The Best Home Water Filters For 2023

Most of us already know that we’re mainly made of water – around 70%, in fact. This means that if our body were a glass of water, we would be full up to our shoulders! Obviously, it’s vital for us to hydrate with the purest water possible for our mind and body to stay healthy.

But sometimes, this is easier said than done. Depending on where we live, when we turn on the tap we may find up to 300+ chemicals and pollutants in the water. According to research from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), tap water can be contaminated with all sorts of nasty things, including:

• toxic heavy metals
• additives like chlorine and fluoride
• chlorination by-products
• VOCs like pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals and fuels
• bacteria and viruses (giardia, cryptosporidium, etc.)
• radioactive substances (radon and uranium).

Thanks to all the microbeads and glitter in our cosmetics, and polyesters and plastics in our clothing, tiny particles of plastics are also found in some drinking water. Of course, all of these produce various negative effects on the body over our lifetime.

Pollution Solutions?

So, What Can We Do?

Well, first test your water.

There are plenty of water testing kits that allow you to test for the most common water contaminants, such as these testing kits for water filters (or just water) below.

1. TestAssured’s Complete Water Analysis Test Kit – This kit contains everything you need to test for eleven of the most common water concerns.  The tests take only minutes to perform and you have results in under 10 minutes, with the exception of the bacteria test which takes two days to develop.
2. First Alert WT1 Drinking Water Test Kit – With this kit you can test for nine water issues. This accurate at home test kit is an easy way to make sure your drinking water is safe.
3. Health Metric Drinking Water Test Kit – These tests provide a simple, accurate, and low-cost way to screen your water for eight potentially harmful or damaging water problems.
4. JNW Direct 9 in 1 Drinking Water Test Strips – Test for nine parameters using a single test strip. Includes 150 test strips, providing accurate and fast results for any water source.  Comes with a downloadable e-book listing the EPA standards and an explanation of results.
5. LabTech H2O OK Drinking Water Analysis Kit – This kit includes ten common water quality tests that can be easily performed in your home. Tests work on any drinking water including wells and outdoor water sources.

10 Of The Best Water Filters For Better Health

But then what happens if you do test your water and find it’s contaminated in some way? Quite frankly, it’s up to us to buy one of the best water filters now, since we can’t rely on the state to do a good job of cleaning up what we drink.

Here are some of the best water filters for better health. We recommend these not only for drinking water, but for the shower, too, since your skin also absorbs the toxins in contaminated water.

1. Zerowater 12 Cup Jug

Live in an area with fluoridated water? You need this filter NOW! It’s a super easy to use filter that allows filtered water to be poured whilst other water remains in the reservoir. Its patented, 5-stage Ion Exchange Filtration system removes virtually all dissolved solids from your water, making it taste way better. In fact, this is one of the best water filters we’ve tried.

But the best part? It removes 99% of all brain-killing fluoride from your water. Four additional stages of water filtration ensure larger particles and other impurities are removed. Not surprisingly, this humble filter delivers a “000” reading on the included laboratory-grade Total Dissolved Solids meter, hence the name ‘Zerowater’.

Price: From $39.99

Best for: Just about any household. We love the fact that it comes with a testing stick that lets you know how pure your water is, and when it’s time to change the filter 

2. Invigorated Water Replenish Alkaline pH Water Filter 

You can use this water filter in all kinds of situations. Camping, in the office, at the cottage, or whilst travelling. It’s made from strong, healthy, food-grade glass. But that’s not all! Its filtration is strong enough to get rid of chlorine, fluoride and heavy metals. The result? Fresher, cleaner tasting water that’s way healthier to drink.

It lasts for 16 gallons or 300 cups. And by using the Replenish Water Filter Pitcher, you’ll also be saving the planet from plastic bottle waste. Yay! Definitely one of the best filtered water bottles for the eco-minded.

Price: $59.99

Best for: Not only filtering water, but making delicious infused drinks.

3. The LifeStraw Water Purifier

This durable little steel straw weighs in at only 4.2 ounces, but filters up to 1,000 litres of water. That’s thanks to a 2-stage filtration system that eliminates contaminants like water borne bacteria, protozoan parasites, chlorine, odours, and bad tastes. However, this will NOT filter heavy metals, chemicals, viruses or salt water. This little guy is incredibly easy to use, doesn’t need batteries, pumping, or chemicals, and is great for hikers, campers or travellers.

Price: $19

Best for: This is the best filtered water bottle for hikers, campers, travellers.

4. Black + Blum Eau So Good Charcoal Water Filter

Eau So Good bottle boasts an elegant, eco friendly design that fits perfectly in your hand. Designed to be used when you’re out and about, it uses Binchotan activated charcoal. This has been used by the Japanese since the 17th century to clean water.  Binchotan loves absorbing things like chlorine, lead, mercury, cadmium and copper from tap water. It also releases useful minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphates and balances water’s pH. This makes for a clear and refreshing taste as well.

Just fill this beautiful glass bottle from the tap and let the charcoal work its magic! After 1 hour it will start to improve your water, though 8 hours is ideal. The charcoal will last 3 months, but is rechargeable. Just boil it for ten minutes and let it dry in sunlight, and it’s good to go for 6 more months. After that, you’ll need to buy a new filter, and just stick the old one in the earth to enrich the soil. 

Price: $19.99

Best for: This is the best filtered water bottle for students, travellers, kids, taking with you every day

5. ProOne Water Pitcher

Propur’s easy to use pitcher uses a plant based, activated coconut shell carbon filter to remove all the nastiest – yet most common – toxins in your water. Their ProOne G filters get rid of fluoride and glyphosate, for example, whilst retaining beneficial minerals of the water.

This is one of the best filtered water bottles for any kind of domestic use.

Price: $69.95

Best for: Everyday household use, especially in areas with fluoridated water.

6. AlkaVida CQ-1000MS

Water quality is just as important for bathing as it is for drinking. Our skin is like a sponge for water, and is highly susceptible to water quality. Prolonged exposure to chlorine has ill effects on our health, ranging from dry skin to thyroid conditions. Luckily, if you replace your shower head with AlkaVida, it will remove chlorine with its crystalline quartz and tourmaline filters.

This filter reduces fading of colour treated hair and helps protect sensitive skin from damage. In fact, tourmaline also helps to help nourish the skin and hair, and offers relief from dry skin and scalp. The effects of quartz and tourmaline, as well as the massaging shower head, offer an energetic and mood boost.

Price: From $156.00  

Best for: Installing in the shower. Those looking for a beauty boost, those with sensitive skin

7. The Aquagear Filter Pitcher

While most pitcher filters only reduce chlorine, they are not usually effective at removing organic chemicals, heavy metals, or fluoride.The Aquagear Filter Pitcher, however, is proven by independent and ISO 17025 accredited labs tests to remove the most harmful but common tap water contaminants, including lead, fluoride (90.1%), chlorine (99.99%), chromium 6 (99.4%), mercury (97.8%), and trihalomethanes (99%).

The pitcher’s long-lasting filters (150 gallons) mean more savings over the long term as compared to other brands of pitcher filters, plus, this pitcher comes with a Lifetime Guarantee. The filter does all this without stripping the water of healthy trace minerals like calcium and magnesium. For a pitcher water filter, the Aquagear is outstanding.

Price: $70.00

Best for: those who live in areas with fluoridated water, those on a budget.

8. The Big Berkey Drip Filter

A favourite with zero waste living star Rob Greenfield, the Big Berkey drip filter is great for a household of 1-4 people. It stores 2.25 gallons and filters efficiently at 3.5 gallons per hour. The filters themselves are made of a proprietary blend of carbon & 5 other media types that lasts anywhere from 3-5 years. These filters do require some priming, but are well worth it. The Big Berkey filters toxic heavy metals, pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites, and unwanted chemicals without removing beneficial materials. It also removes fluoride up to 99.9% with an additional filter attachment. It’s especially great for areas where iron, manganese and sulfur are overwhelming the water quality.

Price: $367.00

Best for: Those who live in areas where there may be natural disasters or highly contaminated water.

9. Puricom Zero Installation Water Purifier

This stylish, easy to use water purifier simply sits on your countertop and transforms ordinary tap water into clean, healthy, delicious and alkaline drinking water.

Amazingly, the Puricom filter removes up to 99% of all contaminants. These include fluoride, chlorine, and heavy metals. The machine is plastic, but it’s completely free of the harmful kind that can leach into water (BPA). Its compact size makes it perfect for apartments, condos and even mobile homes or camping units.

Price: From $469

Best for: Those living in small spaces; taking with you when you move.

10. The iSpring 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter

Reverse Osmosis filters remove up to 99.5% of contaminants from water. They are usually paired with a Granulated Activated Charcoal filter to remove chlorine as well as a carbon block filter for the organic compounds and chemicals such as pesticides. Most reverse osmosis filters are installed under the sink and have a holding tank. This system is so effective that it will even strip the water of beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium, so you will need to re-mineralize it.

Price: $189.00

Best for: Those who live in places where the tap water is literally undrinkable.