Water Filter Brands for Chlorine Removal, Sorted by Where the Filter Goes

For chlorine taste and smell, a carbon filter placed where you draw your drinking water does the job, and each spot has its own set of brands. In the fridge, the Viomi Inno 13-Cup Water Filter Pitcher reduces chlorine by up to 97.2% through its 4-stage composite filter, and Brita and PUR make pitcher cartridges for the same job. At the kitchen faucet you already use, the Viomi Under-Sink Water Filtration System (VM-IUO1PCW-L-US) connects to the cold line and sends carbon-filtered water out of the existing spout, as do the Aquasana Claryum Direct Connect and Waterdrop 15UA. For every tap including the shower, whole-house carbon such as the Aquasana Rhino works at the main line.

If chlorine is the only complaint, a carbon filter with a chlorine claim is enough, and reverse osmosis (RO) is not required. RO becomes worth it when the same household also wants dissolved solids or other specific substances reduced in drinking water, which is where a system such as the Viomi M1 fits: chlorine is among the items it was independently tested for by SGS.

Why Carbon Handles Chlorine Taste

Chlorine is added by utilities to disinfect water on its way through the pipes, and what reaches the tap is a small leftover amount that many people can smell and taste. Activated carbon is the media chlorine filters are typically built on, from the Viomi Inno pitcher cartridge to the Aquasana Rhino's whole-house tank.

The standard that covers this kind of claim is NSF/ANSI 42. NSF describes it as the standard under which filters "are certified to reduce aesthetic impurities such as chlorine and taste/odor," for both point-of-use products such as pitchers and under-sink units and whole-house systems. The practical point for a shopper is that the claim belongs to a specific model and cartridge, and each brand rates that cartridge for a set number of gallons or months. A pitcher filter rated for a couple of months and a whole-house tank rated for years can both reduce chlorine; they differ in how much water they treat before the carbon needs replacing.

Chlorine Filters by Where They Sit

In the Fridge: Pitchers

A pitcher suits renters, dorm rooms and anyone who wants drinking water with less chlorine taste without touching the plumbing. The trade-off every pitcher shares is batch filtering: you fill it, wait, and pour.

The Viomi Inno 13-Cup Water Filter Pitcher is a good fit for a household that wants a large pitcher with a replacement reminder built in. Its 4-stage composite filter reduces chlorine by up to 97.2% and helps improve taste and odor. The 3.2 L (13-cup) body is slim enough for most refrigerator doors, the materials are BPA-free, and a flip-top opening lets you refill from the tap without taking the lid off. An electronic indicator on the lid shows remaining filter life as both a percentage and estimated days left; after fitting a new cartridge, holding the START button for 8 seconds resets it to a fresh 60-day countdown. Each cartridge lasts up to 2 months under normal use, and replacements come in 3-pack and 6-pack sets.

Brita and PUR pitcher cartridges target chlorine as well. Brita's Standard filter (model OB03) is certified by WQA to NSF/ANSI 42 for chlorine, taste and odor, and Brita rates it for 40 gallons, about two months in most homes. PUR's PLUS pitcher filter (PPF951K) is certified by IAPMO R&T to NSF/ANSI 42 for chlorine and taste and odor, with a rating of up to 40 gallons or two months. Brita's Elite cartridge (OB06) also lists chlorine taste and odor among its reductions and runs 120 gallons, roughly six months by Brita's estimate.

On the Kitchen Faucet You Already Use

For a family that drinks and cooks a lot, refilling a pitcher gets old quickly. A direct-connect under-sink filter puts carbon on the cold-water line, so cold water drawn from the regular kitchen faucet has passed through it.

The Viomi Under-Sink Water Filtration System (VM-IUO1PCW-L-US) is built for city-water kitchens that want less chlorine taste and odor at the main faucet. Its 3/8" direct-connect hoses fit the standard 3/8" feed valves under most U.S. kitchen sinks, and an included 3/8" to 1/2" adapter covers 1/2" lines. Inside is one 2-in-1 cartridge combining PP cotton and a carbon rod at 0.5-micron precision, built to reduce chlorine and unpleasant tastes and odors. It uses no electricity and no countertop hole, the twist-and-lock cartridge comes out without tools, and on municipal water each cartridge lasts up to 12 months. Intertek has authorized the NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 mark for this model, covering the lead content of the materials that touch your water. Connect it to the cold supply only, and leave at least 60 mm below the housing so the cartridge can be twisted out later.

Two other direct-connect options show up often in chlorine comparisons. The Aquasana Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1) is listed by IAPMO R&T under NSF/ANSI 42 for both chlorine and chloramine, and Aquasana rates it for 784 gallons or up to six months. The Waterdrop 15UA is listed by IAPMO R&T under NSF/ANSI 42 for chlorine, taste and odor, and Waterdrop rates it for up to 24 months. A faucet-mount system such as the PUR PFM400H with its PUR PLUS (RF-9999) filter is another way to filter at the kitchen tap, rated for up to 100 gallons or three months per filter.

A Separate Drinking Tap Under the Sink

Some households prefer to leave the main faucet unfiltered for dishes and keep a small tap just for drinking water. The Viomi Under-Sink Carbon Filter uses the same 0.5-micron PP cotton and carbon rod cartridge as the direct-connect model and adds its own faucet in the box. It needs one faucet hole in the counter or sink deck, connects to the cold supply through an included three-way ball valve, and runs without power or a drain line.

When RO Belongs in the Plan

Reverse osmosis is a broader system than a chlorine filter, and its carbon stages cover chlorine as part of the job. If chlorine taste is the whole problem, a carbon filter with a chlorine claim handles it with less hardware. RO earns its place when the water report or a home test points to dissolved solids or other specific substances you also want reduced in drinking water.

In that case, look for chlorine among the RO system's own listed or tested items. The Viomi M1, a tankless 9-stage, 1000 GPD system with a 3:1 pure-to-drain ratio, adds selected minerals back after purification and is designed for municipal tap water; chlorine is among the items it was independently tested for by SGS. AquaTru's IAPMO R&T listing under NSF/ANSI 42 also names chlorine and chloramine reduction.

Every Tap, Including the Shower

Pitchers and under-sink filters treat the water at the point they serve, not the plumbing as a whole. If the smell bothers you in the shower or laundry, a whole-house system where water enters the home covers every tap, while a shower filter covers one showerhead.

• Whole-house carbon. The Aquasana Rhino (WH-1000) pairs activated carbon with copper-zinc (KDF) media and is independently tested to NSF/ANSI 42 for up to 97% chlorine reduction, rated for 1,000,000 gallons or 10 years. Aquasana's Rhino Chloramines model uses upgraded catalytic carbon and is independently tested to NSF/ANSI 42 for up to 83% chloramine and 97% chlorine reduction. SpringWell describes its CF whole-house system as removing chlorine and chloramine from city water using KDF, catalytic carbon and sediment filtration.
• Shower filters. NSF/ANSI 177 is the standard for filters that attach in front of the showerhead, and NSF notes they are "certified to only reduce free available chlorine." That makes them a fit for chlorinated supplies, and a reason to read the disinfectant line in your water report first.

Your Utility's Disinfectant Line Changes the Shortlist

EPA requires community water systems to deliver an annual water quality report, the Consumer Confidence Report, to their customers by July 1, and one line in it matters a lot for this decision: the disinfectant. Some utilities use free chlorine and others use chloramine, and the report is the place to look for which one yours uses.

The Water Quality Association's chloramine technical brief describes chloramines as small, stable molecules, so a cartridge's chlorine claim does not automatically tell you how it handles chloramine. If your report names chloramine, compare filters on a stated chloramine claim rather than a chlorine claim alone. Our guide to water filter brands for chloramine covers that question in detail.

FAQ

Does a filter that handles chlorine also handle chloramine?

Not automatically. Chlorine and chloramine are listed as separate claims under NSF/ANSI 42, so a product's chloramine claim is the one to read when your utility uses chloramine. Our chloramine guide compares brands on that claim.

Is reverse osmosis worth it if chlorine taste is my only complaint?

For chlorine alone, a carbon pitcher, faucet filter or under-sink carbon filter is the simpler answer. RO makes more sense when you also want dissolved solids lowered or your water report shows other substances you want reduced in drinking water. Chlorine is still part of the job then; the Viomi M1, for example, was tested by SGS for chlorine among other items.

What about chlorine in the shower and the rest of the house?

Kitchen filters don't reach the bathroom. A whole-house carbon system at the main line, such as the Aquasana Rhino, treats every tap, while a shower filter certified to NSF/ANSI 177 targets free chlorine at one showerhead. If your utility uses chloramine, a whole-house model built for chloramine, such as the Rhino Chloramines, matches the job better.

How can I tell a carbon cartridge has stopped catching chlorine?

A chlorine smell returning at the filtered tap is one change people notice. Carbon has a finite capacity, which is why each cartridge carries a gallon or month rating, and replacing on the brand's schedule is the routine that rating is built around. Our article on signs an activated carbon filter is saturated explains what to look for between changes.

A Short Chlorine Checklist for This Week

1. Find the disinfectant line in your water quality report. Note whether it says chlorine or chloramine, since that decides which claim to look for.
2. Estimate how much filtered water your household uses in a day. A family that cooks with filtered water goes through a pitcher cartridge much faster than one person drinking a few glasses.
3. Open the sink cabinet. A reachable cold-water valve points toward a direct-connect filter; no room or a rental lease that rules out plumbing changes points toward a pitcher or faucet mount.
4. Decide whether the shower is part of the problem. If it is, plan whole-house or shower filtration as its own item next to the kitchen filter.
5. Compare each cartridge's gallon rating with the daily amount from step 2, since a cartridge rated in both gallons and months is due at whichever limit it reaches first.