Pur Plus Vertical Faucet Review

The Pur Plus Vertical Faucet stands out mainly for its simple installation process, a perk of faucet mount systems. The filter attaches quickly to most standard faucets without the need for tools. This makes it a great option for renters and other users who need a more portable, less permanent filter, but don't want to refill a pitcher every day. The unit includes a built-in filter change indicator and a lightweight housing. Each filter can handle up to 100 gallons or roughly three months of use for a two-person household, and its long-term operating costs are decent compared to similar filters.

Critical Contaminant Removal

When it comes to filter performance, we were impressed with the capabilities the Pur offers. It was able to filter out the most harmful contaminants like PFAS without hassle, and managed to effectively reduce chlorine, improving the water's taste immediately for most tap water sources. This is our favorite faucet filter on the market right now, so if it fits your lifestyle, we definitely recommend it.

PFAS Forever Chemicals

This filter excels at PFNA and PFBA (both PFAS subtypes) reduction. We ran a house-made super-contaminated “sludge-water” through the filter and sent it to an independent lab for testing. This filter was able to bring both types of PFAS to near-undetectable levels — “A top choice for removing PFAS!” wrote our tester in their notes.

Heavy Metals

The Pur Faucet Filter removed 100% of the lead content from tap water samples. Unfortunately, it didn't handle other heavy metals as effectively. Arsenic and uranium levels were only slightly reduced after filtration (arsenic 9.4% removed, and uranium 28.2% removed), and the filter is not designed to remove high concentrations of these metals from tap water. While arsenic and uranium levels may not be present in all tap water (most municipal water facilities filter them out before they reach your faucet), we recommend testing your water to see exactly what contaminants you're dealing with. Overall, it's solid for everyday use, but not a replacement for more robust filtration systems if you're looking to filter well water or live near an industrial site.

Secondary Contaminant Removal

The Pur Plus performs well across most metals like barium, copper, zinc, and iron, with 100% removal of all contaminants across testing. These are the most common metals you might find in elevated levels in your tap water, so it certainly covers the basics. It's not designed to remove fluoride, and only eliminated 29.4% from tap water samples.

Minor leaching is common in many fresh filters (which is why most instruct you to flush them 1-2 times before drinking the water); however, the Pur showed very minimal leaching of metals. Like its scoring for more critical contaminants, this filter is good enough for most people's tap water, but if you have specific mineral concerns, or would like to remove more fluoride from your water, the Pur can't compete with reverse osmosis (RO) systems.

Taste

Filtered water from the Pur Plus Vertical Faucet is consistently reported as clean and refreshing. Most users notice an immediate improvement over unfiltered tap water, likely due to its substantial reduction of chlorine. It generally improves the taste and removes other off-flavors commonly found in city water.

We crowdsourced opinions on taste for this filter, and customer reports across the internet are mostly positive. Out of 509 Amazon reviews of the filter that mentioned taste, over 87% were positive, which is typical for many of the filters in our review. Compared to other models, its taste scores landed in the middle of the pack. There are definitely noticeable improvements, but not of a life-changing quality.

Maintenance and Setup

Installation is tool-free with the one-click system, which is a major plus if you want cleaner water but aren't handy with installations. But the simplicity of the setup does raise some questions, and our tester noted that they “worry about thread damage” when it comes to quick installs. You must unscrew the aerator on your faucet and replace it with a plastic adapter in order to install, which should protect the threads, but some extra caution is warranted so you don't damage your fixture. There were some reports from customers online who noted leaking after using the filter for a while — it's unclear if those issues were caused by user error while popping on the filter or because of hardware failure.

The other concern is the filter's size. It's designed to be compact and take up less space in your home than an under-sink system or even a pitcher-style filter, but it's still a gadget attached to your faucet that you have to get used to. It's just big enough for a bump here and there while performing regular kitchen duties around the sink. It also won't work with spray-nozzle faucet heads.

Operating Cost

Filter packs are reasonably priced, with options to buy in bundles for savings. Operating costs are low if you stick to the recommended replacement schedule, making it an economical choice overall. Our tester estimates that filter replacements will cost you about $59 a year, with each filter lasting 100 gallons or about three months.

Of course, your operating costs depend on how much you use your filter and how many people are in your household. With the Pur Plus Vertical Faucet, you can easily turn the filter on and off with a switch, so you can get filtered water only when you need it, rather than running all tap water through the filter as with an RO system. Paying attention to this can save you a little money on filter replacements.

Should You Buy the Pur Plus Vertical Faucet?

If you want a faucet filter that's easy to install and actually does what it promises, the Pur Plus Vertical Faucet is a solid choice. It knocks out lead, PFNA, chlorine, and most common metals, so your tap water tastes cleaner right away. Setup and maintenance are simple, and the filter lasts a decent amount of time. That said, it's not going to handle fluoride, arsenic, or high uranium, so it's not for anyone dealing with extreme water issues. For everyday city water and a hassle-free experience, this one's definitely worth considering.

What Other Water Filter Should You Consider?

The Brita Elite Advanced Faucet is the other faucet filter we tested. It has a similar design and overall filter performance, but costs a little more in the long run. And if you're willing to consider a pitcher option, the Pur Plus 11-Cup Pitcher is hands down our top pick. As our Editor's Choice for best pitcher, it has serious scores in filtering critical contaminants and is about as simple as it gets. It gets bonus points for being relatively affordable too.