Are Filtered Showerheads Really Worth It?

A quick look at the filtered showerheads and shower filters we tested

Filtered showerheads have been getting a makeover. Brands like Jolie and Filterbaby have ditched the “straight outta Home Depot” aesthetic associated with most bathroom appliances.

Instead, they’ve positioned them more like elite beauty devices. But is what’s inside any more effective than budget-friendly shower filters that have less unboxing appeal?

After researching showerhead filter types, testing cheap and pricey options, and understanding what each removes, we think most people could benefit from a cheap filtered showerhead without needing to splurge.

If your budget allows, you may gain extra perks, efficiency, and peace of mind by upgrading to a more expensive shower filter, like the Jolie or Filterbaby, but each comes with its own caveats.

Four shower filters. Two Healthliners. Lots o’ research. Here’s what we learned.

Don’t buy one until you test your water

We bought this quick home test kit from Amazon for both testers to take a before-and-after read on their shower water.

It measures pH, hardness, lead and other heavy metals, chlorine, sulfates, and alkalinity. Granted, these test strips are less accurate than the more expensive, professional lab tests, but they will at least give you a baseline to consider.

One tester’s water started off strong and was in range on every parameter except alkalinity and sulfates.

Our second tester’s baseline water was slightly out of range on in a few categories before she tested the filters, but overall, not terrible. She experienced more dramatic results to her skin, and the improvement in alkalinity may have been a factor.

When she retested her water after trying shower filters, some of the heavy metals and chlorine levels on the color chart appeared more muted than before, suggesting that while the levels weren’t terrible to begin with, the filters may have brought them down even further.

They don’t actually soften water, but they have other benefits

To truly soften water, your filter has to remove calcium and magnesium particles that have already dissolved into your water.

The showerheads we tested (and most others on the market) do not remove the minerals that are the root cause of hard water. Only home water softeners, salt-based systems, and reverse osmosis systems can remedy this.

But that doesn’t mean shower filters are a lost cause. They remove chlorine and heavy metals, which benefits your skin barrier and hair quality.

While newer research on how chlorine affects skin is more limited, dermatologists and experts tend to agree that it has adverse effects and is associated with dermatitis.

We also spoke to Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI, who has been a nurse practitioner and nurse educator for more than 20 years. She flagged that heavy metals, well, throw red flags.

“There is substantial evidence that exposure to heavy metals negatively impacts both skin barrier integrity and hair health,” she said.

Does that mean your shower water should be your new nemesis? No.

But according to Sullivan, it’s worth monitoring. “It underscores the importance of monitoring and regulating environmental and cosmetic exposures to protect skin barrier function and hair health.”

Check to see if your city uses chlorine or chloramine

Some cities treat water with chloramine instead of chlorine, and very few filtered showerheads or filter attachments actually filter out chloramine. Filterbaby is the only one we tested (full review below) that covers chloramines.

The Afina shower head does as well, and it’s a little cheaper than Filterbaby. It’s a full showerhead unit compared to Filterbaby, which is an attachment that works with your existing showerhead.

Filterbaby is the only filter to prove it can filter microplastics. It publishes the raw lab data on its website.

However, the Filterbaby does not use a KD-55 filter. This type of filter is known to work effectively against high water temperatures. So, if you choose the Filterbaby, opt for warm showers instead of hot ones (which is also better for your skin in many ways), or the filter may not be as effective.

Bottom line: If your city treats water with chloramine, and about half of them do, it could be worth splurging on the Filterbaby or Afina.

The expensive filters were only slightly easier to install

Jolie and Filterbaby showerheads both come with a handy wrench, so you don’t need to own tools to install them. It’s a small detail, but a detail nonetheless.

All four showerhead filters came with helpful visual instructions, and both testers were able to install them relatively smoothly.

Filterbaby comes with a helpful bonus option to book a live video call with an installation expert through their app, if you need it.

The filtered showerheads we recommend

Comparing filtered showerheads and what they actually filter out

To close this out

We’ve found that shower filters and filtered showerheads can improve skin and hair with varying results.

But it’s worth noting that filtered showerheads may not filter out 100% of chlorine and heavy metals.

Some of them (like weAqua) market that third-party laboratory testing has verified its 99.9% removal rate, but the brand does not publish results.

In that way, buying a filtered showerhead requires a bit of blind faith (except for Filterbaby, which publishes the raw test results on its website).