Water Filters: Reviews

Updated January 2009

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Best water-filter pitcher

PUR filters get top marks for producing the best-tasting water as well as filtering out more contaminants than competing models. You fill the pitcher by hand, and then the water drips through the filter. The PUR CR-6000… pitcher can be stored in the refrigerator. This model holds seven cups, but other sizes are available. The main drawback is that filters may need to be replaced quite often. It's not designed to treat water for any kind of bacteria, but tests show the PUR filters out common pharmaceuticals as well as 21 other contaminants, including cryptosporidium and giardia cysts.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Consumer Reports tests an earlier version of the PUR CR-6000 pitcher, comparing it with two other pitcher water filters and 26 ...

Good Housekeeping: Based on tests for 13 contaminants (11 more than Consumer Reports tests), this review recommends PUR water filters as best ...

The Shopping Bags: Lab tests done for this review find all four of the water filters adequate for removing metals and even some coliform bacteria, ...

The Green Guide: The PUR CR6000 pitcher water filter is named a "best value" in the comparison chart in this buyer's guide -- based primarily on ...

ConsumerGuide.com: This review covers a similar PUR pitcher water filter, rating it a "Best Buy" with quite a bit of praise for specific design ...

TheKitchn.com: Taste comparisons rank a PUR pitcher filter higher than both a Brita pitcher and New York City tap water. The review notes that ...

Amazon.com: About two dozen owners review this PUR pitcher filter here, giving it very mixed ratings that range from one to five stars on a ...

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Faucet-mounted water filter

PUR FM-9400 Faucet Filter

*Est. $35 Compare Prices

If you need more filtered water than a pitcher or dispenser can provide, reviews recommend a faucet-mounted water filter. However, owners report lots of problems with this type of filter in general, complaining about… leaks and durability. The PUR FM-9400 is easy to install, and a bypass valve lets you switch between filtered and unfiltered water. The three-stage filter gets good reviews for outstanding filtration and water taste. If you don't need to filter out 30 contaminants, an alternative is the Culligan FM-15A Faucet Filter (*est. $15), which gets better ratings for durability.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Based on objective tests, editors rank the PUR FM9400 in comparison with three other faucet-mounted water filters and 23 ...

Good Housekeeping: This review recommends the PUR faucet-mounted water filters despite the fact that the flow rate is slower than that of a Culligan ...

The Shopping Bags: Lab tests done for this review find all four of the water filters adequate for removing metals and even some coliform bacteria, ...

TheGreenGuide.com: The PUR FM9400 faucet-mounted water filter is named the "Greenest Product" in the comparison chart in this buyer's guide, but ...

ConsumerGuide.com: A similar but earlier PUR faucet-mounted water filter (with a vertical design) earns a "Best Buy" rating here, based partly on ...

TheKitchn.com: Informal blind taste tests compare tap water, bottled water and water filtered through the PUR. They both like the filtered ...

Apartment Therapy.com: Based on convenience and economy rather than on filtering effectiveness, editors of ApartmentTherapy.com recommend the Brita ...

Amazon.com: At the time of our report, over a hundred owners review the PUR FM-9400 horizontal faucet-mount water filter here, giving it ...

YouTube.com: One disgusted owner posted a video of a leaking PUR faucet filter. Viewers add comments -- some pro, some con -- and there's a ...

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WaterFilter- s.NET LLC

for $49.99

Under-sink filter

Culligan US-EZ-4 Under-Sink Filter

*Est. $80 Compare Prices

If you prefer a more elegant solution to a faucet mount, reviews say under-sink models get better water flow and only need a filter change every six months or so. They do take up space under the sink and require plumbing… installation, adding an extra faucet to a sink just for filtered water. Owners like this Culligan model, saying it's easy for many people to install without professional help. The filter is rated for about the same contaminants as the three-stage PUR faucet-mount filter, but you don't need to change filters as often.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Water Technology Online: The Culligan US-EZ-4 is included in comparison tests of 14 water filters, testing their ability to filter out Perfluorochemicals ...

ConsumerReports.org: The more expensive Culligan SY-2650 (*Est. $165) is tested here, although the comparison tests cover under-sink water filters ...

Amazon.com: At the time of our report, this Culligan water filter gets near-perfect ratings from about 10 owners reviewing it here. One ...

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WaterFilter- s.NET LLC

for $110.99

Shower water filter

Vitashower SF-1 Shower Filter

*Est. $40 Compare Prices

Shower filters are designed to deal with the chlorine that can bother skin and hair. Reviews recommend the Vitashower SF-1 as one of the most effective and pleasant, even with low water pressure. It uses a block of… vitamin C as the filter, which is rated for about 15,000 gallons. The drawback is that then you have to replace the whole unit; you can't just replace the vitamin C filter.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

MetaEfficient.com: This review of shower water filters recommends the Vitashower SF-1 because it uses vitamin C rather than carbon -- noting that ...

Best Water: Based on information in this detailed comparison chart at a retail site, the Vitashower filter is one of the two best shower ...

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Amazon Marketplace

for $39.40