Water Filters Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Water Filters. See our ratings criteria

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Water Filters Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Water Filters Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Water Filters Editors of Consumer Reports May 2007		Consumer Reports tests six different types of filtering systems and 27 models ranging in price from $17 to $900. Overall ratings are based on how well each model removes bad tastes -- using a cabbage-water solution as a test -- and the contaminants chloroform and lead. A popular faucet-mount model clogged too quickly, and the whole-house filters tested had issues with removing contaminants and bad tastes. One pitcher-type model had so many problems, CR judges it "Not Recommended."

Water Filters Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Water Filters Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. The Green Guide	Water Filters Editors of The Green Guide Not Dated		National Geographic's The Green Guide offers a helpful table that compares 18 popular filters side-by-side. It doesn't rate the filters themselves, but it provides each model's rating in Consumer Reports' latest May 2007 tests. Readers can see at a glance which models offer the lowest retail cost and lowest annual replacement filter cost, what contaminants each removes, what type (pitcher, faucet, etc.) each is and what kind of filter (carbon, reverse osmosis, etc.) it uses. A few models have reader ratings. The Green Guide also offers advice on who to contact to get your water tested, the pros and cons of each type of model and filter, brief descriptions of the 20 most common contaminants and the environmental and health issues surrounding water filters.
3. Consumer Guide.com	Water Filtration Editors at ConsumerGuide.com As of Dec. 2007		Consumer Guide reviewers list eleven widely available water filters here, rating each on value, performance, ease of use and features. It isn't clear why some of its seven Best Buys get mediocre ratings, while some models with higher ratings don't make Best Buy status. Some comments on installation and ease of use indicate at least some hands-on testing, but we're not sure who might be conducting the tests.
4. Today	Get your water fix ... without the bottle Phil Lempert Nov. 2, 2007		Citing consumer groups' ratings and Internet surveys, Phil Lempert recommends the PUR pitcher and PUR 3-Stage Faucet Mount, giving the pros and cons of each. The Brita pitcher is a close second to the PUR, he notes. The undersink filter he recommends, the Kenmore 38460, is no longer available.

Water Filters Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Water Filters Ratings Comments on Reviews

5. Good Housekeeping.com >> Details/Subscribe	Is Your Family's Water Safe? Editors of Good Housekeeping Feb. 2005		Good Housekeeping tests some water filters, but they don't tell us how many or which models didn't make the cut. Along with general info on drinking-water safety, editors give a rundown of types, estimated costs and what each type does best. Six water filters are recommended, but editors don't disclose how each was tested. The PUR Ultimate Horizontal and Waterpik InstaPure are the recommended faucet-mount filters. The GE SmartWater Household system and Culligan Monitored system are recommended undersink models. Editors recommend PUR Ultimate and Brita Smart pitchers. We hope to see Good Housekeeping update its coverage.
6. About.com	Before You Buy Water Filters Sean Paajanen Updated Nov. 2007		Sean Paajanen, About.com's Guide to Coffee and Tea, briefly describes four types of water filters: pitchers, faucet mounts, undersink and whole-house models. He recommends two to three models of each type. None of the water filters are compared or rated, and we don't know if models were tested. Paajanen goes into greater detail with pitcher filters, adding a fourth recommendation and comparing and contrasting the models. He tests and writes a thorough review of one pitcher model, the Clear2O, which filters the water under faucet pressure rather than slow-acting gravity.
7. Apartment Therapy.com	Water Filters Editors of ApartmentTherapy.com Various dates		In 2005, the editors of ApartmentTherapy.com chose the Brita Faucet Mount Water Filter as a Best Product. More recent reviews discuss the Stefani terracotta filter, compare PUR and Brita pitchers in a blind taste test and pit the PUR Horizontal Faucet-Mount with 3-Stage Filtration against tap and bottled water in a blind test. The PUR faucet mount does improve tap water and the filtered waters tastes as good as bottled, reviewers conclude. Editors recommend the PUR Flavor Options pitcher -- without the optional flavor packet -- over the Brita pitcher.
8. Fine Living	Water Filters Editors of FineLiving.com Nov. 2007		The website, a companion to Fine Living TV, doesn't say how it chose its recommended filters – the Brita Slim Jug, Brita On Tap, PUR Ultimate and Kenmore countertop filters. The site does provide price estimates, phone numbers for the manufacturers and links to their websites.
9. Target.com	Untitled Contributors to Target.com As of Dec. 2007		Only a few water filters have customer reviews at Target.com, but the information is timely – in-stock items here tend to be the latest models. The Brita Atlantis pitcher gets high marks (as it does on Amazon.com's customer reviews), as does the Brita On Tap faucet mount. The popular PUR 3-Stage Horizontal faucet mount gets downgraded here (as it does on Amazon.com) for leaking.
10. Amazon.com	Water Coolers and Filters Contributors to Amazon.com As of Dec. 2007		Amazon.com is a good place to read user reviews of water filters, and a good place to find assessments of durability and installation. The PUR 2-Stage Water Dispenser, a pitcher-style filter with a spigot at the bottom, gets almost uniformly positive reviews from more than 80 users. Various Brita pitchers get similarly good reviews. The PUR 3-Stage Faucet Mount gets some criticism for cracks and slow water flow, but the vertical version gets enough good reviews to place it at the head of the faucet-mount pack. The Multi-Pure CBVOCSC countertop, Multi-Pure CBVOCSB undercounter and Culligan whole-house filters get few but good user reviews.
11. Lowes.com	Water Treatment Contributors to Lowes.com As of Dec. 2007		Lowe's sells about two dozen water filter models from brands including Brita, PUR, Waterpik and Whirlpool -- including pitchers, faucet mounts, undersink, reverse osmosis and whole-house filters -- but only eight have reader ratings posted so far. A few models, including the Whirlpool reverse osmosis and whole-house filters in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers, have collected quite a few reader ratings. The ratings judge each model on five categories -- features, value, design, quality and ease of use -- and then average the five to get an overall score.

Water Filters Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Water Filters Ratings Comments on Reviews

12. Sears.com	Water Treatment Contributors to Sears.com As of Dec. 2007		Sears now lets visitors write reviews for products, but the reviews are hard to find since you must click on individual products to find them. Several products have only a few reviews. Kenmore's undersink system, highly rated elsewhere, gets a couple of complaints here for being tricky to install. Kenmore's 34480 countertop distiller has several well-written reviews, useful if you are considering that type of system.
13. Water Filter Comparisons	Top Rated Drinking Water Filters Editors of Water Filter Comparisons.com Not Dated		This website is devoted to educating consumers about water filters and bottled water. The site says many models were reviewed, but some were excluded from the chart because they exaggerated their performance claims. To be included, the model's claims must be certified by the independent NSF or UL labs or the or the California Department of Health. Lesser-known filters from Aquasana, Culligan, Rhino and Wellness were listed as filtering the most contaminants. Well-known filters such as the Brita pitcher and faucet mount are listed, but some entries don't include model numbers so it is difficult to tell whether this undated chart is reviewing current models.
14. RealFoodLiving.com	AquaRain Gravity Water Filter Review Vickilynn Haycraft Not Dated		In this single-product review, Vickilynn Haycraft recommends the AquaRain 400 over a PUR pitcher, Sears Electric Water Distiller and two Katadyn filters. Unscientific testing is based on at-home taste tests. Haycraft appreciates that this model does not need electricity to operate.
15. Consumers’ Institute	Brita Marella Cool filter jug Editors of Consumers' Institute of New Zealand Feb. 7, 2007		For consumers in the New Zealand and other countries, the Brita Marella Cool pitcher is a good choice, the Consumers' Institute of New Zealand concludes. Marella-filtered water beats tap water in a blind taste comparison. The site also compares the pros and cons of several types of filters, including uncommon ones such as ceramic and distiller systems.
16. Tampa Tribune	Message In A Bottle Patty Kim Nov. 1, 2007		The reviewer points out real-life pros and cons of several filters that other sites recommend by Brita, PUR and Clear2O. No specific models are recommended. It does not appear that the author tested the products.
17. Newsweek >> Details/Subscribe	As Pure As the Driven Snow Anna Kuchment Oct. 1, 2007		Newsweek provides helpful information for readers -- especially those with wells -- who need to test their water to find out what contaminants their filter needs to extract. The article discusses only brands, not specific model numbers, and some statements about filters' abilities -- for example, that PUR faucet-mount filters can't reduce mercury -- contradict information from NSF International, the nonprofit testing organization that certifies water filters' chemical reduction claims.
18. Calgary Herald	Filter out the bad elements Andrea Cox Sept. 8, 2007		This article summarizes Consumer Reports' reviews of mainstream water filter pitchers, albeit vaguely, and discusses the Stefani terra cotta water purifier, which some consider a more sustainable solution than plastic filters.
19. Grist	Purity Supreme Umbra Fisk June 27, 2007		For consumers who try to avoid plastics – and the chemicals that can leach from them into their food and water – a ceramic filter may be the answer, concludes Grist environmental advisor Umbra Fisk. Similar systems have been used for years to filter contaminated water in countries with poor infrastructure, and the ceramic filters are compostable.
20. Food & Fitness Advisor	Tap into safer water: How to make sure your tap water is safe to drink Marty Bee Feb. 1, 2007		Tap water is usually safe, according to this publication from Cornell University's Weill Medical College. But if your water tastes bad, or if tests reveal contaminants, this article discusses what you can filter out. Especially interesting is the "What's wrong with my water?" section, which helps readers diagnose common water symptoms – for example, if your water smells like rotten eggs, you can probably blame harmless hydrogen sulfide.
21. Food & Water Watch	Guide to Home Tap Water Filtration Editors of FoodandWaterWatch.org June 2007		This user-friendly summary of a 14-page report by Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer rights group based in Washington, D.C., outlines the contaminants that can and cannot be handled by various types of filters. It estimates that most Americans' per-gallon cost for tap water is two-thousandths of a penny per gallon, versus 10 cents for undersink-filtered and 25 cents for countertop-filtered.
22. BestFilters.com	Water Filter Ratings Editors of BestFilters.com Not Dated		Best Filters (a retail site) describes three countertop and four undercounter filtering systems – all by the Multi-Pure, Aquasana and Superior brands the site sells. The pros and cons of each are discussed, and all the models seem to be at the high end of the spectrum. The Multi-Pure models are rated highly in every class of filter, and these models are some of the most expensive we have seen. Other reviewers say good water filters can be found at much lower prices. The site does include some information about lesser-known brands.
23. ReviewCentre.com	Water Filters Contributors to ReviewCentre.com As of Dec. 2007		This British website is similar to Epinions. A comparison chart of water filters lists models, their average rating, number of reviews and, for some models, their price in British pounds. It is difficult to tell which model would be a top pick -- only 16 water filters receive any comments at all, and only one lists more than three reviews.

Water Filters Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Water Filters Ratings Comments on Reviews

24. Orlando Sentinel >> Details/Subscribe	Water filters? Go with flow and be in the know Alan J. Heavens Sept. 15, 2007		This article does not rate water filters, but it reveals several obstacles to installing a filter that readers should consider before they buy.
25. The New York Times >> Details/Subscribe	Two Growing Markets That Start at Your Tap Claudia H. Deutsch Nov. 10, 2007		Most Americans' tap water is safe, but water filter sales are at an all-time high. This article explains some of the environmental and cost-saving reasons consumers might consider a filter. No specific water filters are tested or rated, however.
26. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette	The pumped-up price of water MacKenzie Carpenter May 7, 2006		With bottled water costing more per gallon than gasoline, the Post-Gazette compares the cost savings of different filter styles over bottled water. Drinking water from a filter pitcher costs about $75 per year for the typical household drinking 240 gallons annually, versus $214 per year for the cheapest supermarket bottled water. Faucet filters can save even more money, the article concludes. No specific water filters are tested or recommended.
27. Mother Earth News	Safe Drinking Water Lynn Keiley June/July 2003		This outdated article does not provide ratings of water filters, but it does give a great overview of municipal water supplies, the possible contaminants in the water and a discussion of the various filtering systems available today. The article also describes which system is best for removing certain types of toxins, bacteria and chemicals.
28. HeartSpring.net	Water Filters Guide Editors of HeartSpring.net Not Dated		This site, while it does not compare products, gives basic descriptions of several less commonly mentioned types of filters such as infrared, ultraviolet, catalytic and magnetic filters, among others. Editors go into greater detail about the filtering process itself. The site also includes directions for making your own filter. For those who want much greater details about the process, or who may be interested in do-it-yourself, this is a good site to check out.
29. Epinions	Untitled Contributors to Epinions As of Dec. 2007		Since we last updated this category, Epinions has dropped the owner-written reviews from the water filters it lists. The site is soliciting new reviews for most products, so it may become a more valuable resource in the future. Drinking-water filters are not listed as a category; users must search for individual models. Epinions still lists prices and offers links to online stores that sell each filter.
30. HomeDepot.com	Water Filters Contributors to HomeDepot.com As of Dec. 2007		Unlike its alter ego, Lowe's, The Home Depot hasn't recorded customer reviews for the many water filter models it sells. It is soliciting reviews, however, so it may become a useful tool for learning about brands such as Cuno that other big retailers' websites don't sell.