Water quality has come up a lot in the past few years, and with good reason. A slew of contaminants have been detected in municipal and well water across the country, pushing some people to search for the best water filters for their homes.
There has been a series of eyebrow-raising research on water quality lately, including an August 2023 government study in Environmental International that detected "forever chemicals" in nearly half of the country's drinking water, and another December 2020 study in Environmental Health Perspectives that found arsenic in hot spots in tap water.
In part due to this, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this year that it will identify and replace lead pipes in water systems within the next 10 years. (Though, of course, it's fair to want cleaner water now.)
- Brian Campbell, clean water expert at WaterFilterGuru.com
- Brian T. Buckley, PhD, executive director of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute at Rutgers University
- John Rumpler, senior clean water director for Environment America
- Martin Riese, water advocate and water sommelier
Whether you're concerned about contaminants like lead or fluoride in your water or just prefer a fresher taste than what your tap is providing, investing in a water filter can help. We talked to four water quality experts for insight on what to look for in these helpful products, plus how to select a high-quality water filter.
With their advice in mind, we've selected these water filters to help you pour a better glass of H2O at home.
The best water filters, at a glance:
- Best faucet water filter: Pur Plus Faucet Mount Filtration System
- Best pitcher water filter: LifeStraw Home Water Filter Pitcher
- Best countertop water filter: Boroux Legacy Gravity-Fed Countertop Stainless Steel Water Filter System
- Best under-sink water filter: Aquasana AQ-5300
- Best shower water filter: Berkey Shower Filter
- Best home system: Aqua-Pure 3M Water Filter System AP904
Shop the 6 best water filters
Certification: ANSI/NSF
Capacity: 100 gallons
Contaminants removed: Lead, mercury, some pesticides
The Pur Plus Faucet Mount Filtration System is an affordable, all-in-one system that weeds out most major contaminants. This ANSI/NSF-certified filter attaches to your faucet with one click and can be flipped on and off as needed. There are also three adapters to help fit snugly onto your faucet.
The filter removes 70 contaminants, including lead, mercury, and select pesticides. It also can filter up to 100 gallons of water before needing a replacement, which means you have about three months of use per filter. (A hand indicator light on the side lets you know when it’s time.)
Keep in mind that this has an upper temperature rating of 100 degrees, so you don’t want to use it to filter really hot water. Otherwise, it’s good for most water filtration needs.
Pros:
- Sleek look
- Easy to install
- Removes 70 contaminants
- Can be turned on and off
- ANSI/NSF-certified
Cons:
- Limited colors
Certifications: ANSI
Capacity: 40 gallons
Contaminants removed: Lead, mercury, PFAS, chlorine, pesticides, and more
There are a few big names that dominate the pitcher water filter space, but they often come in plastic containers that could, in theory, leech into your water. The LifeStraw Home Water Filter Pitcher is made from glass, with a silicone base to lower the risk of breakage and cracking. It also uses the same technology LifeStraw is known for—the company’s signature water straws allow you to drink straight from pond scum, after all.
This water filter removes bacteria, parasites, microplastics, lead, mercury, PFAS, chlorine, and pesticides, along with grittier contaminants like dirt and sand. The pitcher holds seven cups at a time, while the filter can handle 40 gallons (or two months’ worth) of water before needing to be swapped out.
Pros:
- Glass container
- Removes PFAS, along with lead
- Filters out parasites and bacteria
- Silicone bottom lowers the risk of breakage
- ANSI-certified
Cons:
- Filter needs to be replaced more often than others
Certifications: NSF
Capacity: 24,000 gallons
Contaminants removed: PFAS, glyphosate, DEET, chlorine, lead, and more
A countertop water filter allows you to have filtered H2O at the ready without taking over your faucet or a spot in your fridge. The Boroux Legacy has an impressive 24,000-gallon capacity that can house 3 gallons of water at once, allowing you to fill it in the morning and enjoy fresh water all day long without stressing about refills.
This sleek filtration system uses four filters to get your water clean and is NSF-certified to remove a slew of contaminants, including PFAS, glyphosate, DEET, pharmaceuticals, chlorine, lead, and more (fluoride filters are sold separately). Choose from stainless steel and white exteriors to match your existing decor. A silicone base ring keeps the whole thing from sliding around.
Pros:
- Large capacity
- Doesn’t need to be refilled as often as others
- Removes PFAS and pesticides
- Three exterior color options
- NSF-certified
Cons:
- Large container requires plenty of counter space
- Pricier than other options
Certifications: NSF/ANSI
Capacity: 800 gallons
Contaminants removed: Lead, chlorine, PFAS, pesticides, and more
Under-sink water filters are a great way to set and forget your filtration (until the filter needs to be replaced, of course). The Aquasana AQ-5300 is a popular choice thanks to its ability to remove plenty of contaminants with a price tag that’s relatively affordable for this type of system. The Aquasana’s AQ-5300 uses a three-stage filtration system to remove 98 percent of 78 common contaminants that may show up in your water, including lead, chlorine, PFAS, and certain pesticides.
It has a large capacity of 800 gallons, spacing out time between filter replacements to about six months. There’s even a prefilter that helps remove things like dirt, silt, and rust, making it a good option for those with well water.
Pros:
- Large capacity
- Filters only need to be replaced twice a year
- Three-stage filtration system
- Relatively affordable
- NSF/ANSI-certified
Cons:
- Installation may require some technical know-how
Certifications: Unspecified
Capacity: 20,000 gallons
Contaminants removed: Chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, scale, lead, and more
A quality shower filter has slightly different requirements than what you’d look for in a filter for water you’d drink. The Berkey Shower Filter is designed to remove contaminants that could mess with your hair and skin, including chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, and scale, but it can also tackle microorganisms, lead, mold, fungi, bacteria, and algae, technically making the water that comes out of your shower head safe to drink.
This filter, which can connect to your favorite shower head, uses KDF-55 filtration. It’s designed to last for 20,000 gallons or an entire year before needing to be replaced. (Worth noting: If you’re not in love with your existing shower head, Berkey also sells a filter with a massaging shower head.)
Pros:
- Lasts a year
- Removes chlorine and hydrogen sulfide
- Can be used with your existing shower head
- Sleek look
- Filters out drinking water contaminants, too
Cons:
- No special certifications
Certifications: NSF
Capacity: 100,000 gallons
Contaminants removed: Chlorine, sediment, chloramine, and more
A water filter home system attaches to your pipes, filtering contaminants out of your water before they even reach your faucet. The Aqua-Pure 3M Water Filter System AP904 is a popular choice with a massive capacity of up to 100,000 gallons. That allows you to enjoy fresh water for up to 12 months before needing a replacement.
This filter has a high-flow rate, so it won’t slow down your water pressure. It also helps to inhibit scale formation and remove sediment, making it a good choice for homes with well water. The filter uses three stages to reduce sediment, taste and odor, and scale, all in one package, making for easier replacements. Keep in mind that this won’t filter out bacteria and heavy metals, although it can tackle nearly everything else.
Pros:
- High flow rate
- Attaches to your existing pipes
- Three-stage filtration in one
- Removes sediment and scale
- Lasts for a year
Cons:
- Needs to be professionally installed
- Doesn’t filter out bacteria or heavy metals
What do water filters do?
There's a lot of variation with water filters but, "on a basic level, they filter out contaminants in water," says John Rumpler, senior clean water director for Environment America.
But not all contaminants in water pose a health risk, says Brian Campbell, clean water expert at WaterFilterGuru.com. "There are aesthetic contaminants vs. health risk contaminants," he says. An aesthetic contaminant is something like a chlorinated taste to your water, while a health risk contaminant may be something like lead, Campbell explains.
Who should use a water filter?
Experts say everyone should at least consider using a water filter—but it's important to figure out what you're trying to remove from your water first. You can find more information about tap water in your area by looking at your city or county's website, or by checking the Environmental Working Group's tap water database.
Because not all water filters remove the same contaminants, understand what you want to filter out, says Brian T. Buckley, PhD, executive director of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute at Rutgers University.
"One common place to start would be to get a water filter that is certified to remove lead," Rumpler says. "Lead in plumbing and fixtures is ubiquitous across the country. It's pretty likely that most people's homes have some component of lead in their plumbing that is sufficient to contaminate water."
Different types of water filters
Water filters are generally broken down into two categories, Buckley says: Point-of-use and whole-house or system filters.
"Point of use is like a water filter pitcher or a filter that is now on every refrigerator on the planet," he says. "They create a physical barrier designed to retain the contaminants and allow the water to pass through." But while point-of-use filters weed out contaminants where you use them, like your faucet or water pitcher, whole-house filters remove contaminants before they even reach your faucet.
From there, filters can be broken down even further:
- Mechanical: This type of filter "uses a mesh barrier, screen, or porous material to prevent contaminants/sentiment and dirt from entering your water," says water sommelier Martin Riese. But these don't filter chemicals and can't remove microorganisms, he says.
- Active carbon: These filters "have a bed of active carbon that traps chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, and heavy metals like lead," Riese says. While these can filter pesticides, VOCs, and certain heavy metals, they're not effective at removing inorganic pollutants, he says.
- Reverse osmosis: These filters force water through a semipermeable membrane, Riese explains. They remove most contaminants and can decrease water hardness, but they also waste water and can strip healthy minerals from the water, he says.
- Ultraviolet filters: These push water through a UV filter, which uses UV light to sanitize the water. "The DNA of microorganisms in the water will be destroyed by the UV light, including bacteria and viruses," Riese says. But these filters don't remove heavy metals and chemicals and they can't remove particles, he says.
What to look for in a quality water filter
Third-party certifications are important with water filters, Buckley says. He suggests looking for certifications from organizations NSF and Water Quality Association (WQA), or for filters that meets NSF/ANSI standards. Those designations "are really the most important thing," Rumpler says.
Beyond that, Rumpler says it's important to make sure a water filter will remove the contaminants you need out of your water and still manage to fit with your budget and lifestyle.
- Smalling, Kelly L., et al. “Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications.” Environment International, vol. 178, Aug. 2023, p. 108033, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.108033
- Nigra, Anne E., et al. “Inequalities in public water arsenic concentrations in counties and community water systems across the United States, 2006–2011.” Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 128, no. 12, Dec. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp7313.
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