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Compare Our Top Shower Filter Systems
Honorable Mention Shower Filters
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
HigherDose Red Light Shower Filter for $599: This ablution filter is successful immoderate ways the astir intriguing ablution filter thought I've encountered successful the past year—a ablution filter that besides incorporates a ringing of lights delivering dual reddish and near-infrared wavelengths (650 nm and 850nm) astatine purported therapeutic intensity. Aside from turning your ablution into a discotheque, this amounts to a time-saving measurement for those who would different avail themselves of reddish airy therapy connected mats oregon with scary-looking masks. In this case, the reddish airy therapy happens portion you shower. The 10-stage filter, successful my at-home testing, was capable to region 90 percent of the full chlorine from my chloramine-treated water. We're inactive investigating and looking into some the filter and the reddish airy therapy implicit longer-term testing, but the instrumentality is already good worthy mention.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Afina A-01 Filtered Showerhead for $129: Afina’s two-stage chlorine filter is arsenic effectual arsenic immoderate of the filtered showerheads we tested retired of the box, reducing full chlorine levels to undetectable amounts erstwhile it's new. The broad, spa-like spray was besides among the astir pleasant of immoderate showerhead we tested. But nary autarkic laboratory investigating was offered, and filter replacement is simply a spot much costly than some, astatine $29 each 2 months with a subscription (or $40 each 2 months without).
Filterbaby Diamond Series Shower Filter for $113: This inline filter was capable to trim full chlorine levels to undetectable amounts, 1 of fewer filters connected the marketplace capable to bash so—and the information that it's an inline filter means you'll beryllium capable to support your existing showerhead and conscionable slot this filter successful betwixt the tube and your showerhead. That said, it's a bulky filter, which means your showerhead volition beryllium astir 4 inches little than it utilized to be, and the screw-in strategy is simply a small awkward: It's 1 of the lone showerheads I really needed a wrench to instal properly. The replacement filters are designed to usage minimal plastic, but they are besides much costly than most, astatine $42 each 3 months.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Sproos! Filtered Hand Shower for $148 ($120 with subscription): Sproos is simply a quirky, kicky, kooky ablution marque aimed squarely astatine young “renters and DIYers”—offering a rainbow of bold colors for handheld filtered showerheads. Sproos has made immoderate improvements to its plan since WIRED archetypal tested successful 2024. Its ablution filters are besides recyclable, a uncommon distinction. The filters removed most, but inactive not each full chlorine retired of the container upon our investigating successful aboriginal 2026, successful a chloramine-treated h2o system. And similar a batch of ablution filters, nary autarkic laboratory investigating has been released publicly.
Hydroviv Filtered Shower Head for $160: Hydroviv is simply a h2o filter institution of agelong standing, and its KDF-55, calcium sulfite, and catalyzed c showerhead ranks among the fewer ablution filters I've tested that was capable to filter full chlorine levels down to undetectable levels successful a chloramine-treated h2o system. Hydroviv suggests filter replacements erstwhile each six months, a longer span than comparable ablution filters specified arsenic Canopy oregon Afina; that said, its $75 filters outgo treble oregon much what different filters do, and I noted important nonaccomplishment of efficacy aft 4 months. As with astir makers of ablution filters, requests to spot autarkic laboratory investigating results were unsuccessful. Hydroviv claims its filter media assistance trim bacterial growth, though the materials cited are the aforesaid listed successful different ablution filters.
ShowerClear Filtered Shower Head, pictured arsenic installed astatine a WIRED reviewer's home.Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
ShowerClear Showerhead for $139: OK, you got me. This isn't a filter. The ShowerClear is alternatively designed to lick a occupation you astir apt hadn't thought astir but present whitethorn support you up astatine night: Potentially infectious bacteria called mycobacteria, prone to causing lung infections, enjoy increasing wrong showerheads and are resistant to chlorine-treated water. They turn successful colonies, a spot similar fungus. Hence, the name. What's worse, if you can't unfastened up your showerhead, you can't spot them and you don't cognize they're there. Gives you the willies. Anyway, this ShowerClear has a hinge and a latch. This means you tin unfastened it up, look inside, and cleanable its interior completely, with soap oregon vinegar oregon disinfectants. This is simply a precise uncommon prime adjacent among filtered showerheads. I'd beryllium happier if the ShowerClear's h2o travel fanned retired a small better, oregon if the latch were little of a defining plan feature. But what's each that for a small bid of mind? (That said, if you privation a filter to region chlorine, you'll besides request an inline filter similar the Weddell Duo.)
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Croix Filtered Showerhead for $129 and Croix Handheld Showerhead for $129: Shower filter institution Croix was founded by chemic technologist Spencer Robertson, an aged manus astatine h2o filtration. The fixed showerhead is handsome, and the handheld ablution has a overmuch broader array of spray settings than most—including a fun, ultra-broad spray mounting that's similar a savagely almighty misting device. This said, the KDF-55 and calcium sulfite filter didn't filter adjacent adjacent to the bulk of full chlorine levels from my chloramine-treated h2o system. Based connected results I've reviewed from Croix's interior testing, I'd much apt urge this instrumentality for chlorine-treated systems similar the 1 successful New York City. WIRED was capable to reappraisal interior investigating showing that Croix's filters were palmy astatine filtering astir escaped chlorine from water, successful accordance with NSF standards. Replacement cartridges and filters are reasonably priced and recommended erstwhile each 4 months, a longer interval than astir brands connected the market.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Aquasana Inline Filter for $150: Aquasana's funnily bulbous two-layer filter removed the bulk of full chlorine successful my chloramine-treated system, and it was besides 1 of the lone ablution filter companies to connection independent investigating information backing up its claims for chlorine-based systems. So far, truthful good. So why’s it not up adjacent the apical of our list? A flimsy ablution wand with mediocre spray unit and radius, a flimsy but unfortunate inclination toward leakiness astatine the ablution connection, and unforgiving geometry that means it doesn't nexus up good with each showerheads arsenic an inline filter. Still, it works and it's lab-attested for escaped chlorine removal, and I happily urge it.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Jolie Filtered Showerhead for $169: The Jolie showerhead pioneered the influencer-centric, testimonial-driven selling exemplary that has made ablution filters truthful ascendant successful the nationalist conversation. Its design, which looks a spot similar a elephantine Monopoly playing portion and comes successful chrome, gold, black, oregon red, is eminently likable. The instrumentality offers adjacent h2o spray and a soft, stippled faceplate that feels luxuriant successful the strangest of ways. But Jolie didn't respond to requests for autarkic investigating erstwhile we asked successful 2024, and our ain investigating enactment it determination successful the mediate of the battalion successful presumption of removing full chlorine from a chloramine-treated system.
Also Tested
Kohler Cinq for $150: Kohler is simply a venerable Wisconsin marque with a fig of h2o attraction options for showers and faucets. The Cinq filtered showerhead is admirably classical successful form, and its five-layer filter looked arsenic promising, advertizing successful peculiar KDF-55 and activated carbon. Home investigating didn’t amusement large results with my chloramine-treated water, however, and for the terms I felt entitled to precocious expectations. Requests for autarkic laboratory investigating information successful 2024 didn’t get results.
Act + Acre Showerhead Filter for $120: Beauty institution Act + Acre’s filtered showerhead didn’t execute arsenic good arsenic others successful my location investigating of full chlorine. We besides didn’t autumn successful emotion with the showerhead itself, which looks a spot similar a gooseneck table lamp and droops awkwardly from the ablution pipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How We Tested and What We Tested
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
The marketplace for filtered showerheads remains young and mostly unregulated, and show claims are lone seldom backed up publically by autarkic data. We made tons of requests, but fewer ablution filter companies manus implicit their laboratory results. (Thank you Rorra, Aquasana, Weddell, Croix, and Curo for being exceptions.)
Some makers told america that autarkic labs and certifying bodies person been backed up, and that information is forthcoming. Many offered lawsuit restitution surveys oregon anecdotal studies instead. This each means that immoderate skepticism is warranted.
And truthful I besides got retired trial kits astatine home. First I trial the full chlorine levels successful the h2o without immoderate filtering, a measurement that includes either chloramine oregon escaped chlorine that's interacted with whatever's successful your pipes. Then I trial the h2o filtered by the showerhead. I execute each trial aggregate times to relationship for imprecision oregon fluctuations successful investigating and successful municipal chlorine levels. In astir cases, I bash this implicit aggregate days upon archetypal investigating to relationship for immoderate inconsistencies successful my ain h2o supply.
For testing, I avoided painfully unreliable location trial strips, and alternatively got retired somewhat nasty chemic indicators and utilized integer and chemic tests designed for pools and aquariums.
We besides tested full dissolved solids utilizing a TDS meter, and separately tested filters' effects connected pH successful bid to gauge effects but besides to verify the reliability of chemic trial results.
The effectiveness of filters goes down implicit time, of course, depending connected however overmuch contamination is filtered retired of the water—which is wherefore filters ever request to beryllium changed. As we update this guide, we proceed to trial the astir effectual showerhead filters to spot however their efficacy changes implicit time—and adhd immoderate caller ablution filters we’re capable to recommend.
What Does a Shower Filter Do?
The biggest happening that astir ablution h2o filters tackle, successful a measurable way, is filter chlorine and chlorine compounds, mostly done chemic reactions. Pretty overmuch each American metropolis adds debased concentrations of chlorine oregon chlorine compounds to drinking h2o to termination perchance harmful bacteria. This is each good and bully erstwhile the water’s inactive successful the pipes. But chlorine’s not precisely large for your hairsbreadth oregon your skin, and fewer radical similar to portion it. Some are besides particularly delicate to the sensation oregon smell, oregon prone to tegument reactions.
The astir salient location ablution filters trust successful portion connected a zinc-copper substance called KDF-55, known to beryllium rather effectual astatine neutralizing “free” chlorine successful chlorine-treated systems. Other communal substances utilized to dainty chlorine and chlorine compounds see calcium sulfite and activated oregon catalytic carbon. The astir effectual filters usage these successful immoderate combination. The main happening I was capable to trial and verify was the champion ablution h2o filters' quality to region the full chlorine contented of h2o coming retired of your shower.
We’ve seen small grounds that the astir communal types of showerhead filters person overmuch effect connected the softness oregon hardness of water, oregon connected calcium buildup. In fact, some aboriginal world studies contiguous grounds that they don’t. The ablution filters we tested besides had precise small effect connected the sum full of dissolved solids successful our water, according to measurements with a TDS meter—i.e., the filters aren’t removing a ample magnitude of materials oregon minerals from the water.
I wasn't capable to trial claims by immoderate companies that these filters region dense metals similar pb and arsenic, which thankfully aren’t successful my pipes. We lone recovered 1 company, Weddell, whose filter was certified to region leadr. So far, truthful good! Nonetheless, if you judge you person unsafe pb oregon arsenic successful your water, you astir apt shouldn’t effort to hole the occupation with a mail-order showerhead. Talk to a h2o attraction nonrecreational oregon your nationalist wellness authority.
Does My City Use Chlorine oregon Chloramine?
If you unrecorded successful a large US city, chlorine is apt not what your metropolis uses to dainty the h2o successful its pipes. New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Phoenix usage chlorine, sure. But Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, and astir large cities successful Texas don’t.
More than fractional of American large cities usage a substance called chloramine, a much unchangeable and enduring chemic that’s harder to filter and test. That's besides what was successful my h2o supply. To test, I got retired my useful digital h2o colorimeter and a somewhat nasty chemic indicator, and past tested the quality of each ablution filter to dainty immoderate of a fig of chlorine compounds successful the water.
Curious whether your metropolis uses chlorine oregon chloramine arsenic a disinfectant successful your pipes? Check present for an accounting of the 50 biggest municipal h2o systems successful the United States.
Are Shower Filters Effective for Hard Water?
No, astir apt not.
The champion ablution filters I tested volition amended your h2o quality, mostly by removing chlorine and chloramine compounds—and different contaminants that whitethorn see dense metals.
But ablution filters tin lone bash truthful much. You astir apt shouldn’t expect these ablution filters to soften the mineral hardness of your h2o oregon region astir substances, which derives mostly from dissolved calsium and magnesium salts successful your water.
After all, a filter indispensable beryllium comparatively tiny to acceptable into a showerhead. And yet it’s being asked to filter gallons of h2o each minute, pushed retired astatine some precocious somesthesia and precocious pressure. A showerhead filter poses a daunting engineering challenge, arsenic compared to countertop h2o filters that dainty lone a tiny magnitude of h2o astatine a time—or a bulky reverse-osmosis instrumentality that tin plug into your under-sink plumbing
Hard h2o is much often solved by circumstantial h2o softeners, reverse osmosis filters, and whole-house h2o filtration systems. Some aboriginal studies amusement that a fig of ablution filters whitethorn adjacent add a tiny magnitude of hardness to your water, via calcium sulfite filters,
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