How often do you think about what’s in your water? Given the exploding industry around milk alternatives, or the casual nuance people speak of the differences in how their beef and poultry are raised, it’s a surprise that we don’t put more cultural emphasis on quality of water in the home.

We all drink water because we need to, biologically speaking, and it tends to be among the easier health habits to maintain. Daily water intake promotes cardiovascular health, regulates body temperature and improves skin elasticity, among other benefits. And while drinking tap water eliminates the costs and health risks of bottled water, as well as the environmental impact of single-use plastic on the environment, the water coming from your faucet may contain more than just H20 alone – including potentially dangerous chemicals.

Switching to tap responsibly isn’t as simple as turning on the faucet, however. Your tap water likely travels through miles of pipeline to reach your home, and these pipes frequently contain accumulations of contaminants. Public water is often disinfected with chemicals that can result in carcinogenic byproducts in your drinking water. Additionally, while the EPA regulates more than 80 proven health-risk contaminants, they’re still legal to exist in trace amounts. 

The solution? Ditch the plastic bottles, and invest in a home filtration device.

Filtering your water at home is a more environmentally-friendly method for ensuring your family has access to clean, drinkable water from the tap. Peace of mind and confidence in your home drinking water is essential. 

Finding The Best Home Water Filter: Check for NSF certification

When a water filtration system has NSF certifications and listings on it, it has been tested and certified to verify its specific claims. NSF provides testing for water filters and refrigerator filters to certify their ability to remove certain contaminants and impurities from your water source. NSF certified water filters will contain packaging print that includes “NSF/ANSI” followed by a number. This signifies that the product has been certified to a specific filtration performance level. 

Your filtered water should be as clean as possible. NSF certification via extensive product testing is the most reliable means for consumers to establish documented proof of drinking water filter product performance.

Choosing the Best Water Filter For You

There are an assortment of home water filters to suit your needs. From gravity filtration devices such as a pitcher-style water filter, to countertop adapter models, or even refrigerator-based systems that you can install yourself, many affordable and NSF certified solutions are available to provide the cleanest drinking water possible. For the dedicated, a complete Whole House Water Filter system can offer peace of mind for your entire household. 

Gravity filters for water use the pressure of gravity to remove contaminants from water, without relying on plumbing or electricity to function. When the reservoir is filled, the weight of the water feeds the liquid through the filters, into a tank beneath the filtration system.

Water is added to the gravity water filter’s upper chamber and flows down through the filter’s microscopic pores, which prevent the contaminants and other pollutants from passing through it. This leaves only clean drinkable water to descend into the lower chamber.

Below are three of the most popular and recommended home filtration options for you and your family. 

Water Filter Pitchers

Designed for home use, a convenient pitcher container is most suitable for small families and individuals. It fits easily in the refrigerator, and removes compounds and chemicals such as zinc, chlorine, and hydrogen sulfide – which can significantly improve the taste and smell of your drinking water. 

ProOne’s Water Filter Pitcher uses an advanced gravity filter technology instead of the traditional “pour through” filter, allowing a greater reduction of contaminants in your drinking water. In traditional water filter pitchers, the filter sits in the filtered water, potentially allowing cross-contamination of your drinking water. The unique design of the ProOne Water filter pitcher positions the filter upright in the container, out of the filtered water, eliminating the potential for cross-contamination and ensuring the purest possible drinking water.

Offering a 54-oz filtered water storage capacity, ProOne’s Water Filter Pitcher is made from BPA and BPS free food grade materials, and includes a removable fruit/vegetable infusion tube. It is independently lab tested and proven to reduce/remove 200+ contaminants including fluoride, chlorine, chloramines, VOCs, bacteria, pharmaceuticals, lead and heavy metals, while leaving in beneficial minerals in tap water.

Countertop Water Filters 

Countertop water filters are highly popular among families and workplaces due to their versatility, ease of use and reduction of plastic waste. The point-of-use water filtration system purifies water by removing contaminants such as chemicals, parasites and bacteria. Countertop gravity filter models are often preferred because they’re lightweight, easy to install, and don’t require excess space for operation. Many countertop water filters attach directly to your faucet, while others are portable, gravity fed water filter units that can be easily transported. 

ProOne Big+ Gravity Water Filter is perfect for groups of 4 or more, offering a 3 gallon storage capacity to suit your daily water consumption needs whether at home or at the office. Considerably larger than the ProOne Traveler+, its exclusive design makes it easy to view how much water is in the lower container simply by lifting the upper container. The sleek stainless steel frame allows the Big+ to mirror its environment to perfectly adapt to its surroundings. 

Best Whole House Water Filter Systems

ProHome Plus Whole House Water Filter System is a next generation compact water filtration system, designed for your home’s entire water supply, perfect for residential use in filtering potable municipal or well water. 

Easy to install and maintain, your ProHome Filter System removes a broad range of 220+ contaminants, and includes a pre-sediment filter as well as a scale inhibitor to help protect your “plumbed-in” water using appliances from the damaging effects of limescale build-up.

For hard water households, the ProHome Complete Whole House Water Filter System offers all the benefits of the ProHome Plus, with the comprehensive neutralizing and magnesium/calcium conversion process ability of the ProSoft Saltless Softener/Conditioner. 

The ProHome Complete’s filtration is an ElectroCharged Pleated Sub-Micron Water Filter Cartridge Final stage system, and provides electroadsorption of a wide range of submicron particulates for improved filter efficiency and flow rate compared with mechanical pores process. The silver infused pleated media of this filter cartridge helps prevent the growth of bacteria.