PUR FM-9400 Faucet Filter

*Est. $35

Faucet-mounted water filter

Easy installation
Unlimited filtered water
Filters more contaminants than most
Excellent water taste

Many reports of leaks
Filters can clog fast
Slow flow rate
Filter changing awkward

Where to Buy

for 35.97

See All Stores

January 2009. Although faucet-mounted water filters are more convenient than pitcher-style filters, and filter out more contaminants, we found a lot more complaints about this style -- especially about leaks. However, the 3-stage PUR FM-9400, along with other PUR faucet filters, earns high marks for filtering out many more contaminants than competing models. Independent tests show it filters out 99 percent of pharmaceuticals. This filter is also easy to install and earns top ranking when it comes to water taste. It's easy to switch between filtered and unfiltered water. If you don't need to filter out 30 contaminants, consider the Culligan FM-15A Faucet Filter (*est. $18), which gets better ratings for durability.

We found the best comparison test of the PUR FM-9400 faucet-mount water filter at Consumer Reports, where it's rated and ranked along with 26 other filters, including three other faucet water filters. Good Housekeeping tests a PUR faucet-mounted filter for even more contaminants, but it's not clear which model is covered -- though they all use a three-stage filter. A Canadian site, Shopping Bags, also uses lab tests but finds taste comparisons the deciding factor. National Geographic's The Green Guide recommends the PUR FM-9400 based primarily on certification data from the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), while reviews at Consumer Guide, TheKitchn.com and ApartmentTherapy.com emphasize convenience and water taste. We found over 100 owner-written reviews of the PUR FM-9400 faucet filter at Amazon.com, with some of the complaints documented by two videos published at YouTube.

Where To Buy

Featured Stores	Store Rating	Notes	Total Price
	25 store reviews	In Stock.	$49.99	See It
			See All Stores

Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.org

Based on objective tests, editors rank the PUR FM9400 in comparison with three other faucet-mounted water filters and 23 additional water filters of other types. Ratings include how well each model removes bad tastes, lead and chloroform (as an indicator of ability to remove other organic compounds as well).

Review: Water Filters, Editors of Consumer Reports, May 2007

2. Good Housekeeping Details/Subscribe

This review recommends the PUR faucet-mounted water filters despite the fact that the flow rate is slower than that of a Culligan filter. Both brands produce water that tastes good, but the PUR filters out far more contaminants -- which editors here find much more important than flow rate.

Review: GH on TV: Water Filters, Editors of Good Housekeeping

3. 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, so informal taste tests become the deciding factor. The PUR faucet-mounted water filter (and PUR pitcher) get the most votes for the best tasting water.

Review: Water Purifiers, Kristina Matisic and Anna Wallner, Nov. 2007

4. TheGreenGuide.com

The PUR FM9400 faucet-mounted water filter is named the "Greenest Product" in the comparison chart in this buyer's guide, but it's not clear why. The chart is based partly on the NSF database of contaminants the filter removes.

Review: Water Filters, Editors of The Green Guide

5. ConsumerGuide.com

A similar but earlier PUR faucet-mounted water filter (with a vertical design) earns a "Best Buy" rating here, based partly on its superior three-stage filter. Ratings are especially high for performance and ease of use, though the reviewer finds filter changing awkward.

Review: PUR FM-3700 Faucet Mount Vertical Chrome, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com, Feb. 2007

6. TheKitchn.com

Informal blind taste tests compare tap water, bottled water and water filtered through the PUR. They both like the filtered water, but the author notes that the filter leaks, and quite a few readers comment that they've had the same experience.

Review: Product Review: PUR Water Filter, "Sassy Sally", Sept. 2007

7. Apartment Therapy.com

Based on convenience and economy rather than on filtering effectiveness, editors of ApartmentTherapy.com recommend the Brita Faucet Mount Water Filter over PUR faucet-mount filters. Brita model gets in the way less than the PUR, has a better bypass switch, and the Brita filters last longer.

Review: Water Filters, Editors of ApartmentTherapy.com, July 2007

8. 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 quite mixed ratings. The most frequent complaints are about leaks and early breakdowns.

Review: PUR FM-9400 3 Stage Horizontal Faucet Mount with Filter Chrome, Contributors to Amazon.com

9. 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 link to a way to diminish such a leak on the same model.

Review: Leaking PUR Faucet Filter, Contributor to YouTube.com