Which Berkey Water Filter Is Right for You? A Complete Buying Guide

Choosing the right water filter can feel complicated, especially when several models use the same filtration technology. With our Berkey systems, one of the biggest differences is simply how much water each system can hold and how frequently you'll need to refill it based on your household's water use.

From the compact Travel Berkey to the 23-litre Crown Berkey, there's a Berkey for everything from smaller households to large families and workplaces.

In this guide, we'll take you through the main Berkey water filter systems, how they work and the differences between them to help you choose the right Berkey for your needs.

How does a Berkey water filter work?

Berkey systems are free-standing, gravity-fed water filters. There's no need to connect your Berkey to the mains water supply, and no electricity is required.

Simply pour water into the upper chamber. Gravity draws the water through the Black Berkey water filters, and the filtered water collects in the lower chamber ready to be dispensed from the tap.

Our stainless-steel Berkey systems are made from highly polished 304 stainless steel and typically come with two Black Berkey purification elements.

With two Black Berkey elements installed, your system can filter up to approximately 13.3 litres per hour. Larger systems that can accommodate four elements can achieve a filtration rate of approximately 26.6 litres per hour.

What do Black Berkey filters remove?

Our Black Berkey water filters are at the heart of the Berkey system.

They are designed to address more than 200 contaminants and impurities that may be present in water, including chlorine, heavy metals, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, cysts, parasites and a range of chemical contaminant

Importantly, the filtration process is designed to leave beneficial minerals such as calcium and magnesium in the water.

If reducing fluoride and arsenic is also a priority, optional Berkey PF-2 Fluoride Filters can be used alongside the main Black Berkey elements.

You can find more information about filtration, maintenance and using your system in our Berkey FAQs.

How long do Black Berkey filters last?

One of the advantages of the Black Berkey elements is their long potential service life.

A pair of Black Berkey water filters can filter approximately 23,000 litres of water before they need replacing.

Depending on how much filtered water your household uses, this means a set of filters can potentially last for many years. Actual lifespan will depend on your water consumption and the quality of the water being filtered.

Unlike filters that need replacing every few weeks or months, Black Berkey elements can also be cleaned. We recommend cleaning and re-priming your filters approximately every 12 months to help maintain their performance.

You can find further maintenance information and helpful videos in our FAQs.

Which Berkey should I choose?

Our main stainless-steel range includes five sizes:

All five systems work on the same gravity-fed principle, so choosing the right model is largely about finding the capacity that suits your household, available space and daily water consumption.

It's also important to consider how often you're likely to empty the lower chamber. We recommend refilling your Berkey when the lower chamber is empty, ideally around once a day or once every two days. This helps ensure the filtered water is regularly refreshed.

The right size, therefore, isn't necessarily the biggest system you can accommodate. Ideally, you want a capacity that reflects how much filtered water your household is likely to use within that timeframe.

Travel Berkey – 5.7 litres

Our Travel Berkey is the smallest stainless-steel Berkey system, with a capacity of 5.7 litres.

We recommend it for around 1–2 people. Its compact size makes it particularly useful for smaller kitchens and households that don't need large quantities of filtered water available at once.

As its name suggests, it's also a practical option when portability matters.

The Travel Berkey measures approximately 47cm high and 19.1cm in diameter.

Choose the Travel Berkey if: you're looking for our most compact stainless-steel system for one or two people.

View the Travel Berkey

Big Berkey – 8.5 litres

Our Big Berkey has an 8.5-litre capacity and is our bestselling system.

Designed for around 1–4 people, it offers more capacity than the Travel Berkey while remaining a manageable size for everyday household use.

At approximately 50cm high and 21.6cm in diameter, it's a good all-round choice if you want plenty of filtered water available without moving up to one of our larger systems.

Choose the Big Berkey if: you're looking for a versatile everyday water filtration system for a small to medium-sized household.

View the Big Berkey

Royal Berkey – 12 litres

Our Royal Berkey has a 12-litre capacity and is recommended for around 2–6 people.

The extra capacity makes it a particularly useful option for families and households that use filtered water throughout the day.

Remember that your daily water consumption isn't limited to glasses of drinking water. If you're using filtered water for cooking, filling reusable bottles and making tea and coffee, you may get through considerably more than you initially expect.

When choosing between models, consider how much filtered water your household is likely to use before the lower chamber is empty. Ideally, your chosen capacity should allow you to empty and refill the system around once a day or once every two days, helping to keep the water regularly refreshed.

Choose the Royal Berkey if: you have a family or a household with higher daily water consumption and want more capacity than the Big Berkey.

View the Royal Berkey

Imperial Berkey – 17 litres

Our Imperial Berkey has a generous 17-litre capacity and is recommended for approximately 4–8 people.

It's a good choice for larger families, shared households and other situations where significant quantities of filtered water are needed every day.

The Imperial can also accommodate additional Black Berkey purification elements if you need a higher filtration rate.

Naturally, a larger capacity also means a larger system, so it's worth checking the available space in your kitchen or wherever you plan to position your Berkey before choosing this model. It's also worth considering whether your household is likely to use this capacity within the recommended refill period.

Choose the Imperial Berkey if: you have a larger household with higher daily water consumption and prioritise capacity over having the most compact system.

View the Imperial Berkey

Crown Berkey – 23 litres

Our Crown Berkey is the largest system in the range, offering an impressive 23-litre capacity.

We recommend it for approximately 6–12 people, making it particularly well suited to large families, workplaces and other environments where there's a high demand for filtered water.

Like the Imperial, the Crown can accommodate additional Black Berkey elements if a greater filtration rate is required.

For a small household, this amount of capacity may simply be unnecessary. But if you have a lot of people using filtered water throughout the day, the Crown provides a much larger quantity while still allowing the system to be regularly emptied and refilled.

Choose the Crown Berkey if: you need maximum capacity for a large household, workplace or other high-demand setting.

View the Crown Berkey

Should I simply buy the biggest Berkey?

Not necessarily.

The best Berkey isn't automatically the biggest one. It's the system that best matches the way you use water.

Before choosing, consider three things.

How much filtered water will you use?

Think beyond drinking water. If you plan to use your Berkey water for cooking, hot drinks and reusable bottles as well, you'll probably use more each day than you expect.

How often should you refill your Berkey?

We recommend refilling your Berkey when the lower chamber is empty, ideally around once a day or once every two days. This helps ensure the filtered water is regularly refreshed.

Think about how much water your household is likely to use within that period. A system that's too small may need refilling several times throughout the day, while one that's unnecessarily large may hold more filtered water than your household will use within the recommended timeframe.

Choosing a capacity that reflects your normal water consumption will help you find the most practical size for your household.

How much space do you have?

Your Berkey will need somewhere practical to sit so you can easily use the tap. Check the dimensions of your preferred model against the space you have available.

We also offer Berkey stands, which raise the system and provide additional clearance beneath the tap for filling glasses and cups.

Do I need fluoride filters?

Our PF-2 Fluoride Filters are optional additional filters designed to be used alongside the main Black Berkey purification elements.

Whether you need them will depend on your local water supply and the substances you're specifically looking to reduce.

If fluoride is something you're concerned about, we recommend checking the water-quality information supplied by your local water provider first.

You can find more information about using your system and its filters in our FAQs.

So, which Berkey is right for you?

If you're still deciding, start with how much filtered water your household is likely to use each day and work from there. Ideally, choose a capacity that allows the lower chamber to be emptied and the system refilled around once a day or once every two days, helping to ensure your filtered water is regularly refreshed.

For one or two people or where space is limited, take a look at the Travel Berkey.

For a small to medium-sized household, our bestselling Big Berkey offers an excellent balance of capacity and size.

For families that use more filtered water throughout the day, the 12-litre Royal Berkey provides additional capacity.

For larger households, the 17-litre Imperial Berkey gives you considerably more water storage.

And for large families, workplaces and other high-demand environments, the 23-litre Crown Berkey is our largest option.

Whichever model you choose, you'll get the convenience of a free-standing, gravity-fed Berkey system without the need for electricity or permanent plumbing.

The key is choosing the capacity that best suits your household and the amount of filtered water you use, rather than simply opting for the largest system available.

Explore our full range of Berkey water filter systems