Water Filters Reviews

Updated December 2007

Best Water Filters Reviews: (out of 30)
Consumer Reports, The Green Guide, Consumer Guide.com

Best Water Filters: (out of 35)
PUR 3-Stage Vertical Faucet Mount FM4100, PUR Ultimate Pitcher, Kenmore Dual Undersink Water Filter 38454

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Top Rated	What the Research Says
• PUR 3-Stage Vertical Faucet Mount FM4100 (*est. $30) >> Where to buy	Best faucet mount filter/best overall. If you need a steady supply of filtered water for drinking and cooking -- or you're tired of refilling your filter pitcher -- the PUR faucet mount gets more nods from reviewers than any other filter of any type. PUR's 3-stage filter is certified to reduce a broader range of contaminants than any other standard water filter, including cryptosporidium and giardia cysts. The PUR Vertical does take up a few inches of sink space in its "filtered" position (you can swivel it up and out of the way to use unfiltered water for things like washing dishes), but it doesn't tend to leak as consumers say PUR's newer horizontal faucet-mount can.
• PUR Ultimate Pitcher (*est. $15 to $30, depending on model) >> Where to buy	Best water-filtering pitcher. PUR pitchers appear in many reviews as the simplest solution to most water-quality issues. The PUR Ultimate's dual-filtration system removes almost as many contaminants as the PUR 3-Stage Vertical Faucet Mount. The PUR pitcher filters cysts such as cryptosporidium, which competing Brita pitchers can't. Water does take about 15 minutes to filter by gravity, though. Also, an eight- or ten-cup pitcher just isn't enough drinking water for some households, where a faucet-mount or undersink filter is a better option. (compare prices)
• Kenmore Dual Undersink Water Filter 38454 (*est. $50) >> Where to buy	Undersink water filter. If you prefer a more elegant solution to a faucet mount, reviews say undersink models get better water flow than faucet mounts and only need a filter change every six months or so. Downsides are that professional installation is recommended, and the system will require space under your sink. The filter attaches to the cold water pipe, and a separate, small faucet is installed for the filtered water. The Kenmore 38454 is favored in reviews. Replacement filters cost about $17 each. (check price at Sears)
• Whirlpool WHCF-DWHV (*est. $35) >> Where to buy	Whole-house water filter. If rust or sediment is ruining your appliances, the Whirlpool WHCF-DWHV whole-house filter slightly edges out other whole-house filters, experts say. Whole-house filters don't remove contaminants such as cysts – you'll have to add a faucet-mount or other secondary filter if you need that level of filtration. In recent tests, whole-house filters did a poor job reducing bad tastes, too. But for stopping dirt, sediment, rust and scale at the door, with a fast flow rate and little clogging, whole-house filters are preferred. The units themselves are inexpensive, but experts recommend hiring a plumber to install them. Filters last three to six months and cost $7 to $13 each.
• Whirlpool Gold WHER25 (*est. $160) >> Where to buy	Reverse osmosis water filter. If your water harbors unusual contaminants like nitrates or perchlorate, a reverse osmosis filter is the only way to get rid of them, experts say. The Whirlpool Gold WHER25 is less expensive than other RO systems, and it performs almost identically to more expensive systems in comparison reviews. Reverse osmosis systems remove almost every contaminant you could possibly have in your water. But they also filter out "good" minerals such as fluoride. The process wastes about five gallons of water for every gallon of purified water produced, and it flushes contaminants back into the water supply. Therefore, reverse osmosis should be considered only if you have specific contamination problems.
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What the experts say, our analysis, and more...

Updated December 2007

If you're concerned about contaminants in tap water -- or if you just want your water to taste better -- Consumer Reports' most recent update of household water filters tells us that even some inexpensive pitchers and faucet mounts do a very good job filtering impurities and off-tastes from your water. With a test of 27 different water filters, Consumer Reports' review is the most comparative review we found.

We found other good, if less comprehensive water-filter reviews at National Geographic's The Green Guide, Consumer Guide, NBC's Today show website, Good Housekeeping, About.com and others. These provide helpful guidance for a wide array of water filters and types. Owner-written product ratings on Amazon.com, Lowes.com and Sears.com are helpful in revealing pros and cons for less common filter types such as reverse osmosis -- and unexpected problems with otherwise highly rated water filters.

For example, the PUR Horizontal faucet-mounted filter (*est. $40) receives the highest possible rating from two top consumer testing organizations. But real-life users say it leaks: almost half of owners who have posted on Amazon.com, for example, complain that the PUR Horizontal faucet-mount filter dribbles or sprays water where it attaches to the faucet. Several say they will switch back to the older but still available PUR Vertical Faucet Mount (*est. $30).

One expensive pitcher filter can actually be potentially dangerous, say some advocates: the Lotus Tersano LWT100 (*est. $150) . It costs six times as much as most pitchers, which tend to run about $25. The electric-powered Lotus Tersano claims to sterilize water using ozone, and it did reduce contaminants and bad taste effectively in tests. But it also clogged and leaked -- becoming a potential shock hazard -- and at times released enough ozone to cause lung irritation.

The highest-rated model in two comparative reviews, the Kenmore countertop filter -- listed as the Kenmore 34551 in one review – did not earn a place in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers because as of press time it was not available at the official Kenmore retailer, Sears.com, and no more recent Kenmore countertop model was available to take its place. Countertop models in general appear to have fallen out of favor with both retailers and reviewers, who generally prefer faucet-mounted or undersink solutions. ... Continued

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Consensus Report

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with Retailer Links)	Details from Amazon.com
9	PUR 3-Stage Faucet Mount (*est. $30 to $40, depending on model)	details
7	PUR Ultimate Pitchers (*est. $15 to $30, depending on model)	-
7	Brita Pitchers (*est. $12 to $30, depending on model)	details
4	Brita On Tap Faucet Mount (*est. $20 to $30, depending on model)	details
2	Kenmore 34551 Countertop (Discontinued )	-
2	Whirlpool Gold WHER25 Reverse Osmosis (*est. $160)	-
1 each	Culligan Whole House , Kenmore 38454 Undersink, Whirlpool WHCF-DWHV Whole House, Shaklee Perfect Pitcher 8230, GE Profile Smartwater PXRQ15F Reverse Osmosis , Aquasana AQ-4000 Countertop ,Culligan SY-2300 Undersink, Rhino EQ-300 Whole House , Wellness MG Whole House, Culligan Designer Pitcher , Clear2O Pitcher , Omni Faucet Mount , Everpure Undersink, Omni Undersink , Doulton Whole House , Waterpik InstaPure , Culligan Monitored Undersink, Multi-Pure CBVOCSB Undercounter , Multi-Pure CBVOCSC Countertop , Culligan Undersink , AquaRain 400 Gravity, Whirlpool WHCF-DWHV Whole House, Shaklee Best Water MTS2000, Whirlpool Undersink Main Faucet Standard Drop-In WHCF-DUF, Whirlpool Central Water Filtration System WHELJ1, Kenmore Elite Ultra 650 Reverse Osmosis System, Kenmore Water Purifier 34480 Distiller

Reviewers most often recommend the simplest solutions: pitchers and faucet-mount water filters. Reviews are conservative in recommending reverse osmosis water filters because of the water waste involved in the process. Undersink models have better water flow than faucet-mounted systems, but they might require professional installation. We found the best reviews overall for PUR faucet mount filters. Brita and PUR pitchers both get good reviews, but PUR pitchers can filter out cysts, which Brita filters cannot.

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