Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Alb Filter vs Doulton
Where Alb Filter and Doulton differ
| Compare |  Alb Filter | Doulton ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Filter system | Tap | Under sink |
| Reference models | Alb Filter Duo Active, Alb Filter Duo Active Plus, Alb Filter Untertisch Element Active, Alb Filter Untertisch Element Fusion | Doulton Kingfisher Under Sink Water Filter System with Biotect Ultra; Doulton Countertop Water Filter System with Biotect Ultra; Doulton HIP DUO Under Sink Water Filter System with Biotect Ultra; Doulton HIP TRIO Under Sink Water Filter System with Biotect Ultra |
| Price from | €118.90 | €26.45Lower |
| Cartridge price | €25.90Lower | €50.95 |
| Cartridge life (l) | 3,000 to 5,000Higher | 2,300 |
| Filter cost per year | €77.70Lower | €101.90 |
| Certification scope | Nano cartridge certified to ASTM F838-15A, permitted even in public facilities with acute Legionella contamination | Biotect Ultra cartridge certified in the Kingfisher Biotect Ultra Inline Water Filter System, plus NSF/ANSI/CAN 372; WRAS approved products |
| Warranty | 10 yearsHigher | 5 years |
| Markets | DE, AT, BE, DK, LU, NL, PL, FR, ES, IT, HU, SK, SI, SE, AD, SM, VA, BG, HR, CY, EE, FI, GR, IE, LV, LT, MT, PT, RO, CH, GB, LI, NO, UACovers more | GB |
Same on both: PFAS and lead reduction (Yes), Installation required (Yes).
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Key differences
- Doulton scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 9.2.
- Price from is lower at Doulton: €26.45 vs €118.90.
- Cartridge price is lower at Alb Filter: €25.90 vs €50.95.
- Cartridge life (l) is higher at Alb Filter: 3,000 to 5,000 vs 2,300.
- Filter cost per year is lower at Alb Filter: €77.70 vs €101.90.
- Warranty is higher at Alb Filter: 10 years vs 5 years.
- Founded is lower at Doulton: 1826 vs 2016.
- Alb Filter is available in 33 more countries.
- Markets: only Alb Filter offers DE, AT, BE.
Our verdict on each
Alb Filter
Alb Filter suits households that want a fixed tap unit with a long warranty and a cartridge they can reorder, and the fit is strongest across the European markets it ships to. It scores 9.2, with the value sitting in the cartridge at €25.90 and a 10 year warranty rather than the ticket price.
Doulton
Doulton suits households in the GB market that want a certified under-sink filter without paying reverse osmosis money. Entry prices start at €26.45, and the strength is that opening cost plus stated certification, while replacement cartridges at €50.95 each are the running cost to plan for.
Score breakdown
| Area | Alb Filter | Doulton |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4HigherEntry at €118.90 and €77.70 a year in cartridges, for a cost part of 9.4. | 9.2Entry at €26.45 is low, but €50.95 per cartridge and €101.90 a year push the running cost up. |
| Offer | 9.4HigherA 3,000 to 5,000 litre cartridge with PFAS and lead reduction, and a 10 year warranty, for an offer part of 9.4. | 9.3Reference models span under sink and countertop Biotect Ultra systems, and lead and PFAS reduction is stated. |
| Trust | 8.5A named legal entity in DE with support on email, phone and help centre, for a trust part of 8.5. | 9.6HigherNSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 certification and WRAS approvals, a 5 year warranty, and support on email, phone and help centre. |
Which one suits you
Pick Alb Filter if cartridge price, cartridge life (l), and filter cost per year matter most.
Pick Doulton if price from matter most.
The numbers side by side
| Fact | Alb Filter | Doulton |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €118.90 | €26.45 |
| Cartridge price | €25.90 | €50.95 |
| Cartridge life (l) | 3,000 to 5,000 | 2,300 |
| Filter cost per year | €77.70 | €101.90 |
| Warranty | 10 years | 5 years |
Availability and regulation
| Country | Alb Filter | Doulton |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Germany | United Kingdom |
Available in 1 country for both. Additional countries for Alb Filter: 33.
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | Alb Filter | Doulton |
|---|---|---|
| Water filters | 11 of 68 | 8 of 68 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Alb Filter | Doulton |
|---|---|---|
| NSF/ANSI standards | Not confirmed | 42, 53, 401 |
| Legal entity | Blaufaktor GmbH & Co. KG | Doulton Water Filters Limited |
| Headquarters | Germany | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2016 | 1826Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre | Email, Phone, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Alb Filter | Doulton | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | €118.90above the median | €26.45lowest quarter | €77.77 |
| Cartridge price | €25.90below the median | €50.95highest quarter | €35 |
| Cartridge life (l) | 3,000 to 5,000highest quarter | 2,300below the median | 2,862.5 |
| Filter cost per year | €77.70below the median | €101.90above the median | €99.99 |
| Warranty | 10 yearshighest quarter | 5 yearshighest quarter | 2 years |
Median across 47 listed brands.
Pros and cons
Alb Filter
Pros
- The Nano cartridge at the centre of the range carries an ASTM certification, and that scope even permits use in public facilities with acute Legionella contamination.
- A cartridge at €25.90 ranks 9 of 50 on cartridge price, ahead of the same brand's entry price placement at 25 of 52.
- PFAS and lead reduction is specified for the cartridge at the centre of the range, so the reduction claim sits on the part you actually replace.
Cons
- Entry price of €118.90 ranks 25 of 52, so this is a mid range ticket rather than a low one.
- Yearly filter spend of €77.70 sits mid field at 17 of 46, which is a softer placement than the cartridge price alone would suggest.
- The tap format is not reverse osmosis, so readers set on Waterdrop (EU) or Culligan Consumer Products will find a different design.
Doulton
Pros
- Entry price of €26.45 ranks at position 6 of 52 brands, so the opening outlay is low.
- Certification is stated: NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 standards on the cartridges, plus WRAS approved products in the range.
- Lead and PFAS reduction is claimed for the cartridges, which is the reason many households look at a filter at all.
Cons
- Renewal cost is the catch: the Biotect Ultra cartridge is €50.95 and the yearly filter cost is €101.90, ranking 29 of 46 brands.
- Cartridge life of 2,300 litres sits below the site median 2,512.5 litres, so swaps arrive sooner than with the longer lived filters listed here.
- Installation is required for the under sink format, so it is not a countertop drop in.
Who each suits
Alb Filter
Who it suits
- Households in the markets Alb Filter ships to that want a permanent tap fitting rather than a unit they carry between flats.
- Readers who care what a certification actually covers, since the Nano cartridge carries an ASTM certification whose scope even reaches public facilities with acute Legionella contamination.
- People filtering at the tap for PFAS and lead, since reduction of both is specified for the cartridge at the centre of the range.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers set on reverse osmosis, because Waterdrop (EU) and Culligan Consumer Products both run that filter system while the range here is tap.
- Renters who cannot drill a tap fitting, since installation is required here and IBBL runs a countertop system instead.
Doulton
Who it suits
- Households in the GB market that want a under sink filter and care about stated certification.
- Buyers who budget for the running cost, since cartridge price and the yearly figure set the refill bill from the start.
- People who want phone and written help, as support runs on email, phone and help centre.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for anyone set on reverse osmosis: Culligan Consumer Products runs reverse osmosis systems, so that buyer should compare there instead.
- Not for kitchens without a plumbed spot, since installation is required for the under sink formats; IBBL offers a countertop setup that needs no fitting.
- Not for buyers who prefer the reverse osmosis route Waterdrop（EU）takes, which filters differently from the Biotect Ultra cartridges Doulton uses.
Current offers
Doulton
Current offer
Discount code
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Source, checked September 30, 2026
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Country by country
| Country | Alb Filter | Doulton |
|---|---|---|
| Andorra | Yes | No |
| Austria | Yes | No |
| Belgium | Yes | No |
| Bulgaria | Yes | No |
| Croatia | Yes | No |
| Cyprus | Yes | No |
| Denmark | Yes | No |
| Estonia | Yes | No |
8 of 34 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
Alb Filter
What does an Alb Filter tap filter cost to buy?+
There is a single purchase price for the hardware. Drinking water filter units in the range start at €118.90, and that covers the fitting itself. Nothing renews on a schedule, so the second figure a buyer meets is the replacement cartridge at €25.90, ordered only when the fitted cartridge nears the end of its life.
What does it cost to keep filtering year after year?+
The cartridge line is the real running cost. A replacement cartridge is €25.90, and the range works out at €77.70 a year of filtering. The Nano cartridge is rated for 3,000 to 5,000 litres, so the number of orders a year depends on how much your household runs the tap and on your local water quality.
Doulton
How much does a Doulton water filter cost to start with?+
Doulton's range starts at €26.45, and that entry figure sits at position 6 of 52 brands listed, so the opening outlay is among the lower ones here. The systems sold are under sink units built around Biotect Ultra cartridges, so the starting cost buys the housing and the filtration cartridge.
What do Doulton replacement cartridges cost over a year?+
A Biotect Ultra replacement cartridge is €50.95, and the yearly filter cost for the range is €101.90. That running figure is the one to plan for, and it ranks 29 of 46 brands listed, which puts Doulton toward the dearer end once refills are counted.