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Remember when there were only a handful of water filters to choose from, and they pretty much removed the same five contaminants?
We’ve come a long way since then. Nowadays, there are all types of filters that can do all sorts of things, and the difference between filtered and unfiltered water is bigger than ever. Unsurprisingly, choosing a water filter has become almost as complicated as choosing a new car.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, your mind will become much clearer when you understand the different types of water filters available, how they work, where they’re installed, and what they remove.
This guide should provide the education you’re looking for.
If improving your water quality is your goal, your choice of water filters is far from limited. These days, there are tons of impressive water filters on the market – and they’ve all got their standout features. In fact, there’s something of a family tree of water filters, as you’ll soon discover.
Let’s jump into a list of the most common types of water filters you’re likely to come across for filtering water at home. Which filter type sounds best to you?
You can probably guess what countertop filters are: they’re filters that sit on your countertop.
What makes these filters special? Well, you’ve got a few options to choose from, to start with:
Gravity
Gravity countertop filters are the easiest-to-setup on-counter filters – you just assemble the unit, add the filter, and you’re ready to go.
Most gravity countertop filters consist of two tanks, one sitting on top of the other. For water to pass from the top tank into the bottom, it must first pass through a filter. With the help of gravity, unfiltered water from the top chamber becomes filtered water in the bottom chamber.
Gravity countertop water filters cost $100-$300 upfront, depending on their size and materials, and cost $30-$140 per year.
Countertop Faucet
Countertop faucet filters sit near your kitchen sink and connect to your faucet via a flexible tube. There are two types of countertop faucet filters:
Countertop faucet filters are the most affordable countertop filters, costing between $80 and $200 upfront, and around $100 per year.
Countertop RO
Countertop reverse osmosis filters are standalone filtration systems that use reverse osmosis to filter water.
Let’s quickly look at how countertop reverse osmosis systems work:
Because of their capable performance, countertop RO filters are more expensive than other countertop filtration techniques. The average cost of a countertop reverse osmosis filter is $300-$500 upfront, with a yearly operating cost of around $100.
Distillers are countertop units that purify water, essentially eliminating all of its contaminants.
Remember distillation from your school science class? No? Here’s a quick reminder of the process, as it relates to water filtration:
How does distillation purify water? Simply because most contaminants are unable to evaporate and condense at the same temperatures as water, so they’re left behind in the boiling chamber. Any contaminants that do have similar boiling and cooling points as water are removed by the activated carbon filter.
Water distillers cost $150-$400 upfront and have an annual spend of $40-$100 (for carbon filter replacements and electricity use).
Faucet mounted systems are types of filters that attach directly onto your faucet. A faucet mounted filter typically uses a granular activated carbon cartridge to remove aesthetic contaminants from water.
Let’s look at how a faucet mounted system works:
It really is that simple. Just make sure to only use the filter with cold water, because hot water can damage the granular activated carbon media. Most faucet filters will let you switch between filtered and unfiltered water to prevent hot water damage and to preserve the filter, only using it when it’s needed.
Faucet filters aren’t only one of the easiest filter types to use – they’re also one of the most affordable. You can buy a solid faucet mounted filter like the PUR Plus system for $50-$80, and the annual running cost is $50-$100.
Pitcher filters look like standard pitcher jugs, but with a notable additional feature: a filter.
Here’s how a pitcher water filter works:
Pitcher water filters don’t need to be connected to your waterline or power supply, which makes them a good option for emergency preparedness. Even if there’s a power outage and your water supply has been contaminated, you can use a pitcher filter to make sure your water is safe to drink.
Don’t assume that pitcher filters can only remove a handful of contaminants, either – some of these filters, such as the Clearly Filtered pitcher, provide very thorough water purification, removing hundreds of contaminants from drinking water.
Pitcher filters are another affordable water filter type. You can buy a pitcher filter for as little as $40-$60, with an annual maintenance spend of $80-$150.
Read More: Water filter pitcher vs faucet filter: which is better?
Refrigerator filters are specially designed for refrigerators with water or ice dispensers.
There are two types of refrigerator filters:
The obvious bonus of refrigerator filters is that you get access to cold, filtered water at the touch of a button. On warm days, you won’t have to put your filtered water in the fridge to cool it down, because that’s where it’s come from.
Refrigerator filters cost between $70 and $130 upfront, with an annual spend of $50-$100.
If chlorine is damaging your skin and hair, one possible solution is a shower filter.
Shower filters are connected to your shower head arm piping. There are two types of shower filters:
Showerhead filters work by filtering the water that travels through your shower hose and showerhead. As well as removing certain contaminants, some shower filters add healthy minerals to your shower water. Some specific shower filters can even reduce water hardness.
Shower filters cost between $30 and $60 upfront. You can expect to spend $50-$110 per year on shower water filters.
Under-sink filters are installed underneath your kitchen sink. There are two types of under-sink filters:
Under-sink systems intercept your waterline, so that when you turn on your faucet, water flows through the filters before being delivered as clean, filtered water from your faucet.
A cartridge-based under-sink system costs $150-$500 upfront and $100-$200 on annual maintenance, while a RO under-sink system costs $500-$1,000 upfront and $100-$250 on annual maintenance.
UV disinfection systems use ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms like bacteria and viruses in water. These systems may be point-of-entry units that treat water for the entire house.
Here’s how a UV disinfection system works:
UV disinfection systems cost $700-$1,000 upfront, with an annual maintenance cost of $100-$150.
See the best rated UV water filter systems & read our reviews in this post.
Whole house water filtration systems treat water at your home’s point of entry, providing quality water throughout your entire home.
The original whole house filter units were cartridge carbon-based filters, designed to remove chemicals like chlorine. Other filtration methods gaining popularity for whole home use are:
Whole house filters can remove a broad range of contaminants. Some systems focus on specific contaminant removal, while others are designed to remove as many impurities as possible. Some systems often combine multiple water treatment technologies to address various problems at different stages.
Because they treat your entire home’s water supply, whole home filters are more expensive than other filtration technologies. The average cost of a whole home filter is $1,300-$2,200, with an average annual maintenance spend of $60-$500, depending on the type of system you buy.
I’ve listed some of the most popular methods of water filtration below:
Activated carbon filters are some of the most widely available on the market. These filters are categorized into two types: carbon block and granular activated carbon, which both use adsorption to retain contaminants as water passes through the media.
You can find activated carbon filter cartridges in a range of filtration systems, from countertop pitcher filters to faucet mounted, under-sink and whole-home applications.
How it Works
Activated carbon water filtration systems use adsorption to attract contaminants to the media.
As water passes through the media, the carbon traps impurities like chlorine, lead, and other aesthetic contaminants which may be present in the water supply.
The effectiveness of this type of carbon filter depends on its design. Typically, the larger the surface area of this filter media, the more thoroughly it will filter water, as more capacity exists for adsorption.
Check out our list & reviews of the best activated carbon water filters today
Advantages
Disadvantages
Activated alumina filters are made from aluminum oxide and contain hundreds of microscopic pores, giving the filters a large surface area.
Activated alumina can be used for point of use and point of entry applications. This type of filtration system is best for water with high fluoride and arsenic levels, and is one of the only water filters that can remove these contaminants.
How it Works
Active alumina filters also adsorb contaminants, trapping them in their media.
When water flows through the media’s pores – which act as hundreds of tiny tunnels – certain contaminants, including arsenic, sulfate, uranium, and fluoride, are attracted to, and stick to, the media. When water leaves the filter, the contaminants remain in the media.
Eventually, the contaminants build up to a point where the media is saturated and the pores are blocked, and the filter must be replaced.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Ion exchange filter media is typically found in a water softening application. Water softeners are installed at your water’s point of entry in your home to provide whole-house softening benefits.
This type of water treatment system removes calcium and magnesium – known as hardness minerals – from water. It can also be used to reduce iron, manganese, and sulfur.
Ion exchange is also used as a filtration stage to remove impurities like copper, cadmium, and zinc.
How it Works
The ion exchange method of filtration works by replacing hard water ions with another type of ion, usually sodium ions or potassium chloride ions.
When water flows through the negatively charged resin bed, the positively charged calcium and magnesium minerals are attracted to it, and adhere to the resin beads. At the same time, positively charged sodium ions are released into the water to replace the removed mineral ions. Thus the term, ion exchange.
This method effectively removes all hardness minerals from water, greatly improving water quality and eliminating your hardness issues going forward. If your water contains low levels of iron, ion exchange can usually remove this metal, too.
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Disadvantages
KDF, or kinetic degradation fluxion, is a filter media made from high-purity copper-zinc granules.
KDF media can remove a broad range of contaminants, though the exact contaminants removed will depend on the type of media you opt for.
Some KDF technologies can remove contaminants like heavy metals, while others can filter out chlorine, iron and hydrogen sulfide. Some KDF systems can also remove magnesium and calcium, and even pathogens like algae, bacteria and fungi.
How it Works
When water flows into this media, a redox reaction takes place, which can reduce or remove a select number of contaminants. This works a little like ion exchange: electrons are transferred between molecules and impurities are converted into a different form. They can then be removed from the system with backwashing.
A big advantage of KDF technology is that the process itself has been certified by NSF International to Standard 61. Having a certification from an accredited testing body in the United States means that KDF can be trusted as a safe, legitimate water treatment solution in your home.
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Reverse osmosis filters can be installed for under-sink, countertop, and whole-house use. Under-sink filters tend to be the most common option.
RO water filtration can remove up to 99.9% of TDS (total dissolved solids) depending on the manufacturer.
How it Works
In a reverse osmosis unit, unfiltered water flows through a number of filtration stages, namely a sediment pre-filter, a carbon filter, a semipermeable membrane and a post-filter.
The most impressive feature of any RO system is the semi-permeable membrane. This membrane has tiny pores that prevent almost all minerals, salts, heavy metals, chemicals and even certain microorganisms from passing further into the system.
The result is that only tiny drinking water particles make it out the other side, while a small amount of water containing impurities is washed down the drain.
What’s the difference between a water filter vs reverse osmosis system? Find out here!
Advantages
Disadvantages
Ultrafiltration is a filtration process that uses a high pressure to force water through a membrane.
Ultrafiltration has a tiny pore size of 0.1-0.01 microns, making it a good choice for removing tiny contaminants that pass through most filters. UF can remove contaminants as small as 0.025 microns from water.
How it Works
A UF membrane contains thousands of tiny pores, like an RO membrane. Only water and highly soluble particles can fit through these pores. However, the biggest difference between UF and RO is that ultrafiltration retains healthy minerals and salts, while RO filters these out.
The contaminants are unable to pass through the membrane, effectively filtering them out of water.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Deionization is a process that removes both positively and negatively charged ions from water, producing a solution that’s entirely free of charge.
Ions in tap water can come from a number of sources, such as pipes and soils. Some examples of the impurities that may affect water’s charge are magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, carbonates, nitrates and sulfates.
How it Works
The deionization process takes place in a deionizer. Water runs through an electrically charged bed of resin, which retains cations and anions responsible for water’s charge. When the process has finished, the system flushes out the resin bed to remove these impurities.
While deionization can effectively eliminate the majority of minerals and salts, it doesn’t tend to be an option for removing contaminants like chemicals and heavy metals. You would have to combine a deionizer with another water filtration solution if you wanted to tackle a broader range of contaminants.
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Mechanical filtration is a process in which contaminants are physically removed using a special blocking application. Normally, a mesh screen is used to filter out larger contaminants, like dirt, rust, sediment and sand, followed by a ceramic filter, which is designed to trap impurities like microorganisms.
How it Works
The performance capabilities of a mechanical water filter depend on the micron size you opt for.
A mechanical water filter with a 5-micron rating will be best suited to remove particles that are too small to be seen by the human eye, while a 1-micron mechanical filter will remove even smaller particulates that require a microscope for viewing.
The lowest available micron rating for a mechanical filter is 0.5 microns; this can remove microorganisms like cysts (giardia and cryptosporidium).
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UV disinfection is the process of destroying microorganisms in water using ultraviolet light. UV disinfection units may be installed at a home’s point of entry to eliminate pathogens and germs before they enter the home’s water system.
How it Works
A UV purification system features a UV lamp housed in a sleeve. When water flows through the system, the lamp emits UV light, which penetrates the outer membranes of microorganisms and damages their DNA, killing the cells and preventing them from reproducing.
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???? What water filter do I need? Take our Quiz to Find out!
Don’t make the mistake of buying a filter without first considering these factors:
The source water you’re treating will determine the type(s) of water filter(s) that are suitable for you. Knowing the source water chemistry being treated is essential to applying the correct solution.
Well water may contain a completely different selection of contaminants compared to city water. While city water’s biggest problem contaminants are chlorine and lead, well water is more likely to have issues with iron and bacteria.
Some water filters are designed solely to treat one type of water. In this case, it’ll probably say so in the product details (e.g. “Provides well water filtration”). Other filters are so thorough that they offer near-enough water purification, making them suitable for both city and well water.
Your water chemistry and contaminants present will affect not only what type of filter you need to remove those contaminants, but which filters can be effectively used given your water quality.
Understand your water chemistry. Some types of water filters, especially well water filters, work best with water within a certain pH range. Make sure to check the required water parameters for a filter before you buy it.
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It’s essential to know the contaminants present in your water before you start looking at water filters. Why?
Because you won’t know which contaminants to remove until you know what your water contains.
For the most comprehensive insight into your water quality, we recommend testing your water with a certified laboratory like SimpleLab. But if you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars to know exactly what’s in your water, you have two other alternatives:
Once you know what your water contains, you’ll be able to narrow down your water purification and filtration options based on what you want to remove.
One of the biggest considerations you’ll need to make is whether you want to install a point of entry or point of use water filter.
Point of Entry Water Filters
Point of entry filters are installed at your water’s point of entry into your home.
The purpose of this type of water filtration system is to filter your water before it travels through your plumbing or appliances. If your water contains contaminants that could damage your pipes or appliances, these contaminants will be removed before they can do any harm.
Point of Use Water Filters
Point of use water filters are installed at (take a guess) a point of use location, such as underneath your kitchen sink or on your kitchen countertop.
Point of use filters are designed for drinking water filtration. These filters filter your water right as it’s about to come out of your faucet (in the case of under-sink or faucet-mounted filters) or after (in the case of pitcher filters). If your only concern is clean drinking water, point of use filtration may be the answer.
Houses have more space than apartments, and your options may be somewhat limited if you live in an apartment.
If you don’t have room for a bulky point of entry filter, and your under-sink space is lacking, there are still plenty of filters for apartments and condos to choose from.
Many of our review team live in apartments, and we’ve found that faucet mounted filters, countertop systems, water filter pitchers, refrigerator filters, shower filters and sometimes under-sink units are all suitably sized for apartment use.
Whether you rent or own your home will affect what type of water filter you can install.
If you rent your home, check your rental terms. Most landlords don’t allow you to install water filters that require cutting into your waterline, which is a permanent action – if you were to remove the filter when you moved out, you’d end up with a gap in your pipes.
In this case, you still have plenty of choices. Look at filters that require non-permanent installation, or filters that require virtually no installation at all, like pitcher filters, countertop filters, faucet-mounted filters, and water bottle filters.
If you’re a homeowner, you don’t have to worry about choosing a landlord-friendly filter for your home, so go wild! Your choices are endless.
Be mindful of the potential features of a water filter before you begin your search. Not all filters have the same features, so it’s worth knowing what to look for before you get started.
Now that you know what contaminants are in your water, you can determine which filtration method (or combination of methods) you will need.
Remember that not all methods of filtration will take care of every problem present and you may need to combine systems to achieve the desired water quality.
Additionally, some systems are designed to alter the pH of water, making it more alkaline and desirable to drink.
Certifications aren’t the beat-all-end-all, but if a filter is certified by an independent testing body, it tells you several things:
The well-known testing and certification body in the water treatment industry is NSF International. This independent organization sets high standards for the water treatment industry for contaminant removal. There are tens of NSF certifications, each specific to different filtration processes and different contaminants removed.
Some of the most common NSF certifications are:
We don’t rule out filters that don’t have an NSF certification because official certifications are notoriously expensive, and some manufacturers simply can’t afford them at the moment. If a filter isn’t certified, check that it’s at least tested to NSF Standards by a trusted laboratory, and its test data is available online.
It would be great if there were filters that could last forever, but alas, this has so far proven an impossible feature to achieve.
The capacity of a filter, or how long a filter lasts, affects its maintenance requirements. Not all filter systems have the same lifespans; for instance:
System TypeAverage Capacity (Lifespan) Whole House Systems500,000+ gallons (6+ years) Sediment Cartridges3,000 gallons (6 months) UV Lamps1 year RO Membranes1,200 gallons (2 years) Under Sink600 gallons (6 months) Countertop150-1,000 gallons (2-8 months) Pitchers150 gallons (2-6 months) Faucet Mounted100-300 gallons (2-4 months) Refrigerator200 gallons (6 months)A filter’s capacity determines how many filter replacements you need to make per year. If you’re not a fan of maintenance, look at filters that require fewer filter replacements per year.
Keep in mind that buying a filter with a bigger capacity doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll spend less money on replacing the filter. It all depends on the cost of the replacement filters.
The flow rate of a water filter is a measure of the rate at which water can flow through the filter.
Filters that connect to your waterline, like whole home filters, under sink filters, and faucet filters, provide near-immediate access to clean drinking water.
Standalone filters, like gravity countertop filters, dispensers, and pitchers, take longer to filter water because they don’t have the force of water pressure to send water through the filter.
However, a slower filtration speed is actually a benefit for adsorption filters, because a longer contact time between the water and the filter media allows for more contaminants to be removed.
If you’re happy to wait five or ten minutes for a glass of filtered water, pitcher filters are a good option to consider because of their thorough contaminant removal abilities. But if you enjoy the convenience of using water the instant you need it, you’ll prefer filters that hook up to your waterline.
There are a variety of materials used to make water filters – the most common materials are plastic, stainless steel, and glass.
Plastic is lightweight and cheap to buy, making it a good construction material for water filters. However, if you do choose a plastic filter, make sure the material is BPA- and BPS-free and durable. Tritan is one of the best plastics for durability.
Stainless steel and other metals are usually used for smaller components within a filter system, although some countertop filters, like the Big Berkey, use stainless steel for their filter housing. Stainless steel is a good option for filters because it’s durable, it doesn’t rust, and it doesn’t leach harmful contaminants into drinking water.
The size of a water filter, or its footprint, is important if you have limited space in your planned installation location.
Before buying a filter, measure your available space and compare it to the system measurements. Make sure there are a few inches of space around the filter to allow for easy maintenance, such as filter changes.
If you do need a system with a smaller footprint, look at filter pitchers – which can easily be stored away when they’re not in use – and faucet mounted filters – the smallest filters available today.
Changing the filters is an inevitable chore for any filter system owner.
For this reason, you want the job of changing the filters to be as easy as possible, so the whole process takes a matter of seconds.
Look for filters that have “one twist” or “one click” filter changes, where you simply twist or click the old filter out of place, then twist or click the new filter into the housing.
If you’re not a DIY fan, avoid filters that need to be screwed into place using a wrench.
A filter’s warranty and guarantee can tell you a lot.
For a start, if a filter doesn’t even have a warranty, let alone a guarantee – AVOID.
A warranty tells you that the manufacturer is confident enough in their filter to offer you a replacement if you receive a defective product.
A guarantee tells you that the manufacturer is so certain that you’ll love their product that they’re willing to entice you into a sale by guaranteeing your money back within the first few months of owning the product.
Being covered by a warranty and a money-back guarantee means you can make a no-risk purchase, knowing that you can get a full refund or a replacement product if something isn’t right.
If you buy a filter system to install underneath your kitchen sink or at your home’s point of entry, check to see whether the filter comes with an installation kit.
Unfortunately, most filter systems won’t come with everything you need for installation. You’ll probably have to go out and buy your own fittings and adapters.
That’s what makes installation kits so handy. You’ll receive everything you need for installation upfront, so you won’t need to hunt around for separate bits after you’ve made a purchase.
Some manufacturers offer free installation kits, but most offer these kits at an extra charge.
There are several costs involved in buying and owning a water filter, including the upfront system price, installation costs, and the price of maintenance and replacing the filters.
Before buying a filter, check to see what type of installation is required – and whether it’ll be possible to install the filter yourself.
Some filters, like pitcher filters, countertop gravity filters, refrigerator filters, and faucet filters, are the easiest filters to install. In fact, some require no installation at all – you just assemble them, flush the filter, and that’s it.
Other filters, like under sink filters and whole home filters, have more complex installation processes. The type and design of the system determine the complexity of installation. Some manufacturers design their filters to be relatively easy to install, as long as you follow the step-by-step instructions. Other filters can be tricky to install even by a competent DIY-er.
If your heart is set on a filter that you don’t think you’ll be able to install yourself, it’s not the end of the world. You can simply pay for a professional to install the filter for you, which gives the added reassurance of knowing for certain that the installation process has been done right.
Of course, professional installation isn’t free. You’ll need to pay, at a minimum, an extra $100-$200 for a plumber or water treatment professional to install your filter for you.
We test all our filters in our own homes, so we know exactly how they live up to a customer’s expectations.
There are so many companies making water filters today, including Apec Water Systems, Aquasana, Culligan, Brita, PUR, ZeroWater, Berkey, Clearly Filtered, SpringWell, Epic, and Waterdrop – to name just a few.
It’s safe to say that some manufacturers offer better products than others.
We’re familiar with the majority of manufacturers selling filters today, but we look beyond the brand’s reputation to how its products live up to expectations with realistic everyday use. We’ve reviewed a wide variety of water filtration units, from point of use to whole home and everything in between.
If you want to see which of the best filters are superior when they’re competing head-to-head, our comparison reviews will be right up your alley.
We’ve compared the filters which are similar, giving you the information you need to decide which filter best suits your needs.
Buying a filter for your home is a big decision. There are hundreds of trace contaminants in water, and the right water filter can ensure you’re protected from the contaminants in your own water supply.
Now that you know the basics about water filtration, it’s time to start researching products.
Choosing a filter to buy is undeniably the fun result of the research, until you have to actually spend your money, of course.
Make sure to keep a clear head – and don’t get sucked into manufacturers’ marketing claims! They’ll all try to convince you that their products are more capable than any other product on the market. Before you buy a filter, ask yourself what impressed you most with a filter, and how the filter is any better than the others you’ve been looking at.
If you need any help, we have plenty of resources here at WaterFilterGuru to keep you busy. We’ve reviewed the best water filters in all categories, so if you need to narrow down your top 50 to a top 5, we’re here to help. A good place to start is our best water filters guide.
What do water filtration devices do?
The purpose of a filter for water is to remove harmful contaminants, making water safe to drink and improving its taste. Different filters use different processes to achieve these results.
Isn’t my water safe already?
If you get you water from a municipal supplier, then yes: technically, your water is safe to drink. However, even treated water contains traces of impurities that are dangerous to human health.
Will I get more value from paying more money?
Not always. For instance, water pitchers are pretty cheap, but many of them can remove hundreds of contaminants and are just as effective as expensive whole-home systems, but may lack some of the conveniences of more expensive systems.
Will a filtration unit affect my flow rate or water pressure?
Possibly, especially if sized incorrectly for the application. You might have to wait half a second for water to flow through the filter before it leaves your faucet. If you do notice a significant drop in water pressure, you may have incorrectly sized your system, or the filter may need replacement.
Can I use a filtration system to soften hard water?
No. Some systems, like RO systems, can remove Low levels of hardness. But high hardness can actually damage the semipermeable membrane and shorten its lifespan. If you want to tackle water hardness, you need a water softener.
Can you recycle filtration cartridges?
It depends. Some brands offer recyclable cartridges, and some even have their own recycling programs, allowing you to return your used cartridges in place of a free filter. If you’re eco-conscious, there are plenty of recyclable filters to choose from.
Which filtration systems are best for small budgets?
The best systems for small budgets are pitchers, faucet filtration systems, and fridge filtering units. These systems cost less than $100 upfront and around $100 in annual maintenance. You could also consider a simple portable filter like a filtered water bottle.
Which contaminants are most important to remove?
That’s a difficult one to answer. You might be more bothered about the way your water tastes, or you might want your water to be as safe and healthy as possible. As a starting point, look at filters that can at least remove chlorine, lead, asbestos, and VOCs.
Check out this post to learn about the best water filter test method to determine effectiveness.
What is the most effective filtration system?
Reverse osmosis is considered the most effective filtration system because it virtually purifies water. That’s not to say that reverse osmosis is right for you, though. Some people think reverse osmosis water tastes a bit flat because it’s had all its essential minerals removed.
This model has more than 30 ANSI/NSF certifications—the most of any filter of its type—and is rated to last six months between replacements. But like all filters, it can clog up.
$50 $38 from Costco (pack of four)Costco membership required
$30 from AmazonMay be out of stock
The Brita Elite Filter (formerly the Longlast+) is ANSI/NSF-certified for more than 30 contaminants (PDF), including lead, mercury, microplastics, asbestos, and two common PFAS: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). That makes it the most comprehensively certified pitcher-type filter we have tested, and the one we recommend to people who want the most peace of mind.
We like it for a few other reasons, too:
It is certified to remove many additional common pollutants. These include chlorine (added to water supplies to reduce bacteria and other pathogens, it’s the primary cause of “bad-tasting” tap water); carbon tetrachloride, a volatile organic compound that damages the liver; and multiple “emerging compounds” that increasingly are found in water supplies, including bisphenol A (BPA), DEET (a common insect repellant), and estrone, a synthetic form of the hormone estrogen.
While most pitcher filters have a replacement schedule of every 40 gallons or two months, the Elite is rated to 120 gallons or six months. In theory, that means you’ll use just two Elite filters a year instead of six—and, as a result, generate less trash and spend about 50% less on refills.
It works quickly for a pitcher filter. In our testing, a new Elite filter took just five to seven minutes to process a complete refill. Similarly specced filters we’ve tested took longer—often 10 minutes or more.
But there’s a caveat. Like virtually all pitcher-type filters, the Elite is vulnerable to clogging, which can reduce its filtration speed or even stop it from filtering entirely, meaning you’ll have to replace it more often. Many, many owners complain of this problem, and in our testing, the Elite began to slow down long before reaching its 120-gallon capacity. If you have a known issue with sediment in your tap water (commonly a symptom of rusty pipes), your experience will likely be the same.
And you may not need all of the Elite’s protections. If you know you have good-quality tap water—which an at-home test kit can tell you—we recommend the basic Brita Standard Pitcher and Dispenser Filter instead. With only five ANSI/NSF certifications (PDF), including chlorine (but not lead, organic compounds, or emerging contaminants), it is not nearly as well certified as the Elite. But it’s a less inexpensive, less clog-prone filter that can improve your water’s taste.
Installing Brita’s filters is pretty easy to mess up. The filter initially drops into place, seemingly solidly. But it actually takes an additional shove to fully seat it. If you don’t give it that shove, unfiltered water may leak around the filter’s sides when you fill the upper reservoir, meaning your “filtered” water actually isn’t. Some of the filters we bought for testing also needed to be oriented so that the long slot on one side of the filter slipped over a corresponding tab found in some Brita pitchers. (Other pitchers, including our top-pick 10-cup Standard Everyday, don’t have the tab and allow the filter to be oriented any way you choose.)
Brita’s iconic pitcher in many ways defines the filter-pitcher category, and it’s easier to operate and keep clean than Brita’s many other models.
The 10-cup Brita Standard Everyday Pitcher (specifically, the version with a SmartLight replacement indicator and an Elite filter included) is so ubiquitous that it’s likely what most of us envision when we think of a filter pitcher. It’s also our favorite of Brita’s many pitchers, primarily because it’s the easiest to take apart for cleaning and has no nooks and crannies where gunk can accumulate. A thumb-flip cap leaves your other hand free to operate the faucet when refilling. Its SmartLight indicator directly measures how much water you’ve used and lets you know when it’s time to replace the filter. And its simple C-shaped handle is Brita’s most comfortable design.
The Standard Everyday is an Amazon exclusive; Brita sells its similar Tahoe Water Pitcher at Walmart, Target, and other retailers. The chief difference between the two is the Tahoe’s angular, D-shaped handle, which we found slightly harder to grip.
Though it’s billed as a 10-cup model, the Everyday pitcher holds about 11.5 cups, enough for a small household’s daily needs. It weighs a little over 7 pounds when full, which can put a bit of strain on the wrist; the smaller, 6-cup Brita Space Saver Water Pitcher weighs about 4.5 pounds when full, though it comes with a standard Brita Pitcher and Dispenser Filter, so you’ll need to buy Elite filters separately.
More broadly, any Brita pitcher or dispenser that comes with the Brita Pitcher and Dispenser Filter will also fit the Elite filter, and vice versa. Brita’s Stream pitchers fit neither.
Getting really technical, the Elite filter’s certifications apply only when it is used in a pitcher or dispenser with a performance indication device (PID) that directly measures the volume of water that’s passed through a filter—not merely a countdown clock that measures the elapsed time it’s been in use. But ANSI/NSF certification testing is so rigorous that we don’t think this matters. The presence of a PID means the filters have to successfully clean “only” 120% of their rated capacity of highly contaminated test solutions during ANSI/NSF certification, versus 200% for filters tested on non-PID pitchers and dispensers. Either way, that’s a far sterner challenge than almost any tap water will provide.
Brita’s dispenser holds enough water for a large household’s daily needs, and its spill-resistant spigot is simple enough for children to use.
Brita’s Ultramax Dispenser (here, the version with a SmartLight and Elite filter) holds about 18 cups of filtered water, and another 10 or so in reserve in the upper refill reservoir. That makes it especially suited for families and other households that go through a lot of water each day. We’ve come to appreciate several other virtues of dispensers, too. Young children can use them, since pouring a glass of water just means using a spigot (which also snaps itself closed after use, preventing spills). Their long, narrow form makes efficient use of fridge space. And unlike pitchers, they let you pour water while the filter is still working. They’re such a convenient way to keep cold drinking water on hand that guide author Tim Heffernan has used one for years, even though he long ago stopped using the filter—after nearly a dozen water-quality test kits confirmed that his tap water is virtually pristine. The one drawback to dispensers is their weight—about 15 pounds when both the bottom and top reservoirs are full.
The LifeStraw Home Dispenser is reliably tested to remove dozens of contaminants, including lead, with a filter that’s far more resistant to clogging than any other we’ve tested.
Best known for its outdoors-oriented water filters, LifeStraw also makes filters for home use. We’re not too keen on the design of their pitchers (the tall, narrow form puts a lot of strain on the wrist), but the LifeStraw Home Dispenser shares the same ease of use, high capacity, and kid-friendly operation that we love in Brita’s Ultramax. It’s also certified to remove bacteria and parasites, which provides protection against some waterborne illnesses—though we would still recommend using bottled water during a boil-water notice. Moreover, the design of the LifeStraw filter makes it far more resistant to clogging with sediment than Brita’s. We poured gallons of highly rust-laden water through it without issue. If you’ve had a clogging problem with your Brita filter (or other pitcher/dispenser filter), the LifeStraw dispenser may be worth switching to.
The LifeStraw filter is ANSI/NSF-certified for chlorine, lead, and mercury. The company has also had its filters tested to multiple other ANSI/NSF standards by IAPMO US and IAPMO India, which are accredited by ANSI and the Water Quality Association, respectively. These include Standard 401 for emerging contaminants; cadmium, chromium (III), and copper; glyphosate; asbestos; and bacteria and parasites (something our other picks lack). LifeStraw has also had its filters tested to other standards created by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the EPA. And LifeStraw is open about its testing program and makes its test results public (PDF), which solidifies our trust in its claims.
The LifeStraw filter consists of two filter elements. Water first passes through a hollow fiber membrane filter—a tangle of thin polymer tubes with 0.2-micron pores in their walls. These pores trap bacteria, parasites, and all but the very finest sediment that may be in the water. The water then passes through a small activated carbon-plus-ion exchange filter. This captures organic compounds, metals, and other dissolved contaminants. The carbon filter is rated for 40 gallons or two months, and the hollow fiber membrane filter for 264 gallons or one year. You can buy replacement filters individually or subscribe to receive them on a schedule.
To see how well the LifeStraw dealt with sediment, Tim used hydrogen peroxide to rapidly convert a piece of # steel wool to fine particles of rust, then mixed half-teaspoons of the rust into 2 cups of tap water at a time and filtered this enticing brew through the LifeStraw. After 40 cups, the rust solution was all used up but the filter was still working, albeit slightly more slowly than at the start of the test. And, yes, Tim drank a glass of the filtered stuff. It tasted like spring water.
Tested in accordance with NSF/ANSI standards, this filter’s Dexsorb material efficiently captures multiple forever chemicals (PFAS), including PFOA and PFOS.
The Cyclopure Purefast filter cartridge is specifically aimed at removing PFAS, and it does do exceptionally well. It fits the Brita pitcher and dispenser we recommend, and most other Brita models as well (all except he Stream pitchers).
The cartridge contains Dexsorb, a material developed by Cyclopure with backing from the EPA and the National Science Foundation. Made of corn-derived cyclodextrins, Dexsorb uses quadrillions of specifically-sized molecular “pitfall traps” to selectively capture multiple PFAS, while allowing other materials to pass through unimpeded. It is certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61 for drinking water system components, and the cartridge itself is tested by NSF for chlorine and PFOA and PFOS reduction under standards 42 and 53.
In our testing, the Purefast cartridge filtered water as quickly as the standard Brita filter (the familiar white one), taking between six and seven minutes to process a fill of the upper pitcher reservoir, and about 12 to process a fill of the dispenser’s larger reservoir. It maintained this pace though its 65-gallon lifespan; we followed Cyclopure’s instruction to recondition the filter by running tapwater directly through it about every month or 20 gallons. After a filter has has reached the end of its functional life, you can mail it back to Cyclopure using the pre-paid envelope it comes with; iit will be processed to permanently destroy the PFAS it has captured, preventing them from ever leaking back into the environment.
When asked, a Brita representative replied in an that “there are NO Brita-approved, third-party filters.” Acknowledging that, we are confident that the Purefast cartridge is safe to use and works as claimed. NSF/ANSI certification is extraordinarily strict, requiring that every filter and pitcher model be tested as a combination, with certification testing only permitted after a given filter-pitcher combination has been publicly available for a year. That helps exclude shoddy third-party products from hitting the shelves, but it also creates a nearly insurmountable barrier to entry for innovative, responsibly-designed products.
From a functional standpoint, the Purefast filter fits precisely and seals tightly in Brita’s pitchers and dispensers (meaning unfiltered water does not leak around its edges). Performance-wise, it has been tested by NSF to meet the certification standards for chlorine, PFOA, and PFOS, and the Dexsorb filter media itself is NSF/ANSI-certified to be—and already is—used in municipal water-treatment plants to address PFAS. We’re satisfied that if your concern is removing PFAS and chlorine (and only that) from your tapwater, the Purefast is a trustworthy option.
We have tested multiple pitchers and dispensers from the brands listed below, but because the filter itself is the most important element of a filtration system, we have focused on them here.
Our former top filter pick, Pur’s Plus Lead Reducing Filter (model PPF951K), was replaced in summer with the Pur Plus (model CRF950Z), which is not ANSI/NSF-certified to reduce lead. It also lacks PFAS certification. We like the design of Pur’s pitchers and dispenser the most of any we’ve tested, but their filters’ shortcomings mean we no longer recommend the company’s pitcher-filtration systems.
The Brita-compatible Amazon Basics 10-Cup Water Filter and Pitcher is slightly cheaper than top-pick, Amazon-exclusive Brita Everyday. Instead of a convenient one-handed flip-top opening, it has a one-piece lid that you have to remove and replace every time you need to refill the pitcher. We think avoiding that daily annoyance is worth the extra $10 or so.
The Clear2O filters (the CWF50X and GRF20X, where “X” designates the number of filters in the pack) are not ANSI/NSF-certified. Rather, Clear2O has described them as “independently tested on over 200 contaminants to achieve water industry 42 and 53 standards for reduction of Chlorine, Heavy Metals, Cysts, VOC, & Other contaminants.” But the company does not disclose the name of the lab that did the testing, nor the details of the test results.
The Soma Filter is certified to ANSI/NSF Standard 42 for taste and ANSI/NSF 53 for copper, cadmium, and mercury. That’s identical to the Brita Standard Pitcher and Dispenser Filter, but the Soma costs more than twice as much. Brita’s Elite filter and both Pur filters have more certifications under 42 and 53, and they add 401 certifications that the Soma lacks.
The ZeroWater pitcher filter is ANSI/NSF-certified for several contaminants under standards 42 and 53, including lead. But its capacity is only 20 gallons. That fact only looks worse when you consider the cost of a ZeroWater filter: about $16 apiece, or almost $200 for a year’s supply. ZeroWater’s most prominent claim is that its filters remove 100% of “total dissolved solids” in water—basically, minerals. Tests we conducted in confirmed that claim, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. According to the WHO, higher TDS in drinking water is associated with lower incidence of cancer and heart disease. And, per the WHO, “Water with extremely low concentrations of TDS may also be unacceptable because of its flat, insipid taste.”
The Brita Stream Filter removes only chlorine taste and odor; it is not certified to remove any organic compounds or heavy metals under ANSI/NSF Standard 53. It fits on Brita’s Stream pitchers only—not on the Everyday or any of Brita’s other pitchers.
Countertop dispensers, like the Big Berkey, deliver water at room temperature, take up valuable counter space, and are prone to developing algal and microbial growth and odors. And many aren’t ANSI/NSF-certified (as we found in our review, “The Big Berkey Water System: Uncertified and Inconvenient”). The physically similar Propur Big, Alexapure Pro, and Zen Water (4, 6, or 8 gallons) share similar claims, price, and lack of certifications.
This article was edited by Harry Sawyers.
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