Reverse Osmosis vs Distilled Water: Which Is Better?

Let RO water take the cake and Distilled water have the pizza. 

The key differences between reverse osmosis and distilled water lie in factors like: purity level, process, mineral content, taste, smell, upkeep, environmental impact, and application. 

Then again, they have one distinct similarity- that’s purity! 

So, whenever water wants to wipe the clean slate, it ends up calling Reverse Osmosis or Distiller for help. 

Both share a similar passion for purification. They work like water’s personal detox guards. The guards dive deep into the action and clear up all sorts of contaminants just to:

• Deliver pure water right to your glass!

Studies show that-

“1 in every 300 people get sick from drinking contaminated water.” [Source: CDC] 

Besides health, safer water is essential for home, equipment, fish, plants, and nature. 

Reverse osmosis and distilled water give you that. 

But they have different traits and processes. These are what set them apart.

Reverse Osmosis vs. Distilled Water: Key Comparisons

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Explained

Enemy of almost all contaminants.

Reverse Osmosis water is water purified by Reverse Osmosis technology. Being a multi-tasker, such a tech purifies water up to 95+% and somewhat softens it.

It comes in a device.

The device uses a semi-porous membrane, which does the main job. It’s a filter that blocks visible and invisible impurities and allows cleaner water molecules to move. 

That way, you relish refreshing, smooth-tasting Reverse Osmosis water out of the faucet. 

The RO water is free of almost all contaminants. 

As per a research, the impurities RO system filters out are:

• Biological contaminants like bacteria and germs
• Chemicals like minerals and chlorine 
• Volatile Organic Compounds like formaldehyde 
• Dissolved salts
• Agents and additives
• Heavy metals like arsenic 
• Particulate matter

Process

It uses ultra-high pressure of 45+ psi and pushes impure water through the semi-porous membrane. This special component traps and eliminates the contaminants. 

Reverse osmosis water filter works mainly in 3 stages. 

1. Pre-Filters

Water first passes through the pre-filters as it enters the RO system. They catch bigger particles like sand silt and sediment.

2. Semi-Porous Filter 

Then the water faces the semi-permeable filter. It blocks tiny and invisible impurities like- chemicals, minerals, and microbes.

3. Post-Filters

The water becomes clean by then. However, it goes through post-filters lastly. They help remove odors and bad taste before reaching the faucet. 

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Benefits

• Filters a variety of contaminants up to 95%.
• The water smells and tastes better. 
• Enhanced flavor profiles for cooking and drinking. 

Limitations

• Water wastage during the process. 
• Remove beneficial minerals.
  

Distilled Water Explained

Super pure water.

Distilled water is water purified and softened with a process called distillation. This is mainly done for medical or chemical purposes. 

It’s a rigorous process that triggers the water to remove all sorts of impurities, including minerals and chemicals. So, you have both pure and soft water. 

Distillation mainly involves boiling and steaming. These two help separate the contaminants and make water extremely pure up to 99.5%.

Distilled water is super safe to drink. But the taste is bland enough to not impress your buds. 

Research shows that distillation helps allow water to be free of both organic and inorganic substances like:

• Contaminants like bacteria, germs, and viruses. 
• Heavy metals like iron, lead, and nitrate
• Minerals like calcium and magnesium 
• Particulate matter
• Salts 

Process

Distillation purifies water simply through boiling. The steam that comes out of it works to separate the contaminants. 

Evaporation

Water is heated until it reaches a boiling point. 

The boiling turns water into steam. This happens at 100°C (212°F). 

The steam rises and gets inside a chamber leaving behind all the impurities in the hot pot. 

Condensation

Next, steam travels through a tube. 

This tube collects the vapor and stores it in a cooler chamber. It causes the steam to lose heat. 

As the vapor cools down, it turns back into liquid water. 

Storage

Finally, the water drops into a clean container. It’s now distilled meaning pure and safe. 

Benefits

• Removes contaminants up to over 99%. 
• Prevents scale buildup and other hard water issues. 
• Keeps water pH-balanced at 7.

Limitations 

• Lack of good minerals
• Bland and flat taste

 

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Comparative Analysis: Reverse Osmosis vs. Distilled Water

Purity Levels

Distilled water is purer than RO water.

Reverse Osmosis systems remove contaminants up to up to 95+%. The combination of higher pressure and a semi-porous filter helps with it. 

So, it’s pretty pure. 

Then again, the purity levels can vary based on the quality of the system and filter type. Many RO systems have additional filters for extra purification. 

Most devices don’t remove all minerals. That’s why, it’s not entirely pure but safe and healthy enough to drink. 

Distilled water is pure up to 99.5%. It’s purified by boiling water and catching the steam. 

The evaporation helps separate the impurities that stay in the pot while the steam goes to a cooling chamber that turns into pure liquid. 

A distiller vanishes all kinds of contaminants including microbes, chemicals, and minerals. 

Winner: Distilled Water 

Purification Process

Both have different processes. RO system uses a device, particularly a filter while Distillation works through boiling and evaporation. 

Reverse osmosis water faces three filters to do the job. It works like this: water passes through a pre-filter for bigger particles, a semi-permeable filter for invisible substances, and post-filters for odors and bad taste. 

This process eliminates every bad thing: chemicals, microbes, a bit of mineral, bad taste, and smell. 

Distilled water goes through boiling temperature. You take regular water and heat it up at 100°C. The steam rises and separates from all kinds of contaminants. 

This includes microbes, minerals, and chemicals. The steam goes to a container where it cools down and turns into distilled water. 

Winner: Tie 

Impacts On Taste and Smell

Reverse osmosis water tastes and smells way better than distilled water.

The RO tech helps make the water taste smoother and smell neutral. The reason is that the filter removes almost all the impurities. There can be a bit of minerals but the amount isn’t enough to make the water bitter. 

However, Distiller water is pure H2O. So, it lacks taste and flavor. The process eliminates 99.5% substances. However, the little trace can leave some faint smell, mostly chemical. 

Winner: Reverse Osmosis 

Mineral Content 

Distilled water has no minerals while reverse osmosis water may have a bit of it. 

Water tends to turn hard as it flows through groundwater. It collects rock deposits like:

• Gypsum and 
• Limestone

These are the sources of minerals that include calcium and magnesium. They can be both bad and good. 

• Bad because it affects the home, skin, and hair. 
• Good because it carries some nutritional value. 

RO system strips away a lot of minerals but some may stay in the water. So, it can stay slightly hard, which can cause problems like: 

• White stains
• Limescale buildup
• Shorter lifespan of appliances
• Corroded plumbing system, and 
• Impacts on skin/hair
• Impacts on flavor profiles 

Distilled water doesn’t have any minerals. The process eliminates all the minerals. 

Since there won’t be any minerals, the water will stay pure and soft. This means you don’t have to deal with hard water issues. 

Then again, the water lacks good minerals too. So, if you wish to get some minerals from water, distilled water isn’t a good option. 

In that case, RO water can be a good pick. You can even have a demineralization filter in a Reverse Osmosis system to get beneficial minerals back into the water. 

Winner: RO system for demineralization filter and Distiller for mineral-free. 

Environmental Impact

Distillation and RO systems- both have different impacts on nature. 

Reverse Osmosis technology wastes water. That’s the main issue. US EPA even highlights that:

“The RO system wastes 3 to 10 gallons for every gallon purified.”

That’s a lot of water wastage. It increases water shortage. 

Besides, the device uses a good amount of electricity to produce water. Stats say-

“RO can consume 3 to 10 kWh of electric energy to produce one cubic meter (1000 liter) of pure water.”

It’s a lot but less than what distilled water uses. 

However, some advanced membranes can filter water efficiently and reduce water waste. They use less energy and low quantities of water to purify it. So, you can opt for that. 

Distilled water uses a lot of energy. 

Researchers say:

A small 4-5 liter distiller uses a 1,000-watt heating element. However, it produces only about 1 liter of distilled water every hour. 

This shows that the process involves consuming huge amounts of electricity to generate a small amount of distilled water. Moreover, the process is slow. So, it can add up to the electricity bill. 

All these factors make the distilled water energy and cost-intensive. 

Moreover, the distillation process has other impacts: 

Water Wastage: It leads to the possibility of water scarcity.

Material Use: Distillation equipment materials have environmental impacts. For instance: extraction and disposal.

Winner: Reverse Osmosis 

Maintenance 

RO system needs regular maintenance. 

The filter collects contaminants that can turn into deposits inside the tank. This can result in problems like clogging, leakage, and bad water. 

For this regular upkeep is a must. 

For instance- 

• Changing the filter twice a year
• Inspecting the membrane every 2 years
• Replacing the membrane every 2-5 years if needed.
• Keeping the storage tank and faucet clean regularly.

The Distiller doesn’t require much upkeep. If you’re distilling at home, a simple occasional cleaning will do. And it generally has no complicated process. 

You can even buy distilled water and don’t have to worry about maintenance.

Winner: Distilled Water

• Don’t know if you have contaminated water? Contact NJ Water Systems experts to test it

Applications and Recommendations

Drinking Water

Health Considerations

Both RO and distilled water have health benefits with a few drawbacks. 

The two remove almost all the contaminants. So, both are super safe to consume. 

Drinking pure water has several health perks anyway since it keeps you hydrated and protects you from impurities. You get these perks from both options. 

However, mineral-wise, the scenario is different. 

RO water is free of most minerals while distilled water is free of all minerals. 

Minerals can be beneficial for health as they’re linked to bone health and energy. 

If you want some minerals, RO system is a better pick than Distilled water.

It’s because the latter comes boiled and condensed which eliminates beneficial minerals. This can affect electrolyte balance too. 

Winner: Reverse Osmosis 

Taste Preferences

Minerals have a huge influence on water flavor.

Lots of minerals can make the water bitter. However, a little of them gives water a smoother taste.

You get that from reverse osmosis.

Distilled water tastes just flat, because it doesn’t have any minerals. So, taste-wise, RO is a better pick. 

Winner: Reverse Osmosis 

Laboratory Use

Distilled water has huge demands in laboratories. 

The reason is that experiments require the highest level of purity- something distilled water can offer. It purifies water over 99%. 

Contaminant-free water makes it pH-balanced. This is ideal for chemical reactions and sensitive analysis. 

Using distilled water also ensures the experiments and outputs are consistent and give accurate results. 

However, with RO, it’s a bad pick. It’s because RO doesn’t eliminate all the substances, especially minerals. This makes RO water ineffective for lab use. 

Winner: Distilled Water 

Plants

For plants, the choice between reverse osmosis and distilled water can affect health. 

RO water has some beneficial minerals for plant growth. They help plants thrive depending on the system used. 

Distilled water lacks minerals. So, they aren’t ideal for almost all plants. 

Then again, some may not enjoy the nutritional benefits of minerals. For instance: Alpine pioneer plant species are mineral sensitive. 

In that case, distilled water can be a better pick. 

Winner: Reverse Osmosis 

CPAP Machines 

You must use the water type the manufacturer suggests for CPAP machines.

Most manufacturers recommend using distilled water. The reason is that they help prevent mineral buildup inside the machine. 

If you use RO water, the little traces of minerals can clog the machine over time. 

Winner: Distilled Water 

Best Uses: When to Choose Reverse Osmosis vs. Distilled Water

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it healthy to drink reverse osmosis water?

Yes. Reverse osmosis water is free of impurities like microbes and chemicals. This makes it safer to drink. Moreover, RO water has some traces of minerals that offer some health benefits. 

Is distilled water better than RO water for batteries?

Yes. Distilled water removes all sorts of impurities including minerals that can cause corrosion. Meanwhile, RO water has a little mineral in it. 

This makes distilled water better for batteries than RO. 

What is the difference between RO and deionized (DI) water?

The key differences between reverse osmosis and deionized water lie in:  purity level, purification process, mineral content, and application. 

What’s the best filter to reduce water hardness? 

If you want to reduce minerals and water hardness, try water softener. This is one of the best filters that help lower hardness levels. 

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