Trying to predict Richard Branson's next business move is harder than winning the lottery. The man has conquered media, the airlines, and has now set his sights on your kitchen sink with his new Virgin Pure water filtration unit that promises a better H2O experience.
Virgin has actually teamed up with a company called Strauss Group to create two filtration units. First up, the $460 T6, which heats, chills, and purifies water using a triple filtration system including UV light. And then there's the slightly more expensive $590 T7, which has an improved chiller that can cool water 50% faster than the T6. Unlike a Brita pitcher, both models do need to be connected to your plumbing, but in the UK there's free installation for the time being.
The filters also need to be regularly changed to keep your drinking water as pure as possible, but buyers can opt into a 'WaterClub' whereby a monthly $18-$20 fee guarantees you replacements (including UV filters) as needed. Not as cheap as just drinking whatever comes out of the tap, but in the (very) long run it's probably more affordable than buying it bottled. And certainly more stylish. [Virgin Pure via Ubergizmo]