The 8 Best Water Filters for Apartments • (2024 Renter’s Guide)

Last updated Feb 15, 2024

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Welcome to our guide to choosing the best water filter for your apartment. We put together this guide especially for apartment dwellers since choosing a water filter for your apartment is a unique process. A majority of landlords don’t allow tenants to modify the property to the point of no return, nor would you want to unless you plan on living in the same apartment for the rest of your days.

The main consideration is portability when choosing a water filter for your apartment, yet you want to avoid sacrificing filtration quality. The key is to find the perfect balance between portability & quality, and that’s exactly what we did when we prepared this helpful guide for you.

Over the past year, we’ve reviewed and researched a wide range of water filtration systems, from water ionizers to eccentric countertop systems. We’re confident that by the end of our guide, you’ll find the best water filter for your apartment and be drinking crisp, refreshing H2O in no time at all.

8 Best Water Filters for Apartments

Let’s start with the most basic option, the water filter pitcher. I know, I know, you’re thinking, This guy better not tell me to buy a Brita because I didn’t need to come here to know that. I promise you won’t find any Brita products here. We dug deeper than that, and we don’t recommend Brita in general.

Alkaline Water Filter Pitchers

#1 Seychelle pH2O Pitcher

#2 Hskyhan Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher

Why buy an alkaline water pitcher?

You may be wondering, Why would I want an alkaline water pitcher? There are several reasons to drink alkaline water within the ideal pH range. The number one reason is most people prefer the taste of alkaline water over slightly-acidic reverse osmosis water or Brita filtered water.

The second reason is to experience the benefits of alkaline water. I’ve personally been drinking alkaline ionized water for over a year straight every day, and I feel excellent. Several of the benefits I’ve experienced are more energy, better focus, and the reversal of an unforgiving case of heartburn.

Seychelle & Hskyhan Highlights

Why do we recommend Seychelle and Hskyhan? Seychelle pH2O is the best overall water filter pitcher we’ve come across, and we’ve taken a close look at almost every available water filter pitcher on the market. These are the reasons we recommend these two pitchers:

  • Seychelle removes up to 90% of fluoride and an extensive list of additional water contaminants. It’s the most powerful filter we’ve seen offered in an alkaline water pitcher.
  • Seychelle products are made in the USA and have been manufactured in an ISO-certified facility for over 20 years.
  • You’re likely to love the taste of Seychelle filtered water.
  • The Hskyhan pitcher is a reliable alkaline water filter pitcher for a budget price.
  • Hyskhan replacement filters are super affordable and last longer than competing brands.

If you’re looking for hardcore water filtration from a pitcher, it’s difficult to beat the Seychelle pH2O. Hskyhan is a great budget option for people who want delicious alkaline water without the high price tag.

Interested in more options? We recommend our list of top 10 best alkaline water pitchers of 2019.

Want to know more about Seychelle and Hskyhan?

Standard Water Filter Pitchers

#3 Epic Pure Water Filter Pitcher

#3 Waterdrop Extream Water Pitcher

If you’re not feeling the alkaline water wave, the two pitchers above are excellent alternatives to Brita. Both pitchers have long-lasting filters, with the Waterdrop rated at a whopping 200 gallons and Epic at 150 gallons.

Highlights

  • Epic is the pricier option, but with this pitcher, you get what you pay for. Similar to the Seychelle pitcher, Epic filters do an incredible job of removing water contaminants, including significant fluoride reduction. Epic tested its filters on Flint, Michigan (heavy lead) water with tremendous results. That speaks volumes to us. If you live in Florida, NJ, or other areas with water contamination problems, the Epic pitcher will treat you quite well.
  • We previously wrote a Waterdrop filters review, and we were impressed by the company’s line of products. Waterdrop manufacturers a wide range of filters, including refrigerator, faucet, and pitcher filters. They’re most well-known for their refrigerator filters, and we like their Extream pitcher. It’s mighty affordable, the replacement filters last long, and you’ll save money compared to buying Brita.
  • The Waterdrop pitcher has visual appeal with a wooden handle. Waterdrop filters are NSF/ANSI-certified. Overall, Waterdrop is a reliable filter brand that sells a quality under-the-radar filter pitcher.

Countertop Water Filtration Systems

Countertop water filters are the next best option after pitchers. There are several types of countertop water filters, including alkaline water options. These are our top 2 picks in the countertop department:

#5 Apex Countertop Alkaline Water Filter

#6 Zen Water Systems

About Apex

The Apex countertop filter is the perfect mix of portability and powerful filtration. If you’re on a one-year lease, you’ll have no problem packing the Apex filter since it’s even smaller than a pitcher. It’s also super easy to install. All you do is install a screw-on faucet diverter that’s included with the filter, and you’re good to go.

After just a few minutes, you have filtered alkaline water on tap. The Apex filter is one of our top alkaline water dispenser systems for good reason. It’s affordable, easy to install, super portable, made in the USA, and BPA-Free.

About Zen Water Systems

The Zen Water Systems gravity water filter certainly isn’t for everyone, and it’s less portable, but it’s a great way to get delicious alkaline water on tap in your apartment around the clock. If you regularly host guests or live with multiple roommates, the Zen system makes gallons of filtered water at a time.

I remember how annoying it was many moons ago when I was in college, and we would sit around waiting for the Brita to filter. Zen cuts out that hassle, and it does an excellent job of removing contaminants with its ceramic and multi-stage filters. If you’re not tight on space and looking for convenience, the Zen system requires minimal maintenance and filter changes.

It’s our best countertop alkaline water filter because it’s affordable, gets the job done, and makes a large quantity of deliciously fresh alkaline water that mimics nature.

Countertop Reverse Osmosis System

We’re huge fans of a reverse osmosis filter with remineralization. Don’t let the words “reverse osmosis” scare you away. It’s a lot less complicated than it sounds. In fact, the APEC reverse osmosis countertop system below is ridiculously easy to install and maintain:

#7 APEC Countertop Alkaline Reverse Osmosis System

Highlights

  • Why do we recommend reverse osmosis with remineralization? Reverse osmosis filtration does such a thorough job of filtering water that it removes natural mineral pH buffers that most filters leave intact. For this reason, plain reverse osmosis water is typically slightly acidic with a very low TDS (total dissolved solids). RO systems with remineralization fix this problem by adding a mineral filter cartridge to the system that adds essential alkaline minerals back to the water.
  • An RO system makes incredibly pure water that’s virtually 100% free of contaminants. The APEC system is more powerful than all the other water filters included in this guide. It removes everything, including fluoride, lead, VOCs, chromium, arsenic, and all other water contaminants.
  • APEC is one of the top dogs in the reverse osmosis game, and this system is better than comparable options such as the AquaTru Water Filter. The APEC system costs significantly less than AquaTru, it’s a lot more portable, easier to set up, and APEC as a company knows how to make a quality water filter.
  • The biggest drawback to an RO system – particularly a countertop RO system – is the volume of wastewater. For every gallon of filtered water, the system makes roughly three gallons of wastewater. A lot of people use RO wastewater on their plants or for other household uses.
  • Renters who own this system love it, and their lower backs are thanking them because they’re no longer hauling 5-gallon water jugs around. A good idea is to purchase a separate BPA-free water jug or large insulated stainless steel bottle to store the remineralized RO water to drink throughout the day.

Faucet Water Filter

Our least favorite and final option is a faucet water filter. Why is it our least favorite? Faucet filters are notorious for leaking and breaking. The other problem is the contact time between your water and the filter. Since the water flows quickly through the filter, it barely makes contact with the filter media.

The main reason we’re including a faucet filter on this list is that it’s a convenient option for apartment tenants. Faucet filters are easy to install, maintain, and the easiest of all the water filters on this list to use. What we love most is the ability to flick the faucet filter on to rinse fruits and vegetables or fill pots when cooking pasta.

Below is our top faucet filter pick:

#8 pH Purify by Invigorated Water

Highlights

  • Invigorated Water is one of the best alkaline water filter companies. They sell a wide range of alkaline water filtration products. The pH Purify faucet filter is currently the only reliable alkaline water faucet filter from a trustworthy source we could find.
  • Shower mode is great for washing fruits and veggies.
  • The massive 6-month filter life is awesome.
  • Invigorated’s multi-stage filter does a better job than a standard carbon filter by increasing surface area and contact time with your source water for overall healthier filtered water.
  • It’s best to buy replacement filters directly from Invigorated Water. Click Here #ad to view the current price for replacement filters.

Final Thoughts

Now you know how to choose the best water filter for your apartment! Never again will you need to lug around giant bottles of water. You’ll also save money since a bottled water habit is more expensive to maintain than the filters included in this guide.