Earths Water 9L Glass Benchtop Alkaline Water Filter Review: Is It Worth $599?

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Who This Is For

✅ Buy this if you:

• Want a gravity-fed benchtop filter with no plumbing or installation required
• Prioritise BPA-free, glass-over-plastic construction
• Want chlorine, heavy metal, and fluoride reduction without a full under-sink system
• Are running it as a household’s primary filtered water source (1–4 people)
• Care about alkaline mineralisation and pH elevation alongside contaminant removal

❌ Look elsewhere if you:

• Need high-volume throughput for a large family or office (look at the 9L Multi-Filter model instead)
• Want sub-PPM TDS reduction comparable to reverse osmosis — the COREtech™ filter retains minerals intentionally
• Are renting and need something portable and compact (the 2.4L jug is better suited)
• Want direct faucet integration

What I’m Evaluating — And Why

Before the specs, here’s the framework I use for any water filtration product.

In the Navy, a Clearance Diver operates in some of the most contaminated water environments imaginable — harbour floors, ship bilges, industrial waterways. You learn quickly that the question isn’t is the water contaminated — it almost certainly is. The question is: what is in it, at what concentration, and what does that exposure cost you over time?

Most people never apply that kind of systematic thinking to the water coming out of their kitchen tap. But they should. Australian mains water is disinfected with chlorine and chloramine. Depending on your area, it may contain residual fluoride, agricultural run-off products, PFAS compounds, and low-level heavy metals from ageing distribution infrastructure. The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines set acceptable limits — but “acceptable limit” and “optimal for daily consumption at 2+ litres per day for decades” are different conversations.

That’s what I’m evaluating: does this unit actually address the contaminant profile of Australian mains water, is the construction quality such that it doesn’t introduce new problems, and does the cost-per-litre justify the purchase?

Build Quality and Materials

The first thing you notice is the weight. This is borosilicate glass — the same glass used in laboratory equipment and quality cookware — and it handles like it. The upper reservoir sits in a bamboo frame. Filtered water is drawn gravity-fed from the upper chamber through the COREtech™ cartridge into the lower glass vessel.

The absence of BPA-containing plastic in contact with filtered water is the right call. Low-grade plastics can leach over time, particularly as containers age or are exposed to warm environments. If you’re filtering water to remove contaminants and then storing it in a vessel that adds different ones, you’ve accomplished nothing. Borosilicate glass is chemically inert. It’s the correct material for this application.

One practical note: the unit is heavy when full. 9 litres of water is approximately 9kg plus glass weight. Position it somewhere stable and permanent.

Filtration: The COREtech™ System

The COREtech™ cartridge uses NSF-certified natural coconut shell activated carbon combined with ion exchange resin. According to the manufacturer, it removes up to 98% of:

• Chlorine and chloramine (the primary disinfectants in Australian mains water)
• Heavy metals: copper, lead, aluminium, cadmium, mercury
• Pesticides, herbicides, and organic contaminants
• Suspended solids — rust, sand, dust
• Taste and odour compounds

What it adds back: unlike reverse osmosis, COREtech™ includes a mineralisation stage that adds calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, zinc, lithium, and 20+ trace elements. Target output pH is 7.4–8.5, mildly alkaline.

On the alkaline claims: the clinical evidence for broad health benefits of alkaline water is mixed. What is not contested is that removing chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals from daily drinking water is beneficial. The mineralisation stage adds trace elements that many people are genuinely deficient in. Frame this primarily as a contaminant removal system that also provides alkaline mineralisation — not as a medical device.

Filter life and cost: each COREtech™ cartridge is rated for 350 litres or 3 months. Replacements cost $35 — approximately $0.10 per litre, significantly cheaper than bottled water.

Performance: Flow Rate and Capacity

Gravity-fed filters are slower than mains-pressure systems — that’s the physics. The 9L upper reservoir filters at what Earths Water describes as one of the fastest flow rates in the gravity-fed category. The 9L lower reservoir provides meaningful buffer so you’re drawing from stored filtered water rather than waiting on the current filtration cycle. For a household of 1–3 people using this as a primary water source, the 9L capacity works comfortably.

What I Liked

• The construction is right. Glass over plastic, bamboo over synthetic, inert surfaces in contact with filtered water. This is how a water storage vessel should be built.
• Single-filter maintenance. One COREtech™ cartridge across the full range. Pull the old one, push in the new one. People replace filters when it’s easy — this system makes compliance simple.
• The numbers work. At $0.10 per litre, this undercuts bottled water significantly. The $599 unit cost amortises over years of daily use.
• Genuine Australian company. Owned and operated in Australia, dispatched from Melbourne. For a daily-use appliance, local warranty support matters.
• LFGB-certified plastics. The plastic components (seals, tap housing) meet the European food contact safety standard — the right specification to look for.

What Could Be Better

• No independent third-party lab results publicly available. The 98% contaminant removal claim is based on the manufacturer’s characterisation of COREtech™ technology. NSF/ANSI 53 or independent lab certification of the assembled system should be made available on the product page. This is a genuine transparency gap for a product making specific health claims.
• Fluoride removal requires clarification. Activated carbon does not remove fluoride effectively. The ion exchange resin addresses this to varying degrees. If fluoride removal is your primary concern, contact Earths Water directly to understand what the COREtech™ cartridge achieves on fluoride specifically — or consider a dedicated RO system.
• No TDS meter included. At this price point, including a basic TDS meter to let users verify before-and-after filtration performance would strengthen both user experience and product credibility.

How It Compares

Final Verdict

The Earths Water 9L Glass Benchtop is a well-constructed gravity filtration system that solves the right problems for its target buyer. The borosilicate glass build, COREtech™ multi-stage filtration, single-cartridge maintenance, and Australian origin all point in the right direction.

The gaps — limited public transparency on fluoride-specific removal and absence of assembled system certification — are worth knowing about, particularly if fluoride is a priority concern. They don’t undermine the product’s core value proposition, but they are things I’d want addressed before calling this a full five-star recommendation.

Buy it if you want an Australian-made, glass-constructed gravity filter that removes chlorine, heavy metals, and organic compounds while adding alkaline minerals, and you’re prepared to pay for the build quality.

Look at alternatives if fluoride is your primary concern, or you need throughput beyond what a single-filter 9L unit provides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Earths Water 9L benchtop filter remove fluoride?

The COREtech™ cartridge uses activated carbon and ion exchange resin. Activated carbon alone does not remove fluoride effectively. The ion exchange component addresses fluoride to a degree — contact Earths Water directly for specific percentage reduction data if fluoride removal is your primary requirement.

How long does the filter cartridge last?

Each COREtech™ cartridge is rated for 350 litres or 3 months, whichever comes first. At typical household consumption of around 2 litres per day for a single person, that’s approximately 5–6 months. For two people, replace at 3 months.

Is the Earths Water benchtop filter BPA free?

Yes. The filtration and storage vessel is borosilicate glass. Plastic components (seals, tap housing) are LFGB-certified to the European food contact safety standard.

Does the filter need to be connected to plumbing?

No. This is a gravity-fed benchtop unit. Pour source water into the upper reservoir and gravity draws it through the filter into the lower chamber. No plumbing, installation, or power required.

How much does it cost per litre to filter water?

At $35 per cartridge and 350 litres per cartridge, the ongoing filter cost is approximately $0.10 per litre — substantially less than bottled water.

Can I use this filter with tank water or bore water?

Not recommended without pre-testing your source water first. This unit is designed for mains/town water. Sediment levels, bacterial load, and chemical content in non-municipal water can vary significantly and may exceed what a gravity carbon filter is designed to handle.

What is COREtech™ filtration?

COREtech™ is Earths Water’s proprietary filter cartridge technology, combining NSF-certified coconut shell activated carbon with ion exchange resin and a mineralisation layer. It is exclusive to Earths Water products across their full benchtop and jug range.

Written by Jayce Love

Former Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver and TAG-E counter-terrorism operator. Founded Clean and Native to apply the same rigorous thinking to the home environment.

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