We installed the US Water Systems Bodyguard Fluoride Removal Filter in a home in Colorado that received a fluoridated city water supply. Our primary goal was to assess how effectively this system could reduce fluoride throughout the entire home, and we evaluated its performance by conducting our own hands-on testing.
In this review, we’ve outlined how the Bodyguard Filter performed across key categories, including its ability to remove fluoride, design quality, flow rate, and overall value for money.
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
| Price | $1,299 |
| Contaminants Reduced | 12+ |
| Certifications | Not Certified |
| Process | Bone Char Carbon |
| Filter Capacity | Up to 400,000 gallons |
| Annual Cost | ~$433 |
| Warranty | Lifetime on tank and components; 3 years on filter media |
Table of Contents
📊 Scoring Data
At Water Filter Guru, we evaluate every filtration system with hands-on testing across 6 key performance categories, reflecting how well it can improve water quality, its user-friendliness, and whether it offers good value for the price. Filters are awarded individual scores across each category, which we combine and average to calculate an overall score. This allows us to easily compare the system we’re testing with others we’ve already tested.
Check out the table below to see how the Bodyguard Fluoride Filter performed.
| Criteria | Results |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 9.14 |
| Health Related Contaminants | 9.80 |
| Aesthetic Related Contaminants | 9.90 |
| Performance Certification | Not Certified |
| Filtration Rate | 10 GPM |
| Component Quality | Exceptional |
| Component Certification | Not Certified |
| Setup | Weak |
| Servicing Requirements | Outstanding |
| Costs | $0.003/ gallon |
| Warranty Length | Lifetime |
| Shipping | Variable |
| Returns | 30 days |
🚰 Contaminant Reduction
Score: 9.42US Water Systems sells a few different POE water treatment systems, including filters that address specific contaminants, like the Bodyguard Filter.
To evaluate the system in the contaminant reduction category, we awarded a score based on our own testing. We also look for performance certifications as another factor that influences the contaminant reduction score.
Related: The Overall Best Water Filters for Fluoride Removal
Background Info On Our Water Quality
We installed the Bodyguard Fluoride Removal Filter as an add-on to the US Water Systems POE Cartridge Filter (see our separate review of this system here). This main system doesn’t contain any specialized media to address fluoride, which is why the Bodyguard Filter, with its bone char carbon media, was needed alongside it.
Bone char carbon is capable of removing fluoride due to the presence of carbonate in the char. When water containing fluoride flows through this media, a small amount of the carbonate in the char is replaced with the fluoride ions, effectively removing this contaminant from the water.
To specifically assess the Bodyguard filter’s contaminant reduction (as opposed to the combined performance of the Bodyguard and the POE Cartridge Filter), we used our filtered water from the POE system as the baseline water sample during the Bodyguard test. That way, we could see exactly how it altered the quality of the water that had already been treated by the main system.
We also installed an additional carbon filter in the main POE system before installing the Bodyguard system downstream. This was done to increase the system’s capacity for reducing disinfection byproducts, which weren’t fully addressed in the original setup.
Introducing another carbon media also increased the system’s total EBCT (empty bed contact time), so contaminants are more thoroughly dealt with before they reach the fluoride filter. This reduction of the contaminant load upstream means that the bone char media in the fluoride filter doesn’t have to work as hard, helping preserve its capacity exclusively for fluoride removal, extending its lifespan and maintaining its performance over time.
Health-Related Contaminants
Score: 8.50
The Cartridge POE Filter system had already done a pretty great job of removing health-related contaminants, but there were still some present in the water prior to treatment with the Bodyguard Fluoride Filter.
These included:
- Fluoride (which was reduced by 20% by the Cartridge POE system)
- Aluminum (which had actually increased in our filtered water from the Cartridge POE system, possibly due to natural fluctuations in the customer’s water supply or leaching from the “nano alumina fibers” in the Interceptor filter
- Copper (which increased slightly in test 1)
- Chloroform and bromodichloromethane (two disinfection byproducts, which weren’t fully removed after the initial filtration)
- Molybdenum, potassium, strontium, and sulfate (which had all been reduced but not eliminated by the Cartridge POE system)
None of these contaminants were detected at concentrations exceeding the testing lab’s HGL, but we still wanted to see them more thoroughly removed—ideally, eliminated.
After filtering the water through the Bodyguard Fluoride Filter, we achieved the results we were aiming for:
- Fluoride was eliminated
- Aluminum, copper, chloroform, bromodichloromethane, molybdenum, and potassium were also completely removed
- Strontium and sulfate were reduced by around 50%; a more significant reduction than the 13-32% reduction from the initial system configuration
Keep in mind that some of these outcomes may have been the result of installing the additional carbon filter at the main POE system. But the increased fluoride reduction was, of course, a direct result of installing the Bodyguard Fluoride Filter. Bone char carbon also effectively removes aluminum, copper, strontium, and other metals, so the fluoride filter may have contributed to, or been responsible for, the improved filtration outcomes for these contaminants.
See More: Top Ranking Whole House Water Filters of 2025
Chloroform and bromodichloromethane were also completely eliminated, likely due to a combination of the additional carbon filter and filtration in the Bodyguard Fluoride Filter.
Hardness, TDS, Minerals, & Ions
We also noticed a difference between the concentrations of minerals and ions in our water filtered only by the POE Cartridge System compared to the water filtered with the additional carbon and Bodyguard Fluoride filters.
Sulfate, strontium, magnesium, chloride, calcium, and sodium were all reduced slightly in test 1 (by around 10-32%). After the water was filtered with the more comprehensive setup, these contaminants were reduced more significantly (by 38-51%) in test 2.
Hardness was reduced by 13%, and TDS was reduced by 37% in test 1. Hardness in test 2 decreased by 42%, and TDS by 38%. This increased reduction in hardness is likely due to fluctuations in the water supply between testing (test 2 was conducted five months after test 1).
Performance Certifications
Score: 6.00
Water filter manufacturers can optionally obtain performance certifications from the NSF, IAMPO, or the WQA, to demonstrate that their products are capable of removing certain contaminants under testing conditions.
These certifications aren’t a legal requirement, but they’re a great way to build trust with customers and prove that their filters perform as claimed.
No specific certifications for fluoride reduction currently exist. This is perhaps due to the fact that fluoride isn’t as heavily regulated by the EPA as other contaminants (it’s actually added to many public water supplies under the EPA’s ruling). Only reverse osmosis systems can currently be certified to reduce fluoride under the broader NSF 58 Standard.
Since the Bodyguard Filter isn’t a point-of-use RO system, it can’t be certified, so it received the lowest score in this category. The manufacturer claims that the system “removes up to 98% of fluoride”, and this was corroborated by our own test results—although we could find no data on the US Water Systems website to support this.
🚦Filtration Rate
Score: 10.00Filtration rate, or the speed at which water flows through the filter, is especially important for POE systems like the Bodyguard Fluoride Filter. If the filter’s flow rate is too slow, it’ll cause a noticeable water pressure drop, possibly affecting the flow of water from your fixtures and through your appliances.
The good news is that the Bodyguard Filter has a high flow rate, starting at 10 GPM, or gallons per minute. You can upgrade to a 15 GPM or 20 GPM system if your home is larger, but the smallest option will be fine for the typical residential property with a flow rate of 6-12 GPM.
Our customer noticed no disruptions to water flow or pressure after installing this system.
📐 Design
Score: 8.40The US Water Systems Bodyguard Fluoride Removal Filter has the advantage of a tank-based design, which means, unlike most cartridge-based systems, it doesn’t have a plastic-heavy construction.
It consists of a single main tank that’s loaded with bone char media and is designed to intercept your main water line. Water flows through the tank, then returns to your plumbing after being treated to remove fluoride and other impurities.
The system’s design score is based on two factors: the quality of the components and whether or not it has a design certification.
Component Quality
Score: 10.00
Our testing team was pleased with the overall feel and sturdiness of the Bodyguard Filter’s design. The tank is made from fiberglass that’s gel-coated, with a FRP lining.
FRP, or fiber-reinforced polymer, is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibers, like glass or carbon. It’s widely used in the construction industry as a means of reinforcing existing structures, which gives you an idea of its strength and durability. We could find no evidence to suggest that it poses any safety threats when used in contact with food and water.
There’s no mention on the US Water Systems website of whether the FRP lining is BPA-free.
Filter Design
As a tank-based system, the Bodyguard Fluoride Filter contains 1-to-2 cubic feet of bone char carbon media (depending on the model size you choose).
Bone char carbon is made from animal bones, while other carbon filters are made from activated charcoal or coconut shells. Bone char contains carbon and a hydroxyapatite matrix, which gives it unique adsorption properties beyond the capabilities of a conventional AC filter, including fluoride removal.
Water is filtered in the same way that it would be in a cartridge filter—the only difference is that the media capacity is higher, with a starting tank size of 9 by 48 inches. There’s no backflushing involved, and you don’t have to plug the system into electricity.
Certification
Score: 6.00
Manufacturers of water filters can also obtain design certifications for materials safety and for lead-free design.
Since the Bodygyard Filter doesn’t have any design certifications, it received the lower score from us in this category.
⚙️ Setup
Score: 7.00The Bodyguard Fluoride Removal Filter received the lowest score of any testing category for setup, and this was largely down to its POE installation requirements.
Installing the system involves cutting into your main water line, loading the media into the tank, soaking the media for 30 minutes, and following the 19-step setup instructions in the user manual.
The manufacturer claims that the unit is “extremely user-friendly – easy to install”, but we’d argue that unless you’re competent at DIY and enjoy a challenge, you’ll probably want to hire a plumber to install it for you. That means more money spent upfront.
🔧 Maintenance
Score: 9.75Thanks to its media-loaded tank-based design, maintenance is nice and easy for the Bodyguard Filter.
The system’s score in this category was calculated by combining scores for its servicing requirements and ongoing spend for replacement filters.
Servicing Requirements
9.50
With no filter cartridges at all, the Bodyguard Filter needs minimal maintenance to continue operating properly.
That said, the one maintenance task it does require is more difficult than simply unscrewing an old filter cartridge and replacing it with a new one. You have to rebed the media in the vessel itself, which can be tricky due to the size and weight of the tank.
The good news is that this is required every 3-5 years, so it’s not a time-consuming task that you’ll have to commit to regularly.
Costs
Score: 10.00
The lack of routine maintenance for the Bodyguard Fluoride Filter also means it has one of the lowest ongoing costs of all the filters we’ve tested: just $0.0009 per gallon.
If you’d prefer to spend a bit more upfront on a system that costs less to maintain in the long run, you’ll get what you’re looking for here.
🏢 Company
Score: 8.80Beyond the filter itself, we also scored US Water Systems as a company based on its warranty, shipping, and returns offerings.
Warranty
Score: 8.50
US Water Systems offers a lifetime warranty on all water filter parts, including the media tank and head assembly. The media itself has a warranty of 3 years (its anticipated lifespan based on capacity).
Under the warranty, you’ll be eligible for free replacement components (excluding shipping fees) if they’re found to be defective due to faulty materials or workmanship.
You can find the warranty information, including all the terms and conditions, listed in the back of the user manual.
Shipping
Score: 8.00
The fee you pay to ship US Water Systems products depends on the cost, weight, and dimensions of the product.
Shipping applies to all regions inside and outside of the continental US, although if you’re ordering outside the continental US, you’ll need to get a shipping quote from a US Water customer service rep first.
View the shipping policy here.
Returns
Score: 8.00
Along with a warranty, the manufacturer also offers a 1-year guarantee. That’s pretty decent, but we were less impressed with the small print: the guarantee only applies if the company’s sales team specs and sells you the system.
If you weren’t sold the system by the sales team, you can only return your item if it’s new, unused, and in its original packaging. You’ll also only be eligible for a guarantee extending 60 days from your purchase.
Full details about the returns and refund policy can be viewed here.
💰 Value For Money
The US Water Systems Bodyguard Fluoride Filter clearly isn’t cheap, but what can be said about its value for money?
Its sturdy design, faultless contaminant reduction (including, importantly, 100% fluoride reduction), fast flow rate, and lack of expensive maintenance all make it a great option for folks with the budget for a tank-based POE fluoride removal system.
Whether or not you think it offers good value for money comes down to your personal situation. If you’re set on removing fluoride from your entire home’s water supply, it’s a system worth the investment. Just keep in mind that you may also need to consider pre-filtration with another carbon filter to preserve the bone char media capacity for fluoride reduction—and that’s where things can get expensive.
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