Phox V2 Water Filter Review
Water filtration: that’s what we’re into. And on that topic, welcome to our Phox V2 Water Filter Review.
You’re probably here because you’ve heard from a friend or read something online about this Phox filter jug; you may even have heard about how it’s so much better for the environment than other water filters.
Well, we’re here to let you know how it performed in our tests and evaluation. Is it worth the hype? Are those eco credentials the real deal?
Phox V2 Water Filter
- Capacity: 2.2L
- Made from: Glass, plastic
- Weight: 1.2kg
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 12cm x 12cm x 30cm
What criteria did we use as a basis for this Phox V2 review?
We evaluated it for:
- Filtration capabilities (our specialty)
- How easy it is to take the lid off and refill with water
- How well separate parts fit together
- How easy on the eye it is
- Size and weight
- How likely or otherwise to fit inside a typical fridge
- Ease of replacing filter (refilling the filter in this case)
- Eco credentials
- Quality of materials
Rating the Phox V2
Let’s deep dive in the Phox V2 filter jug. What were the pros and cons from our testing?
Phox V2 Water Filter
What we liked about this filter:
It’s genuinely good for the environment
It’s the Phox V2’s main advantage over the competition and their major USP. So does it stack up? Yes, it does. The V2’s refillable filters are a fantastic development that we hope the rest of the industry follows. Think about the plastic involved in the plastic filter cartridges used by millions of people in the world, at a rate of one each per month. That’s literally tons of plastic each year. The V2 filter jug has no plastic waste involved in using it. The refillable packs come in eco rice paper, and recyclable cardboard. And each filter lasts longer too, as we’ll go on to discuss in the next section.
Saves Money
Phox have engineered and designed their filters to last around 45 days, at normal usage. Most filters, Brita filters being the most popular, last around 30 days. So you’re replacing the filter (in the case of the Phox V2, replacing just the filter media, rather than inserting a new cartridge) around 50% less often. Even so, the filter refill packs are a little cheaper than most filter replacement cartridges on the UK market.
Its filter is coconut shell activated carbon
Activated carbon is a high quality filter type, and that it’s the coconut shell variety is even better. In active carbon, the carbon atoms have a lattice structure that is a complex network of pores. They attract the molecules of impurities, thus removing them from the water. It’s an extremely effective type of filtration largely because it has excellent adsorption and because it has huge internal surface area (giving it much more chance of attracting the impurities), than other filter media types.
Made in the UK
Some people won’t be bothered where it’s made. Others will like the feeling of buying a product made close to home. The manufacturing, packaging and distribution are all done within 50 miles of Phox’s Glasgow office; and the materials used come from England and Wales.
You can choose if you want alkaline water or not
You may or may not be aware of a trend towards alkaline water. Some benefits have been conferred upon drinking water that has a higher pH – that means it’s more alkaline than acid. Phox offer 2 choices of a filter – a standard filter (called Clean Pack) and one that makes the water alkaline (called Alkaline Pack). What are the benefits of Alkaline water? Proponents say it’s great for neutralising excess acid in the bloodstream, improving your immune system, and improves digestion.
It offers something few water filter jugs do – it also softens your water
Hard water causes limescale and is not great for skin and hair. the V2’s filter media doesn’t just remove impurities and nasty chemicals, it also softens your water. Which means less limescale gathering on surfaces that the water touches.
It’s a nice looking thing
It looks pretty good on your countertop. That’s partly because it’s made of glass, where most filter jugs are made of plastic. It’s also just nicer somehow, to drink from glass rather than plastic, right?
Cons and why this model is not for you:
The filter jug won’t fit into some fridges
If you’re buying it to keep in your fridge drawer, check the dimensions of said drawer. And make sure it fits. The V2 isn’t that big but the shape means that it may not fit in some people’s refrigerators drawer. So check the dimensions before you buy. The Phox V2’s dimensions are: Length: 12cm; Width: 12cm; Height: 30cm.
It’s quite heavy
It’s heavier than other similar water filter jugs. In fact, it’s just about as heavy as the Klar water filter jug, with a much larger capacity of 3.5L. Why? It’s made of glass, and a glass jug is always going to be heavier than a plastic one. That’s just the price you pay for a nicer aesthetic and a higher quality jug.
2.2L is quite small
If you’ve already thought about the size of filter jug you need and decided around 2 to 2.5L is big enough for you, then no problem. But bear in mind that if you’ve got a large household, you’re going to get through that 2.2L pretty fast. Of course, it just means filling it up again, which is not so big a hassle, really.
The odd filter fitting issues have come up
We found that the occasional person has not fitted the filter correctly, and therefore the filter jug wasn’t actually filtering the water as it should be. This isn’t a design flaw, though. You just have to make sure you’re getting the technique of putting it in place right – you’ll be able to tell from it locking into place nice and snugly. So just take care to do that each time, get the right technique and you’ll have no issues going forward.
Where should you get it?
This is the lowest price seller we could find here, on Amazon.
Is the Phox V2 the right filter type for you?
Here’s how you can decide.
How good is the coconut shell activated carbon filter?
It’s fair to say we’re fans of this filter type here at Water Filter Geek.
Activated carbon has excellent porosity; effectively this means it has loads of surface upon which the impurities can be trapped.
That’s called adsorption, and coconut shell activated carbon filters perform adsorption better than the vast majority of filters.
The better adsoprtion a filter offers, the more of the impurities it’s going to attract and remove from the water.
Is a water filter jug what you need?
If your primary concern is drinking water, then a filter jug will do the job for you at relatively low cost.
If you want all the water your household uses to be filtered for the ultimate safety and health, you can consider an under-sink water filter, which will filter the water before it even comes out of your taps.
In that case, consider these various options for water filter systems.
Is there something specific you want removed from your water?
Is there a particular impurity you’re concerned about?
Here are the best water filters for removing hormones in the UK.
Or check out the best filters that remove Fluoride.
If you want the filter that removes, well, pretty much everything, that’ll be a reverse osmosis under-sink system. That’ll set you back a few hundred pounds, though.
Phox V2 Water Filter Review Summary
That, then, was our Phox V2 Water Filter Review.
It’s the real thing as far as its environmental aspects are concerned, offering a genuine way to cut down significantly on plastic wastage.
Taking the refillable concept of things like laundry detergents and suchlike to a water filter is clever and they’ve done it properly, too.
Aside from that, the Phox V2 is a quality water filter jug. The coconut shell activated carbon filter offers high quality filtration, and you can make your water the healthier alkaline type, if you choose the Alkaline Pack filter.
Made from glass, it looks nice, as well. But that comes with increased weight. You’ll also need to make sure it fits in your fridge, if that’s where you’re going to keep it. And make sure 2.2L is enough for your needs!