This is our review of the best Faucet Water Filters of 2023.
If you want to drink clean water, a faucet water filter is a great and affordable solution, as it reduces the most common water contaminants.
But when looking for the best faucet water filter for your home, there are different factors to consider, like the certifications, which contaminants it removes, the price, the filter’s longevity, and others.
With all these in mind, we spent several hours creating the most complete faucet water filters buying guide and researching the best faucet water filters in the market to identify the best option overall, but also the best options for different situations.
So, after exhaustive research, we found that the Pur Advanced Faucet Water Filter is the best overall choice for a faucet water filter.
But every situation is different, so we also reviewed the best faucet water filters for different categories.
Let’s get started!
Our Top Picks for Best Countertop Water Filters
- Pur Advanced Faucet Water Filter (Best Overall Faucet Water Filter)
- Culligan FM-25 Faucet Mount Water Filter (Runner Up Faucet Water Filter)
- Waterdrop Faucet Water Filter (Best Budget Faucet Water Filter)
- Brita Basic Faucet Water Filter System (Best Basic Faucet Water Filter)
- Engdenton Faucet Water Filter (Best Faucet Water Filter for Chlorine)
- Home Master HM Mini Plus Sinktop Faucet Water Filter (Best Faucet Water Filter for Lead)
- iSpring DF2-CHR Faucet Water Filter (Best Faucet Water Filter for Filter Longevity)
7 Best Faucet Water Filters Reviewed
After investing our time researching and reviewing several faucet water filters, we identified the 7 best options for different purposes.
We’ve invested the time so you don’t have to:
- Best for: Overall
- Material: Plastic (Chrome Coating)
- Dimension: 5.25 x 6.75 x 2.87 inches
- Weight: 0.25 pounds
- Filter Longevity: 100 gallons
In our opinion, the Pur Advanced Faucet Water Filter is the best overall faucet water filter. It is NSF certified to reduce more than 70 different water contaminants, has a nice design, and a LED indicator to let you know when to change filters, all of this at an affordable price.
The powerful and NSF certified filtration system of this water filter that combines activated carbon and ion exchange, ensures the reduction of the most common and harmful water contaminants like lead, mercury, pesticides, chlorine, cysts, etc.
And its exclusive MineralClear core contains a calcium carbonate element that adds back to the water some beneficial minerals that are not only good for your health but also make your water taste better.
Another nice feature of the PUR Advanced Faucet Water Filter is the LED indicator that will let you know when it’s time to change your filter cartridge, so you don’t need to worry about that.
What we don’t like so much is the filter cartridge lifespan, as it only lasts for around 2 to 3 months or 100 gallons, which is worse than some of its competitors.
PUR offers similar versions of this model that may suit better your specific needs. If you prefer a stainless steel like filter there is available the PUR PFM450S Faucet Water Filtration System, or if you prefer a horizontal faucet mount filter, the PUR FM-3700 Faucet Water Filtration System might be the best version for you.
Pros:
- NSF certifications
- Reduces more than 70 contaminants
- Modern looking design
- LED indicator to monitor and change filter
- Remineralization
Cons:
- Filter longevity
- Plastic materials, susceptible to break and leak
Read the full review: Pur Advanced Water Filter Review
- Best for: Overall (Runner-up)
- Material: Plastic (Chrome Coating)
- Dimension: 5.5 x 3.5 x 6.5 inches
- Filter Longevity: 200 gallons
The Culligan FM-25 Faucet Water Filter is one of our favorites, as it provides great tasting water, it’s NSF certified, easy to install, has good filter longevity, and has a nice-looking compact design.
It is NSF certified with certification 42 for removing chlorine, chloramine, and improving taste and odor, and certification 53 for the reduction of over 50 contaminants, like lead, Cryptosporidium, VOCs, and chromium.
The compact and beautiful design of the Culligan Faucet Water Filter is good to minimize the physical space required by a faucet water filter, making it a nice fit for different situations.
This filter is capable of filtering up to 200 gallons of water, which compares well to other faucet water filters that don’t last as long.
Another nice feature of the Culligan FM-25 Faucet Water Filter is its auto-off function, which means that when you turn off your faucet, it will automatically return to the unfiltered mode, instead of staying in the last mode used.
Pros:
- NSF certifications
- Nice compact design
- Good filter longevity
- Auto-off function
Cons:
- No indicator to tell you when the filter runs out
- Some customers complained about having difficulties to replace the filter cartridge
Read the full review: Culligan FM-25 Faucet Water Filter Review
- Best for: Budget
- Material: Plastic (Lead-Free & Food-Grade Material)
- Dimension: 8.06 x 7.1 x 2.9 inches
- Weight: 1 pound
- Filter Longevity: 320 gallons
The Waterdrop Faucet Filter is one of the best options if you are looking for a faucet water filter, as it’s a filter with NSF certifications, long filter longevity, and low price.
This faucet water filter is tested and NSF certified with certification 42 for the reduction of chlorine, taste and odor, and other common water contaminants like rust and sediments, and with certification 372 for lead-free material.
It has an ACF (Activated Carbon Filter) with 0.5-micron rating capable of reducing lead, chlorine, and other harmful water contaminants. And while it’s good for removing water contaminants, it does not remove beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium, which are good for you.
The Waterdrop WD-FC-01 Faucet Water Filter is capable of filtering up to 320 gallons of water, which is enough for 6 months of usage, and equivalent to 2.000 water bottles. This is 3 times better than the average faucet water filter, of around 100 gallons.
With this filter, you won’t have to wait much time to get clean water, because it filters at a 0.5 GPM flow rate, enough to fill around 8 cups in a minute.
If you prefer a more robust version that is not made of plastic, there is a stainless steel version with 304 food-grade and a 360-degree swivel feature that we also recommend, the Waterdrop WD-FC-06 Stainless-Steel Faucet Water Filter.
Pros:
- Price
- NSF certifications
- Filter longevity
- Spray option
Cons:
- No indicator to tell you when the filter runs out
- Plastic materials, susceptible to break and leak
Read the full review: Waterdrop WD-FC-01 Faucet Water Filter Review
Promo: Use our code WFP10 for a 10% discount on any product of the Waterdrop website
- Best for: Basic
- Material: Plastic
- Dimension: 2.53 x 6.3 x 9.75 inches
- Weight: 0.06 Pounds
- Filter Longevity: 100 gallons
Brita is a renowned and trusted brand for water filtration, and the Brita Basic Faucet Water Filter System is a good option if you need a basic faucet filtration system for your home, which reduces 99% of lead, chlorine, asbestos, particulates, bad taste and odor, and other contaminants.
A big plus of this water filter is the NSF/ANSI certifications:
- NSF 42 certification for removing chlorine, chloramine, iron, manganese, improving taste and odor.
- NSF 53 certification is a standard for the reduction of over 50 contaminants, like lead, Cryptosporidium, VOCs, and chromium.
The Brita Basic Water Filter has the ability to change between regular and spray water flow for the filtered water, which can be useful in some situations.
It has a light indicator to let you know when it’s time to replace the filter cartridge, which is a really great feature for a faucet water filter. And changing the filter is quick and easy, with the 1-click filter replacement feature to allow a smooth filter replacement.
Compared to other faucet water filters that we covered, the filter longevity of the Brita Basic Faucet Water Filter is not as good, but it is still able to filter 100 gallons of water.
Pros:
- NSF certifications
- Light indicator to change filter
- Spray option
- Lightweight filter
Cons:
- Filter longevity
- Plastic materials, susceptible to break and leak
- Some customers complained about the light indicator stop working
Read the full review: Brita Basic Faucet Water Filter System Review
- Best for: Chlorine
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Dimension: 3 x 5.5 x 5 inches
- Weight: 1.48 pounds
- Filter Longevity: 320 gallons
The Engdenton Faucet Water filter is a well-designed filter made of high-quality food-grade 304 stainless steel, that will be a nice fit in any kitchen. Other faucet water filters are made of plastic, but this one is more durable and prevents leaks because it is made of stainless steel.
It has Activated Carbon Fiber filtration technology capable of removing chlorine, inhibiting bacterial growth, removing dirt, sand, rust, and other contaminants, and improving the taste of your drinking water.
The Engdenton Faucet Water Filter has a good water flow of 0.5 GPM, which provides 8 cups of clean drinking water in a minute, better than the typical faucet water filtration.
The filter cartridge has longer longevity than most faucet water filters, as it will filter up to 320 gallons of water, around 6 months of use.
Another nice feature of this water filter is the ability to swivel 360 degrees, giving you the ability to position it when it works better for you.
Pros:
- Removes chlorine
- Filter longevity
- High-quality materials
- Great design
- Swivel 360 degrees
Cons:
- No NSF certification
- No indicator to tell you when the filter runs out
Read the full review: Engdenton Faucet Water Filter Review
- Best for: Lead Removal
- Material: Plastic
- Dimension: 4.5 x 4.5 x 8 inches
- Weight: 1.2 pounds
- Filter Longevity: 750 Gallons
If you need to remove lead from your water, the Home Master Mini Plus Faucet Water Filter is the right solution for you. The filter has a 1-micron absolute carbon block with lead-specific media that can remove up to 99% of lead from the water.
Apart from lead, it also removes other contaminants like sediment, chemicals, chlorine, cryptosporidium and giardia cysts, herbicides, pesticides, bad tastes, and odors.
This filter is not a straight faucet water filter but more like a hybrid between a countertop and faucet water filter, because the unit with the filter is not into the faucet, but on the countertop.
This provides longer filter longevity compared to regular faucet water filters, as this can filter up to 750 gallons of water.
Pros:
- Filter longevity
- Ability to remove lead
- Portable
Cons:
- Price
- No NSF certification
- Bulkier than other options, as it is a mix between a faucet and countertop filter
Read the full review: Home Master HM Mini Plus Sinktop Faucet Water Filter Review
- Best for: Filter Longevity
- Material: Plastic (Chrome)
- Dimension: 4.5 x 3 x 5.5 inches
- Weight: 13.7 ounces
- Filter Longevity: 500 gallons
The iSpring DF2-CHR Faucet Water Filter has an amazing filtration capacity, as it can filter up to 500 gallons of water, which is equivalent to around 3.000 bottles of water, or around 8 to 12 months of usage, which is much better than the competition.
It has a patented filter technology capable of filtering some of the most common water contaminants such as chlorine, chloramine, cysts, lead, mercury, & many others.
The iSpring DF-CHR Faucet Water Filter has a fast flow rate up to 1.5 GPM, which can fill up to 10 bottles of water in 1 minute, faster than other faucet filters reviewed by us.
Another differentiator factor of this water filter is its ability to filter hot water up to 176 degrees, which is not common in most faucet water filters that are only capable of filtering cold water.
While it’s made of plastic, it is food-grade BPA-free plastic, not cheap plastic like other options, which makes this filter more durable in the long run.
On the negative side, the iSpring DF2-CHR Faucet Water Filter doesn’t have any NSF certification at this stage.
Pros:
- Great filter longevity
- Ability to filter hot water
- Fast filtration capacity (up to 1.5 GPM)
- Easy to install
Cons:
- No NSF certification
- Doesn’t remove fluoride
- No indicator to tell you when the filter runs out
Read the full review: iSpring DF2-CHR Faucet Water Filter Review
Buying Guide for Faucet Water Filter
With so many options available, buying a Faucet Water Filter is not an easy decision, as you need to understand the key features to make an informed decision.
We help you with this in two ways: first, with a complete guide to explain the most important topics related to faucet water filters, and second, by presenting the selection of the best faucet water filters available in the market.
What to Look For in a Faucet Water Filter
These are the most important factors to consider when buying a faucet water filter:
Know Your Water
You should first know the contaminants in your water because with this information you can buy a faucet water filter that can deal with it.
To know the contaminants in your water you can use a water test kit, you can have it tested in a laboratory near you, or you can review Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) from your water company (you can learn more about it in our Water Information article).
While a faucet water filter is a good choice, take into consideration that if you have water from your well, you probably need a more powerful filter type as typically faucet water filters won’t remove some microorganisms that can exist in well water.
Size & Space
If your sink is not too big, the dimensions of the faucet water filter become more important, as you need to check if you have enough space for it.
While most of the faucet water filters are designed to fit standard kitchen faucets, you still should check the dimensions to understand if they will fit well in yours.
Cost
Like in almost all purchases, the cost is always a factor to take into consideration.
A faucet water filter is not expensive and you can find a good option in the $20 to $70 range, but if you plan to buy more than one the costs will add up, so you should consider this factor in your decision.
Certifications
Ideally, you should select a faucet water filter that is certified by an independent third-party accredited institution like NSF or WQA, which certify that the water filters can remove a high percentage of certain contaminants.
The certification ensures that the manufacturers of the water filters passed rigorous third-party testing, and allowed manufacturing facility inspection and product sampling. These tests give the consumer the trust that the products meet the required standards.
Materials, Style, and Finish
Faucet water filters are installed directly in your kitchen faucet, so the materials, style, and finishing of the faucet water filter you buy should match the one of your faucet.
Some faucet water filters are available in different colors, materials, and styles (like plastic, chrome, or stainless steel), so you might consider the style and materials that best suit your faucet.
You can also take it into consideration if you are purchasing a faucet water filter with lead-free materials. The quality of the materials used is also important to determine the lifespan of your device.
Installation
Usually, the installation process of a faucet water filter is quite easy, as you only need to connect it to your faucet, which should only take a few minutes.
But anyway, you should check if the model you choose doesn’t need any special installation step, and that you can do it by yourself.
Filter Longevity & Maintenance
The filters used in the faucet water filters, like any filter, have a limited lifespan that is linked to its usage, but also to the water quality.
Typically the faucet water filter manufacturers will mention the filter lifespan in the product information, and after the stated longevity the filter cartridge needs to be replaced (not the entire faucet filter), as it will start losing its effectiveness and not remove the contaminants.
What Is a Faucet Water Filter?
A faucet water filter is a water filter that connects directly to a faucet to deliver clean and healthy water.
It is known as a point-of-use (POU) water filter as it filters the water on the point that it is used, the faucet, instead of filtering the water when it enters the house.
These devices are typically small and produce filtered water on-demand, as you only need to switch on the faucet to get clean water.
How Do Tap Faucet Water Filters Work?
The way a tap faucet water filter works is really simple. The faucet water filter is installed directly on your tap faucet, and it has a switch that controls through which faucet the water flows.
If you open the tap as normal, the water will flow through the existing faucet without being filtered, but when you switch on the filter the water is routed through the water filter and generated filtered water on the faucet from the filter.
The water is filtered at the moment as it goes through the filter, so you can drink clean water on-demand, without needing to wait some time for it to be filtered.
The component responsible for the filtration is the filter cartridge inside the faucet water filter, and typically has 3 main components:
Sediment Removal
This component corresponds to the initial stage of filtration, and the goal is to remove larger particles like sand, rust, and dirt, before going to the other filtration components.
Activated Carbon Block
The activated carbon block has a porous surface, and the harmful contaminants become stuck on those porous when the water flows through this component.
Another important factor is that activated carbon has oxygen added, which removes some chemicals and bacteria from the water.
Additional Chemicals Removal
Some harmful contaminants like chlorine are removed in the previous filtration stages, but not all of them. So, in this stage, chemicals, and heavy metals, like lead and mercury are removed from the water.
This step not only improves the water quality but also improves its taste and odor.
Is a Faucet Water Filter Right For Me?
Each person had their own situation, so a faucet water filter is not the right solution for every case.
If you need lots of filtered water and don’t have much time to wait for it, a faucet water filter is a good option as it produces water on-demand directly from the tap.
But while a faucet water filter is a better filtration option than most water pitcher filters, if your water source is heavily contaminated, you may need a more powerful water filtration system, like a Reverse Osmosis system, that can remove up to 99% of contaminants.
It is a cheaper option compared to other water filter types, so if you are on a tight budget this might be a good choice for you and your family.
Another factor to consider to decide if a faucet water filter is right for you is to understand if you need filtered water in your entire house, or just in a specific location. A faucet water filter is a POU (point-of-use) filter so it only filters the water on the faucet it’s connected to, not on the whole hose.
Also, while the installation is quite simple and you should be able to do it by yourself, typically a faucet water filter can only be installed on regular faucets, so check first if you don’t have a special faucet.
Benefits
A faucet water filter has several benefits, such as:
Removes harmful contaminants
The most important benefit of a faucet water filter is that it removes harmful contaminants from your water to deliver clean and pure water for you and your family.
Most faucet water filters can remove contaminants such as bacteria, dirt, microorganisms, chemicals (like chlorine), heavy metals (like lead, arsenic, and mercury), nitrates, etc., which are bad for your health.
Improves water taste and odor
The water produced by a faucet water filter has good taste and odor because the filter removes the contaminants responsible for bad taste and smell from tap water.
So, if currently, your water has bad taste and/or odor, consider buying a faucet water filter as it would be a good solution for your problem.
Won’t take much space
This type of water filter is really small and connects directly to the faucet, so won’t take space from your countertop or under the sink like other types of water filters.
Price
The average price of a faucet water filter is smaller than other types of water filters, like whole house filtration systems or reverse osmosis systems, which is a good benefit if you have a tight budget.
And if you usually drink bottled water, using a faucet water filter will save you lots of money in the long run, as the initial cost is quite small, and even considering the recurring cost of changing filters, is a much cheaper option than having to buy bottled water.
Easy installation
Typically the installation of a faucet water filter is quite simple, and you should be able to do it by yourself in a few minutes, even if you not skilled in this type of manual activities.
The manufacturers will send detailed instructions on how to install their products, which facilitates this task.
Convenient
Faucet water filters are really convenient, as they give you the flexibility to choose between filtered and unfiltered water in an easy way.
Also, they filter the water at the moment, while with other types of filters like water filter pitchers or gravity filters, you need to wait a few minutes before having filtered water available.
Environmental Friendly
Having a tap faucet water filter is also an environmentally friendly option. They don’t need electricity to work, don’t produce waste water, and will save lots of plastic as you will stop buying bottled water.
How to Install a Faucet Water Filter
Most of the faucet water filters have a similar installation process. These are the steps required to install a faucet water filter:
Step #1: Before starting the faucet water filter installation, make sure you turn off the water to avoid spilling water on you. You should be able to find the shut-off valve to turn off the water under the sink.
Step #2: Then, remove the faucet aerator with your hands, or if it’s too tight, use an adjustable wrench. Don’t put the aerator in the trash, as you might need it again if you decide to move the water filter in the future to another location.
Step #3: Now you need to check which filter adapter you need for your faucet, as you should have a few options included on the faucet water filter kit. Try the different adapters on your faucet to identify the one that fits better.
Step #4: Screw the mounting base of the water filter into the faucet adapter.
Step #5: Then, assemble the water filter, inserting the filter cartridge in it if it’s is not pre-assembled already.
Step #6: Attach the faucet water filter into the mounting base, and you should have the water filter installed.
Step #7: Finally, turn on the tap water for a few minutes before drinking the water. Look for potential leaks and tighten the filter if necessary,
Faucet Water Filter Maintenance
The most important factor about the maintenance of a faucet water filter is that you need to replace the filters regularly. Of course, you can also clean it up if it starts accumulating dirt, but most importantly, for it to work properly, you need to change the filter cartridge from time to time.
Each manufacturer indicates the recommended frequency to swamp filters, which can vary from 3 months to 1 year. Some models have monitoring capabilities that will let you know when it’s time to change the filter, which is quite useful because you don’t have to remind yourself.
Then, when it’s time to change the filters, the process is usually easy and can be completed in a couple of minutes.
You just need to open the device, remove the old filter and insert the new one. In most cases opening the water filter is an easy task that you can do it easily by twisting it.
Remember to always let the water run for a few minutes after replacing the filter, to make sure you flush the new filter before drinking the filtered water.
FAQ
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about faucet water filters.
Can I take my faucet water filter with me if I move to a new house?
Yes! You just need to disconnect it from the faucet it is installed, and install it again in a faucet on your new house.
How long do faucet water filters last?
The faucet water filter will last a few years, but you will need to replace the filter cartridges frequently to ensure effective water filtration.
The required frequency of filter changing will depend on the manufacturer but can go from 3 to 12 months.
What contaminants do faucet water filters remove?
Typically faucet water filters remove sediments, dirt, bacteria, microorganisms, chemicals, heavy metal, etc.
But always check the faucet water filter that you are interested in, to make sure it removes the contaminants that you want to get rid of, because it may vary from the brand and/or model.
Will a faucet water filter fit on any faucet?
Not really. Usually, a faucet water filter will fit in most standard faucets, but not in special faucets like pull-out faucets.
Check first in the manufacturer information if the water filter is adequate for your faucet.
Is faucet water filter water better than bottled water?
Drinking filtered water from a faucet water filter has some positive points compared to drinking bottled water.
It is cheaper to drink filtered water than bottled water, even considering the upfront cost of buying a faucet water filter. Then, is more environmentally friendly, as you won’t produce huge amounts of plastic.
Does a faucet water filter remove limescale?
Most faucet water filters won’t remove calcium and magnesium that are responsible for the buildup of limescale.
But even if some remove it, it won’t solve the problem at your home, as it only will clear the drinking water of a specific faucet. If you need to deal with limescale, the best option is to get a water softener.
Why is my faucet filter water flow so slow?
There are two main reasons that can impact the water flow of your faucet water filter.
The first one is the water pressure at your home, if it’s lower than 30 PSI the water filter will have difficulties forcing the water through the filter cartridge, causing the low speed. You can solve this problem by buying a booster pump for your home.
The second reason is related to your filter cartridge because if it’s full of impurities it will slow down the water flow, and it’s time for you to change it. If your water is particularly bad and full of contaminants, will fill your filter cartridges of impurities faster than usual.
Our Verdict
It should be clear to you by now that a faucet water filter is a good choice if you want to drink clean and tasty water, as it can remove lead, chlorine, fluoride, and many other contaminants.
So if you are looking for the best faucet water filter, our recommendation is the Pur Advanced Faucet Water Filter as the best overall choice.
This NSF certified water filter removes several harmful contaminants, has a LED indicator to let you know when it’s time to change the filter, all of this in a nice looking design.
