The 5 Best Water Filters 2024 - Best Water Purifier

Clean up your drinking water with a pitcher, faucet attachment, or under-sink system.

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us?

Relying on cases of water is both costly and wasteful, which is why we insist on carrying your favorite water bottle everywhere—but filling it from the tap may not always be an option. While you can’t control the quality of your water source, whether it’s a private well or a municipal water system, you can choose an effective water filter.

There are a range of water filter products out there that vary from pitchers to dispensers to whole-house filters. Equally abundant is the complicated information on water-supply quality, certifications, and contaminants. We’re here to synthesize and simplify this information to find effective, user-friendly water filters.

Water filters don’t only improve your water’s taste, they remove harmful contaminants while still keeping in the good stuff. They also come in plenty of sizes and types to fit in your fridge or attach to your sink. Through research and expert input, we found the best water filters for your home.

While the EPA regulates public water supplies, this doesn’t mean your water is totally free of certain contaminants like chlorine, asbestos, cadmium, copper, and fluoride. The EPA tests water supply annually and gives you a list of what’s in your water supply in a Consumer Confidence Report, or CCR. You can check your local CCR here. The CDC recommends that if you get water from a private well, you get it tested at a state-certified lab at least annually to ensure it’s safe to drink.

The Environmental Working Group sets forth health guidelines that are stricter than those of the government and can help you determine whether or not you need a water filter. You can enter your zip code or search your state in the organization’s Tap Water Database for detailed information on the quality of your drinking water.

Keep in mind these reports test water while it’s still in a water treatment plant. Water can pick up contaminants, such as lead, when traveling through pipes to be distributed in homes and businesses. A water filter can remove these unwanted pollutants your water may pick up on its way to you.

You may decide you want a water filter just to improve the taste of your tap water, even if the poor taste isn’t due to anything actually harmful to your health. However, the CDC warns that many contaminants aren’t detectable by sight, smell, or taste.

For this article, we mostly focus on point-of-use filters such as pitchers, dispensers, under-sink, and countertop filters. These filters use activated carbon and membranes with microscopic pores to leave your water free of particles. The activated carbon bonds to harmful chemical contaminants and removes them, whereas micro membrane filters physically trap particles like bacteria and microplastics.

While there’s no overarching governing body that sets standards for water filters, you should check that your filter is certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and/or the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) to safely remove harmful contaminants. There’s also the Water Quality Association, which certifies filters are up to industry standards. Product descriptions sometimes list the amount of certifications they have from these organizations. The more certifications a product has, the more contaminants it’s certified to remove, so the more you see in a listing, the better.

Look out for those that can filter forever chemicals or emerging chemicals—these are newfound contaminants that are showing up in water supplies, and they may have negative health effects (though more research is needed). In the past couple of years the EPA has taken steps to combat these but it’ll take some time.

As of March 2023, the EPA set guidelines for water utilities to start testing against forever chemicals, also referred to as PFAS, and in April 2024 announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR). Public water systems have until 2027 to complete initial monitoring for the presence of six PFAS and must implement a plan to reduce them by 2029.

Some products claim to be tested to industry standards but it’s best to look for at least some official ANSI/NSF certification unless it comes from a reputable brand. Our Best Dispenser pick from LifeStraw has a handful of these certifications, but also tests its products with transparent results and frequently partners with the WHO and other government and environmental agencies.

Water filters can last anywhere from two months to an entire year. Active carbon filters are rated to last for either a certain number of months or gallons (whichever comes first) and we’ve noted the threshold for each product.

Pitchers, dispensers, and faucet systems alert you when it’s time to change out the filter, typically via a blinking LED light. Our Best Under-Sink pick beeps, but you may want to set a reminder instead so you don’t miss it as it’ll only alert you once and you may not hear it.

Pitchers and dispensers have water reservoirs where you fill unfiltered water and allow it to pass through for filtered, drinkable water. A half-gallon pitcher will suffice for one person’s daily use but if you drink more water than average or you’re in a small family household, consider getting a large capacity dispenser. If you’re going through more than a gallon a day, a faucet or under-sink filter is your best bet to save you time and money on replacing filters.

We talked with Tara Lundy, Chief Brand Officer at LifeStraw, to get a better idea of what we should look for when shopping for a water filter, and to understand some of the basics of different filtration methods. Lundy suggested multiple resources, like the EWG, to help determine whether you need a water filter. She also helped us wade through some of the jargon surrounding water filter branding to find a pool of products that are certified safe.

The Aquasana A2-5200 uses a selective filtration system that retains magnesium, potassium, and calcium, and removes 78 contaminants including PFOA and PFOS—one of the few filters out there to do so. It’s also certified against 15 emerging chemicals, microplastics, chlorine, and lead.

Activated carbon and ion exchange filtration methods are common in pretty much all under-sink filters but the brand uses two more technologies to ensure you’re getting clean water: catalytic carbon, and manufacturing the pore size of the filter to physically catch other debris.

It comes with everything you need for installation—housing, faucet, piping, and connectors, and gives you three different finish options. Customers report the user manual isn’t the most helpful but installation is doable with the included instruction and there’s no need to call in a plumber.

An under-sink filter is great for a larger household or if you’re using a couple of gallons per day. You can expect to change the filter only twice a year and the unit beeps when it’s time for a change. Another perk—you don’t have to wait for water to filter or worry about filling up a pitcher every week.

A high capacity water dispenser is perfect when you need more than a pitcher but don’t want to hassle with under-sink installation or just don’t have the space. LifeStraw’s home dispenser uses two different filters to deliver clean water: activated carbon to remove forever chemicals and heavy metals, and a microfilter that removes microplastics and parasites.

It’s ANSI/NSF certified for chlorine, lead, and mercury. While it doesn’t hold these certifications for the other 30-plus contaminants it removes, the brand tests its filters against standards created by the WHO and EPA and is accredited by the Water Quality Association. It also publishes its test results for full transparency.

Because it employs a microfilter before using activated carbon, this is an excellent choice for those whose water source is sediment heavy or if your water is coming to you through rusty pipes. The microfilter membrane is advertised to last a year but could last longer for those that aren’t dealing with sediment-heavy water sources. When it’s time to change the filter, it stops working, physically blocking water from passing through—so you’ll know exactly when it needs to be changed.

While the two-part filtration gives this dispenser a longer filter time, you’re getting clean water and the large capacity basin won’t need to be refilled as much as a standard pitcher.

PUR’s faucet system is ANSI and NSF certified to remove 71 contaminants and available in different finishes to match your kitchen decor. The active carbon filtration removes both physical and chemical substances from drinking water. It’s effective in blocking 12 emerging chemicals—also referred to as forever chemicals—such as BPA and pharmaceuticals.

This faucet system is easy to install on most kitchen sinks but it can’t attach to retractable faucet heads. The on-switch operation is user friendly—turn on your sink and flip the switch on the filter and your filtered water comes out of the dispenser. The indicator light changes from green to red when it’s time to change out your filters. Unlike pour-through pitchers and dispensers, an on-faucet system delivers filtered water faster, without needing to wait for it to make its way into the container.

The filter system comes with one basic filter but the brand’s Plus filter is compatible. It still filters 71 contaminants but adds minerals—mainly limestone—back into your water to enhance taste. It includes three different adapters to suit various sinks. There’s virtually no leaking or dripping but you must be sure it’s screwed onto the sink properly or else it shoots off when you turn on your water.

Rather than installing under the sink, this water filter sits on your countertop and attaches to most standard kitchen faucets. It’s an alkaline filter, meaning it adds healthy minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium back into your water, while balancing the pH of water to make it less acidic.

It can also clean up to 750 gallons of water—or six to eight months worth for a family of four—before you need to replace the filter, though the replacement is relatively expensive. Customers prefer Apex’s countertop filter for the health benefits associated with alkaline water, like immune system support and detoxification, while also noting the improved taste.

Brita’s pitcher has one of the longest lasting pour-through filters available. It’s ANSI and NSF-certified to remove 30 contaminants, including 15 emerging chemicals like BPA. It improves on the previous model by cutting down on sediment blockage in the filter (though this may occur if your water source is particularly sediment heavy) for a longer filter life.

The active carbon filter removes contaminants from your water and this new model won’t leave black carbon specks like the first model did. The large capacity coupled with filter life mean you’ll save time and money replacing the filter less frequently. It has an indicator light to let you know when it’s time for a change.

Danny Perez is a Commerce Editor for Popular Mechanics with a focus on men's style, gear, and home goods. Recently, he was coordinator of partnership content at another product journalism outlet. Prior to that, he was a buyer for an independent men's shop in Houston, Texas, where he learned all about what makes great products great. He enjoys thrifting for 90s Broadway tees and vintage pajama sets. His spare time is occupied by watching movies and running to impress strangers on Strava.

Save 25% Off the GoPro Hero12 Black at Amazon

Save 54% on EcoFlow Generators During Prime Day

Here’s Where to Save on the Nintendo Switch Today

Save Up to 56% on Leaf Blowers During Prime Day

Best October Prime Day Pocket Knife Deals

Best October Prime Day Drone Deals

Tested: Backpack Leaf Blowers

The 7 Best Handheld Spotlights

The 7 Best Band Saws

The 9 Best Cordless Leaf Blowers for Yard Cleanups

The 9 Best Stud Finders

The 8 Best Wrench Sets