Best Shower Head Filters of 2023
Take care of your skin and hair with a shower head filter that gets rid of chlorine, containments, heavy metals and more. Here are the best shower head filters chosen by our experts.
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Your shower water isn't as clean as you think. Shower water can contain harmful contaminants such as heavy metals, asbestos, chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals and impurities. Even if you're confident that your water is safe to drink, using a shower filter has been reported to give people softer skin and healthier hair.
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The best shower filters will work with your existing shower head, or there are shower head filters that replace your existing setup entirely (so you don't have to buy extra parts). Keep in mind that you'll eventually need a replacement filter, and those are an additional cost -- so be sure to factor that into your decision-making process. Our team of wellness experts researched and tested some of the best shower filters to bring you this list.
What is the best shower head filter overall?
The Sonaki Inline Shower Filter is the best overall shower filter, because our research found that it can filter out bacteria, chlorine, heavy metals, rust and other byproducts. The internal filter system is an activated carbon filter, which is one of the most effective. It also doesn't require purchasing an extra shower head. You can just screw on your old one.
Best shower head filters of 2023
When it comes to the best shower filters, an activated carbon filter is the most effective choice for your showerhead. That's what you get with the Sonaki Inline Shower Filter. The granular activated carbon filter removes bacteria, chlorine, chloramine (another disinfectant that's sometimes used), heavy metals, rust and any other byproducts, so you can shower knowing that you're safe. Plus, it'll soften the filtered shower water so you can get softer hair than ever.
The Sonaki Shower Filter is an inline model, which means you won't need to buy a separate shower head. You simply screw the shower filter into the wall and the showerhead on the other side.
Best shower head filter for removing heavy metals
QwenchPure KDF-55 Shower Filter
The QwenchPure KDF-55 Shower Filter is one of the best KDF filters available. KDF filters are made out of copper and zinc, two elements that create a small electrical-chemical charge between them. While it may seem counterintuitive to put more metal in your shower, a KDF filter is great for dissolving mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum and even chlorine. You won't notice the electrical charge in your shower, but the heavy metals sure will.
Installation for the QwenchPure KDF-55 Shower Filter is super easy. No tools are required, it just screws in behind your showerhead. It will also act partly as a water softener, reducing the minerals in your water.
Best shower filter for removing chlorine
Aqua Earth Vitamin C Shower Filter
The Aqua Earth Vitamin C Shower Filter is a great pick if your issue is chlorinated water. Vitamin C shower filters remove chlorine and chloramine fluoride by neutralizing it. However, it won't affect many other contaminants and impurities, So don't rely on it to filter out other minerals and metals.
If you have confidence in the safety of your water but the chlorine that's in it gives you dry skin, the Aqua Earth Vitamin C Shower Filter is one of the best shower filters you can buy. Installation is a breeze; this filter can be attached to any shower head you already have.
Best budget shower head filter
GE Universal Shower Filtration System
Like other household accessories, shower filters can quickly become expensive. If you're operating on a budget, consider the GE Universal Shower Filtration System. It retails for around $30. It's smaller than other shower filters, but just as easy to install. No tools are required; you just have to screw it in.
The GE shower filter mainly gets rid of chlorine, but it's also capable of filtering sediment. The filter can last up to six months and it's compatible with any standard showerhead or shower fitting you currently use. It's a more basic option than other filters on the list, but it's a dependable option that's significantly more affordable than many others.
- Price: $
- Cartridge lifespan: About 6 months
- Filter replacements: $15 for two filters
Best luxury shower head filter
Jolie Filtered Shower Head
This widely-popular filtered shower head is super easy to install and is designed to fit all standard showers. While the most expensive on this list, the Jolie Filtered Shower Head utilizes a KDF-55 and calcium sulfate filter. Additionally, the shower head is heavy-duty, because it is made of brass unlike most of the plastic filters on this list.
Jolie claims to remove chlorine from the water in order to give you healthier skin and hair, all while looking stylish and sleek in your shower. The shower head even comes in five colors: brushed gold, brushed steel, jet black, modern chrome and vibrant red. You can also choose to subscribe to Jolie to get the shower head for $17 cheaper. This way, filters will show up to your door every 90 days for $33.
- Price: $$$
- Cartridge lifespan: About 3 months
- Filter replacements: $33 for one filter
Best shower filter for hard water
AquaHomeGroup Luxury Filtered Shower Head
If you are looking for a shower filter with an attached, large shower head, then this one's for you. AquaHomeGroup's Luxury Filtered Shower Head contains a 20-level KDF-55 filter and a vitamin cartridge within the shower head. The filtration system helps to remove chlorine and other impurities.
This filter attaches to the provided shower head and then your shower. The shower head itself is 8 inches wide, has a rainfall setting and a screwable compartment where you can find and replace the vitamin cartridge. With a lifespan of six months, each vitamin cartridge adds vitamin A, E and C to your shower.
- Price: $$
- Cartridge lifespan: About 4 to 6 months
- Filter replacements: $16 for one filter
Factors to consider when choosing a shower head filter
There are loads of shower filters on the market. There are a couple of key components to assess while you're shopping to make sure you choose the right model for you. Some shower filters will not fit your specific needs. Here's what to look for when buying a shower filter.
Filtering capabilities
Different types of filters work better to remove different contaminants and sediment, so when you're looking for the best shower filter, you'll want to check out what's in your water and decide what's most important for you, whether that's a water softener, flow rate, water pressure, shower filtration or gallons of usage.
Style
The best shower filters come in many forms. Some look like tanks you attach to your showerhead, some are built into a fixed showerhead, and others are available in a handheld showerhead. Each style is similar in effectiveness. However, depending on your shower, some may be a better fit.
Lifespan
Filters don't last forever. Each of the best shower filters will have a limited lifespan before the filter needs to be changed. Most options generally need to be replaced every six months. It's important to be prompt about replacing the filter because they become less effective as time goes on.
Installation
Most of the best shower filters are easy to install. However, some can be more involved than others. It's important to note the installation process before buying.
Additional features
Some shower filters include scented oils or vitamin C. If you are looking to take extra care of your skin or hair, look for these additional features
Cost
Another thing to keep in mind is that though the initial purchase for your water filtration might not be that high, you'll typically need to replace the filter or its internal cartridge every six months. So you should factor the price of replacement filters and cartridges into the shower filter cost while arriving at your budget for shower filters.
How we chose the best shower filters
The shower filters for this list were selected based on price, accessibility, filter quality, filter replacements and cartridge lifespans. We also took into account a product's materials, what it can potentially filter out from water and customer reviews. The shower filters that made this list are the best of the best out there right now.
Why you should buy a shower head filter
Even if your water quality is perfectly safe, your hair and skin might still benefit from filtered water in their shower. For some people, the minerals and metals in their water wreak havoc on their hair. Water with high concentrations of minerals is known as hard water, and it runs through the pipes in many people's homes. Not sure if you have hard water? This USGS map can help.
Even more people say that a shower filter helped with itchy and dull skin, not to mention a flaky scalp. The reported effects of hard water on your hair and skin are backed up by science. The specific minerals in hard water make it difficult for soaps and shampoos to lather and do their job, so that icky feeling on your skin might actually be that it's not getting quite as clean.
Read more: Best showerhead
A lot of the hair and skin irritation has to do with the fact that soap and hard water react to form "scum," the white sticky layer left behind on your skin after soaping up. Have you ever noticed the white residue that builds up on your faucets that's hard to clean? It's the product of calcium and magnesium in your water, and that same residue builds up on your skin, too. The scum clogs your pores and can cover the strands of your hair so that your conditioner can't do its work, making sensitive skin and high-maintenance hair worse.
It's not just the metals and minerals in water that dry out your skin. Anyone who's spent time in a chlorinated pool knows how it seems to draw all the moisture out of your body, leaving you with crunchy hair and red, dry, itchy skin.
The residual chlorine in shower water can create the same problems but on a much smaller scale, leaving you with skin that just can't get quite as soft as you'd like. Keep in mind that the chlorine in water is hard to remove, so you'll want to make sure the shower water filter you buy is capable of water filtration for removing chlorine.
Are there toxic metals in your household water?
Many countries, including the US, have a comprehensive set of guidelines to make sure that the harmful chemicals in your water, and your overall water quality, are being examined and regulated.
In the US, the EPA has legally enforceable standards for all different types of pollutants in your drinking water, as well as secondary concerns that may cause skin irritation or affect your hair. Your local water supplier should produce a new Consumer Confidence Report each year, and the EPA has a public database designed to let you easily look up the most recent tap water report for your area. You can read the report and see if there are any worrisome pollutant levels in your water, but you can also rest safe in the knowledge that if any water contaminants are over their legal limit, your community will certainly be notified.
If you're especially worried about lead, one easy way to mitigate that risk is to simply run the tap water a few minutes before using it. The most dangerous amounts of lead accumulate when the water has been sitting in your home's pipes overnight, so if you flush that water out of the lines, you'll be in better shape.
Lead and chlorine in drinking water
Even if your water smells and tastes fine, that doesn't mean your tap water is free of harmful chemicals. Water pollutants fall into different categories, but the ones of primary concern in your shower water are toxic metals, chlorine (used as a disinfectant) and the byproducts that chlorine creates with other chemicals in the water. Any of these can put a major crimp in your shower experience.
The main toxic metals that often hide in water are arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, all of which made the World Health Organization's Top 10 list of "chemicals of major health concern."
The lead from degrading plumbing can get into drinking water, causing all sorts of public health issues.
Lead is often deemed the biggest contaminant offender -- even if your water supply is pure, water slowly corrodes the lead in home plumbing systems, and the toxic metal seeps into the water. Children are at a particularly high risk for harsh chemicals and have been reported to absorb up to 50% of their lead through drinking water. Even at relatively low levels, the WHO reports, lead exposure can cause irreversible neurological issues. This is why water quality must always be a consideration.
Another main issue is connected to the chlorine that's used as a disinfectant in our drinking water. The major health concern is actually the byproducts created when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter in the water, creating harmful chemicals called THMs. You've probably heard of chloroform, which is just one common THM, and high levels of THMs act as carcinogens.
One study found that people absorbed more THMs from a 10-minute hot shower than from drinking a liter of water, so if you're concerned about this, a shower filtration system that is actively removing chlorine can be helpful.