How to Pick a Water Filter to Suit your Needs

Not a fan of the taste of your tap? Or need to remove nasty, health-related contaminants? If so, then a water filter is one of the best upgrades you can make.

But selecting the right water filter isn't always easy. Between highly technical reverse osmosis systems and seemingly endless pitcher options, it's hard to know where to start. That's where our Buying Advice comes in. In this article, we'll explain the key differences to help you decide which filter type is best for your water, home, and budget.

If you already have a filter in mind, check out our comprehensive Water Filter Review to see how it fared against the competition.

Types of Water Filters

There are mainly three different types of water filters: under-sink systems, pitchers and dispensers, and faucet-mounts. Below, we'll discuss the pros and cons of all three.

Pitchers & Dispeners

For most city-dwellers, a simple, affordable compact pitcher or a large-capacity dispenser is all you need. These water filters don't require any plumbing, installation, or learning curves—just fill, filter, and drink. They're a great fit for renters, apartments, or small households that already have decent water quality from their public utility and are mainly looking to improve taste or address a small, specific list of health-related water concerns. But they require constant refills, which is less convenient for large households or heavy water users.

Undersink Sytems

Undersink systems are a great choice for busy homeowners that want powerful filtration without giving up convenience. Installed beneath your kitchen sink, these systems provide filtered water through a dedicated faucet on your countertop for quick access whenever you need it. The most thorough (and pricey) systems use reverse osmosis (RO) technology, which acts as a heavy-duty cleanup crew, removing impurities that standard filters leave behind. The catch is they require a permanent, complicated installation and often cost more upfront than pitchers or faucet filters. Still, for serious water concerns, it doesn't get better than this.

Faucet-mounted

Faucet-mounted filters are a quick, affordable way to get cleaner water flowing straight from your tap. They easily attach directly to your faucet and provide filtered water on demand, though the flow is a bit slower than regular tap water. They're renter-friendly and cheap to maintain. However, because water passes through their small filters so quickly, they're best suited for improving taste and reducing a limited set of contaminants rather than tackling widespread water quality concerns. If they're compatible with your faucet and you don't mind the extra bulk in the sink, they're a simple, affordable way to upgrade your water.

Choosing the Right Water Filter

Now that you have an idea of the different types of filters available, it's time to determine which is best for your home.

Step 1: What's in Your Water?

The first step in selecting a water filter is determining which contaminants you want to remove. Fortunately, many US households don't need to worry about every contaminant under the sun. Our public drinking water is highly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to keep contaminant levels below established safety limits. So, for most tap water drinkers, the biggest complaint is simply the taste and smell of chlorine, which your public utility adds to disinfect the water. If that's your only concern, an inexpensive pitcher, dispenser, or faucet-mounted filter is usually all you need.

Other households may have more specific water quality concerns. For example, toxins like lead can enter your water through outdated plumbing, so even water that leaves the treatment facility meeting EPA standards can pick up contaminants on its way to your faucet. In addition, corroding plumbing can also introduce copper, which can affect taste. If you live in an older home, or your city has outdated lines, you'll want to select a filter that's specifically certified to remove these impurities. Thankfully, lead certification is incredibly common across both budget and premium options, so it's easy to find. We'll add, though, that addressing the source of the problem by replacing your pipes is the best long-term solution.

PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” are another growing water quality concern. Although the EPA regulates several PFAS compounds, many health experts believe the current limits aren't protective enough. Considering how widespread PFAS contamination has become, we think most households could benefit from a PFAS-certified water filter.

Private well drinkers are in the Wild West of water quality. Unlike public water, private wells aren't regulated by the EPA, so contaminants can vary dramatically from one property to the next. Depending on where you live, well water can contain concerning levels of contaminants like arsenic, uranium, iron, manganese, and nitrates. So, it's especially important to test your water to decide if you need the targeted power of a high-end pitcher filter or the broad protection of an RO system.

RO systems are also great if your tap water is exceptionally discolored, tastes totally unpalatable, or you just want the broadest protection. These powerful systems use multiple filtration stages to tackle a wide range of impurities, making them an easy, go-to solution for challenging water problems. They're also exceptional at capturing nitrates, fluoride, and other stubborn contaminants that most pitcher and faucet filters leave behind.

Step 2: Which Filter Fits Your Lifestyle and Budget?

Once you know which contaminants you need to remove, you'll want to narrow down the field by selecting a filter that suits your space, lifestyle, and budget.

If you live in an apartment, rent your home, or simply have modest water needs, a pitcher or dispenser is often the easiest choice. These filters require no installation, take up minimal space, and are affordable to replace. They're a great fit for city dwellers with treated municipal water who mainly want better taste, fewer odors, or protection against a smaller list of contaminants. You'll be refilling them daily, though, and replacing the filters every month or so.

For families, faucet-mounted filters and dispensers offer a nice middle ground. They provide more convenient access to filtered water without the upfront cost or installation headaches of an undersink system. Faucet filters are especially useful for users who can't make a permanent upgrade but still want clean water on demand, while dispensers work well for users who have the space to store a tank and don't mind refilling it every so often. Just keep in mind that budget-friendly options often have limitations in contaminant removal, while more robust systems can offer pretty good protection.

For homeowners who want the most comprehensive protection, an undersink reverse osmosis system is the ultimate upgrade. These systems cost more upfront and require a lengthy installation, but they deliver fast, filtered water on demand and tackle a much wider range of contaminants than simpler filters. They're especially appealing for rural homeowners with private wells, large families, or anyone dealing with challenging water quality issues who wants a long-term solution rather than a temporary fix. Filter changes are often a hassle though, so you need to be comfortable with crawling under a sink.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has cleared up some of the confusion surrounding water filters and has helped you find the perfect filter to get your tap water tasting clean, crisp, and refreshing! For a more detailed discussion of our testing procedures and methods, take a look at our How We Test article, or check out our comprehensive review of water filters linked below to see which products scored the best and why!