Brita Metro Review

The Brita Metro compact pitcher is a simple kitchen addition to get fresher-tasting and clearer water. The fast-flowing filter keeps cup or water bottle fill-ups quick, and users report its 6-cup capacity is decent for small households. We tested this model with Standard Brita filters, but you can also snag the Elite filters for less-frequent replacements and a slightly better contaminant removal performance.

The main drawbacks to this pitcher are that the capacity is a little low for bigger families, and its contaminant removal during testing was only average — it did well removing heavy metals and trace elements, but struggled with more critical contaminants like lead.

Critical Contaminant Removal

The Brita Metro filter does a decent job with everyday city water, reducing chlorine, lead, and uranium to safer levels — but not to levels that impressed our testers. Results from an independent lab showed no change in fluoride levels, and only a 61% reduction in nitrates from tap water samples.

PFAS Forever Chemicals

The Metro was only able to remove 50.78% of PFNA and 72% of PFBA from our contaminated solutions. For reference, these are both subtypes that fall into the greater category of PFAS chemicals. Every other unit we tested was able to remove 100% of PFBA and had better results for PFNA as well. So it's not a go-to for more serious contamination. This is really only a pick for light filtering of drinking water that's already decent quality.

Heavy Metals

The Brita Metro removed 93% of lead in supercontaminated samples, putting it at one of the lowest removal rates of the group. It's uranium removal was average, at 96%, and it didn't really make a dent in arsenic levels.

Secondary Contaminant Removal

Most metals and trace elements were lowered to comfortable levels, though aluminum still showed up in some tests. Overall, it's reliable for everyday drinking water.

Taste

Taste is the metric that the average user talks about the most with this pitcher. Users report crisp, fresh water with little to no chlorine flavor. Some note a slight charcoal or flat aftertaste initially, but it fades after a few uses. Out of 828 reviews on Amazon that mention water taste, 738 were positive, highlighting a noticeable improvement over unfiltered tap water. In our opinion, this is the main reason to buy this filter, as it isn't as effective at contaminant removal as some others.

Maintenance and Setup

Setup is simple: rinse the filter, fill, and go. You must also discard the first three pitchers of filtered water to reduce leaching, and keep the filter moist between uses to prevent it from drying out. Standard Brita filters last around 40 gallons. For an average two-person household, we estimate this to be around 1 month. If you prefer to deal with fewer filter changes, you can opt for the brand's Elite filters, which last 120 gallons according to Brita. In both cases, replacing the filters is a simple task. This pitcher is low-effort and straightforward for everyday use.

The smaller 6-cup capacity means that this pitcher will fit easily in your fridge, but will require more frequent fill-ups.

Operating Cost

Replacement filters for the Metro are inexpensive, ranging from $8 for a single pack to $30 for a six-pack. Filters need to be swapped fairly often, and the annual filter costs will run you about $60 in a two-person household (assuming a generous usage of 40 gallons per month). This is fairly average for a pitcher-style filter. As long as you aren't running through filters in a larger household (which this pitcher wouldn't be a great option for anyway, considering its size), it's a sustainable price for most people. For the lowest price per gallon filtered, undersink reverse osmosis systems will give you the best value in the long term.

Should You Buy the Brita Metro?

The Brita Metro pitcher may be useful for small households that want better-tasting, cleaner water without fuss or high cost, especially if you don't have alot of spare fridge space. It works well for city or well water that is already generally safe; however, it's not the best option for anyone dealing with high-risk water, heavy contamination, or specific health concerns, such as PFAS or extreme nitrate levels. It's not the best if your goal is to remove as many contaminants as possible, which is probably why you're looking for a water filter in the first place. We'd point you to check out some other filters if you want greater peace of mind.

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