This Might Be the Chicest Small-Space-Friendly Water Purifier I’ve Ever Tried

I’ve always had a suspicion that my home had hard water. I saw the signs: limescale buildup around faucets, soap scum in my bathroom, and dry skin (and hair). So when I received a water quality test, I knew I had to try it — and the results were shocking. 

Overall, my tap water score was 84 out of 99 (not bad!), but it confirmed that I had hard water, as well as a slightly elevated amount of vanadium, a naturally occurring chemical element that can lead to adverse developmental outcomes, such as low birth weight in offspring. (It’s not avoidable and only harmful if you’re exposed to significant amounts, according to the National Library of Medicine, but it still sounded scary to me.)

Luckily, there’s a fix for both of these issues: getting reverse osmosis, a water purification process in which pressure forces water through a semi-permeable membrane for your home. The only annoyance is that most solutions either take up a lot of space, require you to drill holes to install (so not renter-friendly), or look like a total eyesore. Enter: the Sans Water Purifier, which is small-space-friendly, sleek, and even works for renters. I got my hands on it, and here are my thoughts.

The Sans Water Purifier is designed to sit on the countertop, so there’s no plumbing or drilling involved (you just need an outlet!), and comes in two colors: white or midnight (black). It measures 17.5 inches high, 10.5 inches wide, and 15 inches deep and weighs 22 pounds. 

It uses a four-layer reverse osmosis filter, which helps it remove water contaminants, such as lead, microplastics, and volatile organic compounds. The tank capacity is 118 fluid ounces and it auto-dispenses in a provided glass water pitcher (which can hold 48 fluid ounces), plus, you can get instant hot water (up to 103 degrees). The filter should be replaced once a year and costs $124.97 (but you can get it cheaper if you set up a subscription).

To set up the water purifier, you have to flush the tank four times before you can start drinking the water. The instructions are clear: Put the device together (the drip tray, pitcher, and filters); wash and fill up the tank; plug in the device; and then run it four times, and each time dump out all the water in the pitcher and the tank. Then it’s ready to use! The device display shows what the water quality is, when to refill the tank, if the UV is running, and if a filter needs to be replaced or reset, and it has the buttons to dispense normal or hot water.

The Sans Water Purifier might be the chicest water purifier I’ve ever seen. It’s super-accessible and easy to use — with just a touch of a button you can instantly dispense water into an equally chic-looking glass water pitcher that can be stored in your fridge once you fill it up so you can have cold water. (Some reviewers purchased extra water pitchers, which might be the move so you can always have one in the fridge and use the other for hot water, brewed tea, etc.) 

Unlike other water purification systems (whether it uses reverse osmosis or another type of filtration) that I’ve used or seen in the past, this one actually dispenses hot water, too, which was a major perk. I no longer have to follow a two-step process (filter first and then boil the water in a kettle) before I can brew tea or coffee. I just dispense the hot water into a mug and voila! Tea ready in a few minutes. 

Buy: Sans Water Purifier, $399.99