Home & Garden Home The 7 Best Water Filters of 2023 Our top pick is the Amazon Basics Filtration System. By Starre Vartan Starre Vartan Writer Columbia University Syracuse University Starre Vartan is an environmental and science journalist. She holds an MFA degree from Columbia University and Geology and English degrees from Syracuse University. Learn about our editorial process Updated September 10, 2022 Fact checked by Elizabeth MacLennan Fact checked by Elizabeth MacLennan University of Tennessee Elizabeth MacLennan is a fact checker and expert on climate change. Learn about our fact checking process Share Twitter Pinterest Email Home Green Living Pest Control Natural Cleaning DIY Family Thrift & Minimalism Sustainable Eating We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Getty Some people filter water simply because of flavor, while others have had their water tested and aren’t happy with the balance of chemicals they find that flow from the tap. Some of those are necessary chemical residues like chlorine that disinfect water (but may have possible health effects), while others might be contaminants that get picked up as the water travels through miles of pipe to get to your house. People with wells may find their super-local water contains a mix of natural minerals that stain bathroom fixtures and smell weird. This water isn’t unhealthy, just unappetizing and unattractive when it leaves bathtub rings. If you've determined that you need a water filter, below are some of our favorites. The Rundown Best Low Waste: Phox V2 at Phoxwater.com Jump to Review Best Whole House: Express Water Whole House Water Filter at Walmart Jump to Review Best Filtered Water Bottle: LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle at REI Jump to Review Best Pitcher: Pur Classic 11-Cup Water Filter Pitcher at Walmart Jump to Review Best Under Sink: Aquasana 2-Stage Under Sink Water Filter System at Walmart Jump to Review Best for Killing Pathogens: Viqua Home Plus UltraViolet Water Disinfection System at Amazon Jump to Review Best Low Waste Phox V2 4.2 Courtesy of Phox View On Phoxwater.com This smallish-but-stylish glass pitcher unit is from a new company based in Scotland. If you are concerned about the plastic waste from the other filter brands available, you’ll love this company’s model, which is a refillable filter cartridge. Instead of buying an entire replacement filter, you get a refill pack in the mail, which contains granules and a carbon filter that you have to place into the reusable filter. It’s a little bit fussy, and not as simple as replacing a whole plastic filter with another one, but for people who don’t mind a smidge of extra work for the significant plastic reduction (and, according the company’s site, a 75% carbon emissions reduction), it’s worth it. Price at time of publish: $48 Best Whole House Express Water Heavy Metal Whole House Water Filter 4.6 Home Depot View On Walmart View On Amazon View On Home Depot A whole-house water filter system needs to be installed by a plumber, but it’s a fairly straightforward job, simply connecting to your home’s water supply at the point it enters the house. The Express Water systems has a few advantages. It has a three-stage filter (many similarly priced units have just two), though that means you will be replacing an extra filter. The first filter clears sediment from your water, and the second one captures heavy metals like mercury. The third, an activated carbon block, removes chlorine, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other chemicals. The sediment filter housing is translucent, so it’s obvious when it needs replacing. The filters last 6-12 months (and changing them is easily DIY), depending on how much water your household uses. Price at time of publish: $500 The 10 Best Low-Flow Shower Heads of 2023 Best Filtered Water Bottle LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle 4.8 Amazon View On REI View On Walmart View On Amazon Because these BPA-free bottles are used as a convenience for busy urbanites as well as people camping in wilderness environments who get water from untreated sources, the Lifestraw filters out harmful bugs and chemicals. As you use the straw, it clears 99.9999% of salmonella, E.coli, cholera, and protozoa like giardia with a .2-micron filter. An activated charcoal filter gets rid of other potentially harmful chemicals, and it works for up to 1,000 gallons before needing to be replaced. It's a great item to keep on hand in case of emergencies that might impact your access to clean water. Lifestraw also gives back by working on clean-water programs in places where kids have limited access to this vital resource. Price at time of publish: $37 The 7 Best Reusable Water Bottles, According to Our Tests Best Pitcher Pur Classic 11-Cup Water Filter Pitcher 4.7 Walmart View On Walmart View On Amazon View On Home Depot Pur isn’t the fastest-filtering pitcher on the market, but for what it takes in time to filter a full pitcher (about ten minutes) is made up for by other advantages. It has a comfortable ergonomic handle design that enables one-handed filling. Pur water filters also are easy to find and reasonably priced with no special ordering necessary. Part of the reason this one takes so long to filter is because it holds 11 cups. But the other reason it may take longer to clean up your water is that it’s proven by independent assessment bodies American National Standards Institute/NSF International (ANSI/NSF) to remove more potential contaminants. If lead is an issue, they have a filter variety that will specifically target it. Price at time of publish: $35 Best Under Sink Aquasana 2-Stage Under Sink Water Filter System 4.5 Amazon View On Walmart View On Amazon View On Aquasana.com While many under-sink filters need a plumber to connect them, this one is advertised as DIY—and a relatively handy, patient person can indeed set this up themselves in about an hour. The Aquasana removes up to 99% of 77 contaminants—that includes herbicides and pesticides, heavy metals like lead and mercury, and other chemicals like chlorine, asbestos, and pharmaceuticals that are increasingly making their way into drinking-water supplies. It comes with a faucet just for your filtered water, and the filters need to be replaced every six months. Aquasana also offers a subscription program that will automatically send you new filters, so you'll never be out of replacement filters. Price at time of publish: $200 Best for Killing Pathogens Viqua Home Plus 3 Stage UltraViolet Water Disinfection System 4.5 Amazon View On Amazon The other filters on this list are intended for water that’s been treated by a city or municipal wastewater facility. Treated water won't contain pathogens unless there’s some kind of natural disaster or other unusual circumstance. But if you are filtering water that could or does contain bacteria or other potential pathogens like Cryptosporidium or Giardia, you will need a more robust filter since these bugs can pass through a typical filter due to their tiny size. An ultraviolet filter like this one will kill pathogens, but won’t remove heavy metals or other chemicals. This unit comes in various sizes, and will filter the water for a whole house, so you don’t have to worry about keeping your mouth shut in the shower. It’s been independently certified by NSF for Class A Disinfection Performance. Price at time of publish: $1,227 Final Verdict Our top water filter pick for low waste is the Phox V2 because of its refillable filters so there's less plastic waste. If you’re in the market for a pitcher system, consider the PUR Classic 11 Cup Water Filter Pitcher . What to Consider When Buying a Water Filter Thinking about why you want a water filter before you buy is important, because it will help you decide which one is the right one for you. If you drink most of your water from a water bottle and don’t want to spend a lot, but still want to ensure clean, tasty water, a filtered water bottle is ideal. If you are just concerned about the flavor of your drinking water and want to filter out any extra chemicals you drink and cook with, your simplest, and least expensive option is a countertop or pitcher unit. The next level would be an in-door refrigerator unit that connects to your ice maker, too. If you want all the water you use from your kitchen sink—for cleaning veggies, drinking, and using in recipes, as well as the convenience of not cluttering up your fridge or countertop with containers (and not having to fill up your pasta pot from an inconvenient fridge spigot), and under-sink unit is the way to go. Finally, if you want to filter all the water you use, from water you may drink from bathroom sinks in the middle of the night, to the water you shower or take a bath in, a whole-house filter is what you need. This makes sense if you have hard water that needs softening. The impacts of the energy and materials that go into water softening can be offset by longer appliance life, more washes before clothing goes gray and less detergents needed for effective cleaning. FAQ Are Reverse Osmosis filters sustainable? We’re not recommending Reverse Osmosis filters due to the fact that on average, they use about 4 gallons of water for every 1 gallon they filter. The extra water is considered waste water. Considering that freshwater resources are limited or very limited in many parts of the US and the world, it’s just not a responsible or sustainable choice. In addition, reverse osmosis filters don’t offer any significant advantage over other types of filters, they are slow to filter water compared to the other types of filters listed here, and they take up quite a lot of space to do the job—they need a several-gallon holding tank. How do I know if I need a water filter? Before you buy any water filter, check your local water supply—you might not need one. Assuming you need a filter because other people have them is not a scientific way to determine what’s right for you. Check out the EPA’s safe drinking water site and click on Consumer Confidence Reports—enter your local information and you will be linked to the report or you can get the direct contact info for your water authority (so you can request a report). You can also try entering your zip code on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Tapwater Database—this will give you information on the legal limits of various chemicals and where your local supply may exceed either those, or EWG’s science-based recommended limits. How do you dispose of water filters responsibly? First: Recycling water filters, which are made from various layers of plastic and metal, with some kind of filtering material (carbon is common), is almost impossible. The fact that filters concentrate and store potentially toxic chemicals means it’s not a good idea to open them up to try to recycle their parts, either. You might see sources online that recommend dumping the filter material outside, but then you’re just creating a mini-toxic waste area wherever you dump the filter material, which holds onto those chemicals. More companies used to take filters back for recycling, but don’t anymore, so other than the brands mentioned above, your best bet is to dispose of your filters in the trash. Brita is the only larger company that we found currently recycles their filters, through a program with Terracycle. Pur filters can be dropped off at Whole Foods for recycling. Why Trust Treehugger? Author Starre Vartan has been an environmental and science journalist for more than 15 years. She founded an award-winning eco-website and has written a book on living green. For this review, she researched many water filtration systems to determine which ones are the most eco-friendly and effective. Arricca SanSone updated this article, cross-checking references and ratings. She prefers a whole house filter for safety and ease of use when cooking and bathing. View Article Sources "Chlorine." Environmental Protection Agency. "Water Health Series: Filtration Facts." Environmental Protection Agency, 2015.