We all like to think of hopping in the shower as a refreshing, soothing, and above all, cleansing experience, as it should be. However, the unfortunate reality is that there can be numerous toxins in your tap water that make their way out of your showerhead and onto your skin and hair. These various toxins can include the basic hard water minerals, heavy metals, chlorine, harmful bacteria, and even pesticides from land runoff.
The build-up of these toxins can negatively affect the health of your skin, hair, and nails over time and even seep in through your skin’s pores, into the bloodstream, causing internal health issues. How does one get rid of these toxins that inhibit you from getting truly clean in the shower and being at your healthiest?
Shower filters will remove multiple kinds of toxins from your shower water. The type of shower filter you will need depends on your location. Some people have hard water, while others have soft water, for example. The types of toxins you think are lurking in your tap water, and of course, your budget.
Let’s take a look at ten different quality shower filters that won’t break the bank to help you narrow down your search for the best shower filter for hard water.
10 Best Shower Filter for Hard Water
Table of Contents
1. AquaHomeGroup 15 Stage Shower Filter
With a 15-stage water filtration cartridge, AquaHomeGroup Shower Filter helps to remove chlorine, heavy metals, bacteria, pesticides and inhibits the growth of any scale, fungi, mold, and algae. The long-lasting disposable filters provide up to six to eight months of use.
This adds up to 10,000 to 12,000 gallons of pure filtered shower water. It puts to use a powerful blend of KDF-55, active carbon, PP cotton, stainless steel mesh, ceramic balls, and calcium sulfite that work to remove all these toxins from any temperature of shower water.
The simple no tools required, screw-on, screw-off filter installation means less stress. The high-functioning filter cartridge does not take away from your shower’s existing water pressure for an enjoyable shower experience. Its dimensions are 3.6 x 2.9 x 2.6 inches.
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2. AquaBliss High Output Universal Shower Filter
Second up, we have this AquaBliss Chrome Universal Shower Filter. It can remove Chlorine, bacteria, and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, nickel, and chromium. It also prevents the growth and build-up of scale, algae, fungi, and mold on your shower head.
Made out of a combination of KDF 55, calcium sulfite and activated carbon, this AquaBliss shower filter gives you the best possible filtration in both hot and cold water. Its universal hook-up allows for easy installation on all shower types including fixed, rain, and handheld showers heads.
There is no need for tools. It contains a removable filter cartridge that can be replaced easily with a new filter. With long-term use, you can have peace of mind knowing you are showering in clean and pure water, and as you visibly notice your skin, hair, and nails become healthier and stronger. The sleek and simple chrome design makes for an attractive and heavy-duty shower filter.
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3. Culligan WSH-C125 Shower Filter
This chrome finished Culligan WSH-C125 shower filter meets the EPA’s Water Sense certification, saying it uses a maximum amount of 2.0 gallons of water per minute or less, making it a more environmentally friendly option.
It’s WHR-140 filter cartridge filters out sulfur odor, 99% of Chlorine, and scale for as long as 6 months, or for a full 10,000 gallons of water, and even has a massage feature for added comfort ability. Patented filter media bacteriostatic prevents the passage, and therefore the growth of bacteria.
The anti-clog rubber spray nozzles have five different adjustable spray settings for preference flexibility, including a maximum water spray for full-body coverage or a pulse massage shower head setting for a more luxurious shower.
The Culligan WSH-C125 shower filter system has been tested and certified by NSF International against ANSI Standard 177. Its dimensions of1.5 pounds and 4.8 x 8.5 x 12.2 inches makes it fit on any standard 1/2 inch threaded shower head arm. All you need for the installation is the included Teflon tape to attach this Culligan shower filter to your existing shower arm.
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4. Aqua Earth 15 Stage Shower Filter with Vitamin C Shower Filters for Hard Water
By the Aqua Earth Company, the AQUA-15 Deluxe shower filter system comes with an adjustable showerhead that features multiple massage settings and intense water pressure due to Aqua Earth’s unique two-stage up-flow filter cartridge design.
The coconut shell carbon and copper-zinc inside of the filter not only reduce Chlorine, lead, mercury, iron, hydrogen sulfide, pesticides, herbicides, and other volatile organic compounds from your water, but the coconut shell covering the carbon serves to improve the taste and smell of your water.
Lasting up to six months, or an entire 10,000 gallons of pure, chemical-free shower water, you won’t have to worry about replacing the filter for a while. It has an easy twist on, twist off installation and replacement and measures approximately 8.5 x 7.2 x 3.2 inches, weighing 2.6 pounds.
It has the best flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute and operating pressure of 80 psi (pounds per square inch.) It is suitable for temperatures up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The AQUA-15 comes in color white and is made from a plastic material coating.
5. Captain Eco Silver Eco Shower Filter
Using the purifying power of activated Carbon Calcium Sulfite, Negative Ion Maifan Balls, and KDF 55, this shower filter from Captain Eco removes harmful sediments, particles, and Chlorine. Its inline filtration system inhibits the growth of health hazards like bacteria and algae.
This, in turn, reduces the risk of allergies, asthma, eczema, cancer, and bronchitis, making it perfect for babies, children, and pets. It works great for hard water too, as it does to soften hard alkaline water for softer, less harsh, less mineralized water. This leads to healthier skin, hair, nails, and a cleaner body overall. Although it works with all standard low pressure and high-pressure showerheads, high pressure is, of course, preferable for better performance.
Included with this shower filter are some rubber washers, an extra cartridge, and instructions. The color is an attractive silver with a durable and rust-resistant chrome finish, and it weighs 1.35 pounds, with 7.8 x 3.8 x 3.7 inches.
6. Rainshow’r – CQ 1000 MS Shower Filter
The CQ 1000 MS shower filter from Rainshow’r effectively traps particulates. Its specially-formulated KDF-55 filter media removes 90% or more of the Chlorine from your shower water. It is safe for the environment as it destabilizes the free Chlorine and turns it into a harmless soluble chloride in the process.
NSF CERTIFIED, the CQ-1000 shower filter has been tested and certified by the Water Quality Association and meets NSF Standard 177 for their standard of Reduction of Free Chlorine.
The filter lasts a span of six to nine months before needing a replacement, for a total of 25000 gallons of water. Weighing 1 pound, with dimensions of 3.8 x 4 x 8.2 inches, this silver and white massaging shower head water filter by Rainshow’r is ready to make your shower cleaner!
7. Sprite HO2-WH-M Universal Shower Filter
This attractive HO2-WH-M Sprite shower filter contains a reversible filter cartridge that eliminates Chlorine from your shower’s water. Its high capacity, patented Chlorgon non-carbon media filter will remove significant levels of Chlorine from your water, and it includes a massaging shower head that has three spray settings.
It comes in color white and has a durable design that weighs 1.8 pounds and features 8 x 3.2 x 3.2 inches. You will gain healthier, softer, healthier skin and hair when using the Sprite HO2-WH-M shower filter as the chemicals are filtered out of your shower water.
8. WaterChef Premium Shower Filter System SF-7C
The WaterChef SF-7C shower filter featuring a powerful two-stage purifying filtration system implements ThermalGuard technology that has been NSF tested and certified (NSF/ANSI Standard 177) for maximum chlorine reduction. This SF-7C premium shower filter by WaterChef is made with a polished chrome design for a pleasing aesthetic. It has an adjustable spray wand with five spray settings, including a pulsating massage.
You can be sure of its stability, as it is made out of high Impact, plated ABS with strong metal fittings. It comes with anti-clog rubber spray nozzles and a 60-inch stainless steel flex-hose that is made without PVC and is completely odorless.
It is fast and easy to fix, made to mount on the wall, with an included pre-installed cartridge and a three-year warranty. Its filter does not need to be replaced for 6 months or 10,000 gallons of water per cartridge.
It puts out a maximum water pressure of 100 PSI, has a flow rate of 2.5 GPM, and a water consumption rate of 2.5 GPM as well. The SF-7C weighs 2.35 pounds, has dimensions of 3.5 x 12 x 12 inches and for an added benefit, highlights a stylish chrome color and finish.
9. Pelican Water PSF-1 3-Stage Premium Shower Filter
The PSF-1 three-stage premium shower filter from Pelican Water comes in white. It filters out common household water contaminants including Chlorine, chloramines and other chemicals, while also eliminating unpleasant odors from your water.
On top of this, it includes an optional ocean breeze scented bar for even more aromatherapy. Its steady water pressure maintains a consistent flow of water throughout your shower session. Its BPA-free design comes equipped with a long-lasting three-stage filter that removes over 96% of Chlorine.
The dual-flow shower head can be alternated between high flow operation and a 1.5 GPM water flow conservation mode for more environmentally friendly settings. It features a 5-foot massaging shower wand for ease of use and an included clip for shower accessories. Its average cartridge replacement time is around every six months, meaning it lasts for 15,000 gallons of water or 750 ten minute showers.
The Pelican water filter is easy to install and easy to replace the filter with its ‘Quick Connect’ design. It weighs 8 ounces and has dimensions of 3.8 x 3.8 x 6.2 inches. The material is plastic, with handsome white color and it comes with a 1-year warranty.
10. New Wave Shower Filter With Free Aromatherapy Diffuser Ring
This simple white and compact shower filter by the new wave Company will fit any standard shower and requires no tools for assembly or unique plumbing fixtures. Its specialty is the reduction of Chlorine to prevent chlorine absorption into the skin and inhalation of chlorine gases from your shower water.
However, it is powerful enough to reduce Hydrogen sulfide and heavy metals and even softens your hard water. The filter lasts for around a full year of use, at which time you can easily find a replacement cartridge filter at most stores. Its exact dimensions are 3.6 x 3.6 x 8.6 inches and 1.41 pounds.
Another plus? This New Wave shower filter now comes with a free aromatherapy diffuser ring. You can put your favorite aroma into using essential oils and place around the outside of the filter for different showering pleasure.
Best Shower Filter For Hard Water Buying Guide
What Contaminants Are You Looking to Reduce?
Before you know what contaminants you want to get out of your water, you need to know what exactly is contaminating your tap water. To figure this out, you can simply get a CCR report from your local water utility/authority.
If you are not able to obtain a CCR, another option is to get your water independently tested. Once you know what particular toxins your water has, you can start to look for shower filters that suit your filtering needs. This can include shower filters that reduce chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals, sand, pesticides, and more. Do you desire to soften your hard water as well?
Filtering Capacity
This refers to the amount of filtered water that can pass through the shower filter cartridge. The larger the pores in the shower filter, the more water it can filter in one shower. What are its maximum water flow rate and water pressure psi?
Filter Requirements
Is it a gravity-fed filter or does it need electricity? A gravity-fed shower filter lowers your electricity use, meaning a lower electric bill. How durable are the water filter cartridges? How long do they last between needing replacements? What are the costs of replacing the cartridges? Aim for longer-lasting, yet cheaper cartridge using shower filters.
Get Familiar with the Three Types of Shower Filters
KDF (kinetic degradation fluxion) Filter:
Made of a blend of copper and zinc, when water flows through a KDF filter, a small electrical charge occurs. This electrical charge then causes the Chlorine in the water to mix with the minerals in the water (being usually calcium or another alkaline mineral). This chemical reaction produces a harmless chloride substance.
Vitamin C Filter:
These filters contain a block of vitamin c or ascorbic acid within them. As the water flows through, the vitamin c kills off about 99% of the Chlorine and chloramines in the water. It does not, however completely neutralize the Chlorine and chloramines until all of the ascorbic acids are used.
Carbon Filters:
With the help of its naturally sticky surface, the carbon removes impurities from water, specifically Chlorine. They come in varying grades. A high-grade carbon shower filter is needed for warm water showers, as a carbon filter is typically best used in cold water temperatures, being most effective in temperatures ranging from 50 to 80 degrees Farenheight. Because of this, a two-stage, high-grade carbon filter is required for higher temperatures. Carbon shower filters also tend to clog easier.
Also, be sure not to buy a carbon filter containing a KDF cartridge before the carbon. This is because activated carbon takes oxygen out of the water, but the KDF needs oxygen to filter properly.
Make sure you know what extra features you want/need
- Does it work in hot and cold water?
- Do you want a handheld shower wand?
- Do you want a shower filter with a certain design/color/ size, etc?
Pick a shower filter that fits your bathroom’s needs
- Low water pressure: If you have low water pressure, a stationary shower filter, as opposed to a hand-held wand, will function better.
- The height of your shower arm: If your shower arm is somewhat high, a stationary shower filter will work better for you, whereas a medium height to low shower arm may be better suited for a handheld version, as it will extend the height of the showerhead.
Is the shower filter easy to install and replace?
No one wants to spend more time installing and replacing their shower filter than you finish using it.
Less Chlorine:
Chlorine is commonly found in the water we use to drink and wash with. We need it in small amounts, but in larger amounts over time, it is considered a dangerous toxin that can cause free radicals to build up over time. It can enter the bloodstream, especially in warm shower water, very quickly. It is very harmful to our health, both physically and mentally. It can also mix with other particulates in the water, forming other toxic compounds like trihalomethanes. One of these possible trihalomethanes includes chloroform, a poisonous substance that can make you pass out.
Softer Skin:
The warm water opens up your pores, allowing for even more dermal absorption of toxic contaminants. Hard water mineral build-up can cause the skin to dry out and be left with a residue film lying on the surface and cause skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema to become worsened.
Shower filters for hard water soften the water, meaning no hard water residue and softer, healthier skin. Even just trace amounts of Chlorine in your water can cause dry, irritated skin from the residue it leaves behind, as it bonds to your skin. In the process, it removes moisture and messes with the natural balance of beneficial bacteria, creating harmful, bad bacteria as a result.
Shiny soft hair:
Hard water contains minerals and oxidizers that can dry out your scalp and hair strands. Chlorine removes the hair of its natural oils and it toxic to the hair follicles, causing a dry and scaly scalp. Using a shower filter to reduce Chlorine and hard water can leave you with the healthier, softer, shinier, and silkier hair that you never knew you had!
Cleaner Air:
As a hot shower vaporizes, it released THM’s into the air. Warm air from the hot shower water opens up your lungs, making it that much easier to inhale these chemicals into your bloodstream, causing significant health issues over time.
Reduces Risk of Cancer:
Chemicals in the unfiltered water like Chlorine and chloramines have been linked to cancers and other health issues.
Various studies have found that communities of people using chlorinated and chloraminated water supplies have increased risks of bladder, kidney, and rectal cancers. Recent studies have shown that women with breast cancer have 50 to 60% higher levels of chlorination in their breast tissue than women who do not have breast cancer.
Filters out the nasty gunk in Showerhead:
There are a ton of bad bacteria from things like mold and fungi, called “biofilm” on over 60% of showerheads that were tested in a recent study by biology Professor Norman Pace of the University of Colorado. The most dangerous of which is a Mycobacterium avium, which is a pathogen that can cause pulmonary disease.
You will look more youthful:
Due to all of these taxing issues on skin and hair, studies have shown Chlorine has an aging effect on the body. How it speeds the again process is similar to how too much sun exposure can cause wrinkles. The EPA says that chlorine byproducts trigger the production of free radicals in the body, causing cell damage, and are highly carcinogenic.
You will stop inhaling chlorine gas when taking a shower:
Researchers have detected increased amounts of chloroform (which as we stated earlier can be produced when Chlorine has a chemical reaction with other substances) in study participants’ lungs at levels of about 2.7ppb after they took a 10-minute shower.
Lung inhalation during a 10-minute shower has proven to pose a greater health risk than the amount that would be ingested by drinking 8 glasses of the same water. The shower is the biggest releaser of harmful water vapors in a household. During a shower, the chemicals in the water vaporize much faster than the water does.
What comes from this are dangerous VOC gases (Volatile organic compounds), like those released from the burning of wood, coal, gasoline, or natural gas, and cigarettes that contain much higher amounts of chemicals than the water alone. These resulting toxic gas levels are estimated to be around 10-30% higher concentrations.
The EPA has newly come out with a statement saying that “Virtually every home in America has a detectable level of chloroform gas in the air due to chlorine and showering.”
A Shower Filter will help you be more energized and strong chlorine has been known to cause physical fatigue, mental depression, and a significantly lower autoimmune function. This makes it more difficult for your body to fight allergies and infectious diseases.
Reduce your risk of cancer:
Various research studies have found that showering can increase your risk of cancer. This is since the vaporized chlorine fumes being inhaled into the body is damaging to the lungs. The Center for Disease Control says that people who take hot showers take in more Chlorine and it’s the hazardous byproducts it creates than they do from simply drinking tap water.
This is corroborated by multiple studies conducted in Colorado and Massachusetts finding that Chlorine and its byproduct, chloramine (chlorine and ammonia) were in the tap water and were directly linked to deaths from cancers of the bladder, rectum, and kidney.
Final Verdict
All of these ten shower filters are quality, purifying filters at reasonable prices. The best shower filter for hard water from the above list can be determined based on the considerations listed above. Your main goal may be to a shower filter for reducing chlorine exposure or the best shower head filter for hard water to soften your water, or both.
You may be seeking advanced filtration that can filter as many toxins from your shower water as possible for the cleanest, most soothing shower water you can attain. From the looks of it, the Best Shower Filter for people not looking to not spend too much money but still wanting to reap the benefits of chlorine reduction and any other contaminants, the Aquasana AQ-4100 Deluxe Shower Water Filter System with Adjustable Showerhead is the best overall option.