Best water filters for renters (no plumbing)
40 filters we track qualify; the lowest first-year cost for 2 people: the Brita Denali 6-cup pitcher (Original filter) ($71 first year), the Brita Denali 6-cup pitcher (Elite filter) ($76 first year), and the Hydros 64 oz glass pitcher ($78 first year). Of these, 20 are certified for lead and 13 for PFAS; 20 have no certified health-related reduction we track. Filters that need no plumbing (pitchers, dispensers, faucet-mount and countertop units), ranked by first-year cost (purchase price plus replacement filters) for a household of 2, cheapest first.
| # | Filter | Type | Price | Filters a year | First year | Certified for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brita Denali 6-cup pitcher (Original filter) | Pitcher | $23 | $48 | $71 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | Brita Denali 6-cup pitcher (Elite filter) | Pitcher | $36 | $40 | $76 | Lead, Microplastics | Check price at Brita |
| 3 | Hydros 64 oz glass pitcher | Pitcher | $45 | $33 | $78 | none of these | Check price at Hydros |
| 4 | Brita Tahoe pitcher (Elite filter) | Pitcher | $42 | $40 | $82 | Lead, Microplastics | Check price at Brita |
| 5 | Brita Tahoe pitcher (Standard filter) | Pitcher | $37 | $48 | $85 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 6 | Brita Elite faucet filter | Faucet-mount | $32 | $54 | $86 | Lead, Microplastics, VOCs | Check price on Amazon |
| 7 | Brita UltraMax dispenser (Original filter) | Dispenser | $39 | $48 | $87 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 8 | Brita UltraMax dispenser (Elite filter) | Dispenser | $50 | $40 | $90 | Lead, Microplastics | Check price on Amazon |
| 9 | Waterdrop Countertop faucet filter CTF-01 | Countertop filter | $80 | $40 | $120 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 10 | LifeStraw Home 7-cup pitcher | Pitcher | $65 | $127 | $192 | Lead, Microplastics, Cysts | Check price on Amazon |
| 11 | Waterdrop Elfin pitcher PT-05 | Pitcher | $25 | $168 | $193 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 12 | Waterdrop Lucid 10-cup pitcher | Pitcher | $30 | $168 | $198 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 13 | Waterdrop King Tank gravity filter (2.25 gal) | Countertop filter | $230 | $3 | $233 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 14 | Clearly Filtered pitcher | Pitcher | $110 | $133 | $243 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 15 | LARQ Pitcher 2 | Pitcher | $50 | $195 | $245 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 16 | Brita Hub countertop filter | Countertop filter | $195 | $60 | $255 | Lead, Chloramine, Microplastics, VOCs | Check price at Brita |
| 17 | Epic Water Filters Pure XP pitcher | Pitcher | $79 | $216 | $295 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 18 | Epic Water Filters Pure XP dispenser | Dispenser | $89 | $216 | $305 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 19 | ZeroWater 10-cup pitcher | Pitcher | $38 | $272 | $310 | Lead, PFAS, Chromium 6 | Check price on Amazon |
| 20 | ZeroWater 32-cup Ready-Read dispenser | Dispenser | $45 | $272 | $317 | Lead, PFAS, Chromium 6 | Check price on Amazon |
| 21 | Ninja HydraSense | Countertop filter | $250 | $80 | $330 | Lead, PFAS, Chloramine, Microplastics, VOCs | Check price on Amazon |
| 22 | ZeroWater 52-cup Ready-Read dispenser (2 filters) | Dispenser | $65 | $272 | $337 | Lead, PFAS, Chromium 6 | Check price on Amazon |
| 23 | LARQ Pitcher PureVis | Pitcher | $168 | $195 | $363 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 24 | Alexapure Pro gravity filter (Gen 2) | Countertop filter | $280 | $133 | $413 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 25 | Waterdrop K19-H | Countertop reverse osmosis | $379 | $70 | $449 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 26 | Bluevua ROPOT-Lite | Countertop reverse osmosis | $349 | $115 | $464 | Lead | Check price on Amazon |
| 27 | SimPure Y7P-BW | Countertop reverse osmosis | $370 | $117 | $487 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 28 | iSpring RCD100 | Countertop reverse osmosis | $420 | $118 | $538 | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 29 | Aquasana Clean Water Machine | Countertop filter | $400 | $147 | $547 | Lead, PFAS, Chloramine, Microplastics, Cysts, VOCs | Check price on Amazon |
| 30 | Culligan Scout gravity system (2.25 gal) | Countertop filter | $230 | $323 | $553 | Lead, PFAS, Chloramine, Microplastics | Check price on Amazon |
| 31 | Culligan Venture gravity system (3 gal) | Countertop filter | $275 | $323 | $598 | Lead, PFAS, Chloramine, Microplastics | Check price on Amazon |
| 32 | AquaTru Carafe | Countertop reverse osmosis | $375 | — | — | Lead, PFAS, Chloramine, Fluoride, Microplastics, Arsenic, Chromium 6, Nitrate, Cysts, VOCs | Check price at AquaTru |
| 33 | AquaTru Classic | Countertop reverse osmosis | $475 | — | — | Lead, PFAS, Chloramine, Fluoride, Microplastics, Arsenic, Nitrate, Cysts, VOCs | Check price on Amazon |
| 34 | Bluevua RO100ROPOT | Countertop reverse osmosis | $434 | — | — | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 35 | PUR 44-cup dispenser (2 filters) | Dispenser | — | — | — | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 36 | PUR 7-cup pitcher (basic filter) | Pitcher | — | — | — | none of these | Check price on Amazon |
| 37 | PUR Faucet filter (basic, horizontal) | Faucet-mount | — | — | — | Lead, PFAS, Microplastics, VOCs | Check price at PUR |
| 38 | PUR PLUS 11-cup pitcher | Pitcher | — | — | — | Lead, PFAS, Microplastics | Check price at PUR |
| 39 | PUR PLUS 30-cup dispenser | Dispenser | — | — | — | Lead, PFAS, Microplastics | Check price on Amazon |
| 40 | PUR PLUS faucet filter | Faucet-mount | — | — | — | Lead, PFAS, Microplastics, VOCs | Check price at PUR |
First year = purchase price + replacement filters for 2 people (0.28 gal per person a day for drinking-water filters, 58.6 for whole-house), from brand prices checked 2026-10-23. Calculate for your household.
