as Berkey's approach to its own broader claims.

Final Verdict

If you're already a Berkey owner looking to save money on replacement filters, switching to Clearbrook's CB9 elements is a straightforward, low-risk move, same housing, same fit, same underlying design. If you're buying your first gravity system, the decision comes down to what you value more: Clearbrook's formal WQA certification and lower price, or Berkey's longer track record and broader accessory selection. Either is a legitimate choice, and neither involves a meaningful compromise on actual filtration quality.

Frequently Asked Questions