Best Water Purifier in UAE – RO vs UV Explained

The best water purifier is a must in every single home in UAE. Not that the water is unsafe, but for you to be extra safe about the health of your loved ones. To keep all sorts of waterborne diseases at bay, you can choose from the top water purifier brands like Kent, Xiaomi, Forbes and more. Only intensive and constant 48+ hours have brought to light these brands which are the best in the market. With the different types available each of which uses different purification methods. All that is left for you to do is check out the most suitable one for you. Keep your health and immune system in top condition with these water purifiers. And say bye-bye to any waterborne diseases caused by consuming contaminated water.

Related: Best Water Dispenser in UAE – Expert Recommendation [2022]

Best Water Purifier in UAE – Quick List

Jump to Detailed Reviews

RO Water Purifier Vs UV Water Purifier

Before you purchase a water purifier, check the different types available. This, in turn, will help you to purchase the right one. The three major water purifiers are Reverse Osmosis (RO), Ultraviolet (UV), and UltraFiltration (UF). This article focuses on RO and UV water purifiers as they’re better options. Once you know the difference, it will be easy to pick the purifier that suits your needs.

RO Water Purifier	UV Water Purifier
Kills and eliminates all the bacteria and viruses from the water.	Kills all the bacteria and viruses. But their dead bodies remain in the water, unlike RO purifiers.
It requires electricity to operate.	Requires electricity to operate.
Eliminates the dissolved salts.	Can’t remove the dissolved salts.
Needs electricity to boost tap water pressure.	It can work with normal tap water pressure.
It has a pre-filtration system to work with dirty water.	The water should be clear for UV to work.

RO Water Purifier

Firstly, Reverse Osmosis (RO) water purifiers require power to work, meaning they cannot function without electricity. Secondly, RO is the only water purification system that removes the total dissolved solids in water. Thirdly, most RO water purifiers have the pre-filtration feature. This feature enables it to purify dirty or muddy water. However, RO purifiers are not capable of desalination. Desalination is the process of converting saline water into fresh water. Furthermore, RO purifiers require a lot of water. This leads to more water wastage in comparison to UV water purifiers. However, you can always use this wastewater for mopping your house and watering your plants.

UV Water Purifier

Now let’s move on to Ultraviolet (UV) water purifiers. In the first place, UV water purifiers can’t remove the dissolved salts present in the water. Which is probably the biggest difference between UV and RO water purifiers. Hence, you should purchase a UV purifier only when you receive water from a public or municipality water supply. Purchase an RO water purifier in case you’re not sure about the TDS levels in the water. Further, UV technology is chemical-free. It can kill all the bacteria and viruses present in the water. But the issue is that the dead bodies of these bacteria will outlive in the water, unlike RO purifiers. UV purifiers can eliminate 99.99% of the bacteria present in the water.

When the water passes around the UV bulb. The UV rays will pass through the cells of the bacteria, viruses, and cysts and kill them. Although UV water purifiers require electricity to operate they don’t consume much electricity. Another thing to note is that UV water purifiers can’t work with dirt or Turbid water. The dust particles present in the water can shield the bacteria even against powerful UV rays.

Without further ado, let’s dive into some of the best water purifiers for safe drinking water. Choose one that fits your requirements and budget. Reading the features of all the products will help in making a choice.

Rank 1: Kent Grand + RO Water Purifier

Kent Grand + is the highest-selling water purifier with futuristic double purification technology. This is the reason it’s one of the best water purifiers in UAE.

• Mineral RO Technology: Kent’s Mineral RO technology retains the essential natural minerals in purified water using the TDS Controller. Thus providing 100% safe and tasty drinking water.
• Multistage Purification Process: The multistage process consists of RO+UV+UF+TDS Control+UV disinfection in the storage tank. Hence, drinking water is 100% safe for consumption. This process not only removes dissolved impurities such as chemicals and salts but also bacteria and viruses. Moreover, it also improves the taste of water.
• High Storage and Purification Capacity: Kent Grand + has 9 litres of purified water storage capacity. Its high purification capacity of more than 20L/hr helps in providing purified water at a faster rate. Thereby, making it easily available for you.
• In-tank UV Disinfection: The Kent Grand + comes with an in-tank UV disinfection feature. This helps in keeping the stored water in the storage tank free of contaminants. That too for a longer period of time.
• Save Water Technology: Conventional RO purifiers retain only a small quantity of water as purified. Kent’s save water technology uses a computer-controlled process to recover more water as purified. Moreover, the rejected water is stored in a separate tank which can be utilized for mopping and washing.
• Price: The Kent Grand + RO water purifier is available for around AED 1,600.

Rank 2: Milano RO Plus UV Water Purifier

• Compact Design: The main attraction of the Milano RO plus UV water purifier is that it’s very compact. The compact, modern and fashionable Italian design makes it suitable for every household.
• 5-Stage Water Purification: It uses 5-stage water purification to ensure clean and safe drinking water.
• Double Protection: This amazing piece uses both RO as well as UV technology. Hence, one device offers double protection.
• UV Lamp: The post-UV lamp kills all the microorganisms that are left out during the filtration process.
• Price: Milano RO Plus Water Purifier is available for approximately AED 920.

Now that you’ve seen some of the best water purifiers in UAE, you can go ahead and make your choice. If you’re considering a water purifier for the first time or are new to buying one for yourself then take a look at the most frequently asked questions below.

Water Purifier FAQs

RO Water Purifier Disadvantages & How to Address them

RO water purifiers do help you make otherwise polluted water of drinkable quality but come with their own set of challenges. An RO purifier in its quest to destroy bacteria and other pollutants gives birth to two issues.

Demineralised Water

The term ‘demineralised water’ refers to specially purified water that undergoes processes that removes most of or all of its mineral and salt ions. The minerals and salts include magnesium, calcium, sodium chloride, sulphate, nitrate, and bicarbonate. This is achieved in two ways, firstly, through a demineralisation plant and second through electro-deionisation plants. The latter, just like the first, uses ion-exchange Resins but passes an additional electric current to keep the Resin regenerated. In RO systems water is pressurised and forced down through somewhat semi-permeable membranes. These membranes retain the mineral ions and other impurities.

To address this issue many water purifiers come with an alkalinization stage. If not you can always buy one from the market and it shall last from 6 to 12 months based on your water usage. Another way is to add electrolyte blends or trace mineral drops that add copper, manganese, selenium, iron, calcium, and magnesium back into your demineralised water. If that seems like too much you can add a pinch of Himalayan salt to each gallon of filtered water (no it won’t make the water salty).

Lower pH level of Water

Water can be alkaline or acidic depending on the source. RO systems reduce the pH of water. This happens due to the lack of minerals in the water. The water reacts with carbon dioxide when exposed to air and forms carbolic acids, that ultimately lower the pH. The greater the amount of carbon dioxide in your water, the greater the drop in the pH level.

This is no reason to stay alarmed, a couple of specs of baking soda work perfectly fine to neutralize a glassful of RO water. In any case, the low pH isn’t of great concern as we consume many acidic beverages in our daily lives. In fact, most carbonated drinks have a pH value of 2.5 while coffee clocks in at 4. That being said consuming alkaline purified water can help boost weight loss. Again, an alkaline re-mineraliser cartridge on the RO system should do the trick!

Is Tap Water Safe in UAE?

In the UAE, water comes from desalination. FYI, desalination is a process that takes away mineral components from saline water. Tap water is safe to drink in UAE as long as pipes storing and bringing water to the home are clean and in good condition. Dubai’s utility companies have said this as there is a high risk of corrosion and contamination. This is the main reason why people prefer RO water purifiers and bottled water. People claim that water from the water plant reaches their house after travelling 50kms long pipeline network. Which is very difficult even for the authorities to monitor.

Further, once the water reaches, it’s pumped and stored in a water tank on the terrace of the building. From there it travels through more pipes within the building walls and finally to the tap. Concerned about the quality of water yet? Well, you should be. Consider this, the water travels through many kilometres pipes with unknown levels of contamination. Then a few meters of pipe reach the tank. To add to this mix, most likely you are unaware as to whether the tank has been cleaned or not, and if so, how often? Nobody knows. Again a few more pipes after that and then the water from the tap into your glass. Do you still think that this water is safe to drink? No. It isn’t. The unknown contamination along the pipes is a cause for worry. Hence an RO water filter is recommended.

Say No to Bottled Water

I understand that it’s a little difficult to stop using bottled water completely. Since bottled water was made to look trendy in the 1980s, many people have become used to buying it. Unfortunately, there are numerous environmental concerns with bottled water. The fact is that single-use plastic bottles cannot be broken down. Due to this, they stay on Earth and in oceans for hundreds of years. Thereby the fish-eating it and all of this ending up on our plates (if you’re a fish eater). It’s a cycle that follows and while people are realizing its impact and how hazardous plastic is, little is being done to alter its course.

The production of bottled water consumes energy, pollutes the environment and contributes to global warming. Sure there are biodegradable plastic bottles out there, but are you truly willing to pay double the amount to save the environment each time you buy water?

The production of plastic bottles uses a lot of energy. Additionally, it emits toxic chemicals which cycle back to pollute our drinking water. Transportation of bottled water across the earth releases dangerous amounts of carbon dioxide in the air. Hence, hindering our efforts to combat climate change. Thus, you see how risky plastic can be. Say no to bottled water and get an RO water purifier at home. It’s that simple to use and convenient. Carry your own water from home instead of purchasing bottled water from out.

Say Hello to Safe Drinking Water

If you want to live a healthy life then you need to drink purified water daily. This is one of the most essential things to consider. Above all, I hope this article is helpful to you in opting for the best water purifier in UAE. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine stated a crucial thing about water. Firstly, adequate daily fluid intake should be 15.5 cups i.e 3.7 liters for men. Secondly, for women, it should be 11.5 cups which is 2.7 liters daily.

Body Water Percentage

As a matter of fact, up to 60% of the human adult body is water. The brain and heart are composed of 73% water. In fact, the skin itself contains 64% water while the lungs contain about 83% water. The muscles and kidneys contain 79% water. Lastly, the bones contain 31% water. 

Since you’ve seen the differences between the various purification technologies, make a choice depending on your requirements. But, an RO water purifier would be a better option for you. If you feel the need for a RO+UV water purifier then you can purchase this one. The choice is all yours.

The air that you breathe is just as important as the water you drink. Hence, grab the best air purifiers in UAE to breathe clean and pollution-free air.