PUR PLUS Faucet Filtration System Review

We installed the PUR PLUS Faucet Filtration System in our own home to see how it performed when filtering our drinking water supply in Colorado. In this PUR Faucet Filter review, we’ve shared everything we learned during our testing.

🧾 Overview of the PUR PLUS Faucet Filtration System

The PUR PLUS Faucet Filtration System is a point-of-use water filter that’s designed to be attached on the end of a kitchen faucet. It’s available in both vertical and horizontal configurations and has been certified by both the Water Quality Association (WQA) & NSF for the reduction of 70 contaminants.

Most other faucet mount filters we’ve tested could only remove a handful of contaminants, so we were keen to test the PUR model ourselves to see how it lived up to the manufacturer’s performance claims.

As a faucet-mount filter, the idea of the PUR PLUS filter is that it provides a convenient solution for on-demand filtered water from your kitchen tap, without the hassle of installing an under-sink water filter system. The filter comes with three adapters and is designed to fit most modern faucets (not unconventional faucets like sprayer-style or pull-out faucets).

When we got the PUR PLUS Faucet Filter to test, we could choose between horizontal and vertical configurations. The vertical configuration was the cheaper option, at around $21-$35, with the more expensive option being a bundle that comes with replacement filters. The horizontal version cost around $29-$48 with a single filter included, depending on the retailer (we were getting the cheapest options on Amazon). Our estimated annual spend on filter replacements was within $100.

Price	$58.99+
Contaminants Removed	70+
Process	Activated Carbon + Ion Exchange
Certifications or Testing	NSF 42, 53, 401
Flow Rate	0.52 GPM
Filter Capacity	100 gallons/ 3 months
Annual Cost	$50 – $100
Warranty	2 years

In our testing, the PUR PLUS Faucet Filtration System improved our water’s taste and overall quality. It removed tastes and odors associated with chlorine in our water, and it didn’t massively affect our flow rate, despite using a more comprehensive filtration process than many similar systems we tested. We’re planning to test our unfiltered versus filtered water quality, so we can see exactly what this system can remove, and we’ll update this guide once we have.

💡 First Impressions

Out of the box, the PUR PLUS Faucet Mount Filter is a small, compact unit that houses a single filter. We tested both the horizontal and vertical models – they both contain the same filter cartridge, but as their names suggest, the horizontal filter takes up more space horizontally, while the vertical filter is taller but more compact against the end of the faucet. The horizontal configuration was our favorite, just because it looked less clunky on our faucet – the filter canister stuck out backward rather than straight up.

Design-wise, this PUR system has a more expensive feel compared to other faucet filters we’ve tested. It has a chrome overlay, so it looked like a more natural extension on the end of our faucet, rather than having a black or white plastic exterior. However, the filter housing is still made of plastic – it’s just chrome-coated – which means it’s still pretty flimsy and is at risk of cracking under very high water pressure. At the time, we wished that there was an option to buy the unit in a more durable material, like stainless steel, and good news: a stainless steel version of the same filter system now exists (the PUR PLUS FM4000B).

All PUR filters are warrantied by Kaz (the warrantor) for two years from the date of the purchase, and the filter itself has a 30-day warranty. It was good to know that we were protected against any material or design defects – something that isn’t always guaranteed with lower-priced filters like faucet-mount filters.

🧪 Our Performance Testing

When it comes to performance, the PUR PLUS Faucet Mount Filter appealed to us immediately. It’s tested to remove more contaminants than any other faucet filter we’ve come across, and it has the backing of NSF and WQA performance certifications.

We wanted to test the filter to see if it could meet our high performance expectations in a real-life situation. We have plans in the pipeline to conduct a before-and-after water test to see which contaminants the filter can remove from our own tap water, and we’ll share our results in this review when that happens.

But contaminant removal wasn’t the only important performance indicator we were keen to measure. We also evaluated the system’s performance across the following categories:

Our Water Quality

Activated carbon, the media used in the PUR PLUS Faucet Mount Water Filter cartridge, is the most commonly used filter media for reducing chlorine, poor tastes, and odors from water. We’re on a chlorinated city water supply, and we expected to notice an improvement in our filtered water’s taste and smell post-filtration with the PUR system.

We did two taste tests: one of our filtered water and one of our normal unfiltered tap water. We noted that the filtered water tasted cleaner, and we couldn’t detect any chlorine tastes or odors. Our city water is pretty clear and clean-looking anyway, so the PUR Faucet Filter didn’t make a difference to its appearance.

Filtration Speed

In terms of filtration speed, PUR doesn’t give an average flow rate for its faucet filters. So, again, we tested this performance feature by eye.

We didn’t want the fastest-flow filter we could find. It’s normal for water flow to be reduced when the water meets the resistance of a filter media. In fact, we’d be suspicious if the water shot straight through the filter at its normal pace, since it wouldn’t have had enough contact with the media for contaminants to be removed effectively. That said, given that the filter was attached directly to our faucet, we knew that our filtered water would at least be delivered on demand.

After we installed the PUR PLUS Faucet Water Filter, our water flow reduced to about one-third of the usual flow we get when we turn our faucet on full. It was about the same volume of water as we get from our refrigerator water dispenser. On average, it took around 15-20 seconds for us to fill a large glass with water. You can watch us filling a glass with water from the PUR filter in our video review.

We noted that the filtration speed decreased over the weeks, and the filtered water flow was at its slowest by the end of the filter lifespan. But the unit was by no means unusable – we just needed patience, and we still always got a steady supply of water on demand. The speed of filtration was still far superior to a gravity filter, like a water pitcher filter.

Performance Longevity

Each filter in the PUR PLUS faucet unit provides roughly 100 gallons of filtered water, which should last you between 2 and 3 months.

In our testing, this proved to be pretty accurate – we could usually get just over two and a half months out of the filter before the flow rate dropped significantly. Remember that filter lifespan is affected by factors including how much water you use and your water’s TDS count. If you have a big family or high-TDS water, the filter may clog and need replacing faster.

We felt that the activated carbon filter did a good job of removing contaminants from our drinking water right up to the end of its lifespan. We never noticed that our water quality suddenly returned to that of our unfiltered feed water, as we’ve experienced with some cheaper faucet filters.

📑 Filter Testing & Certifications

The filter inside the PUR PLUS system is made from activated carbon. Using a process called adsorption, molecules in the water become trapped inside the filter’s structure, and the water that leaves the filter is purer and cleaner. It also contains PUR’s MineralClear core, which is designed to give water a crisper, fresher taste.

One of the reasons we were so keen to test the PUR PLUS Faucet Mount Filter is that it’s the only faucet filter brand certified by both the NSF and the WQA to remove 70 common tap water contaminants. That’s pretty rare – most of the faucet-mount water filters we’ve tested don’t even have any certifications, and those that do are usually only certified to remove a handful of contaminants. So, with the PUR system, we had the best assurance of its performance before we even tested it ourselves.

The filter’s exact NSF certifications are:

• NSF 42 – For the removal of chlorine, Particulates Class 1, taste, and odor
• NSF 53 – For the removal of contaminants with health effects, including pesticides, asbestos, VOCs, mercury, lead, and more
• NSF 401 – For the removal of emerging contaminants and incidental compounds, including BPA, DEET, and pharmaceuticals

NSF certifications are challenging and expensive to obtain, which is why we were so impressed to see that the PUR PLUS Faucet Mount filter has three certifications to support PUR’s performance claims.

🔧 Installation & Maintenance

We found the PUR PLUS Faucet Water Filter super easy to install – we just attached it to the end of our faucet using one of the three included adapters. We didn’t need any tools or expertise to get the job done. The whole process took us less than 5 minutes.

As we mentioned, the filter fits most standard kitchen sink faucets, but it won’t fit on a non-conventional faucet. We had to wait until we’d moved before we could test the filter ourselves because our old place had a sprayer-style faucet, which is a big NO, compatibility-wise.

In terms of maintenance, the only thing you’ll need to do is replace the filter around 3-4 times a year. We didn’t have to buy a whole new unit every time – we could simply remove the old filter from the housing and put the replacement filter in its place. The filter change light ensures you don’t use the filter longer than 4 months, but it has a few setbacks to be aware of:

• It’s timer-based, so it doesn’t actually reflect your filter quality. We used it as a reference but often ended up switching to a replacement filter before the light indicated that we should.
• It contains a battery that can’t be accessed in the filter housing, which meant it eventually stopped working, and we had no way to replace it.

You can buy packs of replacement filters directly from the PUR or from stores like Amazon and Walmart. We found that we got the best value from multipacks of replacement filters – a 6-pack of filters for the vertical filter model cost around $65 on Amazon at the time of our review.

🤔 Is the PUR PLUS Faucet Water Filter System Right for You?

In our opinion, the PUR PLUS Faucet Water Filter System is ideal for anyone who wants an affordable way to drink filtered water at home, without the setbacks of a water filter pitcher (namely long filtering times and having to constantly refill the pitcher). The PUR PLUS system gives the advantage of filtered water on tap, but it’s much more affordable and easier to install than an under-sink system. Plus, it’s officially certified, so it should tick your boxes if you only want to consider filters that have backing from the NSF.

With that said, we noted a few instances where this PUR model might not be right for you. First, if you have a non-traditional kitchen faucet, the PUR PLUS Faucet Filter simply won’t work for you. Yes, it comes with adaptors, but only for conventional faucets. So, if you have a sprayer faucet, a pull-out faucet, or uniquely shaped faucet, water filter faucet systems of any kind are out. Also, if your sink is small, a bulky faucet filter like the PUR system might not be a good fit.

Finally, there are other, better on-demand water filters to consider if you can stretch your budget further. Some under-sink water systems we’ve tested can remove hundreds of contaminants, providing far superior water filtration.

Our advice is to clearly outline your budget and your goals for water treatment, then decide whether the PUR PLUS Faucet Filter ticks your boxes.

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