7 Best Shower Filters (2026), Wired Tested And Approved
Featured in this article
Best Shower Filter Overall
Rorra Filtered Showerhead
Rorra (With Subscription)
Best Inline Shower Filter for Chlorine and Lead
Weddell Duo Shower Filter
Amazon
Best Filtered Handheld Shower Wand
Canopy Handheld Filtered Showerhead
Canopy
Best Value Filtered Shower Head
Canopy Filtered Showerhead
Amazon
Can you trust the water from your shower? The answer, according to WIRED’s reporting, is not always encouraging. For more than a year, I’ve tested the best shower filters among a new generation of stylish showerheads that promise to solve whatever your deteriorating pipes and chemical-filled shower water might be doing to your body, during what may otherwise be the only peaceful five minutes of your day.
If you can rid yourself of the chlorine or other contaminants in your water, the argument goes, clean water may be the cure for your most embarrassing problems: everything from frizzy hair to limp hair to dandruff, hair loss, eczema, dry skin, itchy skin, split ends, blackheads, and the heartbreak of psoriasis. Some of the best shower water filters have been certified to remove PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” Especially, the best showerhead filters I tested are quite good at removing the abrasive chlorine compounds that cities add to your tap water to kill bacteria. I have verified this using chemical test kits.
The differences in performance were shockingly big in some cases. My favorite filtered showerhead, the Rorra Filtered Showerhead ($199), pairs handsome design with effectiveness and longevity, as shown by both WIRED’s own tests and publicly available, independent lab testing (a rarity among the often non-transparent makers of filtered showerheads.) The Canopy Filtered Showerhead ($150), combines effective chlorine removal with variable spray settings and easy installation. And the Weddell Duo ($90) is an inline filter that offers the widest array of public, independent testing for filtering impurities, including PFAS and lead. So, let’s say you don’t chlorine in your water. These are the best shower filters I’ve found. Note that each filter might perform differently depending where you live, because different cities use different chlorine compounds to disinfect your water.
For more purity filters and tests, check out our guides to the Best Backpacking Water Filters, Best Air Purifiers, and Best Indoor Air Quality Monitors. For more ways to level up your bathroom, check out our guides to the Best Bidets, Best Electric Toothbrushes, and the Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Your Home.
Updated February 2026: I’ve added the HigherDose Red Light Shower Filter to honorable mentions after initial promising testing results. After retesting of design improvements, I also moved the Sproos shower filter up to our honorable mentions. I also dropped multiple shower filters out of our top picks, for lack of public independent lab testing results.
Table of Contents
- Compare the Top Shower Water Filters
- Honorable Mentions
- Also Tested
- How We Tested Shower Water Filters
- What Do Shower Filters Do?
- What Is Chloramine?
- Are Shower Filters Effective for Hard Water?
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Best Shower Filter Overall
Chevron Chevron Rorra
Filtered Showerhead
Rorra (With Subscription)
The biggest problem with shower head filters is untested and sometimes wild claims. WIRED conducts its own tests using the same chemical indicators used by professionals (not imprecise test strips, which can be a shoulder shrug). But there’s no substitute for independent, third-party lab testing. And most filter makers won’t release their results.
Well, Rorra checks all the boxes. The Rorra filtered showerhead is handsome and modern, available in colors from chrome to glossy black to a somewhat bronzed brushed nickel. Its sturdiness could also be described as luxury. Installation and filter replacement are easy, without the need for plumber’s tape or wrenches. Rorra is primarily a water filter company, which is always reassuring. The shower head fared as well as possible in WIRED’s tests, reducing not just chlorine but also chloramine to undetectable levels. And especially, the company is not shy about releasing its independent third-party testing results, showing the precise longevity of the shower filter’s effectiveness.
It’s a two-part filter, a mix of KDF-55 and calcium sulfite, without an activated or catalyzed carbon layer used by some filters (which has some efficacy, but does tend to lose effectiveness faster than some media). For this, Rorra purports to use 30 percent more filter media than its competitors. And my own testing results show Rorra reduces total chlorine to undetectable levels out of the box for weeks of showers, with better longevity than others I’ve tested. Independent, public lab testing shows this removal rate will stay above 90 percent for three months of daily eight-minute showers by a pair, or maybe six months for a singleton. After that, the filtration rate slowly dips, reaching half-effectiveness by double that span. This tested effectiveness outperforms other KDF filter systems I’ve tested: Some begin losing ground after only a month.
This said, Rorra isn’t the cheapest among the filtered shower heads: It’s discounted if you sign up for filter replacements, but otherwise is priced north of $200, with more expensive filter replacement than some. But WIRED’s testing, and independent lab testing, offer good reason to believe you’re getting something for the money.
Specs Filter material 2 layers: KDF-55 and calcium sulfite Filter replacements $45, once every three months Independent lab testing? Independent lab testing for free chlorine removal and structural integrity. Spray settings N/A Flow rate and limiters Standard 2.5 gal/min and 1.75 gal/min WIRED/TIRED
LargeChevron WIRED
- Lowers total and free chlorine to undetectable levels
- Public, independent lab testing verifies claims
- Handsome, luxe showerhead design
TIRED
- No spray setting adjustment
- Pricier than alternatives
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Best Inline Shower Filter for Chlorine and Lead
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Weddell
Duo Shower Filter
Amazon
Most makers of shower water filters are a bit circumspect about releasing lab test data or getting their products certified by international testing bodies. Not Weddell. As of early 2026, the Weddell Duo is the only US shower water filter I’ve obtained that received certification for free chlorine removal from the NSF international testing organization. The Duo is also certified by NSF to remove lead from pipes, and Weddell cites third-party testing by IAPMO R&T showing that the showerhead removes PFAs, though this is not accompanied by any certification.
If your city water uses chlorine and not chloramine (check here to verify), this is probably the filter I’d get. The Duo is an inline filter, which means you screw it in between your pipe and your existing showerhead. It’s not overly pretty—a bit your shower got skewered by a fuel rod—but it is lab-tested and certified, and the horizontal design means it won’t change the height of your shower much. Each filter is certified to remove the lion’s of free chlorine over the course of 8,000 gallons. (An average household uses 350 gallons per person each month.) Still, according to our testing, the Duo was not as effective as the top-rated Rorra, Canopy, or Afina filters at removing chloramine, the substance used in more than half of major metropolitan areas. New York, Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, and Phoenix use chlorine to disinfect their drinking water. This is the filter I’d ly favor in those cities, if free chlorine were my main concern.
Specs Filter material 2 layers: activated carbon and “proprietary medium” Filter replacements $25-$30, once every three months Independent lab testing? NSF certification to remove free chlorine and lead; independent testing to remove PFAs Spray settings No effect Flow rate and limiters Rated for up to 2.5 gal/min WIRED/TIRED
LargeChevron WIRED
- NSF-certified to filter both chlorine and lead
- Independent lab results show PFAS filtering
- Can add to existing shower fixture
TIRED
- Less effective in chloramine systems
- Shower height will lower slightly after installation
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Best Filtered Handheld Shower Wand
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Canopy
Handheld Filtered Showerhead
Canopy
Sephora
Canopy is WIRED’s previous pick for best showerhead overall. It remains my favorite filtered shower wand. The filter in Canopy’s handheld wand is the same tri-layered puck as in the basic Canopy showerhead, using the same mixture of filtering compounds. This means that the handheld, just Canopy’s fixed showerhead, was able to bring total chlorine in my water down to undetectable amounts.
Canopy’s handheld offers a classic silhouette—without the ungainly, mad-scientist laboratory assembly required by some filtered handhelds. The reason for the simplicity is simple: The filter is installed inside the spray head, not as a separate part. This gives Canopy’s handheld what some would describe as a pleasing heft, as compared to the cheap-feeling flimsiness of other filtered handhelds I tested. Others may find the Canopy’s heft to be simply “heavy.”
There are other trade-offs. The spray is not adjustable, which means the wand does not offer any forceful “massage” settings. And changing the filter is a bit of a pain, requiring more force than seems reasonable. Which is to say, there’s room for improvement. But in the somewhat sparse market for excellent filtered shower wands, it’s the best and most effective I’ve tried. For cities using chlorine, not chloramine, the Croix handheld shower wand offers plausible competition. According to my testing, it wasn’t as effective for water that uses chloramine.
Specs Filter material 3 layers: KDF-55, calcium sulfite, activated carbon Filter replacements $25, once every three months Independent lab testing? None offered Spray settings No adjustments Flow rate and limiters 2.5 gal/m; 1.8 gal/m restrictor included WIRED/TIRED
LargeChevron WIRED
- Filters total chlorine to undetectable levels, according to WIRED testing
- Handheld
- Easy installation
TIRED
- No public lab tests released
- Difficult to unscrew, for filter replacement
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Best Value Filtered Shower Head
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Canopy
Filtered Showerhead
Amazon
Canopy
Canopy is our previous top-pick filtered showerhead, one of a minority of showerhead brands I tested that was able to bring my chloramine-treated water’s total measurable chlorine down to undetectable levels, over multiple days of testing and at all water temperatures. The filtration media are a mix of multiple substances known to be effective at reducing chlorine: KDF-55, calcium sulfite, and granular activated carbon made from coconut shells.
Canopy is also a good mix of value and efficacy. But unWIRED’s top-pick Rorra, Canopy has not released third-party independent lab testing—and the filter’s efficacy wanes a bit faster than Rorra does, according to my own testing. This said, Canopy is also around half Rorra’s price, not just for the initial showerhead purchase but also for filter replacement.
It is also a handsome showerhead, with adjustable spray settings and perhaps the easiest installation and filter swap-out of any brand we’ve tested. Canopy also offers aromatherapy options from diffusers to felt air fresheners you can hang from the top of your showerhead and refresh with essential oils—a clear play to turn its shower “experience” into a wellness-based lifestyle brand.
Specs Filter material 3 layers: KDF-55, calcium sulfite, activated carbon Filter replacements $25, once every three months Independent lab testing? None offered Spray settings Three settings, from wide spray to forceful centered blast Flow rate and limiters 2.5 gal/min; 1.8 gal/min restrictor included WIRED/TIRED
LargeChevron WIRED
- Reduced total chlorine to undetectable levels
- Excellent design; easy installation and filter replacement
- 3-layer filtration media, including activated carbon
TIRED
- No independent lab test data released
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Best Bathroom Sink Water Filter
Chevron Chevron Filterbaby
Bathroom Sink Filter
Amazon
OK, this isn’t a shower filter. But it’s relevant. This bathroom sink filter from Filterbaby is designed to solve a very specific problem: A lot of people wash their faces in the bathroom sink as part of their skin care regimen. But the water they’re using contains chlorine, which is bad for skin—and especially bad for sensitive skin. Enter this funny-looking thing (which actually installs reasonably handsomely, if bulbously).
The sink filter from Filterbaby is able to remove almost all total chlorine from water in your bathroom sink, according to WIRED’s testing—an effectiveness that will, however, depend strongly on water pressure and flow rate. At full blast in my sink, the filter was about 80 percent effective. When I turned it down a bit, that effectiveness climbed to something closer to 98 percent. To extend the life of your filter when you’re not washing your face, you can actually toggle between using the filter and not—an interesting and thoughtful touch.
This said, it’s still an extra and kinda bulky thing on your bathroom sink. And installation is oddly involved: You must remove your faucet’s pre-installed aerator (and maybe discover particulates trapped inside the old thing, blech). Then you’ll have to sort through the 10 included adapters and multiple O-rings to find the right ones for your sink. It’s hardly brain science, but if you’re not mechanically inclined, you may in fact want help with this one from whoever in your life prides themselves on wrenchwork—especially because instructions and tutorial videos are only moderately clear.
Filter replacement is recommended once every three months, but in practice, this should depend quite a bit on how much you use your bathroom sink.
Specs Filter material Proprietary “Ultra Filtration” system Filter replacements $40, recommended once every three months Independent lab testing? Available upon request Flow settings Can switch between filtered and unfiltered WIRED/TIRED
LargeChevron WIRED
- Filters total chlorine to minuscule levels at low flow rates
- Attaches to fit bathroom sink
- Can be toggled from filtered to unfiltered
TIRED
- A bit bulky in small bathroom sinks
- Installation is a little tedious
- Filtration less effective at high flow rates
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Best Bathtub Water Filter
Chevron Chevron Canopy
Baby Bathtub Filter
Canopy
This bathtub filter from Canopy is a concept I hadn’t seen before—essentially a silicone sleeve that fits over a bathtub spout, so you can filter bathwater the same way you might do your shower. It’s a clever solution to the variability of bathtub fixtures. Installation isn’t too difficult: The silicone sleeve stretched quite easily over my older, bulky bathtub spout.
Canopy’s shower filters, the bathtub filter uses a mix of activated carbon, KDF-55, and calcium sulfite. Most of the marketing is geared toward baby’s bath time—and Canopy’s website shows troubling images of baby rashes and baby skin irritation that could theoretically be prevented.
But bathtub spouts are a difficult problem to solve. And my testing of the resulting bathwater showed worse filtering results than Canopy’s filtered showerheads, ly because the system’s not leakproof. If your water pressure outstrips the filter’s flow capacity, unfiltered water will leak out into the bathtub. On my bathtub in particular, which struggles to limit water pressure, the filter was about half as effective at filtering chlorine as Canopy’s showerhead filter. This said, half is better than zero—and I haven’t yet found other bathtub filters better than this one. (You could, however, fill a bathtub from a filtered showerhead. Our top picks will be more effective at filtering all chlorine.)
Specs Filter material 3 layers: KDF-55, calcium sulfite, and activated carbon Filter replacements $25, once every three months Independent lab testing? None offered Spray settings N/A Flow rate and limiters N/A, but you’ll need to manually lower water pressure to match the bathtub filter’s capacity WIRED/TIRED
LargeChevron WIRED
- Works on multiple sizes of spout
- Removes much chlorine from bathwater
TIRED
- Not as effective as Canopy’s shower filters
- No lab results made public
- A little awkwardilooking
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Best Low-Plastic Shower Filter
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Curo
Filtered Shower Head
Curo
A good number of filtered showerheads claim to remove microplastics. But the funny thing is, most of their filters are made with a significant amount of plastic. Take that paradox as you will. But English brand Curo uses far less plastic than any other brand we’ve found, aside from a bit of polyester in the filter’s mesh—and according to founder Harry Bilby, it’s working on getting rid of even this tiny bit of plastic.
our top-pick, Rorra, Curo’s three-layer shower filter reduced total chlorine to undetectable levels in our testing. And in a rare gesture, its founder also d third-party lab testing results showing that the filter is effective on free chlorine levels for 8,000 gallons at a high flow rate. The catch for those in the United States is that Curo is a handheld showerhead that doesn’t come with a hose and adapter for American shower pipes. And so Americans will have to figure that out, if they don’t already have a handheld showerhead setup. If you do have a handheld showerhead, just screw it off and screw on the Curo. Note that the showerhead itself is priced lower than other brands on this list, but filter replacement is more expensive.
Specs Filter material KDF-55, calcium sulfite, and activated carbon Filter replacements ~$45 every 3 months, or ~$160 for a set of four filters for the year Independent lab verification? Reviewed by WIRED, from a Korean lab Spray settings Is what it is Flow rate and limiters 2.5 g/m or 1.75 g/m options WIRED/TIRED
LargeChevron WIRED
- Filters total chlorine to undetectable levels for chloramine system
- Third-party lab data provided for chlorine systems
- Lower plastic use
TIRED
- Does not come with handheld shower mount
- Filter replacement among most expensive
Compare Our Top Shower Filter Systems
| Showerhead | Filter media | WIRED testing results | Certifications/independent lab data reviewed by WIRED | Filter replacement cost | Type | Other features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rorra Filtered Showerhead | KDF-55, calcium sulfite, | Reduced total chlorine to undetectable levels in a chloramine-treated system | Yes | $45, every 3 months | Fixture | Easy filter replacement without de-installation |
| Canopy Filtered Showerhead | KDF-55, calcium sulfite, activated carbon | Reduced total chlorine to undetectable levels in a chloramine-treated system | No | $25, every 3 months | Fixture | Adjustable spray |
| Weddel Duo | Activated carbon, plus “proprietary medium” | Removed most but not all total chlorine in a chloramine-treated system; best for chlorine-treated systems | NSF-certified to remove chlorine and lead | $25–$30, every 3 months | Inline filter | Filter replacement without de-installation |
| Canopy Handheld | KDF-55, calcium sulfite, activated carbon | Reduced total chlorine to undetectable levels in a chloramine-treated system | No | $25, every 3 months | Handheld | Filter replacement without de-installation |
| Curo Shower Wand | KDF-55, calcium sulfite, and activated carbon | Reduced total chlorine to undetectable levels in a chloramine-treated system | Independent data for chlorine-treated systems: removes chlorine for up to 8,000 gallons | ~$45 every 3 months, or ~$160 for a set of four filters for the year | Handheld | Low plastic use |
Honorable Mention Shower Filters
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
HigherDose Red Light Shower Filter for $599: This shower filter is in some ways the most intriguing shower filter idea I’ve encountered in the past year—a shower filter that also incorporates a ring of lights delivering dual red and near-infrared wavelengths (650 nm and 850 nm) at purported therapeutic intensity. Aside from turning your shower into a discotheque, this amounts to a time-saving measure for those who would otherwise avail themselves of red-light therapy on mats or with scary-looking masks. In this case, the red light therapy happens while you shower. The 10-stage filter, in my at-home testing, was able to remove 90 percent of the total chlorine from my chloramine-treated water. We’re still testing and looking into both the filter and the red-light therapy over longer-term testing, but the device is already well worth mention.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Afina A-01 Filtered Showerhead for $129: Afina’s two-stage chlorine filter is as effective as any of the filtered showerheads we tested out of the box, reducing total chlorine levels to undetectable amounts when it’s new. The broad, spa-spray was also among the most pleasant of any showerhead we tested. But no independent lab testing was offered, and filter replacement is a bit more expensive than some, at $29 every two months with a subscription (or $40 every two months without).
Filterbaby Diamond Series Shower Filter for $113: This inline filter was able to reduce total chlorine levels to undetectable amounts, one of few filters on the market able to do so—and the fact that it’s an inline filter means you’ll be able to keep your existing showerhead and just slot this filter in between the pipe and your showerhead. That said, it’s a bulky filter, which means your showerhead will be about 4 inches lower than it used to be, and the screw-in system is a little awkward: It’s one of the only showerheads I actually needed a wrench to install properly. The replacement filters are designed to use minimal plastic, but they are also more expensive than most, at $42 every three months.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Sproos! Filtered Hand Shower for $148 ($120 with subscription): Sproos is a quirky, kicky, kooky shower brand aimed squarely at young “renters and DIYers”—offering a rainbow of bold colors for handheld filtered showerheads. Sproos has made some improvements to its design since WIRED first tested it in 2024. Its shower filters are also recyclable, a rare distinction. The filters removed most, but not all total chlorine out of the box upon our testing in early 2026, in a chloramine-treated water system. Independent, third-party testing reviewed by WIRED showed similar results for free chlorine (i.e., chlorine-treated water systems), removing the majority of chlorine throughout the ly filter lifespan.
Hydroviv Filtered Shower Head for $160: Hydroviv is a water filter company of long standing, and its KDF-55, calcium sulfite, and catalyzed carbon showerhead ranks among the few shower filters I’ve tested that was able to filter total chlorine levels down to undetectable levels in a chloramine-treated water system. Hydroviv suggests filter replacements once every six months, a longer span than comparable shower filters such as Canopy or Afina; that said, its $75 filters cost double or more what other filters do, and I noted significant loss of efficacy after four months. As with most makers of shower filters, requests to see independent lab testing results were unsuccessful. Hydroviv claims its filter media help reduce bacterial growth, though the materials cited are the same listed in other shower filters.
ShowerClear Filtered Shower Head, pictured as installed at a WIRED reviewer’s home.Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
ShowerClear Showerhead for $139: OK, you got me. This isn’t a filter. The ShowerClear is instead designed to solve a problem you probably hadn’t thought about but now may keep you up at night: Potentially infectious bacteria called mycobacteria, prone to causing lung infections, enjoy growing inside showerheads and are resistant to chlorine-treated water. They grow in colonies, a bit fungus. Hence, the name. What’s worse, if you can’t open up your showerhead, you can’t see them and you don’t know they’re there. Gives you the willies. Anyway, this ShowerClear has a hinge and a latch. This means you can open it up, look inside, and clean its interior completely, with soap or vinegar or disinfectants. This is a very rare quality even among filtered showerheads. I’d be happier if the ShowerClear’s water flow fanned out a little better, or if the latch were less of a defining design feature. But what’s all that for a little peace of mind? (That said, if you want a filter to remove chlorine, you’ll also need an inline filter the Weddell Duo.)
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Croix Filtered Showerhead for $129 and Croix Handheld Showerhead for $129: Shower filter company Croix was founded by chemical engineer Spencer Robertson, an old hand at water filtration. The fixed showerhead is handsome, and the handheld shower has a much broader array of spray settings than most—including a fun, ultra-broad spray setting that’s a savagely powerful misting device. This said, the KDF-55 and calcium sulfite filter didn’t filter even close to the majority of total chlorine levels from my chloramine-treated water system. Based on results I’ve reviewed from Croix’s internal testing, I’d more ly recommend this device for chlorine-treated systems the one in New York City. WIRED was able to review internal testing showing that Croix’s filters were successful at filtering most free chlorine from water, in accordance with NSF standards. Replacement cartridges and filters are reasonably priced and recommended once every four months, a longer interval than most brands on the market.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Aquasana Inline Filter for $150: Aquasana’s funnily bulbous two-layer filter removed the majority of total chlorine in my chloramine-treated system, and it was also one of the only shower filter companies to offer independent testing data backing up its claims for chlorine-based systems. So far, so good. So why’s it not up near the top of our list? A flimsy shower wand with poor spray force and radius, a slight but unfortunate tendency toward leakiness at the shower connection, and unforgiving geometry that means it doesn’t link up well with all showerheads as an inline filter. Still, it works and it’s lab-attested for free chlorine removal, and I happily recommend it.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Jolie Filtered Showerhead for $169: The Jolie showerhead pioneered the influencer-centric, testimonial-driven marketing model that has made shower filters so dominant in the public conversation. Its design, which looks a bit a giant Monopoly playing piece and comes in chrome, gold, black, or red, is eminently likable. The device offers even water spray and a soft, stippled faceplate that feels luxuriant in the strangest of ways. But Jolie didn’t respond to requests for independent testing when we asked in 2024, and our own testing put it somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of removing total chlorine from a chloramine-treated system.
Also Tested
Kohler Cinq for $150: Kohler is a venerable Wisconsin brand with a number of water treatment options for showers and faucets. The Cinq filtered showerhead is admirably classic in form, and its five-layer filter looked equally promising, advertising in particular KDF-55 and activated carbon. Home testing didn’t show great results with my chloramine-treated water, however, and for the price I felt entitled to high expectations. Requests for independent lab testing data in 2024 didn’t get results.
Act + Acre Showerhead Filter for $120: Beauty company Act + Acre’s filtered showerhead didn’t perform as well as others in my home testing of total chlorine. We also didn’t fall in love with the showerhead itself, which looks a bit a gooseneck desk lamp and droops awkwardly from the shower pipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How We Tested and What We Tested
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
The market for filtered showerheads remains young and largely unregulated, and performance claims are only rarely backed up publicly by independent data. We made lots of requests, but few shower filter companies hand over their lab results. (Thank you Rorra, Aquasana, Weddell, Croix, and Curo for being exceptions.)
Some makers told us that independent labs and certifying bodies have been backed up, and that data is forthcoming. Many offered customer satisfaction surveys or anecdotal studies instead. This all means that some skepticism is warranted.
And so I also got out test kits at home. First I test the total chlorine levels in the water without any filtering, a measure that includes either chloramine or free chlorine that’s interacted with whatever’s in your pipes. Then I test the water filtered by the showerhead. I perform each test multiple times to account for imprecision or fluctuations in testing and in municipal chlorine levels. In most cases, I do this over multiple days upon initial testing to account for any inconsistencies in my own water supply.
For testing, I avoided painfully unreliable home test strips, and instead got out somewhat nasty chemical indicators and used digital and chemical tests designed for pools and aquariums.
We also tested total dissolved solids using a TDS meter, and separately tested filters’ effects on pH in order to gauge effects but also to verify the reliability of chemical test results.
The effectiveness of filters goes down over time, of course, depending on how much contamination is filtered out of the water—which is why filters always need to be changed. As we update this guide, we continue to test the most effective showerhead filters to see how their efficacy changes over time—and add any new shower filters we’re able to recommend.
What Does a Shower Filter Do?
The biggest thing that most shower water filters tackle, in a measurable way, is filter chlorine and chlorine compounds, mostly through chemical reactions. Pretty much every American city adds low concentrations of chlorine or chlorine compounds to drinking water to kill potentially harmful bacteria. This is all well and good when the water’s still in the pipes. But chlorine’s not exactly great for your hair or your skin, and few people to drink it. Some are also especially sensitive to the taste or smell, or prone to skin reactions.
The most prominent home shower filters rely in part on a zinc-copper mixture called KDF-55, known to be quite effective at neutralizing “free” chlorine in chlorine-treated systems. Other common substances used to treat chlorine and chlorine compounds include calcium sulfite and activated or catalytic carbon. The most effective filters use these in some combination. The main thing I was able to test and verify was the best shower water filters’ ability to remove the total chlorine content of water coming out of your shower.
We’ve seen little evidence that the most common types of showerhead filters have much effect on the softness or hardness of water, or on calcium buildup. In fact, some early academic studies present evidence that they don’t. The shower filters we tested also had very little effect on the sum total of dissolved solids in our water, according to measurements with a TDS meter—i.e., the filters aren’t removing a large amount of materials or minerals from the water.
I wasn’t able to test claims by some companies that these filters remove heavy metals lead and arsenic, which thankfully aren’t in my pipes. We only found one company, Weddell, whose filter was certified to remove leadr. So far, so good! Nonetheless, if you believe you have dangerous lead or arsenic in your water, you probably shouldn’t try to fix the problem with a mail-order showerhead. Talk to a water treatment professional or your public health authority.
Does My City Use Chlorine or Chloramine?
If you live in a major US city, chlorine is ly not what your city uses to treat the water in its pipes. New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Phoenix use chlorine, sure. But Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, and most big cities in Texas don’t.
More than half of American big cities use a substance called chloramine, a more stable and enduring chemical that’s harder to filter and test. That’s also what was in my water supply. To test, I got out my handy digital water colorimeter and a somewhat nasty chemical indicator, and then tested the ability of each shower filter to treat any of a number of chlorine compounds in the water.
Curious whether your city uses chlorine or chloramine as a disinfectant in your pipes? Check here for an accounting of the 50 biggest municipal water systems in the United States.
Are Shower Filters Effective for Hard Water?
No, probably not.
The best shower filters I tested will improve your water quality, largely by removing chlorine and chloramine compounds—and other contaminants that may include heavy metals.
But shower filters can only do so much. You probably shouldn’t expect these shower filters to soften the mineral hardness of your water or remove most substances, which derives mostly from dissolved calsium and magnesium salts in your water.
After all, a filter must be relatively small to fit into a showerhead. And yet it’s being asked to filter gallons of water each minute, pushed out at both high temperature and high pressure. A showerhead filter poses a daunting engineering challenge, as compared to countertop water filters that treat only a small amount of water at a time—or a bulky reverse-osmosis device that can plug into your under-sink plumbing
Hard water is more often solved by specific water softeners, reverse osmosis filters, and whole-house water filtration systems. Some early studies show that a number of shower filters may even add a small amount of hardness to your water, via calcium sulfite filters,
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Matthew Korfhage is a staff writer and reviewer on WIRED’s Gear team, where he focuses on home and kitchen devices that range from air fryers and coffee machines to space heaters, water filters, and beard trimmers. Before joining WIRED in 2024, he covered food, drink, business, culture, and technology for … Read More
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Surface Pro or Surface Laptop? Here’s how to decide which Microsoft device is right for you.
Nintendo’s Virtual Boy Is a Silly but Fun Blast From the Past
This $100 accessory adds a little bit of that Nintendo quirkiness to the otherwise no-nonsense Switch 2.
A Continuous Glucose Monitor Might Actually Help You Lose Weight
Signos is the first FDA-cleared, AI-enabled system that uses CGMs to nudge you toward healthier behaviors.
Koala’s Wanda 4-in-1 Sofa Bed Is Versatile, but Is It Comfortable?
This sleeper sofa comprises a reversible chaise, sofa, daybed, and queen-size bed—I slept on it for a week to see if it’s good for guests.
Fallout Producer Jonathan Nolan on AI: ‘We’re in Such a Frothy Moment’
The Westworld showrunner thinks AI will be good for burgeoning filmmakers, but not for Hollywood blockbusters.
12 Athletes to Watch at the 2026 Winter Olympics
History is already being made at the Milano Cortina Games—and they haven’t even started.
All the Sports You Won’t See at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The makeup of the Winter Olympics has changed many times in the 100-plus years of the Games. Here are some sports that haven’t stood the test of time.
What Freestyle Skier Nick Goepper Is Packing for the Winter Olympics
What a three-time Olympic medalist packs for the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
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