The Best Countertop Water Filters for Delicious Water on Demand

What to Look for in a Countertop Water Filter

Style

There are two styles of countertop water filters: faucet diverters and free standing. 

Countertop filters that connect to the faucet direct tap water from your sink through the filter via a small hose. The filtered water is dispensed through a tap built in to the water filter instead of your sink faucet. This type of water filter requires user installation, but the process is usually quick, easy, and requires minimal tools. 

Free-standing countertop filters don’t connect to your water supply. Instead, they need to be manually filled with water from your faucet. A pitcher usually works well for this or a hose, if your faucet is equipped with one, can be used to fill a water filter reservoir. This type of countertop filter tends to be larger and takes up more space than faucet diverters. However, freestanding water filters can be placed anywhere and don’t need direct access to a water source. 

One thing to keep in mind when shopping for a free-standing water filter is the capacity of the water reservoir. If there are several people in your household who will be drinking filtered water, a model that can hold several gallons will cut down on frequent refilling.

Purpose

There are two main reasons to invest in a countertop water filter: to improve the taste of your drinking water and/or remove unwanted substances. Water filters designed primarily to remove odor and chlorine, which can affect the taste of your water, tend to be less expensive than filters designed to remove long lists of substances. The only way to know whether a more expensive filter is worth your while is to research your water quality. Don’t worry—it’s not as tough a job as it sounds.

If you have city or municipal water, water quality reports detailing contaminant levels are available to you. If you have trouble locating them, contact your water supplier. If you have well water, you can have your water quality tested independently. Once you know what contaminants are in your water, you can decide what kind of filter you want and need.

Basic countertop filters are equipped with a single carbon filter that improve the odor and taste of water by absorbing contaminants from the water. Other countertop filters have multiple filters designed to remove contaminants through a combination of carbon absorption and ion exchange. Reverse osmosis filters also include a semi-permeable membrane that separate contaminated water from clean water.

Filter Life

All countertop water filters require filter replacement. How often you have to change the filter depends on the estimated filter life span. A filter's life span is typically provided to consumers in months. Most of the countertop water filters on this list use filters that last an average of six months. However, you should also pay attention to the amount of water the filters can process before they need replacing. If your household goes through a large amount of filtered water, you might need to replace the filters more frequently that what is recommended.

You should also take note of the cost of replacement filters before purchasing a countertop water filter. Countertop water filters can last a long time when the filters are routinely changed. Be sure to check whether branded or generic replacement filters are recommended with your model.

Certification

Choosing a countertop water filtration system that has been independently certified can provide peace of mind that the filter is doing what it's intended to do. The most common certifications to look for are NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), ANSI (American National Standards Institute), and WQA (Water Quality Association).

Water Filtration Speed

While faucet diverter water filters are connected directly to tap water, freestanding filters require manual filling. It takes some time for the water to trickle through all the filters in order to drink, but how much time it takes depends on a number of factors including capacity, the number of filters, the material used in those filters, the size of the holes in the filter, the quality of the water, and the age of the filter. For example, a large-capacity freestanding water filter with five-month-old fine mesh membranes will take longer to filter than a smaller-capacity model with brand new filters and soft water to filtrate. 

Ultimately, it comes down to preference. Models with finer filters may be able to trap more contaminants, but take longer to fully filtrate. Models with larger holes in the filters can be quicker and more convenient, but may not clean the water as thoroughly.

FAQs

What is the best way to filter tap water?

This is a matter of personal preference, the space you have available, and the contaminants you want to remove from your water.

A countertop water filter is a good choice if you're just looking to filter enough tap water for drinking and cooking. If you have plenty of counter space, you may opt for a free-standing water filter. If you want to filter water directly at the faucet, a countertop filter that diverts water from your faucet be a better choice.

If countertop filter options don't appeal to you, there are also pitcher water filters, under-the-sink water filters, and whole-house water filtration systems.

The most important consideration in choosing a water filter is what you want to reduce from your tap water. Reviewing a water quality report from your water supplier or an independent party is the first step in identifying potential contaminants and/or impurities in you water. Then, choose a filter that can reduce your top concerns.

Do countertop water filters remove fluoride?

Not all countertop water filters remove fluoride from tap water, but some can. If fluoride removal is a must-have for you, be sure to read through the list of compounds a filter can remove before buying a countertop water filter. Reverse osmosis water filters are typically the best choice for reducing the amount of fluoride in your water. Keep in mind no water filter is capable of removing 100 percent of fluoride—or anything for that matter.

How often do you need to change countertop water filters?

Most countertop water filters are estimated to last for about six months, but some need more frequent replacing every three months and others are rated to last approximately one year. You should keep track of when you change your filter and stick to the recommended replacement schedule to prolong the life of your filtration system.

Do water filters work for well water?

While most Americans get their water from municipal sources, people in rural areas may draw it from groundwater through wells. Municipal water is regulated by federal law, but private well water is regulated by state law, so regulations on maintaining wells vary by location. Be sure to check with your state’s natural resource department for more information.

The quality of well water can be impacted by two factors: non-natural contaminants and natural soil pollutants. There are tests available at state-certified labs to check the potability of well water, looking for such contaminants as coliform bacteria, pesticides, dissolved solids, VOC, and nitrates. The EPA recommends conducting these tests at least once a year. You should also ask your health department what contaminants are common in the local groundwater. States may have regulations in place dictating what makes water safe to drink, but it’s the responsibility of the property owner to maintain their wells to that regulatory standard.

So, getting back to the question: Do water filters work for well water? 

Yes! In fact, most water filters that work with municipal water will also work with well water. Many models are whole-house systems, though there are some under-sink filters, too. There is also a variety of filtration methods ranging from eliminating bacteria with UV bulbs, fine filters to block out physical sediment, and reverse osmosis systems, among others. You’ll want to aim for a model that filters out both chemical and physical contaminants. 

It’s incredibly important to stay up to date on your state’s regulations for well water, perform annual tests, and stay vigilant about the appearance and taste of well water.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

As a longtime user of home water filters, Taylor Rock, The Spruce Eats' commerce editor, is always looking for ways to reduce her carbon footprint. For this roundup, she interviewed Rick Andrew of NSF International’s Global Water program and used his expertise as guidance in researching top-rated and properly tested products.

Sharon Lehman, RDN, a freelance writer, recipe developer, photographer, and registered dietitian nutritionist, updated this article, as did Allison Wignall, staff writer for The Spruce Eats.

An earlier version of this roundup was written by Erica Puisis, who interviewed Sydney Evans, a science analyst for the Environmental Working Group, for background information on the different types of water filters, what they do differently, and how to pick the right one.

Sources

Rick Andrew is the Director of Global Business Development of Water Systems at the National Science Foundation. He has 30 years of experience in preserving and maintaining clean drinking water and is responsible for NSF’s global sales and structuring of water-related programs.