In-Ground Cartridge Filters matchup
Hayward StarClear Plus 120 sq ft Cartridge Filter vs Pentair Clean & Clear RP 100 sq ft Cartridge Filter
the tested one against the cheap one — $279 and 20 sq ft apart
Tale of the tape — this fight hasn't been booked yet
No showdown has ruled between these two. What follows is the verified data, not a verdict.
Ringside notes
The Hayward StarClear Plus 120 is the only single-element filter in this category that a credentialed outlet has physically tested — Bob Vila made it Best Overall, on named authors and real residential pools. The Pentair Clean & Clear RP 100 is $279 cheaper and covers 20 sq ft less. On complaint rate the Pentair is actually the cleaner of the two, 5.8% against 6.9%, though on much less evidence: 52 owners to Hayward's 954. Critical rates, all seven read signed in on one day: Hayward StarClear 50 3.6%, Jandy CS100 5.0%, Pentair Clean & Clear RP 100 5.8%, Hayward StarClear Plus 120 6.9%, Pentair CC 200 7.9%, Pentair CC 150 12.1%, Doheny's Harris 150 12.3%. Two things decide it. FIRST, the Hayward's 954-rating base is POOLED across five variants from 90 to 175 sq ft, so it describes the StarClear Plus line rather than the 120 — a deep number that is less specific than it looks. And Hayward sells this exact 120 sq ft filter under THREE model numbers on one listing, W3C12002 at $853.97 against W3C1200 at $1,099.99, so which line of the size dropdown you click is worth $246 before the brands are even compared. SECOND, the warranties work in opposite directions. Hayward's W3 online SKU gives one year parts with no labor. Pentair's base term is sixty days and only the EC- prefixed SKU gets a full year, so buying the wrong Pentair SKU costs you ten months of coverage. Buy on size: at around 10,000 gallons the Pentair is the sensible purchase, and at 12,000 or on a pool you would rather oversize, the Hayward is.
Tale of the tape
| Model | Best for | Warranty | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | 1 yr parts, no labor on the W3 online SKU | ~$854typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| Best value | 1 yr parts on the EC- SKU; 60 days on the plain SKU bought online | ~$575typical at AmazonCheck price → |
Prices move constantly — any Amazon price shown is as of the date noted and subject to change; tap through for today's number.
Prices move constantly — tap through for today's number.
What would decide it
- Owner proof: Hayward StarClear Plus 120 sq ft Cartridge Filter reads 4.6★ across 954 owners; Pentair Clean & Clear RP 100 sq ft Cartridge Filter reads 4.5★ across 52. Depth of sample matters as much as the star.
- The money: Hayward StarClear Plus 120 sq ft Cartridge Filter streets ~$854, Pentair Clean & Clear RP 100 sq ft Cartridge Filter ~$575 — MSRPs, not sale lows, decide the tier.
- Hayward StarClear Plus 120 sq ft Cartridge Filter — your pick if: you want the filter with the most independent coverage in the category and you are willing to read a size selector carefully enough to save $246 on the identical unit.
- Pentair Clean & Clear RP 100 sq ft Cartridge Filter — your pick if: you have a pool around 10,000 gallons and want a major brand's filter without paying four figures — and you are buying the EC- prefixed SKU, because the plain one drops your warranty to sixty days.
The full cards
Your pick if you want the filter with the most independent coverage in the category and you are willing to read a size selector carefully enough to save $246 on the identical unit.
“Sparkling clear water and required no filter changes. I live in a dusty desert environment so there is a severe particulate challenge for any filter device. I am enormously happy with the small size. It is tiny compared to the 120 gpm going through it. Now to the problem. The exterior has already deteriorated. It is exposed to sunlight. The surface is discolored, uneven and is chalkish.”— an engineer, 3★, Amazon
Pro review “Right after installation, we noticed a major improvement in water clarity and jet pressure throughout the pool.”Hands-on tested on a residential pool (Best Overall); rated Installation 4.8/5, Performance 5/5, Maintenance 5/5, Value 5/5. Quote re-verified verbatim on the live page 2026-09-04.— Tony Carrick, Paul Rankin & Stephanie Cronk, Bob Vila
- The only single-element filter in this roundup hands-on tested by a credentialed outlet, and Bob Vila's Best Overall
- $246 cheaper than the identical 120 sq ft filter sold under the W3C1200 SKU on the same listing
- Single-knob closure with no clamp band or bolts, which is genuinely quicker to open than a clamp ring
- In stock at the cheap SKU while the expensive one runs to single units
- 6.9% critical rate on the deepest owner record in the category
- Its headline 4.6 stars across 954 is POOLED across five variants from 90 to 175 sq ft — it does not describe this filter alone
- Three separate SKUs exist for this one 120 sq ft size, $246 apart, and nothing on the listing explains why
- Owners report the internal tie rod rusting within two seasons and the exterior chalking in sun within three
- One owner describes the closure threads stripping on a ten-year-old unit and the top leaving the tank hard enough to injure him
- Several owners could not remove the cartridge at all — on a filter class sold on being easy to clean
Arrival damage, a rusting tie rod, and a seized cartridge on a filter sold as easy to clean
66 of the pooled 954 ratings are critical (6.9%), read signed-in 2026-08-26, no Vine. Arrival damage recurs; the tie rod rusts within two seasons on the larger sizes; several owners could not lift the cartridge out at all. One ten-year-old unit's threads stripped and the top left the tank, injuring its owner — service life rather than a defect, and the reason we published a separate guide on filters as pressure vessels. · critical reviews read August 2026
Your pick if you have a pool around 10,000 gallons and want a major brand's filter without paying four figures — and you are buying the EC- prefixed SKU, because the plain one drops your warranty to sixty days.
- The cheapest filter from a major brand in this roundup, at about $575
- 5.8% critical rate on 52 owners — among the lowest here
- The EC- SKU carries a full year online where the plain TradeGrade SKU gets sixty days
- Sized for the most common in-ground pool volume at the standard rule of thumb
- The listing photograph shows the larger CC150 housing, which one owner calls out as misleading
- One owner had a bleed-valve leak, filed a warranty claim, and was denied and redirected to a manufacturer warranty that had expired ten months earlier
- Another reports asking Pentair to verify authorized-seller status and never receiving an answer — the exact condition the warranty turns on
- 52 ratings is a real but modest base
A misleading listing photo, and a warranty that was denied when it was needed
3 of 52 ratings are critical (5.8%), read signed-in 2026-08-26. Small and specific: the listing image shows the bigger CC150 housing; one owner's bleed valve leaked and the claim was denied and bounced to an already-expired manufacturer warranty; another asked Pentair directly to verify seller authorisation and got no reply. · critical reviews read August 2026
FAQ
Is the Hayward StarClear Plus worth $279 more than the Pentair?
Only if you need the area. The Hayward covers 120 square feet to the Pentair's 100, which is the difference between a comfortable 12,000 gallon pool and a comfortable 10,000 gallon one, and it is the filter Bob Vila actually tested. But the Pentair's own complaint rate is slightly lower, and if your pool is around 10,000 gallons you are paying $279 for area you will not use. Size first, brand second.
Which Hayward SKU should I buy?
W3C12002, as we write this. Hayward sells the identical 120 square foot StarClear Plus under at least three model numbers shown in one Amazon size dropdown, and the spread between the two you can currently buy is $246 — W3C12002 at $853.97 against W3C1200 at $1,099.99. Same line, same size, nothing on the listing explaining the difference. Read every line of the dropdown and check the price beside each before adding to a cart, because prices move and the cheap SKU is not guaranteed to stay the cheap one.
Does the Pentair warranty really depend on the model number?
Yes, and it is the opposite of Hayward's arrangement. Pentair's base limited warranty is sixty days. The EC- prefixed eCommerce SKU is the one that carries a full year, so online the EC- version is the better buy even where it costs more. There is a second condition on top: the seller must be an Authorized Pentair Online Reseller, and one owner of this filter reports asking Pentair to confirm that and never receiving an answer.
Full fight coverage
Every number on this page derives from the same verified data that renders our showdowns — dated owner-rating reads, MSRP-based tiers, and rulings only where a real fight happened. Data last verified: August 2026. Methodology and monetization disclosure: how we test.