So you want a level of water purity beyond what municipal tap water offers?
Yeah, us too. Water is one of the biggest factors we consider for our health and our general preparedness.
Below, we’re going to explore some of our favorite options for water filtration. These are all products we’ve used ourselves, and they each have their pros and cons, at different price ranges.
We have a budget countertop option, an under-the-sink option, and our top recommendation for emergency water filtration.
Best Under $30:
If you’re looking for a budget solution to filter your water, you can’t go wrong with a Zero Water countertop filter for less than $30.
- Inexpensive
- Filters to Zero TDS (total dissolved solids)
- Includes a sensor to test water quality
When we were traveling across the country, we took this filter with us everywhere we went. It’s a very inexpensive solution to get surprisingly pure water.
It even comes with a TSD (total dissolved solids) sensor that shows you when to change the filter.
For us, this is the bare minimum of water-filtration, but it absolutely served its purpose when we were on the go and just didn’t have the budget for a more comprehensive solution.
Best Under-the-Sink System:
This 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis System has been supplying us filtered water for the last 12 months.
- Hooks up to water line, so no need to refill.
- Filters last for 6-12 months
- Most convenient, still a budget friendly option
If you have the ability to install this under your sink, at this price range, it’s hard to beat such a convenient solution.
Best for Emergencies:
Beyond your primary water filtration solution, it’s always helpful to have some redundancies.
For the price, it’s hard to beat the Sawyer Water Filter:
- Filter water anywhere, even without a municipal water source.
- Small enough to keep in your emergency kit or bug out bag.
- With proper care, it can safely filter thousands of gallons of water.
These systems are used in Africa to filter thousands of gallons of water for whole communities. With so many people relying on Sawyer filters every day, it’s hard to argue with their effectiveness.
We keep one in our camping tote for emergency situations and love having the extra piece of mind.
Honorable Mentions:
If you’re renting and can’t install an under-the-sink system, or you simply don’t have the space for one, there are other ways to get quality filtered water in that $200-300 price range.
We’ve used a gravity-fed system similar to the Berkey, but honestly, we didn’t love the ceramic filters. They clogged up way faster than the 5,000 gallons they promised to filter. As the filters age, they slow down dramatically—to the point that they’re near unusable.
We still have our gravity fed filter, but we don’t recommend them anymore. We’re not even going to link one here.
Instead, if you want to move beyond that $30 plastic filter, but can’t install an under-the-sink system, this is the exact product we’d get:
- No installation necessary
- As simple as a coffee machine, but for filtered water
- Filters last for 1-2 years
This is a reverse osmosis water filter that sits on your countertop. You have to manually fill it with water, but that’s the same as just about any other filter.
It has great reviews on Amazon (4.7 stars at the time of writing), and it’s currently ranked #2 for water filters—only second to our APEC under-the-counter system recommendation.
If you have the ability to install a system under your sink, do that instead and save some money—but if you can’t install a system for whatever reason, definitely consider this countertop alternative before pulling the trigger on one of those gravity fed filters.
| Product | Details | Link |
|
|
ZeroWater
Best Budget Filter
|
Check Price |
|
|
APEC Reverse Osmosis
Best Overall
|
Check Price |
|
|
Sawyer
Best for Emergencies
|
Check Price |
|
|
Bluevua
Honorable Mention
|
Check Price |