Best Water Filter Buying Guide - Consumer Reports

In our lab, we check how well filters improve flavor and reduce odor by spiking spring water with commonly found compounds that can make it smell and taste like a sewage treatment plant, damp soil, metal, or a swimming pool. A panel of professional tasters then evaluates how successfully each filter removes those flavors and odors. The best-performing filters work well enough that most people wouldn’t be able to discern a palatable difference between the filtered water and pure spring water.

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We also test a water filter’s flow rate by measuring how long it takes to filter one quart of water; the faster the filtering, the higher the score. We also give each filter a “clogging” score based on how much its flow rate slows down over the filter cartridge’s stated life.

NSF International (originally the National Sanitation Foundation) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) develop filtration standards. If a manufacturer claims that a pitcher meets NSF/ANSI standards for removing specific contaminants, such as chlorine, lead, and PFAS, we verify those claims and include that information in our ratings.

The Environmental Protection Agency requires community water suppliers to provide customers with a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) every July. The CCR states if any regulated contaminants are detected in the water and how they compare with the EPA’s drinking water standards.

Community water systems that serve at least 100,000 people must post CCR reports online. The EPA doesn’t regulate private wells, but well-water users can check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for information on well testing and treatment.

The CCR report informs you about the quality of the water supplied by your utility. But the route it takes from the utility to your glass is important, too. If your house was built before lead-free pipes were mandated in , you may want to do your own tests for lead. When purchasing a new faucet, make sure it meets U.S. safety standards for lead. Recently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned consumers that a number of imported faucets could leach dangerous amounts of it. (According to the EPA, there’s no safe level of lead exposure.)

Another drinking-water contaminant of concern is a class of more than 12,000 synthetic chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that persist in the environment and have been linked to health issues that include immune system suppression, learning delays in children, thyroid disease, and some cancers. According to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, at least 45 percent of the nation’s tap water is contaminated by PFAS. In the CR-Guardian study cited above, almost every test sample had measurable levels of PFAS, and more than 35 percent exceeded the maximum safety threshold CR scientists and other health experts specified.

The Environmental Protection Agency established the first nationwide limits for PFAS in drinking water in , along with requirements that public water systems monitor six PFAS compounds and take action if levels rise above prescribed limits. In May , however, the EPA reconsidered the new limits on four compounds and delayed enforcement of limits on two others until . According to the environmental coalition SaferStates, 11 states (Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin) have established standards for the level of PFAS in drinking water.

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If your utility doesn’t test for PFAS, or if you use well water, you can get your water tested by an EPA-certified lab like SimpleLab or WaterCheck from National Testing Laboratories.

Once you know what’s in your tap water, you can find a filter that best suits your needs.

If tests reveal no harmful contaminants and the only problem with your water is taste and/or odor, check CR’s water filter ratings for filters that score high in our flavor/odor reduction tests.

If tests reveal contaminants, look for a water filter certified to remove those substances. That means the filter has been independently tested to confirm it complies with an accepted standard specific to the contaminant and is subject to follow-up testing by the certifying agency to ensure continued compliance.

All of the under-sink water filters in CR’s ratings are certified to NSF standards for reducing lead, as well as many of the faucet-mounted filters and a few of the water filter pitchers. CR’s ratings also indicate which of the water filters we tested are certified to the NSF/ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard for reduction of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), two of the most concerning PFAS. These include some water filters in each category, including water filter pitchers, under-sink water filters, and one faucet-mounted water filter.

Our ratings also indicate whether a filter is certified to reduce chlorine, which can affect taste and smell.

If you’re considering a filter that’s not in our ratings, look at the filter’s packaging for a stamp or seal confirming which contaminants it’s certified to remove. Third-party labs certifying water filters to accepted NSF/ANSI standards include the NSF, the Water Quality Association (WQA), and IAPMO. Be wary of marketing language that hypes contaminant-removal claims or features, or false certifications from unverified testing labs.

Keep in mind that filter cartridges must be replaced periodically to function effectively. Our ratings allow you to compare each product’s annual filter replacement cost. For example, replacement filters for the pitchers we test range from about $20 to $160. You’ll also see which models have a filter-life indicator, a handy feature that tells you when to change the filter.

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