What is the best water filter for PFAS?
Choose a filter whose certifier listing names PFOA and PFOS. Five of the 14 water filters we review have one: the Aquasana Claryum, the Waterdrop G3P600, the Waterdrop G3P800, the AquaTru Classic and the AquaTru Carafe6811. A listing means a certifier checked the claim for a named model, which a maker’s own lab report doesn’t.
Two pitchers sit one step down. The Clearly Filtered pitcher and the LifeStraw Home glass pitcher publish lab results for PFOA and PFOS, but neither has a PFAS listing14151718. The SpringWell CF1 and APEC ROES-50 make a PFAS claim with no listing behind it1921.
The rest have no PFAS listing or claim for the model that we could find: the Aquasana Rhino (Aquasana’s PFOA/PFOS list is for Claryum technology and doesn’t name it)2930, the iSpring RO500AK-BN, Brita Ultramax Elite, Waterdrop WD-10UA and Waterdrop whole-house filter. This page orders the filters by the evidence behind the claim, not by how well they work. None of it shows a health effect.
- Choose the Aquasana Claryum if you want a PFOA/PFOS listing at a separate tap without reverse osmosis, and can pay about $184 a year for filters67.
- Choose the Waterdrop G3P600 or G3P800 if you want reverse osmosis with a PFOA/PFOS listing, and can confirm that your faucet kit and cartridges match the listed base model8.
- Choose the AquaTru Classic or Carafe if you want a plug-in countertop purifier with a PFOA/PFOS listing and a public data sheet, and don’t want to plumb anything1113.
- Choose the Clearly Filtered pitcher or LifeStraw Home glass pitcher if you want a pitcher with published PFOA/PFOS lab results, and can accept that no certifier lists them1417.
- Choose a whole-house filter for PFAS only after the maker publishes a listing or a lab report. None of the three we review does192931.
All 14 filters, by strength of PFAS evidence
Prices are US prices on each maker’s page, before tax, checked on Nov 6, 2026. The SpringWell CF1 was on sale. Checkout codes aren’t counted. Step 1 means a certifier’s listing names PFOA and PFOS. Step 2 means the maker publishes lab results with no PFAS listing. Step 3 means the maker claims PFAS reduction for that model with no listing or data. Step 4 means we found no PFAS listing or claim for that model.
A missing listing at one certifier doesn’t prove there is none elsewhere. We searched the certifier each maker names, plus NSF4. Each row reflects what we found when we checked.
| Filter | Best for | Evidence step | Type and US price | Price and where to buy | Certifier and standard | What the listing or claim says |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow | Lead and PFOA/PFOS listings at a separate kitchen tap without reverse osmosis | 1. Certifier-listed | Under-sink filter, $449.99 | $449.99US price, checked Check price at Aquasana for Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow | WQA, NSF/ANSI 536 | Names lead, PFOA, PFOS, asbestos, cysts, mercury, MTBE, turbidity and VOCs. No percentages, and it doesn’t establish reduction of every PFAS6 |
| Waterdrop G3P600 | Under-sink reverse osmosis with a PFOA/PFOS listing for the base model | 1. Certifier-listed | Under-sink reverse osmosis, $539 | $539US price, checked Check price at Waterdrop for Waterdrop G3P600 | IAPMO R&T, NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA and PFOS, 58 for TDS, fluoride and lead834 | Covers the base WD-G3P600, not the Black Faucet kit or the retail cartridges. The 99% PFOA/PFOS figure on a product image is Waterdrop’s claim89 |
| Waterdrop G3P800 | A larger under-sink reverse osmosis system with a PFOA/PFOS listing for the base model | 1. Certifier-listed | Under-sink reverse osmosis, $999 | $999US price, checked Check price at Waterdrop for Waterdrop G3P800 | IAPMO R&T, NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA and PFOS, 58 for TDS, fluoride and lead834 | Covers the base WD-G3P800, not the Black Faucet kit or the retail cartridges. Waterdrop’s page says up to 99% of PFOA and PFOS, which is its claim810 |
| AquaTru Classic | A plug-in countertop purifier with a PFOA/PFOS listing and a public data sheet | 1. Certifier-listed | Countertop reverse osmosis, $475 | $475US price, checked Check price at AquaTru for AquaTru Classic | IAPMO R&T, NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA and PFOS at 600 gallons11 | Names PFOA and PFOS. The data sheet lists a 1.5 µg/L challenge, a 0.02 µg/L maximum and a 97.5% minimum reduction, and no other PFAS separately1112 |
| AquaTru Carafe | A smaller countertop purifier with a PFOA/PFOS listing and a public data sheet | 1. Certifier-listed | Countertop reverse osmosis, $375 | $375US price, checked Check price at AquaTru for AquaTru Carafe | IAPMO R&T, NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA and PFOS at 300 gallons11 | Names PFOA and PFOS. The data sheet adds three other PFAS at 97.6% or better, but no listing names them1113 |
| Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher | A pitcher with published lab results for PFOA and PFOS | 2. Maker lab results | Pitcher, $110 | $110US price, checked Check price at Clearly Filtered for Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher | NSF lists chlorine, taste and odor, plus lead-free materials. No PFAS listing15 | Clearly Filtered’s own results: PFOA down 99.64% and PFOS down over 99.80%, from an ISO 17025 lab in November 202514 |
| LifeStraw Home 7-Cup Glass | A glass pitcher with published PFOA/PFOS lab reports | 2. Maker lab results | Pitcher, $64.95 | $64.95US price, checked Check price at LifeStraw for LifeStraw Home 7-Cup Glass | WQA lists NSF/ANSI 53 for lead, cysts and microplastics. PFAS isn’t in the listing18 | LifeStraw’s reports show PFOA plus PFOS falling from 1.5 µg/L to at most 0.01 µg/L in a 2019 lab test, marked independently tested, not certified1617 |
| SpringWell CF1 | A whole-house filter where a PFAS claim from the maker is enough for you | 3. Maker claim only | Whole-house filter, $1,160.25 on sale | $1,160.25US price, checked Check price at SpringWell for SpringWell CF1 Whole House Water Filter System | None named. NSF lists no SpringWell product20 | SpringWell says the CF1 removes PFAS, PFOA and PFOS. It gives no figure, lab or standard19 |
| APEC ROES-50 | Reverse osmosis where TDS reduction is the listed claim | 3. Maker claim only | Under-sink reverse osmosis, $230.99 | $230.99US price, checked Check price at APEC for APEC ROES-50 | WQA, NSF/ANSI 58 for TDS reduction only22 | APEC’s page lists PFAS among the contaminants it removes, with no test data21 |
| Aquasana Rhino | A whole-house tank for chlorinated city water | 4. No PFAS listing found | Whole-house filter, $1,998 | $1,998US price, checked Check price at Aquasana for Aquasana Rhino Whole House Water Filter | None for contaminant reduction. The data sheet says WQA doesn’t certify it for that29 | The product page lists PFOA and PFOS in a 78-contaminant Claryum list that doesn’t name the Rhino. The data sheet reports free chlorine only2930 |
| iSpring RO500AK-BN | Tankless reverse osmosis where TDS reduction is the listed claim | 4. No PFAS listing found | Under-sink reverse osmosis, $692.99 | $692.99US price, checked Check price at iSpring for iSpring RO500AK-BN Tankless Reverse Osmosis System | NSF, NSF/ANSI 58 for TDS reduction only24 | iSpring says up to 99% of over 1,000 contaminants, with no standard or lab. Whether that covers PFAS is unknown23 |
| Brita Ultramax Elite | A gravity water dispenser with a lead listing and no US PFAS claim | 4. No PFAS listing found | Gravity water dispenser, $49.99 | $49.99US price, checked Check price at Brita for Brita Ultramax Water Dispenser with Elite Filter | WQA lists NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401, and its 53 row has no PFOA or PFOS claim27 | Brita’s US data sheet makes no PFAS claim. Brita Canada’s sheet lists PFOA and PFOS, and whether US filters carry that is unknown2526 |
| Waterdrop WD-10UA | Chlorine taste and odor reduction at the kitchen tap | 4. No PFAS listing found | Under-sink filter, $58.99 | $58.99US price, checked Check price at Waterdrop for Waterdrop WD-10UA | IAPMO R&T, NSF/ANSI 42 for chlorine, taste and odor28 | The listing doesn’t establish PFAS reduction, and Waterdrop names no lab, standard or percentage for its other claims2833 |
| Waterdrop WD-WHF3T-PG | Whole-house chlorine and sediment reduction | 4. No PFAS listing found | Whole-house filter, $369.99 | $369.99US price, checked Check price at Waterdrop for Waterdrop WD-WHF3T-PG 3-Stage Whole House Water Filter System | IAPMO R&T lists NSF/ANSI/CAN 372, which covers lead-free materials, not filtration32 | Chlorine is the only contaminant with a published figure. How it handles PFAS is unknown31 |
These links go to each brand’s own store and earn us no commission.
Public test reports and cartridge cost
A public report lets you read the challenge level and the result yourself. Yearly cartridge cost is from each review at list prices, with no autoship discount. The three-year cost page shows what the figures assume for every filter. Reverse osmosis systems also replace a membrane every two years, and that is in the yearly figure.
| Filter | Public test report for PFAS | Cartridges per year at list price |
|---|---|---|
| Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow | Yes. Aquasana’s data sheet gives PFOA/PFOS down 99.7%. The WQA rows give no percentages67 | $183.98 |
| Waterdrop G3P600 | No test report found. The IAPMO rows give no percentage, and the 99% figure is Waterdrop’s claim89 | $144.97 |
| Waterdrop G3P800 | No test report found. The IAPMO rows give no percentage, and the 99% figures are Waterdrop’s claims810 | $159.97 |
| AquaTru Classic | Yes. A performance data sheet gives a 97.5% minimum for PFOA and PFOS12 | $129.83 |
| AquaTru Carafe | Yes. A performance data sheet gives a 99.9% average over 300 gallons13 | $129.83 |
| Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher | Yes. A data page gives the lab results14 | $260 |
| LifeStraw Home 7-Cup Glass | Yes. LifeStraw publishes the lab reports17 | $75.95 |
| SpringWell CF1 | No19 | $45.57, for the sediment cartridge only |
| Aquasana Rhino | No PFAS report. The data sheet covers free chlorine only29 | $147.96 |
| APEC ROES-50 | No21 | $54.97, a two-year average |
| iSpring RO500AK-BN | The page links an online test report by QR code. NSF’s listing gives no percentage and doesn’t name PFAS2324 | $170 |
| Brita Ultramax Elite | No PFAS result on the US data sheet25 | $32.99 |
| Waterdrop WD-10UA | No lab, standard or percentage named33 | $30.99 |
| Waterdrop WD-WHF3T-PG | Chlorine only, 97.7% from an unnamed lab31 | $119.04 |
Certified, lab results or a maker claim: what each can show
A certifier listing is the strongest of the three. NSF says certified products are retested periodically and their factories inspected every year3. A maker’s lab report doesn’t come with that follow-up. It can still be useful, since it shows the challenge level, the lab and the result. The listings here are by WQA and IAPMO R&T, and NSF’s PFAS claims sit under standards 53 and 583.
Lab results are second. Clearly Filtered’s page gives PFOA and PFOS figures from an ISO 17025 lab, and LifeStraw publishes its reports1417. Neither is a certification. LifeStraw’s data sheet marks its results as independently tested, not WQA certified16.
A claim with no listing or data is the weakest. SpringWell says the CF1 removes PFAS, PFOA and PFOS, and APEC’s page names PFAS1921. Neither gives a figure. If a box cites NSF/ANSI 473, check the certifier’s own listing for your model. NSF’s listings showed no matching entry for that standard when we checked36.
Our certification checker walks through a listing search. The evidence review explains what each standard covers.
Pitchers, under-sink, countertop and whole-house on the same axis
The filter type doesn’t decide the evidence. NSF’s claims guide lists PFOA and PFOS claims on pitchers, under-sink systems, reverse osmosis, countertop units and whole-house units4. The reviewed models differ in whether they carry one.
- Pitchers: neither pitcher with PFAS results is listed for them, and the Brita Ultramax Elite makes no US PFAS claim. See the pitcher guide’s PFAS section.
- Under-sink: the Claryum and the two Waterdrop reverse osmosis systems have PFOA/PFOS listings. The WD-10UA, APEC and iSpring listings don’t name PFAS. See best under-sink water filters.
- Countertop reverse osmosis: both AquaTru models have a listing. The Carafe’s data sheet adds three other PFAS that no listing names. See the Classic vs Carafe comparison.
- Whole-house: none of the three names a PFAS listing or figure. See best whole-house water filters.
What a PFAS listing doesn’t cover
A listing is for named test conditions and a named filter life. WQA lists the Claryum with its AQ-C3M-R filter set, and Aquasana rates that set for 800 gallons or six months67. The AquaTru listings give 600 gallons for the Classic and 300 for the Carafe11. Past those limits the listing says nothing.
PFOA and PFOS are two PFAS. A listing for them doesn’t establish reduction of every PFAS, and the Claryum and Waterdrop reviews say so. Check the exact model too: IAPMO lists the base Waterdrop G3P600 and G3P800, not the Black Faucet kit or the retail cartridges8.
The numbers are lab conditions, not your tap. The AquaTru data sheets use a 1.5 µg/L challenge and a 0.02 µg/L limit in the product water12. NSF says a filter must reduce PFAS to below 20 ppt to make a claim, which is five times EPA’s 4.0 ppt limit for PFOA and PFOS13. EPA’s home-filter fact sheet said that, as of April 2024, certifications didn’t yet show a filter will reduce PFAS to its new limits2.
How to read your own water report
Start with your utility’s Consumer Confidence Report. EPA’s page explains the report and links to a finder for yours5. Look in its table of detected contaminants for PFOA and PFOS. EPA’s limit for each is 4.0 parts per trillion1.
Check the units. Utility reports often use parts per trillion, and filter data sheets often use µg/L, which is 1,000 times larger. EPA’s compliance dates may move. On May 18, 2026, EPA proposed keeping the PFOA and PFOS limits but letting water systems request two more years35. If you’re on a private well, there is no utility report, and a lab test of your own water is the way to get a number.
The catch with each group
The certified filters run about $130 to $184 a year, and the Waterdrop systems need electricity and a drain. The Waterdrop listings cover base models, so match your kit. The pitchers with lab results cost $65 a filter at Clearly Filtered, about $260 a year, more than any certified filter, and LifeStraw’s carbon filter is rated for only 40 gallons. The whole-house filters are the least documented, and none gives a figure for PFAS.
Read the full reviews
Every filter on this page has a review with its sources, dated price and unknowns.
Sources
- Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation US Environmental Protection Agency, 2026 · regulator
- Reducing PFAS in Your Drinking Water with a Home Filter (fact sheet) US Environmental Protection Agency, 2024 · regulator
- Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) in Drinking Water NSF · certifier
- Contaminant Reduction Claims Guide NSF · certifier
- Consumer Confidence Reports US Environmental Protection Agency · regulator
- WQA Aquasana AQ-6300M: NSF/ANSI 53 Water Quality Association · certifier
- Aquasana AQ-6300M performance data sheet Aquasana · manufacturer
- IAPMO R&T WC-14805: Waterdrop G3P600/G3P800, NSF/ANSI 53 IAPMO R&T · certifier
- Waterdrop G3P600 Black Faucet under-sink reverse osmosis system Waterdrop · manufacturer
- Waterdrop G3P800 Black Faucet under-sink reverse osmosis system Waterdrop · manufacturer
- IAPMO R&T W-10193: NSF/ANSI 53 listing, AquaTru, checked October 15, 2026 IAPMO R&T · certifier
- AquaTru Classic performance data sheet AquaTru · manufacturer
- AquaTru Carafe Performance Data Sheet, models AT100 to AT140 (rev. 09.25.R5) AquaTru · manufacturer
- Pitcher Performance Data Clearly Filtered · manufacturer
- NSF Drinking Water Treatment Units listings: Clearly Filtered NSF · certifier
- LifeStraw Home Glass 7-Cup performance data sheet LifeStraw · manufacturer
- LifeStraw Home performance and test reports LifeStraw · manufacturer
- WQA listing: Vestergaard Frandsen (LifeStraw) Home Glass 7-Cup, NSF/ANSI 53 Water Quality Association · certifier
- SpringWell whole house water filter system SpringWell · manufacturer
- NSF Drinking Water Treatment Units listings search: SpringWell NSF · certifier
- ROES-50 Essence 5-stage 50 GPD reverse osmosis water system APEC Water Systems · manufacturer
- WQA certified reverse osmosis units: APEC ROES-50, NSF/ANSI 58 Water Quality Association · certifier
- iSpring RO500AK-BN tankless reverse osmosis system iSpring · manufacturer
- NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis listings: iSpring Water Systems NSF · certifier
- Brita Elite filter performance data sheet (US) Brita · manufacturer
- Brita Elite performance data sheet with PFOA and PFOS (French) Brita Canada · manufacturer
- WQA listing: Brita Ultramax, NSF/ANSI 53 Water Quality Association · certifier
- IAPMO W-11590: WD-10UA with WD-RF10, NSF/ANSI 42-2022 IAPMO R&T · certifier
- Aquasana Rhino (WH-1000) performance data sheet Aquasana · manufacturer
- Aquasana Rhino whole house water filter Aquasana · manufacturer
- Waterdrop WD-WHF3T-PG whole house water filter Waterdrop · manufacturer
- IAPMO R&T file W-13936: WD-WHF3T-PG, NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 IAPMO R&T · certifier
- Waterdrop WD-10UA under-sink water filter Waterdrop · manufacturer
- IAPMO R&T WC-13976: Waterdrop G3P600/G3P800, NSF/ANSI 58 IAPMO R&T · certifier
- Proposed PFOA and PFOS Compliance Extension Rule US Environmental Protection Agency, 2026 · regulator
- NSF listings: drinking water treatment units, Standard 473 NSF · certifier
How this was written. Written from the sources listed above, checked . It is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician before acting on anything here if you have a health condition or take medication.
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