15 Best Water Filters (Review) In 2021

Our top choice from the best water filters comes in the shape of a ZeroWater 10 Cup Water Filter Pitcher. As you would expect from a water filter pitcher, this is easy to use, required no set up, and is affordable. What you might not expect from a simple jug is the level of filtration that ZeroWater offers you. This pitcher uses Ion Exchange Technology to remove contaminants and filters water in 5 stages. It is certified to remove lead and chromium and reduce 99.6% of other solids. Depending on the quality of your tap water, you may need to change the filter very regularly.

All you have to do to use the filter system is add water from your tap and it is ready to drink. The added feature of this water filter is the water quality meter, which means you can test the end product at any time. This meter sits at the top of the pitcher lid for easy storage.

The Zerowater jug is also fitted with a comfort grip handle and a spigot, so you don’t even need to lift it off your counter to pour water.

Our budget choice for the best water filter is a small pitcher from Brita. The Brita 5 Cup Water Filter Pitcher with 1 Spare Filter has a simple design, with a comfortable handle and pouring spout and a capacity of 5 cups. While this capacity is quite small, its space-efficient design does mean that the jug can fit easily in a refrigerator to keep you supplied with chilled water.

The Brita filter will reduce the taste and odor from chlorine and minimize any copper, mercury, zinc, and cadmium impurities from your tap water. While it doesn’t have a five-stage filter process like the ZeroWater pitcher, it does that the Brita filter lasts 2.5 times longer (around every two months) than Zerowater filters.

This compact pitcher also has an electronic indicator that will warn you when it almost time to change the filter (change soon), and then when you must change it (change now). If you are looking for an easy to use, very affordable filter for a household of one or two people, then this product is worth considering.

The Aquagear BPA Free Water Filter Pitcher claims that it removes 2000% more contaminants when compared to other brands. This filter is highly effective at removing mercury, lead, chromium, chloramine, chlorine, and fluoride, as well as over 50 organic compounds. It also leaves behind what we know as ‘healthy trace minerals’ such as calcium and magnesium.

A lovely advantage of buying this product is that it comes from a company that has a strong corporate social responsibility program, so for every purchase, you make them provide six months of clean water to someone in need. The filters can also be returned to the company, and they will recycle them.

The disadvantage of this product is the accuracy of the filter. With no indicator or measure, it is hard to know when your filter needs changing or how effective it is. Some reviews have reported that chlorine and fluoride are not reduced, whereas other reviews rate the effectiveness of the filter extremely highly.

The Clearly Filtered 10 Cup Water Filter Pitcher has a capacity of 10 cups and pledges that each filter is effective for a longer period than its competitors. On average, you can expect to change the filter every four months/ every 100 gallons.

Clear Filtered also claim that the pitcher will remove more contaminants and chemical that all of the leading top 5 brands. There are too many contaminants to list, but the highlights include fluoride, lead, chromium, mercury, and arsenic.

For a 10 cup capacity pitcher this is an expensive model, yet as you don’t have to change the filter as often, this should compensate for the initial cost. As with the Aquagear pitcher, there is, unfortunately, no way to accurately known when to change the filter, or how effective it is.

This ZeroWater 23 Cup Water Filter Dispenser with Water Quality Meter comes with many of the same features as our best choice water filter, but with a much larger capacity. As this can hold 23 cups of water, this is one of the most generous capacity pitchers you will find, so it is excellent if you have a large household and don’t want to be continuously filling the jug. This model is also a great value for such a large capacity.

It has the standard ZeroWater quality meter that can measure the purity of the water and give you an idea of when it is time to change the filter. This quality meter is also conveniently stored above the spigot.

With its five-stage filtration process, this pitcher can remove 99.6% of dissolved solids and is certified by the NSF to remove heavy metals such as chromium and lead. Unfortunately, you will need to replace this filter quite frequently.

Brita is one of the most recognized brands when it comes to water filters, primarily due to its efficiency and durability. This model is no exception. The Brita Ultra Max 18 Cup Filtering Dispenser has a large capacity, fits in most refrigerators and has a spigot attached. As a result, you can pour water from the pitcher without having to remove it from the fridge each time.

The jug is made well, from high-quality plastic that is difficult to crack, and the lid can be folded back for simple refilling – you don’t have to take the whole unit out of the fridge and to the sink. You use the standard Brita filters with this item, and there is a sticker indicator that serves as a reminder of when it is time to change the filter, every two months. As with their other products, the manufacturers state that the filter lasts 2.5 times longer than ZeroWater products.

If you decide to purchase this pitcher, be aware that taking it apart to clean it is a little tricky, and while the easy-fill hinged lid does make your life easier, you do need to leave extra space in your fridge to use this. This might not be feasible with some refrigerator configurations.

The Brita UltraSlim 25 Cup Water Filter Dispenser has the largest capacity of all Brita dispensers and can hold up to 25 cups. Ideal for large households. The ultraslim design aims to ensure this dispenser can fit in the refrigerator easily, but we recommended checking the measurements before you buy it.

This water filter has the same filtration properties as the other Brita pitchers we have reviewed, but they have added a few more, useful features. Firstly, is the SmartLight indicator, which is an LED light that glows green if the filter is working well, and flashes red when it is time to change it. This removes a lot of the guesswork of when to order a replacement.

Next is the sliding lid at the top of the unit. Unlike the 18 cup dispenser, where you had to make space in the fridge above the dispenser to be able to open the hinged lid, this particular lid slides back to open, so takes up no extra space.

Our premium pick for the best water filter is the Santevia Gravity Water System – Countertop Water Filter. This is a unique filtering system that has been designed to recreate the earth’s natural purification process. It uses a ceramic pre-filter and a fluoride filter to remove bacteria, parasites, fluoride, chlorine, and other chemicals. Then the water passes through mineral stones where it is oxygenated, and minerals such as calcium and manganese are added using a process similar to reverse osmosis. The aim of this water system is to restore your water to a clean, alkalized and mineralized state, but only using gravity.

You will need to replace filters but not very often – once a year for the ceramic pre-filter and every four months (approx.) for the fluoride filter. The Santevia has a capacity of 2.64 gallons and is quite large so won’t fit in your fridge, but the stone-filled interior does make it more attractive than other models, so shouldn’t be too offensive to display on your countertop.

For every purchase you make, the company donates 100days of clean water to help fight water poverty in Uganda.

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The Apex Countertop Drinking Water Filter system connects directly to the kitchen faucets to produce purified, alkaline water. As it runs directly from your tap, there are no restrictions on capacity, and replacement filters are needed after 750 gallons have been passed through.

The Apex produces alkaline water, which is believed to have many health benefits, but it does also have a carbon block filter that can remove pesticide, chlorine, mercury, rust, and numerous other contaminants from your water. It works with a five-stage filtration process.

This countertop water system is very easy to fit standard faucets. Still, you should check the product descriptions to see their definition of standard faucets to ensure it is compatible with your sink. Despite it being initially straightforward to fit, replacing the filter is more challenging. We recommend following the guide, or even some customer reviews, that describe in detail how to do this successfully.

The PUR Advanced Chrome Faucet Water Filter is a mount filter system, another option that connects directly to your taps, with no need for a separate container. This model is certified to remove 99% of lead and more contaminants than other brands.

This attachment is simple to connect to your faucets, and no tools are needed to achieve this, but you should verify which type of faucets it is compatible with before purchasing. There have been several reports of leaks around the taps, and this may be because of compatibility issues.

As per the product descriptions, one PUR filter can provide up to 100gallons of water before needing a replacement (approximately every three months). This is equivalent to 750 standard bottled water containers, making it a great investment to save money and the environment.

This faucet water filter comes from Brita and is a highly affordable option for unlimited filtered water. The Brita Chrome Tap Water Filtration System is effective at reducing 60 contaminants, including chlorine, lead, asbestos, and other unwanted chemicals.

One advantage you get with this item compared to faucet attachments is the filter change indicator. This will tell you when it is time for a replacement, which should be approximately every four months. When you do have to change the filter, the one-click system makes this incredibly user-friendly to do.

As with all similarly designed products, ensure that you check your faucet style for compatibility. You should also expect that the water pressure from your tap will decrease when you fit this filter.

The Waterdrop 320-Gallon Long-Lasting Water Faucet Filtration System is our best value choice filter for water. It attaches quickly to your faucets and is NSF certified for lead-free material and chlorine removal. Its Activated Carbon Fiber filter can also reduce fluoride levels.

In comparison to other faucet fitted water filtration systems, the Waterdrop has a longer product lifespan. You should only need a replacement filter after 320 gallons of clean water has been dispensed. There is also a high flow design of 0.5 gallons per minute, so you won’t have to wait for a fresh glass of drinking water.

One added feature of this model is that you can switch off the filter when you run hot water, rather than having to remove the filter completely. This protects the carbon fiber filter and means you don’t have to keep messing around with installation.

The iSpring Under Sink 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Filtration System is one that is fitted underneath your sink, directly to the pipes. The five-stage layered filtration system in this model works around reverse osmosis technology, carbon blocks, and sediment filters. There isn’t much that will pass through this system! Once installed, you will get a bottle-water quality flow from your faucets, with a capacity of 75 gallons per day. This is more than enough for a large family.

The iSpring advertises DIY installation, accompanied by guides and videos. While this is true, you will need to be a little handy with tools and DIY before attempting installation. Luckily the company provides exceptional live support to talk you through the process if needed.

As with all under-sink filtration systems, the various filters will need to be changed at different times, so you will need to keep on top of this. This product does require a significant initial investment, but if you are looking for a long-lasting system that you will keep for many years then in the long-run, it is more cost-effective than buying bottled water.

The APEC Premium Quality 3 Stage Under-Sink Water Filter System comes with a high price tag, but it is constructed with very high-quality materials and includes a full, lead-free chrome faucet, so you don’t need to worry about it being compatible with your kitchen taps. The water flow is also above average for similar filtration systems.

There is a three-stage filtration process in this product, with a sediment filter followed by two different carbon blocks. These stages remove dust, chlorine, and any unpleasant tastes and odors, but retains potassium, calcium, and magnesium. If you are looking for a product to reduce your total dissolved solids (TDS) count, then this is not the best product for you, but it will leave you with high quality, alkaline drinking water. Fluoride and lead will also not be removed.

The Frizzlife Under Sink Water Filter System is approximately half the price of many other under sink options, but it is still highly effective. The two-stage purification process will eliminate lead, heavy metals, chlorine, carcinogens, rust, and mercury plus numerous other contaminants. Essential minerals (calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium) remain. This is why you won’t see a reduction in TDS.

Compared to other under sink modes, the Frizzlife is one of the best filters for water in terms of installation and replacing. With a built-in, automatic shut-off valve, you don’t even need to turn the water off when changing the filter. The filter cartridges are also half the price of similar alternatives.

There aren’t many downsides to this product, apart from it not being certified by the NDF, so you will only be able to validate the filtration claims through testing.