There was a time when no American would seriously consider purchasing an under sink water filter. After all, why would they need one?
The water that comes to their homes is treated, right?
It doesn’t need a second treatment. Sadly, these days that’s no longer true and everyone, no matter where they are in the world, should consider buying one.
If you need reasons then let what happened in Flint, Michigan, Houston, Texas and Camelford in the UK be your guide.
Mistakes happen and worse, neglect happens and you can’t be certain that your drinking water is going to be safe to drink and that’s why you need our guide to the top 8 best under sink water filters.
What Should You Look For In An Under Sink Water Filter?
There are a few things to look at when choosing the right filter for your family’s water supply:
- What contaminants can it remove? Some filters can keep nearly every contaminant at bay others just remove one or two. You should also ensure that they are NSF certified to remove whatever they claim to remove.
- Waste vs Water ratio. You want to keep waste to a minimum unless you want a massive water bill – aim for 3:1 or less and ideally, if you can afford it, go for 1:1.
- The filter life. You will have to replace the filter. This costs money, so the longer a filter lasts, the better.
- Required water pressure. Make sure whatever filter you buy will work with your household water supply.
- Any added minerals. Some filters are designed to add healthy minerals to the finished product – this isn’t essential, by any means, but it’s a nice touch.
- Value. You can spend very little on a system up to a huge amount, but we’d recommend going for something between $200 and $500. These are most likely to last and to deliver good results.
Best Under Sink Water Filters
iSpring RCC7AK 6
This is an excellent choice with the accent on affordability. It removes 98% of the worst contaminants and they have a reputation for excellent customer service.
However, you might want to watch out for that 3:1 waste: water ratio – your water bills are going to go up a bit for that clean cold water line. Otherwise, this is one of the strongest under-sink filters that we tested.
You can find the iSpring RCC7AK 6 online.
APEC Water Systems ROES PH75 Essence Series
Another high waste water system (3:1) but with a better filtration system than the iSpring model and we like the fact that it mineralizes alkaline water which really improves the taste and smell of the drinking water in your home.
It also has a faucet included in the box which some models don’t. It's pricey but under sink filters like this a worth the effort, and it's cheaper than a reverse osmosis system.
You can find the APEC Water Systems ROES PH75 Essence Series online.
Home Master TMAFC – ERP Artesian Water Filter System
We won’t deny that this comes in at the more expensive end of the market when it comes to sink water filtration systems, but it’s very well equipped to remove almost all contaminants and keep your waste water ratio to a minimum. It’s NCF certified too.
One bonus with this is you don't need replacement filters which means you get cheaper tap water in the long run.
You can find the Home Master TMAFC – ERP Artesian Water Filter System online.
Home Master TMHP HydroPerfection Water Filter System
If you have a well that you’re drawing your tap water from then this is the filtration system for you.
It’s better at getting rid of iron (a common impurity in American well water) and bacteria than most other systems and it will remove other heavy metals and soften your filtered water too.
You can find the Home Master TMHP HydroPerfection Water Filter System online.
CuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water Filter
This is a super easy-to-install solution that can filter up to 50,000 gallons before you need to replace the filter! That means it only needs changing every 5 years or so!
Filter replacement can be a big cost when running a filtration system, so this is really good news.
The only downside to this filtration system product is it’s a bit bulky and may not fit under every sink.
You can find the CuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water Filter online.
iSpring CU-A4 $-Stage High Capacity Drinking Water System
One of the best value for money systems on the market. The filter goes down to 0.1 microns which means almost nothing in the way of contaminants can pass through this filter, though fluoride isn’t removed (and most people won’t mind this as they like having nice teeth).
The filtration process is done via a reverse osmosis filter and it remained one of our favorite water filter systems throughout testing.
You can find the iSpring CU-A4 $-Stage High Capacity Drinking Water System online.
Clearly Filtered 3-Stage Under-The-Sink Filter System
This is a really robust system which can deal with over 200 contaminants and yes, even fluoride, the final product tastes and smells of nothing and you can use this water for drinking and cooking without any worries at all. The lifetime warranty is a nice touch too.
You can find the Clearly Filtered 3-Stage Under-The-Sink Filter System on the Clearly Filtered website.
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink Water Filter System
If you’re on a tight budget, then this Waterdrop system might be the best option for you.
They have only a single 5-part cartridge in this set up and it still gets rid of most contaminants including Flouride and the water will taste better than before and it will be completely odorless.
You can find the Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink Filter System online.
Last Word on The Best Under Sink Filtration System
All of these models should deliver healthier, cleaner water for you and your family.
Of course, once you’ve sorted out the water supply at home then you might want to think about other changes that you can make for the better. Check out our guide to natural living here to get started.
For example, why not ensure that your food is safer by making your own honey? We can show you where to start in our best beekeeping starter kits. If that’s not your bag, why not consider growing some edible weeds in that clean water – see our edible weeds guide for some ideas.