As your search continues for a countertop water filter that nicely meets your drinking water needs, here is one worth considering. That’s because it not only will filter some impurities out of your tap water but it will enhance it in other ways too.
These are qualities that are not found in many of today’s countertop water filter models. How does it stack up against other water filters in its class?
That’s what you are about to find out.
I will do a thorough Apex MR10-50 Countertop Drinking Water Filter Review for you. It will cover its strong and weak points, the bonus features that were mentioned, and I will even sum up what those that have bought it feel about their purchase.
This will help you determine if it may just be the right countertop water filter for you.
Table of Contents
Overview of the APEX Countertop Water Filter
Apex Water Purification can trace its water filtration roots all of the way back to 1997. They are known for using their 27-years in the water filtration business to create some very innovative products.
Such is the case with the Apex MR10-50 Countertop Drinking Water Filter. Something that can be said because it will not only help purify the tap water that you drink but also adds healthy minerals to it along with boosting up its PH (alkaline water).
Drinking alkaline water is something that has become very trendy health-wise as it may offer some benefits for your body.
This countertop water filter also does a good job of removing chlorine and some of the other more commonly found impurities in tap water.
It’s a unit that is built to last and comes in a clear form and several different colors.
With this countertop water filter model, you will have to hook up a water feed line to the faucet which makes the installation of it a little more difficult.
Once that’s done, you will benefit from that because you will not have to manually fill it up each time that you need more purified drinking water. This is much different than most countertop water filters that are gravity fed.
Pros
- Reduces chlorine and several other tap water contaminants
- Adds minerals to the water
- No wait time for purified water production
- Produces alkaline water
- 4 to 8-month filter life
- Comes with 2 NSF/ANSI certifications
- Does not take up much space
- It comes in a clear version and different colors
- 1-year manufacturer’s limited warranty
Cons
- Costly replacement filters
- Not the best-looking countertop filter
- Not everyone prefers drinking alkaline water
- Difficult to install for some
What to Consider Before Buying a Countertop Filter
When you first look at a countertop water filter there may not seem as if there is much to them but there are features that make some more desirable to own than others.
Here are a few countertop water filter traits to be aware of when shopping for one:
- What type of tap water impurities will it remove?
- The cost of the product and the replacement cost of its filters
- How easy is it to set up and maintain?
- Filtration flow rate
- Water storage capacity of the unit
- How much counter space it takes up
- Filter useful life
- Does it have any 3rd party certifications (ANSI, WQA, NSF)?
Considering these characteristics gives you the best chance of making a countertop water filter purchase that you are very satisfied with.
Main Features and Benefits of the Apex Countertop Drinking Water Filter
Here are some of the characteristics of this countertop water filter that appeal to me:
Quality Filtration
This line-fed countertop water filter has a very interesting filter cartridge design. The main components of which are granular coconut shell activated carbon and additional KDF-55 filter media.
These combine to eliminate chlorine taste and odor, benzene, chloramines, some organic chemicals, bacteria, and some heavy metals.
This unit also comes with 2 NSF/ANSI third-party certifications. Those are:
- NSF/ANSI Standard 61: States that the product is not made with harmful materials or materials that will impact the taste of the water it produces.
- NSF/ANSI Standard 42: Reduces aesthetic impurities in tap water such as chlorine taste and odor.
Good Filter Life
The Apex Countertop Drinking Water Filter has a very good useful filter life. It is as good or better than most. The manufacturer claims that a single filter cartridge will take care of a family of four’s drinking water needs for 4 to 8-months.
Added Minerals & Alkaline Water Production
If you don’t feel that you get enough healthy minerals in your everyday diet, this is a countertop water filter that can help you there.
That’s because it has a layer of filter media that adds healthy potassium, magnesium, and calcium minerals to the tap water that passes through it.
This same filter media section will also increase the pH of the water. As was mentioned above, this aspect of this water filter may appeal to you as some feel drinking water with increased alkalinity has healthy benefits.
Setup & Maintenance
It must be said that unlike many countertop water filters which are gravity fed, this one does tap a water feed line into the end of your kitchen sink’s faucet.
That makes it convenient as far as filling it goes but inconvenient in other ways such as with its installation.
You can see how this works in the photo below.
Although the manufacturer claims in the photo that the installation process is easy, this is not the case for everyone. That’s because it will take a few tools and some mechanical ability to assemble it the right way.
What is easy to do with this model countertop water filter is filter cartridge replacement. It comes with a supplied plastic wrench that is specifically made to fit around its top to provide you with enough leverage to twist off this tightly sealed component.
Once that is done, the rest of the filter cartridge replacement is pretty straightforward, just pop out the old one and insert the new filter cartridge in its place.
One thing that I feel is absurd with this model countertop water filter is that its replacement filter cartridges are priced within a few dollars of the cost of an entire unit.
APEX Social Proof & Review consensus
It must be said that the large majority of the reviews that are left on the Apex Countertop Drinking Water Filter are very positive.
People compliment the taste and smell of the water it produces and like the fact that they do not have to fill it up manually to produce the filtered water that they drink.
As far as the drawbacks that are mentioned, some people concur with me that the installation of it is not as easy as the manufacturer claims.
Others claimed it cannot be installed where sunlight shines because algae will form in the top section of it.
Summing Up the Apex Countertop Drinking Water Filter
I like many things about this particular water filter but because of its mineral enhancement and the alkalinity of the water it produces, it may not be to everyone’s liking.
As a matter of fact, there are just as many people saying alkaline water is bad for you as there is that state it’s good for you.
Here are some of the benefits and risks of drinking alkaline water so judge for yourself which side of the argument that you fall on.
Other than that, it does a nice job of filtering contaminants out of tap water and it’s built very ruggedly. Once it’s hooked up, the Apex Countertop Drinking Water Filter is also one of the easiest countertop water filter models to use.
So on this product, it really comes down to whether or not you think having the added minerals and drinking alkaline water are something you are interested in.