What do David Beeman, Joe Tan, and Markus Diebel have in common? Apart from possessing some of the world's most impressive resumes in water filtration and industrial design  (including work for Starbucks, Peet’s, Keurig, IDEO, and Incase), the answer is clean, beautiful water. The trio recently collaborated to create Soma, "an award-winning water filter that is innovative, eco-conscious, and convenient."

Soma Synthesizes Ease, Sustainability, and Beautiful Design

The first thing one notices about Soma is that it looks great. The intuitively-designed filter (it fits perfectly into the user's hand, just like a well-designed glass) perches atop the elegant glass carafe, giving the whole ensemble a clean, modern feel that complements any table, "be it a fancy dinner party or backyard BBQ."

Aesthetic appeal aside, Soma works wonderfully-improving the taste and safety of drinking water by reducing chlorine and lead. But that's not the half of it: Soma is the world's first water filter that's completely biodegradable, a feature that was especially important to Beeman, Tan, and Diebel, who had observed that a tremendous number of filters end up in landfills each year.

The earth-friendly formula for Soma includes coconut shell carbon, four layers of fine silk, and a plant based casing. Users may also participate in Soma's subscription-based filter replacement program. For less than 25 cents a day, Soma will deliver a fresh filter every two months.

Soma's filter also features a hands-free filter top and seal (the pressure from the faucet automatically opens the aperture).

$49 buys users the Soma carafe and two filters, with each replacement filter priced at $12.99. Not bad for clean, clear, delicious water that comes with a minimal environmental price tag.

For ordering information, contact Soma at 888-711-7662.

About the Manufacturer: Soma manufactures Soma, the world's first biodegradable water filter. Constructed of coconut shell carbon, four layers of fine silk, and a plant based casing, the filter biodegrades completely after use. Simply toss it into any green bin-"it will biodegrade completely in commercial composting facilities without negative environmental impacts." Soma's functional perfection is matched by its literal beauty-it comes standard with an elegant decanter-quality glass carafe.