When we talk about the best under sink water filter systems, one immediately thinks of RO water filters with 5 or more stages. When we look at the price of these water filtration systems, some folks may become dizzy – they’re not cheap. So, is there a way to provide clean, pure drinking water in your home and have it on tap whenever you need it, without spending hundreds of dollars?
The answer comes in the form of a 3 stage under sink drinking water filter system. Now I’m not going to crank these filters up to be more than what they are. A three stage water filter is never going to provide all that the more expensive systems do. What you will get, however, is drinking water that is pure and free of harmful chemicals – it’s safe to drink and healthy. In the end, you can get a good quality filter that will give you purified drinking water for under a hundred bucks. Some of the better filters will be a little more than a hundred dollars, but this still isn’t expensive for what you’re getting.
Water Filtration Systems That Are Out of Sight!
All the drinking water filters that we’ll be reviewing are under sink units and because of their compact three stage filtration, they don’t restrict the flow of the water to any great extent. This means there’s no need for a storage tank – the water flows directly through the filters to the faucet. You end up with more cabinet space and it’s a much simpler installation.
So if you’re looking for the top rated under counter drinking water filtration system, that’s affordable enough for any homeowner, this review is just the thing for you. Good news if you’ve been put off by the price of the more sophisticated water filter systems.
1. CuZn UC-200 under Counter Water Filter
The CuZn UC-200 under counter water filter may appear to be expensive. It’s slightly cheaper than the APEC WFS-1000, but you don’t get the high-end faucet with the kit. So in that sense, you’re probably paying more for the filter itself. The CUZn fits directly to the water line supplying your existing faucet. This has the advantage of easier installation, there’s no need to drill into the counter and install a second filter. Though this also means that you’re always using filtered water every time you run water into the kitchen sink. This can take its toll on the filter life, it’s working much more than if you just using the filter for drinking water. Of course, you could install an extra faucet, if that’s what you want. You’ll just have to buy the faucet separately and this will mean an extra cost and more installation.
There is a silver lining to this cloud. The CuZn filter is about the best that you can get with an ultra-high capacity of 50,000g. That’s an incredible capacity and you should get up to five-years from a single filter. Looking at it this way, the CuZn starts to make great financial sense. The system uses a single filter cartridge that contains both a sediment filter and active carbon filter. It’s also very effective at removing bacteria from the water.
The filter takes virtually no space, so you’ll hardly notice it’s there. This seems, to me, to be the best drinking water filter. I like its compact simplicity, advanced design and, most of all, the huge capacity that it provides. It’s worth paying extra for one of the best filters ever made, that’s going to outlast any of the others. This one is my personal favorite in this review of best under sink drinking water filters.
2. APEC WFS-1000 3 Stage Filter
Even though the APEC WFS-1000 is more expensive than most of the other water filters in this review, it’s still a very affordable system. As a premier US brand, APEC is going to be a higher priced filter, when compared to others in the same class. You have the assurance that you’re using US made high capacity filters. So they meet the high health standards that some other countries don’t take too seriously.
By using high capacity filters, they last longer than cheap filters. You’ll probably need to change these filters only once a year. As a three stage filter system, it has a sediment filter (stage 1) and two active carbon stages that remove harmful chemicals like chlorine, as well as bad odors and colors. At the same time, the good minerals are retained which helps maintain a good PH level for alkaline water.
It’s super easy to install and is supplied with everything you need. This includes JG food grade tubing (FDA certified) and a high-quality chrome faucet that’s guaranteed to be lead-free. It’s a truly beautiful faucet and will add a touch of style and class to your kitchen.
So you’re paying a bit more than you would for some of the really cheap 3 stage water filters. Though it is a filter with some added class in the form of a magnificent faucet, superior filter cartridges and a housing that seems to be better than most. I like the solid frame that mounts to the inside of your cabinet. So the greatness of the APEC WFS-1000 drinking water filter system lies, mostly, in the finer details.
3. Woder 10K-Gen3
Like the CuZn drinking water filter, this kit comprises a compact all-in-one filter without an additional faucet. So you can choose to install this water filter as an in-line unit directly to the cold water line leading to your kitchen sink, or you can purchase an additional faucet separately.
You get everything that you need to install this filter quickly and easily. This includes high-quality tubing with all the fittings attached and a robust filter housing and mounting bracket. The single filter cartridge is designed to remove all the harmful chemicals (up to 99%) and retain the healthy minerals that your body needs. So it’s as good as any of the best 3 stage water filters.
I like the compact size of the filter and the independent laboratory analysis that they provide certainly looks impressive. The Cr+6 (Hexavalent Chromium) results are less than 0.01 PPM (Parts per Million) with a 100% removal and Pb, T (Total Lead) is 0.015 PPM with 100% removal. So you’re looking at some of the purest and healthiest drinking water available. The manufacturers specify a minimum of 3-years lifespan for these filters with normal use. Then again, normal use will vary from household to household. Even then, three years minimum, on average, is good enough for me. The specified water volume for these filters is 10,000 gallons, so the three-year lifespan seems like a reasonable statement.
I’m already blown away by the CuZn that I reviewed just above, so I can only say that the Woder 10K comes close – but not quite as superb. 50,000g vs 10,000 is quite a difference. Then again, the Woder is cheaper, so even though you don’t get the same lifespan from your filter, it’s going to cost you less.
4. iSpring US31 3-StageTankless Filtration System
For a three stage drinking water system that includes a high-quality faucet, the iSpring US31 is remarkably cheap. In general, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how cheap iSpring water filter systems are.Especially considering that this is a US company that meets all the high standards that US federal regulations require.
The three separate cartridges are a more standard design with a sediment removal stage and two active carbon stages for removing harmful chemicals, odors,and colors. While these filters are quite cheap to replace, you’ll be doing this more often than you would with many other 3-stage water purifiers. They’re rated for 2,000 gallons. This means you may be changing your filters every 6-12 months.
Considering that this is a highly effective 3-stage drinking water filter system from a recognized US brand, the iSpring US31 offers exceptional value for money. It’s cheaper than many of the other water filters that provide you with a separate faucet.
5. Epic Smart Shield | Direct Connect
’m no scientist, but looking at the incredibly long list of contaminant removal that they provide, it seems to be one of the most effective filters around. Most filtration figures for the Epic Smart Shield are 99% and above, with a few being around 97% or 98%. I’ve looked at a few of these stats for water filters and not many compare to this one. It’s certainly one of the most effective water filters around.
This is a single filter with all the stages contained in one unit. It doesn’t include a faucet, so the price you’re paying is basically for the filter only - but a top rated filter. Independent tests have indicated that this filter still has the same high filtration capacity after 650-gallons. So the filter doesn’t become less effective as you use it. They don’t give an indication as to how long the filters last, but I did a little digging to see what users have claimed. It seems like most people are getting at least a year of use before changing filters. So it looks like you’ll get a year to one and a half years usage from the filter.
This is a great compact under sink filter unit. Not all filter manufacturers give independently verified testing results for their products. Epic provides a detailed list of what these filters remove and their percentage, it’s obvious that they’re extremely proud of the effectiveness of these filters and it looks to me like they should be.
6. Ecosoft 3 Stage Under Sink Water Filtration System
The three separate filters are really good at providing exceptionally pure, odorless and clean drinking water. The only downside to these filters is that they need to be replaced after every 400 gallons. So while they provide just about the purest water that you get from a 3-stage drinking water filtration system, you probably won’t get more than 6-months use from a filter cartridge.
The installation kit is fully comprehensive and makes for an incredibly easy DIY installation. The filter housings and mounting bracket are of the highest quality and I can see why they offer a 5-year warranty on this under counter water filter system. It stands out as being of the best quality and durability in its design.
With the exception of the limited filter life, there a many reasons why the EcoSoft 3 stage water purifier can be seen as one of the best. The general quality is superb and it costs quite a bit less than many of the other products in this class.
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