A. Soft granular charcoal filters are throw-away devices available in supermarkets and retail stores throughout the United States. They are not as effective as Multipure’s Solid Carbon Block filter technology that are more robust and effective in water filtration. Most popular brands are quick fix, throw-away, low capacity filters that are almost exclusively loose granular charcoal (movable) allowing bypass and bacteria to build up over time. They are more expensive at $0.50 per gallon compared to $0.09 per gallon for Multipure Solid Block Carbon filters. Used consistently, it means that you save $518 on average for a family of four over a one year period.