The best water filter is surprisingly relatively inexpensive.
If you are not going to need a lot of water, a water filter pitcher might be your best bet.
If you do consume a lot of water it’s best to use a filter system, which can be located under the sink or in the basement.
Whatever your choice, we will help you buy the best for the least cost.
Types Of Water Filters
- Pitcher or Countertop filters
- Faucet-mounted filters
- Under-sink filters
- Reverse-osmosis filters
The cheapest are the pitcher water filters. The most expensive are the reverse osmosis water filter.
We do not consider the whole house filters because they generally filter only sediments but no hazardous contaminants. They are considered preliminary filters.
Which Filter Type Should You Choose?
The simplest is the water filter pitcher.
Actually the best water filter is a pitcher type and costs around $20.
The Clear2O CWS100A has been rated as the best water filter pitcher by Consumer Reports. It scores 93/100 surpassed by only 2 others which cost a lot more.
It filters 53 contaminants with good flow rate and is excellent in removing lead and chloroform.
It connects directly to the tap through a quick connect hose and the filtration occurs rapidly with no clogging. It has a Smart filter life indicator, which tells you when to change the filter.
The filter cartridge costs about $10 and will filter about 150 liters of water. One liter of water would cost you about 6.6 cents, which is cheaper than using bottled water.
According to ConsumerSearch the Brita 42558 Aqualux Water Pitcher is the best water filter pitcher.
Consumers like the Brita 42558 Aqualux Water Pitcher and found its electronic filter change indicator and flip-top lid make it easy to use.
Cost per liter treated water ranges from 3.5 to 7 cents.
If you prefer a faucet-mounted filter, the Culligan FM-15A got the highest rating with 80/100.
The flow rate is low but it performs very well. It reduces 99% lead, 99.95% cryptosporidium and giardia cyst, chlorine and odor.
The filter lasts about 2 months or 750 liters. The cost of the filter cartridge is about $15, which makes a liter of water worth about 2 cents.
The PUR FM-9400B 3-Stage Horizontal Faucet has been rated as the Greenest product by the Green Guide.
It is a three-stage filter which is able to filter up to 30 contaminants. Similar to the Culligan water filter you can switch between unfiltered and filtered water.
There are however complaints about leakage.
Cost of filtered water: about 2.2 cents/liter
If you prefer a counter-top filter, the Wellness Kitchen S-III got the highest score with 83/100.
Similar to the Culligan, it has a low flow rate but excellent filtration. It however costs about $600 and the filter cartridge $100.
The filter will process 4,500 liters before requiring replacement. One liter of filtered water will cost about 2 cents.
You can get the Aquasana AQ-4000 for $100 and has a rating of 75/100.
The filter costs about $50 and treats about 1,800 liters of water. One liter will cost about 3 cents.
The best under-sink water filter is the Aqua Pure by Cuno AP-DWS1000 (Rating 88/100).
It is expensive, about $400 with the double filters costing $90. Quantity of water treated before changing filter are 2,300 liters. Cost of water is about 4 cents per liter.
A good under-sink water filter around $100 is the Omni CBF-3 water filter.
It performs well with odor reduction and removal of contaminants. The filter cartridge costs about $40 and will last 4 months or 2,200 liters.
Cost per liter is about 1.8 cents.
The best water filter is the Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station with 99/100 rating. It’s a reverse osmosis filter.
So if price is not a factor, the Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station would give you peace of mind.
The cheapest reverse osmosis water filter is the Whirlpool Gold WHER25 – $150.
It has a rating of 82/100. The flow rate is slower than the Kinetco but still acceptable.
Recommendation
The Clear2O CWS100A is probably one of the most efficient and inexpensive water filter on the market.
Although the filtered water is way cheaper than bottled water, it is 2 or 3 times more expensive than other filter types. But the prices of the filter cartridges drop significantly if you buy in bulk.
If you are looking for the cheapest filtered water, the Omni CBF-3 water filter is one of them.
If you want the best water filter, you should purchase the Kinetco K5 Drinking Water Station.
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