Welcome to our Aquasana AQ-4100 Deluxe Shower Water Filter System Review. Since the title for this filter is certainly a mouthful, we’ll refer to it as the AQ-4100. Along with our comprehensive review, we’ll also compare Aquasana vs Jonathan Shower Filter. These two systems look identical from the outside, but the guts of the systems are where the differences lie.
This month is shower filter review month here at AWMS, and we’ve investigated just about every filter on the market. We know what makes them all different and the advantages of owning one over the other.
Is the Aquasana AQ-4100 the best shower filter for your home? That’s one of several key questions our review answers.
Everyone has different water situations. The first question is, are you on well water or municipal water? Then, it’s important to determine whether your water is treated with chloramines.
Let’s start by exploring the key features of the AQ-4100.
Aquasana AQ-4100 Overview
| Model | Features & Highlights |
| Aquasana Deluxe Shower Filter (AQ-4100)
 |
|
Aquasana AQ-4105
Aquasana AQ-4105CHR
|
|
What to expect?
As part of our analysis for each product we review, we investigate current info to identify the pros and cons of owning a product. We then pass along our findings to you to help you save time and make the most informed buying decision.
Here’s what we gathered about the Aquasana shower filter:
- Installation is quite easy for almost everyone.
- We’ve concluded that shower filtration systems with wands aren’t the most reliable in general. We recommend sticking with the AQ-4100 or buying the AQ-4100 without the head and using your existing showerhead or wand.
- You’ll most likely notice an improvement in hair texture. The filter is also good for color-treated hair to prevent premature fading.
- Going back to Vegas in 2009, my filter never leaked, although I can’t confirm how much the quality or design has changed since then.
- The filter does a great job of removing the rotten egg smell (hydrogen sulfide).
- If you’re dealing with iron-rich well water, we recommend our list of best shower filters for iron and sulfur smell removal.
- Dandruff and acne relief
Aquasana vs Jonathan Shower Filter
Now, let’s compare the AQ-4100 vs the Jonathan Beauty Water shower filter for hard water.
 |
||
| Model | Aquasana AQ-4100 | Jonathan 415 |
| Filter Life | 10,000 gallons or up to 6 months | Up to 6 months |
| Filter Media | KDF-55 (Redox Media), Coconut-Derived Activated Carbon | Granular Activated Carbon w/ Ion Exchange Resin, Redox Media |
| Chlorine Reduction % | 90%+ | 91% |
| Removes Chloramines? | No | N/A |
| Removes Fluoride? | No | N/A |
| NSF/ANSI Standards | 42 & 61 | No |
| Warranty | 1-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty | 100-Day Warranty |
| Price | Check at Amazon #ad | Check at Amazon #ad |
Who Wins?
Below, I list several key considerations to make before you decide which filter is better for your home:
- The Jonathan Beauty brand is less trustworthy in our opinion and relatively unknown. Aquasana is a well-established water filtration company that manufactures a wide range of water filters.
- Jonathan Beauty does not have a website, which makes it mighty difficult to gather information about the filter and check for a water analysis report. Aquasana shows the test results for the AQ-4100 on its website.
- An interesting point we do want to note is the Jonathan Beauty filter contains GAC w/ ion-exchange resin. The Pelican Premium PSF-1 Shower Filter also contains GAC, and it effectively removes chloramine. It would be nice if Jonathan made more information about its filter available to check if it’s an effective chloramine shower filter.
- Results for the Jonathan shower filter are mixed. Some women report loving the filter because of the positive effect it has on their hair while others said it did not work. In our opinion, this could be a quality control issue that’s worth noting before you buy.
- Overall, we like the guts of the Jonathan filter because the technology is sound, but we would like to see more info from the company about the filter. For this reason and several others, we choose the Aquasana AQ-4100 filter.
Aquasana Wins!
Our Aquasana Shower Filter Review
Now it’s time for our two cents. Since I have personal experience using this filter, and we’ve spent a lot of time analyzing the AQ-4100 during shower filter review month, we feel more than qualified to offer an accurate assessment.
I broke our review into two parts: our likes and our dislikes. Let’s start with the bad news.
Dislikes
- Be aware that the AQ-4100 does not remove chloramines. If you have chloramines, Aquasana offers a special filter upon request. If you like the AQ-4100 and have chloramines, contact Aquasana directly to request their chloramine shower filter. We also recommend our guide on choosing the best Vitamin C shower filter and our list of the best chloramine shower filters for additional options.
- After reviewing every type of shower filter on the market, we’ve grown to like shower filters that can be back-washed or come with reversible filters the most. If you have iron-rich well water or sediment in your water, backwashing the filter pushes out all the trapped gunk and extends the life of the filter. We recommend the AQ-4100 for municipal water, but there are better options for iron-rich well water, such as the Berkey shower filter.
- AQ-4100 filter life is shorter than others we’ve reviewed, and the price for a replacement filter is higher than other brands.
Likes
- We appreciate company transparency, and we ranked the AQ-4100 as one of the best shower filters for chlorine removal since Aquasana posts its water analysis report.
- We prefer 2 or 3-stage shower filters over 12 or 15-stage filters for most scenarios. The AQ-4100 contains filtration media that gets the job done without any fluff. KDF-55 is the chosen media for shower filters because it effectively removes chlorine from hot shower water at elevated flow rates. The AQ-4100 has a thick layer of KDF-55 and activated carbon for additional contaminant/odor removal.
- The filter is NSF/ANSI certified to Standard 42 for chlorine removal (the same NSF Standard Brita filters are tested to meet).
- The Aquasana shower filter feedback is more positive than negative. Outside of several leak reports, most users are experiencing hair, nail, and skin benefits. Considering my AQ-4100 never leaked, unless Aquasana changed the design since I owned it, the filter more than likely won’t leak if installed properly.
- Most users notice no drop in water pressure after installing the filter.
- The long Aquasana warranty period and 90-day money-back satisfaction guarantee are better than what most competing brands offer.
Final Score: 8/10
Bottom Line
After investigating the current Aquasana shower filter info and expanding upon our analysis of the AQ-4100, we remain confident that this is one of the top shower filters currently on the market. It’s been around longer than most other filters currently available and has made lots of people happy along the way, including me.
Our only reminder is to check your tap water for chloramines or call your local water utility to ask them directly if they use chloramines. Since this filter does not remove chloramines, there are better options available.
Bottom line, the Aquasana AQ-4100 Deluxe Shower Water Filter System is a reliable shower filter sold by a trustworthy company.
