What is the Best Water Filter in Every Category

by Jay | Updated on January 24th, 2023

Do you live in an apartment or house? Do you have small children or pets? If so, you’ll know the importance of having clean drinking water. But what exactly is a water filter and should you invest in one? Read on to learn more about these crucial household appliances.


Do You Need A Water Filter?

The answer is an absolute YES.

Why?

Water filters are useful in protecting people from potentially harmful contaminants in water. People who receive municipal tap water do not have control of its quality, but they can use water filters to purify the water they receive. These potentially harmful contaminants come from chemicals, odors, and a bad taste in water.

The role of regulating public water supply is handled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, there is no guarantee that the water you receive is free of fluorine, chlorine, copper, cadmium, asbestos, etc.

Therefore, people are advised to understand the source of water they consume so they can weigh whether they need a water filter or not.

The CDC recommends that people who use water from private wells need to get it tested annually. You can get a report from EPA if you source your water from the public system. Consumers need to be aware of the potential contaminants they might find in their water.

Some people use water filters to improve the taste of the water they take. Some minerals are contaminants but not necessarily harmful to the users. However, many harmful mineral contaminants cannot be seen, tasted, or smelled. If you find your water contaminants to be lead, chlorine, arsenic, and nitrates, ensure that you only go for the water filter that will eradicate them.

What Kind of Water Filter Do You Need?

Tap water users need to get the source of water tested. The test results will help identify the specific contaminants they need to control. The reason is that no water filter can remove all contaminants, but each is designed to combat particular impurities.

Therefore, when you want to purchase a water filter, you must choose from a variety of their designs.

The under-sink, faucet attachments, pitchers, countertop systems, and dispensers are common designs.

The price is a critical factor for the buyer to consider. The speed of the water filter must match up to the consumption rate. In addition, the preferred water filter must be easy to install and maintain. The reverse osmosis filters are costly, but some cost as little as $20.

Countertop filters are more costly to install. They must be installed in your faucet. However, they can adequately serve large households. It is also easy to switch between filtered and unfiltered water. You can reduce the installation expenses by mounting faucet attachment filters at the end of the faucet. That will allow you to switch to unfiltered water.

The under-sink systems are expensive, though they offer unmatched quality water contaminants removal services. The good thing about under-sink systems is that they remove more contaminants than other filter models.

The under-sink systems allow water filtration to go through several stages; hence, they are more effective. They are good for handling large water volumes, and they emit wastewater during the process.

Dispensers or filtered pitchers are very affordable and straightforward to access. Their main service is to improve the taste and smell of water. However, this is not a good option for big families because they filter very slowly and have a small capacity.

Customers need to do some research about specific water filter brands. The best point of reference is the NSF’s database. You will get all the information you need and details about specific contaminants from which a certain filter will protect you. 

How Do You Know Water Is Clean Enough?

People who use public water sources must get a report on water quality from their municipality/state/town. However, water quality might not be well known for those using water from a private well. Therefore, find it necessary to carry out at least one test per year concerning the quality of water you use.

However, most people know water is not safe by using their senses. If you see solid contaminants in water, kindly do not use them. If you sense a bad odor or bad taste when drinking the water, it suggests that there might be high levels of contaminants, making it unsafe for consumption.

You can also buy the home water quality test kit. You can easily shop it on the internet or in local shops. These test kits have strips that change colors if the water is contaminated, and it emphasizes the level of water contamination by certain substances.

Things to Look for In A Water Filter

  • Types of impurities filtered: Every filter is designed to remove specific contaminants. If your water is relatively safe, choose the ones that remove basic contaminants, taste, and odors. If your water supply is questionable, buy filters that remove dangerous pollutants and those that remove bacteria as well.
  • Pitcher vs. permanent: Permanent filters are installed under the sink. They filter all the water for use because they don’t require refilling. On the other hand, pitchers filter small quantities of water needed for use and must be refilled regularly.
  • The filter’s lifespan: The filters in the water filter system must be replaced after use. Choose water filters that don’t require replacements frequently but still be effective infiltration. 

Criteria for Picking the Best Water Filter

You need to get good quality for the money you offer to buy a water filter. So do not be lured into buying fancy water filters. They are not necessarily the best of the options you have. Instead, running a little research about the product and customer reviews will help you get the best filter that will give you a lifelong service.

This article is the ultimate buyer’s guide for water filters with a designated purpose. The best guide to finding the right water filter is getting your water tested so you can be aware of the contaminants you are fighting.

Best Water Filters for Drinking Water

Water can be considered safe for drinking only if it has reached safe levels of contaminants. Therefore, you must choose a filter that will help filter your tap water to such safe levels.

Water is hugely recommended for drinking by medics, meaning that drinking required amounts of water that is not safe will impose people to more dangers on their health. For domestic purposes, ensure that you buy a filter based on the test results of the water you use. 

Here, you can check out the top-ranked water filters based on their performance. In addition, their reviews of some modes make this the most helpful customer guide when buying a water filter.

The Acquager is the new big thing in the water filtration field. It is being sold 3 times more than her competitors, Brita and Pur filters. It has the same size but with excellent performance.

This filter has the certification from an independent lab. It removes lead and can reduce by 90-99% all fluorides, mercury, plethora, and chloramine. The capacity of this pitcher is about half a gallon at a time. The Aquager can last up to half a year, unlike other pitchers that last only 2-3 months before replacing them. It is suitable for tap water, not well water.

Advantages

  • Made of DPA-Approved material and BPA-free
  • Has a longer filter life
  • Combats mercury, chlorine, and fluorine
  • Has a lifetime guarantee- with free replacements in case it breaks

Disadvantages

  • refilling must be done manually
  • does not have a filter life indicator
  • can’t handle raw well water
  • relatively small capacity

Big Berkey Gravity-Fed Water Filter – perfect for a family of 6

Purification effectiveness: This countertop comes with arsenic and fluoride filters. The State and EPA certify this robust system. It has surpassed the NSF International Standard 53. The uniqueness of this filter is its ability to remove the red food color and 99.99% of pathogenic bacteria like E.coli. This is a huge promise in water purification. 

Speed: 2.25 gallons per one to two hours. It takes a bit longer

Replacements: readily available on Amazon. The Berkey- PF-2 elements can handle 1000 gallons of water before replacement

The Berkey can handle a family of 6 lasting up to a year before replacing the elements, given only one refill a day. 

Advantages

  • it is a mobile (portable)
  • It is made of a durable material 
  • It can support a long filter life
  • Filters out arsenic, and fluorides, among other metals
  • It has a stainless bottle

Disadvantages

  • Refilling must be done manually
  • Must be tracked and replaced manually, which is time-consuming

Best Water Filter-Drinking and Cooking Water

In a family, more water will be needed if cooking is introduced. All consumers in the household will double the amount of water they consume if it is used for cooking. Here, you have to consider large capacity options than countertops and pitchers. Regular refilling is frustrating.

Home Master Artesian Reverse Osmosis – Best-rated Under-Sink Water Filter

This system uses reverse osmosis, a highly effective technique for producing safe water for drinking. Reverse osmosis removes more than 99% of dangerous water contaminants like chlorine, pesticides, heavy metals, herbicides, and some hormones.

The Home Master Artisan Reverse Osmosis filter takes water through 7 stages of water purification. It comes with pre-filters, post-filter, and reverse membranes. This system restores healthy minerals removed through the process.

It has a permeate pump that helps to minimize water loss. It can yield a 1:1 ratio of pure to wastewater compared to 4:1 of other conventional RO systems.

This RO under-sink master can yield 75 gallons of purified water in optimal conditions in a single day. It comes with a 3.2 gallons storage tank that can comfortably support a family of 3-6 people. In addition, the RO filters only need replacements once a year. 

Advantages

  • Highly effective in removing contaminants
  • Has very low water wastage
  • Very easy to maintain
  • Replaces healthy minerals in water after filtration
  • Recommended by NSF International

Disadvantages

  • must create space for under-sink installation
  • must be installed by a professional

Big Berky Water Filter 2.25 Gallon – Best Gravity Water Filter

The Berkey is highly recommended for cooking and drinking water. You cannot, however, use it to support 6 people. This is suitable for 3 people or less. If the water is used for cooking and drinking, it cannot meet the needs of 6 people. In this case, consider the Home Master under sink RO system.

Culligan FM-15A Faucet Mount Filter – Top Preferred Faucet Water Filter

This filter is effective in removing bad odor from tap water. The installation is simple since you can put it on the head of the faucet. This might filter has been approved by NSF for removing bad odor and chlorine from tap water.

In addition, it removes rust, lead, sand, dirt, and minute sediment particles. It can handle about 200 gallons in its lifetime. For a household with three people, it will need to be changed twice a month.  

Advantages

  • Very affordable
  • Effective in removing contaminants
  • Very easy to install
  • Portable

Disadvantages

  • Highly vulnerable to leakage
  • Constant replacements allow filtered water to get mixed with the unfiltered.
  • Not suitable for handling large water volumes

Top-Rated Water Filters for Well Water

Unfiltered well water can cause health hazards and damage to infrastructure. In addition, depending on the geological location of the well, the water in it can have high concentrations of metals like lead, mercury, copper, nickel, chlorine, fluorine, and much more. As a result, your water will have a metallic taste in it.

Home Master- The Whole House 3- Stage Water Filter 

Well, water is heavily infested with contaminants. Before you soften it, consider removing large sediments, sand, algae, and heavy metals. The best recommendation by the NSF is the Home Master for treating well water.

Buy the Home Master HMF3SDGFEC and be able to filter heavy metals, skin irritants, taste, and odor in 3 steps. However, it does not remove microorganisms and chemicals in the water.

Advantages

  • Enhances the taste and smell of water
  • Reduces iron and other sediments effectively
  • Easy to install
  • Does not affect water pressure

Disadvantages

  • does not kill harmful microorganisms

Home Master Hydro-Perfection Water filter

Buy yourself the most robust under-sink system for bad-quality well water. It uses reverse osmosis. This specialty comes with iron filtration materials, which are not present in the Home Master Artesian. It has a UV chamber where 99.99% of pathogens are destroyed.

The quality of water you get from this system matches that of distilled water. In addition, this system has a permeate pump that reduces water wastage by up to 80%.

Advantages

  • Ensures low water wastage
  • Effectively removes pathogens and contaminants
  • Very easy to maintain
  • Listed by NSF International

Disadvantages

  • Professional assistance is required when installing.
  • Requires a big space for installation

Top Water Filters for Hair and Skin

If you have had dry skin after showering, all you need is a salt-based exchange system with a high capacity. It removes iron and magnesium ions to soften the water.

Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener 

This is a high capacity (48,000 grain) system for softening hard water. Magnesium and calcium are removed using ion exchange. The major benefits are that it is effective in removing water hardness and reducing irritation on the skin.

It can be scheduled for regeneration and has an extra-double resin. It is highly economical for long-term use. Its major limitation is that a pre-filter must be used to be effective.

AquaBliss High Output 12-Stage Shower Filter

This is the right solution for your skin and hair shower. It can reduce heavy metals and dissolve other contaminants making the water safe for showering. Testimonials show that they have experienced lesser irritations and hair losses.

The skin and hair are enhanced with vitamin C. It is cheap to buy and install. However, the water is not significantly softened to safe drinking levels. 

The Best Water Filters for Backpacking

Sawyer Products PointOne Squeeze Water Filter

It is very common for backpackers to carry water to avoid getting dehydrated. The Sawyer Squeeze Filter is the best partner to guarantee you safe water in any part of your travel. It can filter 99.99% of pathogens. It is small, not to occupy space in your backpack.

It is very useful for cleaning water. It has a long filter life, portable, convenient, and lightweight. Users can filter water very quickly. However, only small amounts of water are dispensed at once, and they cannot filter viruses.

Travel Berkey Water Filter- Best Filter When In a Car

You cannot easily get clean water when traveling. Instead, you can take your ordinary tap water and use the Travel Berkey to filter it in your car. It can reduce arsenic and fluorine. It can also reduce chemicals and other harmful pathogens. In addition, it can hold 1.5 gallons of water, which is suitable for a long trip. 

Advantages

  • Portable
  • It comes with a stainless steel bottle
  • Processes a good quantity of water at once
  • Produces safe water

Disadvantages

  • Operated manually; hence time-consuming

Best Water Filters for a Family Pool

Large volumes of water are used in filling the pools. Then, that water must be passed under filtration to remove sediments, dirt, and algae.

Intex Crystal Clear Sand Filter Pump

Best used for above-ground family pools. It can flow 2,100 gallons per hour. It filters sand, dirt, and algae. Needs a replacement once in 5 years. It can handle about 19,600 gallons at once.

Advantages

  • Highly efficient and simple to operate
  • Requires minimal maintenance
  • Cheap to buy and maintain

Disadvantages

  • Not suitable for very large pools

Pelican NaturSoft SaltFree Water Softener

even though soft water is not suitable for pools, extremely hard water will have to leave the swimmers dealing with skin irritations. NaturSoft softener converts hard water to crystal form. It prevents 99.6% of scale build-up. It is expensive to buy but very cheap to maintain.

Advantages 

  • Easy to install
  • Cheap to maintain
  • NSF 42 & 61 certified
  • Has a limited lifetime warranty

Disadvantages 

  • very expensive to buy

Conclusion

These are the top-ranked water filters highly recommended for you. From their description, you can easily find which one suits your needs well. Then, evaluate depending on the contaminants it can remove, the cost, capacity, and the ease of maintaining it.

Jay

Jay is a health and wellness enthusiast with expertise in water quality and nutrition. As a knowledgeable advocate for holistic well-being, Jay successfully manages Type 2 Diabetes through informed lifestyle choices. Committed to sharing reliable and authoritative insights, Jay combines firsthand experience with a passion for enhancing health."