The best apartment water filters don’t require a permanent install and performed better than their competitors in our testing. They have the advantage of portability and use different water treatment methods to reduce dozens of common drinking water contaminants.
We produce our product guides using our own data and metrics from a number of different performance categories. Brian Campbell, Water Filter Guru’s founder, personally tested all the systems in this guide. Brian is a WQA Certified Water Specialist and Certified Water Treatment Representative with over 10 years of water treatment industry experience.
AquaTru
Culligan ZeroWater
Waterdrop A1
Table of Contents
Our Testing & Selection Process
We use our water filter scoring system to test and rank the filters in our round-up articles. The overall score we award to a system is based on a weighted average of 6 key scoring factors, made up of 9 sub-factors.
For our Best Apartment Water Filter guide, we selected the filters based on their scores across the board, with a particular focus on contaminant reduction.
Other important scoring factors included design, filtration rate, setup, maintenance, and company. The higher these collective scores, the worthier a filter was for being featured and shortlisted. We also compared the systems’ technologies, filtration media, and water-holding capacities, though these are not scoring factors.
Our scoring system is intended to allow for a fair and clear quantitative evaluation of water filters, and we use assessable data as a priority. But we still use our own subjective opinion in some categories, such as design and setup.
We reviewed a selection of the most popular apartment water filters and shortlisted the products that had the best overall scores.
Our priority was contaminant reduction, so this was the most influential scoring category when it came to deciding which products should be featured, and in what order.
We know that our readers’ budgets and preferences can vary, so we’ve recommended a few different options for different situations.
We excluded some water filters from this guide for a few reasons, including if they required a permanent install (making them unsuitable for apartment rentals), if they weren’t available in the USA, or if they received poorer performance scores than their competitors.
Note: We’re continuously testing and reviewing water treatment products, and we occasionally update this list to include new filters that have performed exceptionally well.
11/11/2025 – Added Culligan ZeroWater
11/26/2025 – Added Waterdrop A1, Removed RKIN U1
The 6 Best Apartment Water Filters
| Product | AquaTru | Culligan ZeroWater | Waterdrop A1 |  British Berkefeld |  Epic Pure |  Clearly Filtered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.54 | 9.33 | 9.12 | 8.99 | 8.90 | 8.78 |
| Price | $449.00+ | $24.99+ | $650.00 | $229.00+ | $70.00 | $90.00 |
| Certifications | NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 401, & 372 | NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401, 372 | NSF/ANSI 58 | NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401, & 372 | Not certified | NSF 42, 53 |
| Filter Capacity | 600-1,200 gallons | 20 gallons | 225 – 550 gallons | 800 gallons | 150 gallons | 100 gallons |
| Cost per Gallon | $0.11 | $0.90 | $0.26 | $0.16 | $0.17 | $0.55 |
| Warranty | 1 year | 90 Days | 1 year | Lifetime | Lifetime | 2 years |
| Read Review | Aquatru review | Culligan ZeroWater review | Waterdrop A1 review | British Berkefeld Review | Epic Pure review | Clearly Filtered review |
AquaTru
The AquaTru is a countertop reverse osmosis filtration system that got the best contaminant reduction score of all the systems we tested. It’s ideal for apartments because it gets shipped partially assembled and just needs an electricity connection.
Best For
Product Specs
| Price | $449.00+ |
| Contaminants Reduced | 83+ |
| Certifications | NSF 42, 53, 58, and 401 |
| Process | Mechanical + RO + Carbon |
| Filter Capacity | 600-1,200 gallons |
| Annual Cost | ~$100 |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Why It’s Best
The AquaTru is the best overall countertop water filter because it did the best job at reducing contaminants in our water, and it’s also the only system we’ve reviewed that’s certified for the reduction of all the contaminants that the manufacturer claims it can reduce.
The RO unit got the highest contaminant reduction score of all the filters we tested. It’s also the most efficient countertop RO system we’ve used, meaning that it wastes the least amount of water.
AquaTru Performance
We awarded the AquaTru a 9.90 for reducing health-related contaminants in our water. In our testing, it reduced 100% of all the trace contaminants detected – including fluoride, lead, strontium, uranium, molybdenum, and barium – with its incredibly thorough RO purification process.
The system also received a 9.90 score for reducing aesthetic contaminants. It reduced 100% chlorine, including tastes and odors, in our water.
One of the standout features of the AquaTru is that it has obtained IAPMO certifications to NSF Standards 42, 53, 58, and 401 for the reduction of 83 contaminants – better than any other system we’ve tested.
Water waste is an outcome of the RO purification process, and conventional RO systems waste up to 4 gallons of water for every 1 gallon purified. We were pleased to see that the AquaTru has a 4:1 recovery rate, so we only lost 1 gallon of water for every 4 gallons purified.
The AquTru also received a high setup score of 10.00. Most components in the unit were already installed, and we found the filter priming process quick and easy.
Similarly, the system scored a 9.75 for maintenance because of its ease of servicing and its materials safety certification. It also has an NSF 372 certification for lead-free design.
We think the AquaTru is a great apartment water filtration system for folks who have the budget for the best RO system, with an optional remineralization upgrade, that reduces the most contaminants and has extensive certifications.
| Criteria | Results |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 9.54 |
| Health Related Contaminants | 9.90 |
| Aesthetic Related Contaminants | 9.90 |
| Performance Certification | Certified for 100% of reduction claims |
| Filtration Rate | 0.04 GPM |
| Component Quality | Outstanding |
| Component Certification | Certified |
| Setup | Exceptional |
| Servicing Requirements | Outstanding |
| Costs | $0.11/ gallon |
| Warranty Length | 1 year |
| Shipping | Free shipping |
| Returns | 30 days |
Culligan ZeroWater
The Culligan ZeroWater Pitcher is the second-highest-scoring apartment water filter on this list, earning an overall weighted score of 9.33. It’s a fraction of the price of the AquaTru upfront, with only one filter to replace and a more portable design, while still offering a very similar contaminant reduction performance with its dual ion exchange filter media. Plus, like AquaTru, it has IAPMO performance certifications for every contaminant it claims to reduce.
Best For
Product Specs
| Price | $24.99+ |
| Contaminants Reduced | 25+ |
| Certifications or Testing | NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401 & 372 |
| Holding Capacity | 7-40 cups |
| Filter Lifespan | 20 gallons |
| Approx. Annual Cost | $160+ |
Culligan ZeroWater Performance Stats
The Culligan ZeroWater Pitcher shone in our lab testing, and we were genuinely surprised by how thoroughly it filtered our water. The pitcher eliminated all contaminants with health effects, including nitrate, copper, zinc, barium, sulfate, strontium, and molybdenum. It also removed 100% of fluoride and uranium, which both exceeded the Health Guideline Level in our baseline water sample.
Equally impressive, it’s the only other apartment water filter we’ve tested that has been certified for all the contaminants it’s claimed to reduce, with official IAPMO certifications to NSF Standards 42, 53, and 401.
With all that said, the filter still received a lower contaminant reduction score than AquaTru (9.65) because its aesthetics score was pulled down to 8.00. The filter’s ion exchange media greatly reduced or removed calcium, magnesium, carbonate, bicarbonate, hardness, and sodium. Unlike AquaTru, there’s no optional remineralization upgrade, and the pH of our water was reduced from 7.6 (slightly alkaline) to 6.6 (slightly acidic).
Flow Rate, Design, Setup, & Maintenance
Culligan ZeroWater received a high score of 9.50 for its water filtration rate, taking just under 7 minutes to filter a full pitcher of water (equal to a flow rate of 1.9 GPH).
The pitcher’s design score of 9.40 wasn’t far behind AquaTru’s. While it has a mostly plastic construction, it felt sturdier than many similar pitchers we tested, and has IAPMO certifications for materials safety and lead-free design. As a pitcher, it has a small footprint, making it ideal for apartments with limited space.
We found the setup process almost as easy as AquTru’s, with no filter priming required. We just held the new cartridge under running water for 30 seconds and assembled the pitcher, with the ease and speed of setup earning a high score of 9.50. We also found maintenance easy, but the filter’s short 20-gallon capacity resulted in a high replacement cost (almost 8x higher than AquaTru, which uses multiple filters), pulling this category’s score down to 8.00
| Criteria | Results |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 9.33 |
| Health Related Contaminants | 9.70 |
| Aesthetic Related Contaminants | 8.00 |
| Performance Certification | NSF/ANSI 42,53,401 & 372 |
| Filtration Rate | 1.9 GPH |
| Component Quality | Excellent |
| Component Certification | NSF/ANSI 42,53,401 & 372 |
| Setup | Outstanding |
| Servicing Requirements | Exceptional |
| Costs | $0.90/ gallon |
| Warranty Length | 90 days |
| Shipping | Free shipping within the continental US on orders above $99 |
| Returns | Limited returns |
Waterdrop A1
The Waterdrop A1 is another countertop RO system that performed well in our testing. It’s IAPMO certified for TDS reduction and reduced the majority of contaminants with health effects in our water. It also has an advantage over AquaTru, being capable of dispensing both cold and hot purified water. However, its certifications are nowhere near as extensive as AquaTru’s or ZeroWater’s, and its setup took longer, resulting in a slightly lower weighted score of 9.17.
Best For
Product Specs
| Price | $650 |
| Contaminants Reduced | 10+ |
| Certifications | NSF/ANSI 58 |
| Process | Mechanical + Carbon + RO + UV |
| Filter Capacity | CF filter 225 gal.; RO membrane 550 gal. |
| Annual Cost | ~$130 |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Water Quality Testing
The Waterdrop A1 effectively removed both fluoride and uranium (both detected in concentrations above the HGL) from our water. It also reduced 100% copper, molybdenum, sulfate, strontium, and phosphorus, as well as 82.26% barium (to 0.0055 PPM) and 92.31% nitrate (to 0.2 PPM).
The filter removed 100% chlorine, which improved our water’s aesthetics, but the lack of a remineralization filter resulted in a 98% calcium reduction and a complete elimination of magnesium. Carbonate, bicarbonate, and sodium were also nearly completely eliminated, and the pH of our water dropped from 7.6 to 6.5. As a result, the A1’s aesthetic score was slightly lower at 8.00, as we know some folks won’t want to drink demineralized, slightly acidic water.
Plus, this model is only certified for reducing a single contaminant (TDS), so it received a poorer certification score than AquaTru and Culligan ZeroWater, contributing to its slightly lower contaminant reduction score of 9.62.
How It Performed
With the A1 being an RO system like the AquaTru, it also wastes water during the purification process. It’s half as efficient as AquTru, wasting 1 gallon for every 2 purified, but it’s still nowhere near as wasteful as the conventional under-sink systems. It’s also very similar to AquaTru in terms of how quickly it can purify water, taking 4 minutes and 40 seconds to filter a full tank. This resulted in a flow rate of 0.042 GPM and a score of 7.00.
We weren’t blown away by the A1’s design, as it doesn’t feel as sturdy as similar systems we’ve tested. That said, it does have a certification for lead-free materials, and it’s a higher-tech model than the AquaTru, with its 6 temperature presets for purified water and a TDS monitor contributing to its design score of 9.40.
Where this Waterdrop model fell short was its setup process, which, while also being no-install and renter-friendly, took over 41 minutes and required us to manually empty and refill the water tanks throughout. This resulted in a lower score of 8.00.
But the A1’s high-tech design moved it just ahead of AquaTru in maintenance, with a score of 10.00 thanks to its built-in filter life tracker and $0.269-per-gallon filter replacement cost.
| Criteria | Results |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 9.12 |
| Health Related Contaminants | 9.80 |
| Aesthetic Related Contaminants | 8.00 |
| Performance Certification | NSF/ANSI 58 |
| Filtration Rate | 0.042 GPM |
| Component Quality | Excellent |
| Component Certification | Exceptional |
| Setup | Fair |
| Servicing Requirements | Exceptional |
| Costs | $0.269/ gallon |
| Warranty Length | 1 year |
| Shipping | Free to contenental US |
| Returns | 30 days |
British Berkefeld
The British Berkefeld with Ultra Sterasyl Filters earns third place in our list with an overall score of 8.99. We also tested the system with the Ultra Fluoride Filters, which received a slightly lower score of 8.97, and have compared our results for both in this review.
Regardless of the filters you get, we believe this unit is the best stainless steel gravity-fed water filter available for apartment renters, with better contaminant reduction abilities, an easier setup process, and a higher-quality design than many of its competitors. Plus, the Ultra Sterasyl model is the only option for apartments on this list that’s suitable for emergency or off-grid use.
Best For
Product Specs
| Price | $190+ |
| Contaminants Reduced | 10+ |
| Certifications | Pending |
| Process | Ceramic + Activated Carbon + Activated Alumina |
| Filter Capacity | 800 gallons |
| Cost per gallon | $0.16 |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
British Berkefeld Performance
We recorded slightly different results in our lab testing with the Ultra Fluoride and Ultra Sterasyl Filters:
The Ultra Fluoride Filters removed 100% fluoride, chlorine, chloroform (a disinfection byproduct), uranium, and barium, and significantly reduced several other contaminants. They’re not yet performance certified, but they still earned the higher score of 9.17 in our testing.
The Ultra Sterasyl Filters are performance certified (to NSF 42, NSF 53, and NSF 401, for the reduction of particulates, cysts, turbidity, and microplastics). They also performed well in our testing, removing copper, chlorine, and molybdenum completely and nitrate by 70%. But their limited fluoride, barium, and strontium reductions were less impressive, earning them a score of 8.50 with city water.
Alongside our treated water test, we also tested the Ultra Sterasyl Filters with untreated pond water, as Berkefeld claims that they can be used off-grid and provides independent test data for E. coli removal.
Our water tested positive for E. coli and coliforms—both of which were no longer detected post-filtration, resulting in a perfect score of 10.00. That said, our recommended treatment process for untreated water involves an extra couple of steps before filtration:
- Treat the water with disinfection & coagulation using P&G Purifier of Water Portable Water Purifier Packets.
- Pre-filter the floc using a cloth.
This extra bit of work will prevent the ceramic filters from getting clogged with suspended matter, so you can maintain a consistent flow rate without having to constantly scrub the filter clean.
We combined the filters’ treated and untreated water scores for an overall contaminant reduction score of 9.20.
Build Quality, Setup, & Maintenance
What makes the British Berkefeld renter-friendly is its completely tool-free, non-invasive setup. The filters don’t require tedious priming, so the unit can be assembled in under 20 minutes, with no plumbing work required. This simple assembly earned both units a 9.00 setup score.
We were also impressed with the British Berkefeld’s sturdy 304 stainless steel construction throughout (including a stainless steel spigot), so there’s less plastic contact than with similar systems we tested. The Ultra Sterasyl model is NSF 372 certified for lead-free design though the Ultra Fluoride filters use the exact same, certified housing.
The unit comes in 6 sizes—we tested the 2.25-gallon unit (the most popular option, with Ultra Sterasyl Filters) and the 3.17-gallon unit (with Ultra Fluoride Filters), but the minimum holding volume is 0.25 gallons and the largest holding a whopping 6 gallons! So you should find something suitable regardless of your available countertop space.
Both filter options are affordable to maintain, with the Ultra Sterasyl Filter costing about $0.09 and the Ultra Fluoride version slightly costlier at $0.16. Both configurations received a high score of 9.25 due to their accurate, non-inflated filter lifespan claims and low servicing effort.
Filtration speed is the only area where the British Berkefeld falls behind. It’s slower than many other countertop systems we’ve tested: the Ultra Fluoride Filters filtered just 0.42 gallons per hour, and the Ultra Sterasyl Filters even less at 0.3 GPH. As a result, the units scored just 6.00 in this category. However it could be argued that a slower filtration rate for gravity-fed systems like this is preferred, as that means longer contact time with the media and thus better rates of contaminant reduction.
If you’re looking for a solid, well-finished gravity filter with the choice of multiple water holding capacities, we think the British Berkefeld units are a great choice. They’re compact enough for apartments but can hold enough water to supply a couple or small family between refills.
| Criteria | Results |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 8.99 |
| Health Related Contaminants | 9.50 |
| Aesthetic Related Contaminants | 9.90 |
| Performance Certification | None |
| Filtration Rate | 0.38 GPH |
| Component Quality | Exceptional |
| Component Certification | None |
| Setup | Excellent |
| Servicing Requirements | Good |
| Costs | $0.16/ gal |
| Warranty Length | Lifetime |
| Shipping | Free Shipping on orders over $99 to the contiguous US |
| Returns | 30 days |
Epic Pure Water Filter Pitcher
The Epic Pure Water Filter Pitcher is the best-performing water filter pitcher we’ve tested so far. It’s our top recommended system for smaller budgets and apartments with limited counter space, with a 10-cup capacity and an upfront cost of just $69.
Best For
Product Specs
| Price | $70.00 |
| Contaminants Reduced | 200+ |
| Certifications | Not certified |
| Process | Solid Activated Carbon Block |
| Filter Capacity | 150 gallons |
| Annual Cost | ~$150 |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
What We Thought
The Epic Pure pitcher is the most affordable apartment water filter on this list, and it reduced more contaminants than any similarly-priced system we tested.
It’s also one of the smaller systems we shortlisted for this guide, so it’s great for folks who value their countertop space and don’t want a larger unit dominating their kitchen.
The system has been third-party tested to reduce 200+ contaminants and reduced all impurities to below the lab’s Health Guideline Levels in our testing, making it exceptionally good value for money.
Epic Pure Performance
We awarded the Epic Pure pitcher an overall contaminant reduction score of 9.00. Our test results showed that it eliminated chlorine, uranium, copper, and phosphorous in our water, as well as reducing 57% molybdenum, 41% barium, 27% fluoride, and 20% nitrate.
Again, we were disappointed to see that the Pure pitcher isn’t performance-certified, which pulled down its score in this category.
While all the apartment filters we tested had easy setup processes, Epic was a standout for us. It obtained a 9.50 score because the assembly and filter prep tasks were minimal – we just washed and assembled the pitcher and reservoir, then inserted the filter. The pitcher was ready to use once we’d filtered and discarded the first two batches of water.
Filtration rate was another category in which the Pure excelled, receiving a 10.00 score from us – it came in at 2.23 GPH – still quick for a smaller water pitcher with a single filter.
We think the Epic Pure filter is the ideal space-saving apartment water filter for people who want the most capable budget-friendly system, both upfront and in the long run (it has an ongoing cost of $0.31/ gallon).
| Criteria | Results |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 8.90 |
| Health Related Contaminants | 9.30 |
| Aesthetic Related Contaminants | 9.90 |
| Performance Certification | Not certified for any reduction claims |
| Filtration Rate | 2.23 GPH |
| Component Quality | Unsatisfactory |
| Component Certification | Not certified |
| Setup | Outstanding |
| Servicing Requirements | Outstanding |
| Costs | $0.31/ gal |
| Warranty Length | Lifetime |
| Shipping | Free shipping for the Clean Water Club only |
| Returns | Lifetime |
Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher
The Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher is a higher-end water filter pitcher than the Epic Pure, which has been certified by the WQA to reduce chlorine and PFOA/PFOS. It also has a materials safety certification and performed very similarly to Epic when reducing contaminants in our water – but the introduction of cobalt into our water stopped it from taking the top spot.
Best For
Product Specs
| Price | $90.00 |
| Contaminants Reduced | 365+ |
| Certifications | NSF 42, 53 |
| Process | 10 Cups |
| Filter Capacity | 100 gallons |
| Annual Cost | $150 |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Our Verdict
The Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher is the best apartment water filter for folks who value certifications, superior filtration performance, and high-quality design.
Its contaminant reduction abilities were far more advanced than many other pitchers we tested, and the filter’s 100-gallon filter capacity was better than average, too (although Epic’s 150-gallon capacity was still best).
Plus, we sailed through the assembly and maintenance processes – priming the filter took less than 10 minutes and we didn’t have to set reminders for numerous different filter replacements.
Clearly Filtered Performance
The Clearly Filtered Pitcher got a score of 8.24 for contaminant reduction. It gave even the RO systems a run for their money with its 100% fluoride, uranium, chlorine, and copper reduction.
It also reduced 86% barium, 67% strontium, and 53% molybdenum, and we found the filter’s WQA performance certifications reassuring, even if they’re not as extensive as AquaTru’s (it’s only certified to reduce 3 out of the 365+ contaminants on Clearly Filtered’s performance datasheet).
However, the pitcher didn’t do as well at reducing nitrate or sulfate, and the additional 0.0054 PPM of cobalt detected after filtration affected our filtered water quality.
The pitcher’s 2.27 GPH filtration rate was slightly faster than Epic’s (2.23 GPH), and we gave it the top score in this category.
Clearly Filtered also did well in our design testing, with a 9.70 score – the highest we’ve awarded for a water filter pitcher. It’s made from BPA-free Tritan plastic, and we noted that it felt thicker, sturdier, and more durable than most of its competitors. It’s also certified for materials safety and has a WQA certification for lead-free design.
We think the Clearly Filtered pitcher is the best option for folks who prefer the portability and space-saving benefits of a water filter pitcher but only want to consider certified systems. The CF pitcher is around $20 more expensive than the Epic Pure upfront and has a higher ongoing cost ($0.55/ gallon), but you may prefer to spend more on a system with a better design quality and certifications.
| Criteria | Results |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 8.78 |
| Health Related Contaminants | 8.30 |
| Aesthetic Related Contaminants | 9.90 |
| Performance Certification | Certified for 0.82% of reduction claims |
| Filtration Rate | 2.27 GPH |
| Component Quality | Outstanding |
| Component Certification | Certified |
| Setup | Outstanding |
| Servicing Requirements | Outstanding |
| Costs | $0.55/ gallon |
| Warranty Length | 2 years |
| Shipping | Free shipping all orders |
| Returns | 30 days |