Best Under Sink Water Filters Reviewed

Gary Johnson
Written by
Last update:

If you are fed up with unhealthy water flowing from your tap or shower, you might want to consider an under sink water filter.

The water that comes from your tap is susceptible to a number of contaminants.

These can range from heavy metals, to bacteria and even pesticides.

The good news is that there are solid water filtration systems on the market that can help you get rid of these harmful contaminants.

The key, however, is finding the best one for a reasonable price.

Below I have reviewed some of the best under sink water filters to help you make your choice.

Read on to find out which the best under sink water filter is for you, or check out my reviews on shower water filters for more choices.

NameCategoryProduct
CuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water FilterBest OverallCuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water Filter
Filtrete Advanced Undersink Water Filtration SystemBudget PickFiltrete Advanced Undersink Water Filtration System
Home Master TMAFC-ERP Artesian Full Contact Undersink Reverse Osmosis Water Filter SystemUpgrade PickHome Master TMAFC-ERP Artesian Full Contact Undersink Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

1. CuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water Filter

Our rating: 9 / 10

CuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water Filter

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Made in the USA
  • All parts NSF certified
  • Easily removes more than 200 contaminants
  • Long lasting filter

Cons:

  • Large size
  • Loud operation

2. APEC Water Systems ROES-PH75 Essence Series Top Tier Alkaline Mineral pH+ 75 GPD 6-Stage Certified Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System

Our rating: 9 / 10

APEC Water Systems ROES-PH75 Essence Series Top Tier Alkaline Mineral pH+ 75 GPD 6-Stage Certified Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Ultra safe for drinking water (Designed to resist corrosion and freezing, which prolongs its lifespan.)
  • Excellent customer service
  • Good for filtering large quantities of water in a short amount of time (Supports generating one gallon of water in less than 2 minutes.)
  • Very easy to install
  • Affordable

A good deal of time spent researching the top rated under sink water filters for the money led us to the APEC Essence Series ROES-PH75. The APEC reverse osmosis water filter system can be used to filter water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, watering plants, and more.

A range of available alkaline minerals is included in this system to bring the pH level of the water in your home back to 7 (7 for alkaline) – the ideal range of pH for drinking water. This is ideal for those looking for the highest-quality water filter for hard water in the home.

3. iSpring RCC7AK 6-Stage Superb Taste High Capacity Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System

Our rating: 9 / 10

iSpring RCC7AK 6-Stage Superb Taste High Capacity Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Extremely filtered and takes out all kinds of contaminants
  • Reversible to take out salts and minerals as well
  • Comes with a large filter change indicator
  • Great choice for a filter that fits on the counter or under your sink
  • Can be set up to provide you with delicious tasting water right at the tap
  • Safe to drink from since it includes plumbing adapters

Cons:

  • Users have complained about leaks and problems after setup
  • Pricier than most other filters, although a good value for the money in terms of its filtration capabilities

Under Sink Filters can be a great solution for your household needs, and helping eliminate contaminants, chemicals, heavy metals and other pollutants from your drinking water.

Under sink water filters are one of the best countertop water filter systems in your house. This system is capable of reducing chlorination, pesticides, lead, nickel, copper, mercury, zinc, chlorine, chlorine taste and odor.

What makes it standout from the rest? Efficiency and cost, it takes the consumer a much less amount of time to get rid of all these chemicals when compared to other water filtering systems. The process utilizes a six-stage filtration process to filtrate the water to completion. Each stage also has an additional feature of its own.

4. Home Master TMAFC-ERP Artesian Full Contact Undersink Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

Our rating: 9 / 10

Home Master TMAFC-ERP Artesian Full Contact Undersink Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Affordable but still high-performing
  • Filtration rates exceed industry standards
  • NSF certified to reduce many contaminants
  • Easy installation and long warranty
  • Tremendous water pressure

Cons:

  • Smaller than a standard filter
  • Doesn’t come with faucet

The Home Master TMAFC-ERP is a reverse osmosis system that is priced affordably, but performs much better than other systems that are way more expensive.

The reverse osmosis filter removes all kinds of contaminants and pollutants, producing clean, great-tasting water. It’s NSF Certified to reduce chlorine taste and odor. It also reduces sediments, lead, mercury, and hundreds of other chemicals.

Reverse osmosis systems are ideal for those who want to drink from the tap, but don’t like the fact that the water tastes like that of a swimming pool. The TMAFC-ERP system is incredibly effective at removing chlorine from your water, giving you the convenience of a convenient way to get clean drinking water.

5. APEC WFS-1000 Super Capacity Premium Quality 3 Stage Under-Sink Water Filter System

Our rating: 8 / 10

APEC WFS-1000 Super Capacity Premium Quality 3 Stage Under-Sink Water Filter System

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • High capacity
  • Great value
  • Simple to install
  • Additional faucet included with system
  • pH balanced water
  • Ceramic filter
  • Easy to care for and use
  • Produces great-tasting water
  • Has been certified by NSF

Cons:

  • Some users have reported that this unit can be a little bit noisy
  • Installation can be a bit tricky

As a product from the trusted and reputable APEC brand, this is a top quality under the sink water filter. Priced very comfortably, users get a great value out of this water filter. If you’re quite serious about having clean and fresh tasting water this product will certainly help you achieve your goals.

Like most other filtration systems, this system offers a wide array of benefits that are sure to impress. Firstly, users are provided with a water dispenser to ensure clean and fresh water is available quickly. The unit also gets rid of some of the most common contaminants like chlorine or heavy metals.

Additionally, the filtration system is equipped with advanced filtration technology that will help you prevent odors, scale build up, and reduce soap scum. This makes the water feel softer on your skin, hair, and more.

6. Aquasana AQ-5300+.55 3-Stage Max Flow Under Sink Water Filter

Our rating: 7 / 10

Aquasana AQ-5300+.55 3-Stage Max Flow Under Sink Water Filter

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Large capacity of 10 gallons per day
  • Can be installed easily
  • Has a 3-year limited warranty
  • Uses standard 55-gallon drum (upgradeable to 50-gallon drum)
  • Has a self-cleaning mechanism
  • Provides good water flow

Cons:

  • Complaints of leaks
  • Complaints of low flow rate

If you hate the bottle water junk, then you’re going to love this 3-stage nutri-tech filtration system that can purify around 10 gallons of water per day.

The lower level filter is made of activated carbon granules that remove contaminants like asbestos, lead, mercury, and chloramines, while the upper level filter uses a patent-pending combination of picolinate polyphosphate ceramic anion exchange resin, which removes odor and chlorine while improving water taste.

Upgrading the filter to a 50-gallon drum saves you some money in the long run. Plus, it increases your water-filtration rate. Aquasana will also send you free products for life (like replacement filter cartridges) with your purchase of the product.

7. Filtrete Advanced Undersink Water Filtration System

Our rating: 6 / 10

Filtrete Advanced Undersink Water Filtration System

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Easy to install
  • Filters as much as 100,000 gallons of water
  • Certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53
  • Designed for a compact under-sink footprint
  • No batteries or electric needed
  • Greatly improves the taste of water
  • Connects to any standard faucet
  • Reduces sediment, rust, chlorine taste/odor, cysts, and particulates
  • Ensures a family’s drinking water is cleaner, better tasting water

Cons:

  • Doesn’t reduce nitrates
  • No back-washing
  • No indicator to tell you when you should change the filter
  • Plastic parts break down at very high temperatures

The 3M Filtrete Advanced Water Filter Replacement for 3US-PS01 is an advanced filter that reduces more than 99 percent of many contaminants and leaves the water with a fresh, clean taste. The Aqua-Cleer filter creates clean, fresh drinking water to help your family stay healthy.

This Filtrete water filter can be installed at your kitchen sink. The water filter is effective in removing larger impurities, such as rust and sediment. It also reduces chlorine taste and odor, as well as the unpleasantness associated with age and storage of water.

8. AO Smith 4-Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

Our rating: 3 / 10

AO Smith 4-Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • A filter system is a much better solution than using a water pitcher or UV filter because they remove the entire spectrum of contaminants
  • The NSF certification ensures that it is safe, effective, and won’t produce harmful byproducts like chlorine or fluoride

Cons:

  • This system is mechanical and takes time to filter so there is a limit to how much water you can filter at a time
  • Filters need to be changed at around 6 months, which is longer than you get on the Katadyn Hiker Pro

The AO Smith 4-Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System with Microbial Boost is one of my favorite water purification systems because it removes virtually every contaminant that might be in the water.

This is a NSF certified (National Sanitation Foundation International) system that meets NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for filters to be used in potable water systems and one-micron absolute filtration to ensure that the water is safe for drinking … perfect if you want to drink from a variety of water sources while you travel.

It has a built-in electronic monitoring system that alerts you when the filter is due to be changed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which under sink water filter is best?

This is a difficult question to answer, since many factors have to be considered. For instance, how long has the company been around? What sort of contaminants do you want to remove? What contaminants does your city have a problem with? What brand of water filtration system works best in your under sink space?

In general, we will attempt to answer this question with a recommendation based on the best under sink water filter system for the average American home. In the end, there are a few brands that consistently receive good reviews, but for many people the best under sink water filter hasn't been invented yet.

Are under sink water filters worth it?

An under sink water filter is a great investment for reducing your exposure to contaminants in your tap water. While municipal water systems have dramatically improved over the last decade, they still occasionally find contaminant levels that err on the side of the cautionary side. If this is the case for you, then you’ll definitely want to consider a filter for your under sink water supply.

How do I choose an under sink water filter?

Choosing the right filter depends on your specific needs. Water filters can be very helpful if you buy bottled water or if you live in an area with suspected contamination. However, if you live where the water is reliably pure (i.e., you have a well that is tested and deemed safe by EPA standards), there’s no immediate need to filter your water.

Under sink filters are a great way to save money and achieve water purity simutaneously. An under sink filter is a bit more involved than your typical pitcher. It’s attached to your faucets by a water line, and it can require quite a bit of work to install correctly.

However, installing the filter does give you the advantage of being able to remove it and relocate the filter as you wish. That is something you can't do your pitcher, for example, since every pitcher is mounted to the faucet and that is permanently installed.

How long do under sink water filters last?

Regrettably, there is no hard and fast rule. Unlike what you may think, water filters are not suppose to last one year or two or five. It's more of just a rule of thumb given by the manufacturer that the average appliance or filter should last anywhere between 5,000-50,000 gallons. For us, it's difficult to rely on that kind of guidance without first seeing real world figures for ourselves. Despite the lack of real facts, there are a couple of things that can help us understand when it's time to replace the filter:

If you use a whole house filter, the sediment or carbon block it contains will be more likely to fail, as these are large and often have a very short lifespan.

If you purchased a pitcher-style filter, the filter itself is the only part likely to fail, and sometimes those can last for several years.

Conclusion

We are huge proponents of buying local and drinking local. When you drink locally, you enjoy better quality and a wider selection of products. We’ve also noticed there is an undeniable link between pure water and pure taste. There is no need to get all poetic about it – just use this guide to select and install the perfect faucet mount water filter for application at your sink. These will help keep your water on tap healthy and tasty.

Our Recommendation

NameCategoryProduct
CuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water FilterBest OverallCuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water Filter
Filtrete Advanced Undersink Water Filtration SystemBudget PickFiltrete Advanced Undersink Water Filtration System
Home Master TMAFC-ERP Artesian Full Contact Undersink Reverse Osmosis Water Filter SystemUpgrade PickHome Master TMAFC-ERP Artesian Full Contact Undersink Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System