Examine Our High Bathe Filter Techniques
Honorable Point out Bathe Filters
{Photograph}: Matthew Korfhage
Filterbaby Diamond Sequence Bathe Filter for $113: This inline filter was in a position to cut back complete chlorine ranges to undetectable quantities, one in every of few filters available on the market in a position to take action—and the truth that it is an inline filter means you can maintain your current showerhead and simply slot this filter in between the pipe and your showerhead. That stated, it is a cumbersome filter, which implies your showerhead will likely be about 4 inches decrease than it was once, and the screw-in system is just a little awkward: It is one of many solely showerheads I truly wanted a wrench to put in correctly. The substitute filters are designed to make use of minimal plastic, however they’re are additionally dearer than most, at $42 each three months.
ShowerClear Filtered Bathe Head, pictured as put in at a WIRED reviewer’s dwelling.{Photograph}: Matthew Korfhage
ShowerClear Showerhead for $139: OK, you bought me. This is not a filter. The ShowerClear is as a substitute designed to resolve an issue you in all probability hadn’t thought of however now could maintain you up at evening: Doubtlessly infectious micro organism known as mycobacteria, liable to inflicting respiratory lung infections, take pleasure in rising inside showerheads and are proof against chlorine-treated water. They develop in colonies, a bit like fungus. Therefore, the title. What’s worse, if you cannot open up your showerhead, you possibly can’t see them and you do not know they’re there. Offers you the willies. Anyway, this ShowerClear has a hinge and a latch. This implies you possibly can open it up, look inside, and clear its inside utterly, with cleaning soap or vinegar or disinfectants. It is a very uncommon high quality even amongst filtered showerheads. I would be happier if the ShowerClear’s water stream fanned out just a little higher, or if the latch had been much less of a defining design function. However what’s all that for just a little peace of thoughts? (That stated, if you need a filter to take away chlorine, you will additionally want an inline filter just like the Weddell Duo.)
{Photograph}: Matthew Korfhage
Croix Filtered Showerhead for $129 and Croix Handheld Showerhead for $129: Bathe filter firm Croix was based by chemical engineer Spencer Robertson, an outdated hand at water filtration. The fastened showerhead is good-looking, and the hand held bathe has a wider array of spray settings than most—together with a enjoyable, ultra-broad spray setting that is like a savagely highly effective misting gadget. This stated, the KDF-55 and calcium sulfite filter did not filter even near the vast majority of complete chlorine ranges from my chloramine-treated water system. Primarily based on outcomes I’ve reviewed from Croix’s inner testing, I would extra possible advocate this gadget for chlorine-treated methods just like the one in New York Metropolis. WIRED was in a position to overview inner testing exhibiting that Croix’s filters had been profitable at filtering most free chlorine from water, in accordance with NSF requirements. Substitute cartridges and filters are moderately priced and really helpful as soon as each 4 months, an extended interval than most manufacturers available on the market.
{Photograph}: Matthew Korfhage
Aquasana Inline Filter for $150: Aquasana’s funnily bulbous two-layer filter eliminated the vast majority of complete chlorine in my chloramine-treated system, and it was additionally one of many solely bathe filter firms to supply unbiased testing knowledge backing up its claims for chlorine-based methods. Up to now, so good. So why’s it not up close to the highest of our listing? A flimsy bathe wand with poor spray drive and radius, a slight however unlucky tendency towards leakiness on the bathe connection, and unforgiving geometry which means it does not hyperlink up nicely with all showerheads as an inline filter. Nonetheless, it really works and it is lab-attested at no cost chlorine elimination, and I fortunately advocate it.
{Photograph}: Matthew Korfhage
Jolie Filtered Showerhead for $169: The Jolie showerhead pioneered the influencer-centric, testimonial-driven advertising mannequin that has made bathe filters so dominant within the public dialog. Its design, which seems a bit like an enormous Monopoly enjoying piece and is available in chrome, gold, black, or crimson, is eminently likable. The gadget provides even water spray and a tender, stippled faceplate that feels luxuriant within the strangest of the way. However Jolie did not reply to requests for unbiased testing once we requested in 2024, and our personal testing put it someplace in the course of the pack by way of eradicating complete chlorine from a chloramine-treated system.
Not Really useful
{Photograph}: Matthew Korfhage
Sproos! Filtered Hand Bathe for $148 ($120 with subscription): Sproos is a unusual, kicky, kooky bathe model aimed squarely at younger “renters and DIYers”—providing a rainbow of daring colours for handheld filtered showerheads. However filter testing was center of the pack. Additionally, the valve on Sproos’ heavy, side-mounted filter broke below its personal weight after two days once we examined in 2024, inflicting an alarming bang and a little bit of a multitude.
Kohler Cinq for $150: Kohler is a venerable Wisconsin model with quite a few water therapy choices for showers and taps. The Cinq filtered showerhead is admirably traditional in kind, and its five-layer filter seemed equally promising, promoting particularly KDF-55 and activated carbon. Residence testing didn’t present nice outcomes with my chloramine-treated water, nevertheless, and for the worth I felt entitled to excessive expectations. Requests for unbiased lab testing knowledge in 2024 didn’t get outcomes.
Act + Acre Showerhead Filter for $120: Magnificence firm Act + Acre’s filtered showerhead didn’t carry out in addition to others in my dwelling testing of complete chlorine. We additionally didn’t fall in love with the showerhead itself, which seems a bit like a gooseneck desk lamp and droops awkwardly from the bathe pipe. The showerhead was listed as out of inventory once we checked in a number of occasions throughout 2025, however is again in inventory as of November.
Steadily Requested Questions
How We Examined and What We Examined
{Photograph}: Matthew Korfhage
The marketplace for filtered showerheads stays younger and largely unregulated, and efficiency claims are solely not often backed up publicly by unbiased knowledge. We made a number of requests, however few bathe filter firms hand over their lab outcomes. Thanks Rorra, Aquasana, Weddell, Croix, and Curo for being exceptions.)
Some makers instructed us that unbiased labs and certifying our bodies have been backed up, and that knowledge is forthcoming. Many provided buyer satisfaction surveys or anecdotal research as a substitute. This all signifies that some skepticism is warranted.
And so I additionally acquired out take a look at kits at dwelling. First I take a look at the overall chlorine ranges within the water with none filtering, a measure that features both chloramine or free chlorine that is interacted with no matter’s in your pipes. Then I take a look at the water filtered by the showerhead. I carry out every take a look at a number of occasions to account for imprecision or fluctuations in testing and in municipal chlorine ranges. Most often, I do that over a number of days upon preliminary testing to account for any inconsistencies in my very own water provide.
For testing, I prevented painfully unreliable dwelling take a look at strips, and as a substitute acquired out considerably nasty chemical indicators and used digital and chemical checks designed for swimming pools and aquariums.
We additionally examined complete dissolved solids utilizing a TDS meter, and individually examined filters’ results on pH with the intention to gauge results but additionally to confirm the reliability of chemical take a look at outcomes.
The effectiveness of filters goes down over time, after all, relying on how a lot contamination is filtered out of the water—which is why filters all the time should be modified. As we replace this information, we proceed to check the best showerhead filters to see how their efficacy adjustments over time—and add any new bathe filters we’re in a position to advocate.
What Does a Bathe Filter Do?
The largest factor that the majority bathe water filters deal with, in a measurable manner, is filter chlorine and chlorine compounds, largely by way of chemical reactions. Just about each American metropolis provides low concentrations of chlorine or chlorine compounds to ingesting water to kill probably dangerous micro organism. That is all nicely and good when the water’s nonetheless within the pipes. However chlorine’s not precisely nice on your hair or your pores and skin, and few folks wish to drink it. Some are additionally particularly delicate to the style or odor, or liable to pores and skin reactions.
Essentially the most outstanding dwelling bathe filters rely partially on a zinc-copper combination known as KDF-55, recognized to be fairly efficient at neutralizing “free” chlorine in chlorine-treated methods. Different widespread substances used to deal with chlorine and chlorine compounds embrace calcium sulfite and activated or catalytic carbon. The best filters use these in some mixture. The principle factor I used to be in a position to take a look at and confirm was the perfect bathe water filters’ skill to take away the overall chlorine content material of water popping out of your bathe.
We’ve seen little proof that the commonest varieties of showerhead filters have a lot impact on the softness or hardness of water, or on calcium buildup. Actually, some early tutorial research current proof that they don’t. The bathe filters we examined additionally had little or no impact on the sum complete of dissolved solids in our water, in keeping with measurements with a TDS meter—i.e., the filters aren’t eradicating a considerable amount of supplies or minerals from the water.
I wasn’t in a position to take a look at claims by some firms that these filters take away heavy metals like lead and arsenic, which fortunately aren’t in my pipes. We solely discovered one firm, Weddell, whose filter was licensed to take away leadr. Up to now, so good! Nonetheless, should you imagine you’ve got harmful lead or arsenic in your water, you in all probability shouldn’t attempt to repair the issue with a mail-order showerhead. Discuss to a water therapy skilled or your public well being authority.
In case you stay in a serious US metropolis, chlorine is probably going not what your metropolis makes use of to deal with the water in its pipes. New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Phoenix use chlorine, positive. However Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, and most huge cities in Texas don’t.
Greater than half of American huge cities use a substance known as chloramine, a extra secure and enduring chemical that’s tougher to filter and take a look at. That is additionally what was in my water provide. To check, I acquired out my useful digital water colorimeter and a considerably nasty chemical indicator, after which examined the flexibility of every bathe filter to deal with any of quite a few chlorine compounds within the water.
Curious whether or not your metropolis makes use of chlorine or chloramine as a disinfectant in your pipes? Examine right here for an accounting of the 50 largest municipal water methods in america.
Are Bathe Filters Efficient For Laborious Water?
No, in all probability not.
The perfect bathe filters I examined will enhance your water high quality, largely by eradicating chlorine and chloramine compounds—and different contaminants that will embrace heavy metals.
However bathe filters can solely accomplish that a lot. You in all probability shouldn’t count on these bathe filters to melt the mineral hardness of your water or take away most substances, which derives largely from dissolved calsium and magnesium salts in your water.
In spite of everything, a filter have to be comparatively small to suit right into a showerhead. And but it’s being requested to filter gallons of water every minute, pushed out at each excessive temperature and excessive stress. A showerhead filter poses a frightening engineering problem, as in comparison with countertop water filters that deal with solely a small quantity of water at a time—or a cumbersome reverse-osmosis gadget that may plug into your under-sink plumbing
Laborious water is extra usually solved by particular water softeners, reverse osmosis filters, and whole-house water filtration methods. Some early research present that quite a few bathe filters could even add a small quantity of hardness to your water, by way of calcium sulfite filters,
Energy up with limitless entry to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that is too essential to disregard. Consists of limitless digital entry and unique subscriber-only content material. Subscribe As we speak
