The Best Water Filters in 2024 Buyer’s Guide & Reviews
When it comes to residential water filters, if you spend a bit of time researching, you can get very effective filters for the intended purpose without bleeding your wallet dry.
Not everyone has the time for research. That's why we are here to help you pick the best water filters and filtration systems for any intended purpose.
Before getting a household filtration device, it’s important to determine what the filter should remove by getting your water tested.
Best Residential Water Filter Review
Once you’ve determined the level of contamination your water is in, you can now decide how clean you want it, and which type of filters to choose.
Given that there will also be differences not only in method of filtration and capability, but also in size, point and manner of installation among the filters, it can sometimes be difficult to pick out the exact one you’re looking for. That’s why we thought some recommendation and review could be helpful.
Best for Family of Three: Aquagear 8-Cup Water Filter Pitcher
- BPA-free, DPA-approved material
- Reduces fluoride, chloramine, mercury in drinking water
- Long filter life
- Lifetime guarantee – free replacement if breaks
- Manual filling required
- Small capacity, not suitable for large families
- No filter life indicator
At almost triple the price of any of the Brita or Pur filters of the same size, the Aquagear is still surpassing the big names to become the new star in the world of water pitcher filters.
It isn’t NSF certified, but the US-made 5-stage filter is certified by an independent lab to meet and surpass NSF standard 42 for improvement of water taste and smell. It also meets standard 53 for lead removal, which is rare among filter pitchers. As small as it may look, the cartridge filters water to reduce 90 to 99% of fluoride, chloramine, mercury, and a plethora of other contaminants.
The secret is the numerous 2-micron pores in the filtration materials, which trap the pollutants as water passes through it.
The water filter pitcher can hold 8 cups, or half a gallon, of water at a time - the recommended amount for one person to drink per day. Doesn’t matter if you’re a large family: refilling is fast and easy, as the pitcher has a lid with a pressure valve on the top. The whole item is made with BPA-free, DPA-approved food grade materials, and is 100% recyclable.
Its 5-stage filter can handle 150 gallons of tap water in its lifetime. It’s a turtle of the category, lasting for a good half year. Others typically can only survive for 2 to 3 months before a replacement is required.
One thing to note: While this pitcher filter is very effective for tap water, it doesn’t have the capacity to handle well water. Well water, which comes with algae, microorganisms, and heavy metals, requires larger and stronger filters, which we will also cover later in this article.
Taking about 1.5 minutes for every cup of filtered water, the 8-cup Aquagear is the perfect pitcher for a household of three or smaller. You have fresh water 24/7 without the fuss of installation or too much pain on the budget.
Price at time of publish: $126.27
- Capacity: 10 cups
- Certifications: ISO 17025 Lab tested
- Target contaminants: lead, chlorine, microplastics
- Weight: 2.33 lbs
- Dimensions: 11L x 6W x 11H inches
- Warranty: Lifetime guarantee
Best for Family of Six: Royal Berkey Gravity-Fed Water Filter System
- Portable
- Handles fluoride, arsenic, and reduces other metals and chemicals
- Durable material
- Long filter life
- Stainless steel bottle included
- Requires manual filling
- Requires manual tracking of replacement time
This Royal Berkey beast comes with fluoride and arsenic filters, and the famous Black Berkey purification elements that are certified by State and EPA accredited laboratories to surpass NSF International Standard 53.
These elements can remove more than 99.99% of pathogenic bacteria such as E.coli, and are claimed to mechanically remove red food color, which is unique for a filter of its type. Pure water, that’s what it promises.
With effectiveness being a priority, the Royal Berkey takes its time to process the water. It generally takes one to two hours to finish a batch of 3.25 gallons - that’s about 3 minutes for every cup of filtered water.
So basically, it’s an Internet Explorer when it comes to speed. Yet, you can’t complain about the quality of water it produces. Check that it’s refilled at night, and you’ll be good to go.
Replacing the filters on this system is slightly trickier compared to simple filters, with which you normally just have to throw a whole cartridge away and lock a new one in. In addition, each of the filtration elements has a different life span, so you will have to take notes and keep a careful track of when you should replace which component.
Don’t worry too much, though. Filter replacements are very easily available on Amazon. Plus, the ones that need changing most often are the Berkey PF-2 elements, and they can handle 1000 gallons of water before retirement. Given the generous chamber size (3.25 gal), this Berkey can keep a household of six or more people well hydrated with one refill per day, so those elements may last a good one year.
The Black elements, meanwhile, have a whopping lifespan of 6000 gallons in total. It’s going to take a few years before you need to buy a new pair.
Price at time of publish: $525.99
- Capacity: 3.25 gallons/session
- Purification method: Unique proprietary blend
- Removes TDS: No
- Target contaminants: heavy metals (Uranium, lead, mercury, arsenic, etc)
- Dimensions: 9.5D x 9.5W x 23H inches
- Warranty: N/A
Best UnderSink Water Filter: Home Master Artesian Reverse Osmosis System
- Super effective in contaminant removal
- Adds healthy minerals back after filtration
- Low water wastage
- Easy maintenance
- Listed manufacturer by NSF International
- Requires under-sink space for installation
- May need professional installation if you don’t know basic drilling
Reverse osmosis filter systems are some of the strongest, most effective filters for drinking water. They are known to remove more than 99% of most dangerous contaminants in the water. That includes heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, chlorine and other chemicals, and even hormones.
The Home Master Artesian undersink RO system sure does an excellent job when it comes to removing contaminants and purifying water.
It comes with a complete set of pre-filters, reverse osmosis membrane, and post-filter. The Home Master Artesian reverse osmosis filter system offers 7 stages of water purification and enhancement. Healthy minerals are added twice along the purification process to make up for the loss caused by the super strong membrane, effectively protecting the tank and increasing water alkalinity.
Another feature that makes the Home Master system a far cry from others is its ability to minimize water waste with a permeate pump. The waste water: pure water ratio can reach 1:1, which is extremely low compared to conventional RO systems, where the ratio is typically closer to 4:1 or 5:1.
The pump is also the key factor in boosting the speed performance of this system: given the right conditions, it can produce an impressive amount of 75 gallons of purified water per day, or one cup per minute.
It has a 3.2-gallon-storage-tank, which can be handy for when you need a large amount at once. Given the high speed of water processing, it can comfortably accommodate a family of three to six people.
The installation of this RO filter can be a bit trickier than the tap-mount or countertop filter, as it requires some drilling and wrenching. On the other hand, maintenance is a walk in the park. The modular filters take only a couple of minutes to change, and only require replacement once a year.
Price at time of publish: $351.96
- Certifications: NSF certified components, NSF certified manufacturer
- Filtration method: Reverse osmosis, sediment filter, artisan filter, carbon (in modular)
- Pure to drain ratio: 1:1
- Remineralization: Yes
- Dimensions: 20L x 16W x 12H inches
- Warranty: 5 years limited warranty
Best Faucet Water Filter: Culligan FM-15A Faucet Mount Filter
- Portable, suitable for dorms and rent apts
- Easy to install
- Affordable
- Efficient
- Prone to leakage
- Can’t handle large amounts of water
Using tap water and hating the smell? This Culligan FM-15A filter might be one of the quickest and most effective solutions to your predicament.
Built small, compact, and simple so that it can be attached to the head of your faucet, the Culligan FM-15A is a mighty filter. It’s certified by the NSF for removing chlorine as well as any foul taste and odor in tap water. The water that passes through this device will also pass any taste test.
This filter can also remove lead, rust, dirt, sand, and sediment particles as small as 0.5 micron. To give you an idea, a human red blood cell is about 5 - 8 micron in size.
What people love about the little filter is that it takes next to no time to produce fresh water. Some reduction in pressure might be experienced, but usually, you can get one cup of filtered water in less than 30 seconds.
Installation is also a piece of cake: a total noob can figure it out and get it fastened onto the faucet within 5 minutes. That’s also why the thing is sometimes made into an inter-city travel companion when a water snob wants to make sure they get quality water everywhere they go.
The major weakness of the Culligan, as well as most tap-mount filters, lies in the small size. It can’t handle more than 200 gallons in its lifetime. This would require bi-monthly replacement of the filter for a household of two or three people. More than three people and the maintenance would be a bit overwhelming.
To prolong the filter life, you can switch it off when doing normal washing and cleaning tasks which don’t require filtered water. However, the fact that the device is installed on the faucet means it more often than not will also be employed for other purposes.
Plus, the constant switching makes it more prone to leakage, causing unfiltered water to mix with and contaminate filtered water. This is unfortunately a common problem on tap-mount filters.
Price at time of publish: $39.99
- Capacity: 320 gals
- Certifications: NSF/ANSI Standard 42 & 372
- Flow rate: 1.3 GPM
- Weight: 1.2 pounds
- Dimensions: 5L x 2.5W x 5H inches
- Warranty: 1-year
Best Whole House System for Well Water: Home Master Whole House 3-Stage Water Filter
- Effective in reducing iron and other sediments
- Improves water smell and taste
- Does not significantly affect water pressure
- Easy installation
- No destruction of pathogenic organisms
If you’re using well water, you need something to come before a softener, shower filter, or drinking water filter. It should remove the large sediments, algae, and part of the heavy metals and minerals. That brings the water to a basic level of cleanness before any further treatments are applied.
For that purpose, we recommend this excellent water filter system from the NSF listed brand Home Master.
The Home Master HMF3SDGFEC is designed specifically to treat well water. It comes with three cartridges, representing three stages of filtration.
In the first stage, a multi gradient density filter removes up to 95 percent of iron, manganese, sediment, chemicals and other contaminants in the water, down to the size of 1 micron.
Next, the special filter reduces iron of up to 3 ppm. This is to make sure there will be as little of the annoying metal as possible to irritate your skin and cause damages on the in-house pipe system and water appliances.
Finally, the granular activated coconut shell carbon filter gives the water a final polish, removing chemicals and any unpleasant taste or odor in it.
Best of all, this is done without significant reduction of the water pressure in your home, thanks to the large capacity of the cartridges (100,000 gallon). The filter can last a full year for a family of four, and no maintenance is required until it requires replacement.
Note that while this system is very effective in filtering water, it does not take care of all the microorganisms and chemicals found in the water. It is sufficient in making the water clean and safe enough for showering, given that the well is not dangerously contaminated.
For drinking water, however, you will need to install an extra RO undersink filter or a strong countertop filtration system.
Price at time of publish: $470.53
- Capacity: 95,000 gallons
- Filter life: 12 months
- Flow rate: 15 GPM
- Number of stages: 3
- Purification method: Sediment filter, carbon, radial flow iron filter
- Target contaminants: iron, manganese, sediment, microplastics, chlorine
- Dimensions: 9D x 24W x 25H inches
- Warranty: 2 years limited warranty
Best Under Sink System for Well Water: Home Master HydroPerfection Water Filter
- Effective in contaminant and pathogen removal
- Remineralizes water after filtration
- Low water wastage
- Easy maintenance
- Listed manufacturer by NSF International
- Bulky, needs space for installation
- May require professional assistance
Upgrade the Home Master Artesian, and you have the Home Master TMHP HydroPerfection reverse osmosis filter system.
It has the super effective pre and post carbon filters and reverse osmosis membrane that also exist on the other Home Master under-sink RO versions. Plus, the HydroPerfection comes with iron filtration materials, which is a must for any well water filter.
As earlier explained, water from private wells is typically more prone to dangerous pathogens. Unlike tap water, it’s not processed with chemicals such as chlorine, chloramine, or fluoride.
The HydroPerfection solves the problem with a UV chamber that can destroy 99.99% of any microorganisms (germs, bacteria and viruses - such as E. coli,) that make it past the RO membrane. The water you get after this stage is the closest thing to distilled water in terms of quality.
Remineralization is still a feature on this system. Small amounts of calcium and magnesium added into the water at two points: before the water travels to the tank to prevent tank degradation, and before it comes to the faucet to improve taste. You will find the filtered water tasting a lot fresher and “sweeter” than the typical acidic RO water.
Similar to the Artesian, the HydroPerfection RO filter system has a permeate pump that helps reduce water wastage by 80%. The canister filter design is retained. The filters are incorporated into their housings for improved hygiene and ease of replacement.
Price at time of publish: $439.27
- Filtration method: Reverse osmosis, ultra violet, sediment filter, artisan filter, carbon (in modular)
- Pure to drain ratio: 1:1
- Remineralization: Yes
- Dimensions: 15L x 5W x 16H inches
- Warranty: 5 years limited warranty
Best Water Softener for Hard Water: Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener
- Effective in softening water and resolving hard water problems. Reduces skin and hair irritation.
- Allows both scheduled regeneration and regeneration based on actual water use
- Extra-durable resin
- Economical in the long term
- Needs pre-filter for enhanced effect
The Pentair 5600sxt-48k-10 is an NSF certified salt-based water softening system with a high capacity (48,000 grain). It uses an ion exchange to remove calcium and magnesium, the culprits of water hardness in your water, effectively softening it.
In fact, the softener can not only save your hair and skin from dryness and irritation, but it can also protect your pipe system as well as water appliances from damage caused by limescale, which results from water hardness.
Since it removes sticky hard minerals, it will keep your tiles and all sorts of surfaces that you clean with the water shiny and free of the annoying white film usually seen in households with hard water.
What’s cool about this softener is that it has a flow meter which measures your actual water use, and allows the system to regenerate as needed. That’s for saving both salt and water. It also can regenerate on a pre-set time schedule like most other systems if that’s what you prefer.
For enhanced durability in chemical-treated communal water, the softener has a commercial-standard 10% crosslink resin.
Price at time of publish: $800.84
- Grain capacity: 64k
- Flow rate: 16 GPM
- Type: Salt-based
- Warranty: 10 years on tank, 5 years on control head
Read more: Best Water Softeners for Well Water
Best Shower Filter for Hair And Skin: AquaHomeGroup 15-Stage Shower Filter
- Reduces contaminants, producing safe water for showering
- Enhances skin and hair with vitamin C
- Affordable, portable, easy to install
- Does not significantly soften water
It doesn’t soften water to the extent a whole softening system does. However, the the AquaHomeGroup filter is still an excellent (and easy) solution to brittle and falling hair and skin irritation caused by communal water.
This little showerhead filter offers 15 stages of water treatment.
The cartridge includes sediment filters, the super powerful KDF 55, calcium sulfite, activated carbon and super porous ceramic balls. It reduces chlorine, heavy metals (lead, mercury, nickel, chromium), various dissolved solids, bacteria, and pesticides. This filtration material also inhibits the growth of fungi, making the water safe for showering.
It also goes a step further by providing vitamin C, minerals, and other materials that boost negative ions and oxygen levels in the shower water. This way, it can turn plain shower water into a nourishing liquid for your hair and skin.
Granted, it won’t turn you 10 years younger overnight. Nonetheless, most users reported reduced skin itchiness and less hair fall right after the first couple of uses. In any case, it can’t hurt to give it a try.
Price at time of publish: $48.48
- Approximate filter life: 6 months / 10,000 gallons
- Purification method: KDF 55, ceramic, maifan stone, germanium, activated carbon
- Shower head: Not included
- Stages of filtration: 15-20
- Target contaminants: Chlorine, chloramine, fluoride, heavy metal
Best Mini Filter for Backpackers: Sawyer Products PointOne Squeeze Water Filter
- Highly effective in cleaning water
- Super long filter life
- Lightweight, portable, convenient
- Quick to filter water
- Can’t process a large amount of water at once
- Can’t destroy virus
The Sawyer Squeeze Filter is one of the best companions you can have for a backpacking trip in the woods, the mountains, or in any corner of the world where water quality cannot be taken for granted.
This little filter can remove more than 99.99% of all bacteria, protozoa, and cysts such as E. coli, Giardia, Vibrio cholera, and Salmonella from any fresh water source, as well as other harmful contaminants down to the size of 0.1 micron.
At 9.5 x 4 x 3.5 inches, this 3.2 oz filter won’t take more space in your backpack than a book light or an electric toothbrush. And yet it can filter up to 540 gallons of clean water per day, as the design allows very fast processing. That’s enough water for a whole village for a day. Of course, you will have to squeeze it a couple of hundred of times for that.
Regardless, it’s nice to have the assurance that as long as you encounter a source of fresh water along the way, you can use the filter to produce as much clean, safe water as you need.
Price at time of publish: $40.99
- BPA free: Yes
- Pouch size: 32 oz
- Capacity: 540 gallons total
- Warranty: Lifetime limited warranty
Best Portable Filter for Car: Travel Berkey Water Filter
- Effective in producing safe, clean water
- Portable
- Processes a decent amount of water at once
- Comes with stainless steel bottle
- Requires manual noting of replacement time
Travelling in a car or a van allows more storage of clean water. But when your trip is long, a better solution is often to carry a filter that’s just large and strong enough to produce drinkable water for you and your companions from a fresh water source on the way.
The Travel Berkey is highly recommended in this situation.
Similar to its countertop counterpart, the Travel Berkey comes with not only fluoride and arsenic reduction elements, but also the BB9 filter elements. These are well-known for their ability to remove various pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites. They can also extract harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
It has a stainless steel housing with two chambers that can hold up to 1.5 gallons of water at once. That's about the right amount to keep three people properly hydrated per day. The various parts have different lifespans, ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 gallons - take note so you can replace them when the time comes.
Price at time of publish: $232.90
Key Specs:
- Purification method: Unique proprietary blend
- Target contaminants: heavy metals (Uranium, lead, mercury, arsenic, etc)
- Removes TDS: No
- Capacity: 1.5 gallons/session
- Dimensions: 7.5L x 7.5W x 18H inches
- Certifications: N/A
- Warranty: 6 months
Best Pool Water Filter: Intex Krystal Clear Sand Filter Pump
- Strong, fast to filter pool water
- Minimal maintenance required
- Affordable and easy to control
- Can’t work on too large pools
Efficient and simple to operate, the Intex is one of the most beloved filters for residential above-ground pools.
This 10-inch filter has a powerful motor that helps generate a pump flow rate of 2,100 gallons per hour. It also comes with a 24-hour timer so your pool can manage itself without much manual involvement.
The filter keeps your pool water clean and free of dirt, algae, and large sediments with a chamber of fine sand. The sand only requires replacement about once every 5 years, possibly making it the most cost-effective pool filter out there.
That is pretty much the only maintenance you will have to worry about. The machine can handle backwashing, rinsing, recirculation, and drainage by itself with a simple turn of the control valve.
It can provide enough fresh, clean water for a pool of up to 19,600 gallons.
Price at time of publish: $162.94
- Peak flow rate: 1,600 GPH
- Automatic timer: Yes
- Dimensions: 15.38L x 22.25W x 23.25H inches
- Certifications: UL/CSA standards
Best Water Softener for Small Pools: Pelican NaturSoft Salt-Free Water Softeners
- Limited lifetime warranty
- Easy installation
- Low operation/maintenance cost
- NSF 42 > 61 certified
- High initial cost
Soft water is not always ideal for pools. That said, if you have very hard water, which a majority of the US does, and want to enjoy a swim without having to deal with skin irritation or spending time scrubbing the mineral stains off the tiles, softening it may be a good idea.
An effective water softener system like the NSF-certified Pelican NaturSoft descaler can be the MVP in this scenario.
As a salt-free softener, the NaturSoft converts hard water minerals to a crystallized form. This makes it hard for them to adhere to surfaces like your skin, your hair, the pipe system, or the pool tiles. It’s actually one of the rare softeners that are certified by the DVGW (Deutscher Verein des Gas und Wasserfaches - German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water) to prevent 99.6% of scale buildup.
Despite having a seemingly high initial price, it is in fact budget-friendly in the long term.
First, the system comes ready and installation, whether indoor or outdoor, is not any more complicated than a simple water filter. Plus, the operation cost is next to zero. Unlike salt-based softeners, it uses neither salt nor electricity to work, and there’s no wastewater produced.
The only thing you will need to mind is the additional pre-filter, which is there to remove any sediment from the water down to the size of 5 microns. This pre-filter only requires replacement every 6 months, or earlier if you’re using it to soften a great amount of pool water.
Price at time of publish: $1,885.05
- Type: Salt-free
- Flow rate: 10 GPM
- Grain Capacity: N/A
- Warranty: 5 years
- Certifications: DVGW certified
How Do You Know If The Water is Clean Enough?
If you are using communal water, there should be a report of the water quality in your state/town available on the website of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
If you are using water from a private well, or water whose quality you are not so sure of, there are several ways to test if it’s safe.
The easiest, quickest, and most affordable way is to check the water with your own senses. For example, if you see clouds or particles in the water, it’s probably not safe to drink it or even shower with it. Similarly, an unusual taste or odor may suggest a high level of contaminants such as chloramine, iron, or sulfur, or one or more dangerous chemicals.
Another popular method is to look for a home water quality test kit. These kits are very easily available online or at local shops. They typically contain strips that change colors when exposed to the contaminants in your water. They can give you an idea of whether or not, and sometimes how badly, your water is contaminated of some certain substances.
Unfortunately, the aforementioned methods are not terribly reliable. They do not identify a very wide variety of substances. Of the few contaminants that can be detected, the exact levels of pollution are usually not clear.
The most efficient way is to contact a state-certified lab in your area and send your water there for an examination. Here’s a list of labs recommended by the EPA for every state or territory in the US. You can also do the testing at one of the labs approved by the EPA to meet the proficiency testing criteria for the fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR).
Hi reader,
We hope the article was helpful to you in your pursuit of a solution to your water problem. Within the scope of a post, we know we can’t cover all the information you may need; but we will be happy to answer any question you may have about the best water filters. Drop us a line in the comment section - we will get back to you real quick!
