Buying guides
Best Shower Filters (2026): What They Really Do, and 3 That Are Certified
A shower filter can make chlorinated water smell and feel less harsh. That's about all the evidence supports. If you want one, buy one that's certified for chlorine reduction, because most bestsellers aren't certified for anything.
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Key takeaways
- The only shower filter certification is NSF/ANSI 177, and it covers free chlorine only. The pass mark is a 50% reduction.
- No shower filter we found is certified for chloramine, which more than one in five Americans have in their water. Check your water report first.
- Our picks: Jolie, Weddell Duo and WaterChef SF-7C, all certified for chlorine reduction.
- Good trials haven't shown that treating shower water improves eczema.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Certification | Certifier | Rated capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jolie | NSF/ANSI 177 | NSF | Replace about every 90 days |
| Weddell Duo | NSF/ANSI 177 | NSF | 10,000 gal |
| WaterChef SF-7C | NSF/ANSI 177 | IAPMO R&T | 10,000 gal |
What a shower filter can and can't do
NSF/ANSI 177 is the standard for shower filters. It tests one thing: reduction of free chlorine in hot water, plus material safety and durability. A filter passes if it cuts chlorine by at least 50% over its rated life.[1][2] It doesn't cover lead, PFAS, hardness or chloramine.
Chloramine is the big catch. Many utilities use chloramine instead of chlorine, and the EPA estimates more than one in five Americans drink chloraminated water.[3] Chloramine is harder to remove, and filters that reduce free chlorine may not work on it.[4] We found no shower filter certified for chloramine reduction. Your water quality report says which disinfectant your utility uses.
Will it help my skin or hair?
The honest answer: probably not much. The best study looked at hard water, not chlorine. In a randomized trial of 336 children with eczema, installing a whole-house water softener for 12 weeks gave no additional benefit over usual care.[5] A study of 3-month-old babies linked very hard water to more eczema, but couldn't show cause, and chlorine's role was unclear.[6] No trial we found has tested shower filters for skin or hair. Most shower filter media (carbon, KDF, vitamin C) don't soften water anyway.
What a filter can do is make the chlorine smell less noticeable. If that bothers you, a certified filter is a cheap fix.
Our picks
Best overall
Jolie Filtered Showerhead
Filtered showerhead (replaces your shower head)
The best-known shower filter that's actually listed by NSF for chlorine reduction.
Chlorine: Listed by NSF for free chlorine reduction. Not certified for chloramine. Certified by NSF. See the evidence.
- Swaps in for your shower head with no tools
- On NSF's own NSF/ANSI 177 listing
- Filters need replacing about every 90 days
- Expensive compared with in-line filters
Longest filter life
Weddell Duo Filtered Showerhead (WD-100)
Filtered showerhead
Long filter life: NSF lists it for chlorine reduction over 10,000 gallons.
Chlorine: Listed by NSF for free chlorine reduction, rated 10,000 gallons. Not certified for chloramine. Certified by NSF. See the evidence.
- 10,000-gallon rated capacity
- 2.0 gpm flow
- Smaller brand; check availability
- No chloramine certification
Best budget
WaterChef SF-7C Shower Filter
Filtered showerhead
A budget pick certified for chlorine reduction by IAPMO.
Chlorine: Certified for free chlorine reduction over 10,000 gallons. Not certified for chloramine. Certified by IAPMO R&T. See the evidence.
- Certified 10,000-gallon capacity
- Low-flow ECO version available
- No chloramine certification
- Basic design
All three appear on a certifier's NSF/ANSI 177 listing.[1][7] Check the listing for the current model before you buy, and replace the filter on schedule. A spent filter does nothing.
Popular shower filters we didn't pick
- Aquasana AQ-4100 and Canopy: marketed as “tested to” NSF/ANSI 177, which isn't the same as certified. Neither is on NSF's listing.[1]
- AquaBliss, Pelican and Hello Klean: we found no NSF/ANSI 177 certification for these. Hello Klean says it makes no claim to be performance certified.[8]
- Sprite HO2-WH: some retailers describe it as certified to NSF/ANSI 177, but it's not on NSF's current listing and we couldn't confirm another certifier.
Frequently asked questions
Do shower filters remove chloramine?
We found none certified to. The shower filter standard, NSF/ANSI 177, only covers free chlorine. Some vitamin C filters claim chloramine reduction, but without certification.
Do shower filters help eczema?
There's no good evidence they do. A large randomized trial found that whole-house water softeners gave children with eczema no additional benefit, and no trial has tested shower filters.
What does NSF/ANSI 177 mean?
It certifies that a shower filter reduces free chlorine by at least 50% over its rated capacity in hot water, and that its materials are safe. It doesn't cover any other contaminant.
How often should I change a shower filter?
At its rated capacity or the maker's schedule, usually every 3 to 6 months. Our picks are rated from about 90 days (Jolie) to 10,000 gallons (Weddell, WaterChef).
Sources
- NSF International, NSF/ANSI 177 shower filter listings. info.nsf.org
- Plumbing & Mechanical, “NSF/ANSI Standard 177: a level playing field for shower filter claims”. pmmag.com
- US EPA, “Chloramines in Drinking Water”. epa.gov
- Water Conditioning & Purification, “Trends and effects of chloramine in drinking water”. wcponline.com
- Thomas KS, et al. “A randomised controlled trial of ion-exchange water softeners for the treatment of eczema in children (SWET).” PLoS Medicine 2011. journals.plos.org
- Perkin MR, et al. “Association between domestic water hardness, chlorine, and atopic dermatitis risk in early life.” J Allergy Clin Immunol 2016. openaccess.sgul.ac.uk
- IAPMO R&T certificate for WaterChef SF-7C (NSF/ANSI 177). pdf.lowes.com
- Hello Klean, shower filter product page. helloklean.com
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Rules and certifications change. We last checked these sources on October 8, 2026. Found an error? Tell us and we will correct it.