BritaUltramax Water Dispenser with Elite Filter

The practical details.

Before you buy

Evidence & sources.

Do water filters work? Our evidence review grades the research as Strong. That grade is about the claim, not about this product.

• CertificationNSF's drinking water database lists the OB06 filter, which Brita calls the Elite, for lead reduction under NSF/ANSI 53 in just two pitchers. Those are the Tidal (OB63) and Pacifica (OB41). A search for the Ultramax model number, OB24, returns "No Matching Products Found".^3–5 So NSF hasn't certified the Ultramax itself. The NSF listings give a 120-gallon service cycle and claim lead reduction only. NSF says its listings were current on Oct 13, 2026.
• Manufacturer claimBrita's data sheet says IAPMO R&T certifies the Elite filter (OB06) for lead under NSF/ANSI 53 in nine Brita systems. They include the Ultramax Jet Black (OB24). It also says WQA certifies the filter under NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 for the claims on the sheet.³ These are Brita's conformance statements. IAPMO's and WQA's directories couldn't be opened for this review, so the listings weren't confirmed at the source.
• Manufacturer claimOn the same sheet, lead fell 99.5% at pH 6.5 and 99.6% at pH 8.5. The challenge was 150 ppb, against a 5 ppb limit. Mercury fell 95.5% to 95.9% and cadmium 96.9% to 99.2%. Chlorine fell 97.4%, and Class I particulates and 0.5 to 1 µm microplastics each fell 99.6%.³ These are reductions at the standard's challenge levels in a lab, not measurements of your water. Some claims, including cadmium, benzene and most NSF/ANSI 401 compounds, apply only to listed systems. The Ultramax is one of them. Benzene was the weakest result at 87.3%. The sheet makes no claim for PFAS, fluoride, arsenic, chloramine, cysts, bacteria or viruses. It says not to use the filter on microbiologically unsafe water without disinfection.
• Independent testA third-party filter database reports an IAPMO R&T lead listing under NSF/ANSI 53, file W-13905. It's scoped to the Ultramax Jet Black OB24 with the Elite OB06. It also reports WQA listings under NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 and no NSF listing for OB24, all checked on Aug 30, 2026.^{10, 16} The database says it isn't affiliated with NSF, IAPMO or WQA and that its own verification step hasn't run. Its WQA entries mix the Original and Elite filters. Its Elite page files the IAPMO listing under PFOA and PFOS, not lead. Treat it as a pointer to the certifiers, not a substitute.
• Manufacturer claimBrita Canada's French-language data sheet for the Elite filter lists PFOA and PFOS under NSF/ANSI 53, certified by IAPMO R&T. The listed systems include the Ultramax (OB24). It shows a 98.1% reduction from a 1.5 ppb challenge.¹¹ The PFOA and PFOS rows share one set of figures. Brita's US data sheet and product page make no PFAS claim. It's unclear whether filters sold in the US carry this certification.
• Manufacturer claimBrita's FAQ says its filters keep a healthy level of fluoride in fluoridated city water.⁶ So it isn't a fluoride filter. Brita gives no lab figure for fluoride.
• Regulator recordEPA's consumer tool points to filters that an accredited third party has certified to cut lead to 5 ppb or less. They must also show Class I particulate reduction, with certification against both NSF/ANSI 53 and 42.^{3, 12} Brita's data sheet claims both for this model: lead under a 5 ppb limit and Class I particulates down 99.6%. Brita says IAPMO certifies the lead claim and WQA certifies claims under both standards.