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Municipal tap water is treated with a variety of chemicals and additives to help improve its safety. Unfortunately, many of these chemicals cause safety concerns of their own. One very common water treatment chemical is chlorine – which may be harmful to human health, according to several recent studies. So, many choose to use a water filter to remove chlorine and other contaminants out of their drinking water – which is a great idea! In this guide, we’ll help you find the best chlorine filter of 2021.
Chlorine Filter
There are many different chlorine water filters on the market, which can make it difficult to choose. There’s several different types of water filters, each with their own unique pros and cons when it comes to removing chlorine. To help you choose, we’ve picked a top option from each main category – reverse osmosis, whole house filters and filtered water pitchers. See our top picks in the guide below.
All-Time Bestseller Chlorine Filter
- It's designed to filter out 99% of contaminants.
- High ratings from customers and critics.
- High quality construction.
- A single filter can last up to 95,000 gallons.
- Exceptional purification.
- Great for municipal water.
- One of the best chlorine filter options if you're looking for a simple pitcher-style setup.
- Affordable, easy way to start filtering your drinking water.
- Lifetime guarantee
Our Research
Our Picks for the Best Chlorine Filters
These selections were made based on a combination of our own testing and research, manufacturer specs, and third party chlorine filter reviews.
The APEC ROES-50 is perhaps the best chlorine filter on the market. It utilizes reverse osmosis technology – and reverse osmosis filtering is considered to be one of the most effective at removing chlorine. The ROES-50 is an affordable yet highly effective RO system. It’s designed to filter out 99% of contaminants, including chlorine, lead, fluoride, and more. In fact, the manufacturer claims that it’s effective in removing more than 1,000 different contaminants! This unit is among the best reverse osmosis filters on the market.
This is an APEC product, made with ease of installation and maintenance in mind. You can install it yourself owing to the quick connect fittings and colored tubings, as well as the simple instruction booklet and videos. Most users claim that this filter can be installed in less than an hour with no issues.
It uses a 5-step filtration method in this reverse osmosis system. The reverse osmosis membrane is the fourth filter. Only particles smaller than .0001 microns will pass through the membrane and remain in the water.
The filters are simple to alter, and you can fix them without the use of any tools. While the faucet doesn’t have a very appealing look, it performs better than you’d expect. The filters are simple to replace and are affordable at the same time.
You can rest assured that most pollutants, including medicines and hormones, will be washed away. Remember that after the unit is placed, you’ll be able to use it for at least six months without needing to make any changes. If you install the device correctly, then there’ll be no leaks or other issues.
The APEC ROES-50 consistently earns high ratings from customers and critics alike and is a best-seller on Amazon. In chlorine filter reviews, it always ranks quite high – and we tend to agree. It performs well, lasts a LONG time, and is backed by a full 2 year warranty. The unit itself installs under your sink, and it comes with a faucet to install on your kitchen sink.
Given the high quality construction, long warranty and the reputation of the manufacturer, you’d expect this product to be a bit on the pricey side – but it’s not! The ROES-50 is actually very affordable, and long-term costs are also quite low, as the filters last for a long time. Click here to learn more.
The Home Master HMF2SDGC is one of the best whole-house water filters on the market, and also a fantastic chlorine water filter. It’s designed to provide filtered water to your WHOLE house, from the kitchen sink to the guest room shower. The unit installs in a central location and ties into your whole plumbing system. It’s designed to provide adequate water pressure and flow for a midsize house, although it could slow your water pressure a bit when it comes to showering. The water pressure is rated for 15 gallons a minute. The Home Master is among our top recommendations for whole-house water filters.
The Home Master’s second filter is a coconut shell carbon filter. Carbon filters can be either a large block of carbon or a tiny grit. The carbon has a lot of tiny pores through which the water is pushed. Since most pollutants are too big to pass through these holes, they get trapped in the filter.
Carbon has a chemical structure that loves to grasp and cling onto things, which helps to filter out any harmful substances in the water. The Home Master whole-house filtration system performs an excellent job of eliminating particles, as well as contaminants that may make the water taste and smell bad. It’s critical to match the filter you buy to your needs.
The Home Master Filter Pressure Performance Series employs larger filters, housings, and fittings to ensure that your water pressure is never compromised. Larger housings imply larger filters, which require less frequent servicing, saving you time, money, and aggravation. Water filtration is maximized, and filter life is extended with this water filter.
The nice thing about a whole-house filter is that you can have the piece of mind of drinking and using filtered water in every room of your house. Alternatively, you could also go with a filtered shower head and a kitchen sink filter, but that requires two devices. The Home Master is rated to remove up to 95% of contaminants, including chlorine. A single filter can last up to 95,000 gallons, which should cover about 1 year of use for a 4-person family.
This well-rated, affordable whole-house system is backed by a 2 year warranty. It consistently earns great reviews from customers, and it’s been highly effective in testing. One thing to note: this unit is designed for households with tap water from municipal sources – if you’re on a well system, check out our pick for well use. If you’re ready to buy or check reviews, click here to learn more.
The AquaGear Water Filter Pitcher is one of the best chlorine filter options if you’re looking for a simple pitcher-style setup. This unit requires no installation or experience – you simply fill it with tap water, and pour out filtered drinking water as needed. This style is good for drinking water but obviously won’t work too well for cooking, showering, etc. With that said, this is an affordable, easy way to start filtering your drinking water.
The filter pitcher preserves essential metals and minerals including magnesium and calcium, while removing pollutants. Fluoride, chromium 6, mercury, chlorine, chloramines, and lead are all removed. The filter works in five stages. Among these, two are sensitive enough to filter small microns. All of the water from the filter cartridge is therefore clean, healthy, and odorless.
The water filter pitcher is also known for its durability, as it can produce up to 567 liters of filtered water for drinking before needing to be replaced. This equals over four times the amount of other filters on the market!
Its durability is also determined by the volume of water that passes through it daily. You’ll save money since you won’t have to buy a new filter every two months. Their 5-stage filtration guarantees that the water you drink is safe, nutritious, and pleasant. The filter promises to remove 2,000% more potentially hazardous pollutants than other brands.
The AquaGear is on the higher end in the world of filtered water pitchers, although it’s still quite affordable. It offers an advanced 5-stage filtration system that is NSF certified for the removal of lead, fluoride, chlorine and other contaminants. Another unique thing about the company behind AquaGear is that they donate to support people in developing nations without regular access to clean drinking water!
If you want a chlorine filter water pitcher, this is the best option we’ve found. Click here to learn more about the AquaGear.
Why is Chlorine Added to Drinking Water? Is Chlorine Safe?
Chlorine is a chemical that’s commonly used to treat drinking water, and added to already treated drinking water through a process called chlorination. It is effective in killing off bacteria and microbes, helping to improve the safety of the drinking water. A whopping 98% of water utilities in the United States use chlorine.
Chlorine use has significantly reduced the spread of waterborne diseases over the decades, and overall it’s an effective way to treat water. Unfortunately, research is emerging that chlorine might not be as safe as we once thought.
The primary concern is that chlorine may increase the risk of developing cancer. Unfortunately we do not yet have definitive evidence to say if chlorine is safe or not, but it’s certainly something to do your own research on if you have concerns.
Importance of Water Filtration
Taste – Filtered water generally tastes better and cleaner than standard tap water. Chlorine in particular has a very chemical taste to it, that often reminds people of getting a mouthful of pool water. Using a good water filter can help improve the taste and odor of your water – which may just inspire you to drink more of it!
Safety – Tap water can contain any number of potentially harmful contaminants, as well as leftover treatment chemicals like chlorine. Chlorine is widely used because it’s effective at killing bacteria and sanitizing drinking water supplies. Unfortunately, drinking chlorinated water has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, as well as several other serious health concerns.
Peace of Mind – Tap quality can vary significantly from town to town. And even if your area has good drinking water, the condition of the pipes leading to your house could also cause contaminants to enter your water! Using a filter is a cheap and easy way to buy significant peace of mind, knowing that you’re consuming clean, safe drinking water.
How We Chose
Filter Technology – There are several different types of water filters out there. We focused on filtration methods that are effective at removing chlorine. Reverse osmosis appears to be the most effective, but smaller setups and even water pitchers can work, so long as they use advanced multi-stage filtration tech.
Value – We focused on choosing excellent products at fair prices. We certainly didn’t pick the cheapest models out there, but instead focused on products that offered significant value while delivering superior results.
Reviews – To round out our own findings, we researched third party chlorine filter reviews from real customers. This helped us get a better idea of how each filter performed with various water qualities, as well as how long the filters tend to last.
Durability – Although affordable, most of the best chlorine filter options are still a decent upfront investment. So, we focused on models that are built to last for a long time.
Looking for a different type of filter? Check out our detailed guide to the best water filter overall.
Important Features to Consider
When it comes to buying any kind of chlorine filter, there are important features to consider. We look at the most important ones to ensure that you buy the best chlorine filter to meet your particular requirements.
Types of Filters Used Inside
Activated Carbon Filter
Choose a system fitting with activated carbon filters if you are looking for a device that removes chlorine and other volatile substances from your water.
Though relatively effective, and economical, these filters aren’t as effective at removing dissolved minerals, and some may allow larger particles to pass through them.
Over time you may find that activated carbon filters aren’t able to remove as many contaminants as they were able to when new. As with most devices, these filters will need to be replaced after a certain amount of time.
Ion-Exchange Filter
Choose a system that is fitted with ion-exchanging filters if you want one that is able to remove salts and minerals from your water.
The ion-exchange filter is able to capture the metals and other microbial contaminants in water.
Similarly to systems that use activated carbon filters, you will find that those using ion-exchange filters will need replacing over time. It’s advised to keep track of how often you pass water through such filters to get a general idea of when it’s time for a new filter.
Particle Filter
Any chlorine filter system fitted with particle filters can effectively remove silt, viruses, bacteria, and organisms, depending on the size of the holes in the filter.
Particle filters are easy to clean and can be used for a long time. However, you may find that, unlike ion-exchange filters and activated carbon filters, particle filters don’t really help improve the way the water tastes.
Particulate Ratings
All quality chlorine filters have to be tested to ensure that they meet NSF International and other environmental authority standards.
The tests provide each filter with a rating based on what size compounds can pass through them. What rating they are then given will indicate just how effective the filter is.
It’s important to note that filters with a smaller class number are the most effective but they will prove ineffective at removing particles in a short space of time.
The best time of chlorine filter to choose is one that is classified as Class 1. These ones are able to prevent particles larger than 0.5 microns from passing through them.
How Effective are They Against Biological Contaminants?
If you can, it’s best to choose chlorine filters that are Class 1 and also meet NSF Standards 53 or 58. This indicates that these filters have the ability to remove/reduce the number of protozoan cysts from drinking water.
These types of filters can remove particles in water that are as small as 0.2 microns. Even though they have the ability to remove such small particles, it is still recommended by the CDC that you boil any water first before then filtering it.
Austin is the lead water consultant and blogger for Water Filter Data. With 10 years of experience in the water quality industry, Austin can instantly pinpoint the cure and the cause for the water pollutant.
