Finding the Best Shower Filter for Hair: A Comprehensive Review

The quest for healthy, vibrant hair often leads us to consider the quality of the water we use to wash it. Shower filters have emerged as a popular solution, promising to remove impurities and improve hair health. But with a plethora of options available, how do you determine the best shower filter for your hair? This article delves into the world of shower filters, examining their features, performance, and value to help you make an informed decision.

How Shower Filters are Evaluated

Determining the true quality and value of a shower filter can be challenging. It requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond manufacturer claims and subjective experiences. Objective, data-driven testing is crucial for evaluating a filter's effectiveness. Key factors to consider include contaminant reduction, filtration rate, design, setup, maintenance, and the reputation of the company. Upfront cost is also a consideration, though not a primary scoring factor.

The focus of contaminant reduction testing should be on substances that pose a risk through inhalation and dermal exposure, rather than ingestion.

To ensure accurate data on disinfection byproducts (DBPs), which are highly volatile and dissipate quickly in hot water, testing is conducted using cold water. This allows for a more precise assessment of a filter's ability to address these contaminants.

Top Shower Filter Contenders

Several shower filters have been rigorously tested and evaluated based on the criteria mentioned above. Here's a closer look at some of the top contenders:

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Weddell Duo: The Contaminant Reduction Champion

The Weddell Duo stands out as the top performer, achieving the highest contaminant reduction score among all tested shower filters. Notably, it's the only filter that completely eliminates disinfection byproducts (DBPs). This inline filter connects easily to your existing shower arm and showerhead.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Effective Contaminant Reduction: Removes 100% of chlorine and all disinfection byproducts.
• Accurate Claims: Weddell's contaminant reduction claims were validated through testing. The manufacturer states the filter reduces chlorine, microplastics, PFAS, lead particles, and unpleasant odors. Testing confirmed its ability to reduce chlorine and lead, and the chlorine reduction also eliminated related odors.
• NSF Certification: Certified to NSF Standard 42 for chlorine reduction.
• Easy Setup: Simple, no-hassle design allows for installation in under five minutes.
• Easy Maintenance: Dual-filter design with filter housings on each side allows for easy filter changes without removing the entire unit. Clear filter housings provide a visual indication of when filter replacement is needed.
• Hard Water Considerations: While the Weddell Duo excels at removing chlorine and DBPs, it doesn't significantly impact water hardness.

Potential Drawbacks:

• Flow Rate: The Weddell Duo had the slowest flow rate of all filters tested, measuring 1.43 GPM.
• Price: Costs just under $90.

Sprite Slim-Line 2: The Value Leader

The Sprite Slim-Line 2 is a strong runner-up, boasting the second-highest contaminant reduction score and overall performance score. It's also one of the most affordable options.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Accurate Claims: Sprite's contaminant reduction claims were confirmed through testing. The manufacturer states the filter addresses free chlorine, dirt, and odors. Testing confirmed the filter’s ability to reduce chlorine-associated odors.
• Easy Setup: The unit has threads up inside housing, which shortens overall length.
• Affordable Maintenance: Low ongoing filter replacement cost of just $0.002 per gallon.

Potential Drawbacks:

• DBP Reduction: Unable to remove disinfection byproducts.
• Hard Water: Our water hardness increased slightly post-filtration in the Tap Score test, and it stayed the same in our on-site titration test.

Berkey Shower Filter: A Familiar Design

The Berkey Shower Filter shares the same patented chlorgon media blend as the Sprite Slim-Line.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Effective Chlorine Reduction: Reduces 100% of chlorine.
• Long Filter Lifespan: Filter media lasts up to 12 months or 20,000 gallons.
• Low Cost-Per-Gallon: One of the lowest costs-per-gallon at $0.003.

Potential Drawbacks:

• Misleading Claims: The distributor claims that the filter addresses free chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, scale, and iron oxide (rust water). By claiming to reduce scale, Berkey is effectively claiming to reduce hardness.
• DBP Reduction: Made virtually no difference to the concentrations of disinfection byproducts in our water.
• Hard Water: Hardness actually increased ever so slightly, from 218.19 PPM to 218.54 PPM.
• Design: Its length extends showerhead down a lot, which may be an issue for taller people.

Hello Klean Shower Filter: Stylish Design, Limited Performance

The Hello Klean Shower Filter offers a sleek aluminum design and claims to reduce chlorine, copper, iron, and lead.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Effective Chlorine Reduction: Removed 100% of chlorine detected in our water.
• Design: Made from aluminum rather than being plastic with a chrome overlay.

Potential Drawbacks:

• Misleading Claims: Despite claims to address hard water, the Hello Klean filter made no difference to our water hardness in our testing.
• DBP Reduction: There were only slight differences in the concentrations of DBPs, which we believe were incidental (rather than the filter actually reducing them).
• Design: The unit is long and extends showerhead downwards a lot.
• Set up: After we installed it, we also found that it leaked from o-ring where it attaches to shower spout.
• Cost: More expensive than other systems, with an ongoing spend of around $0.015 per gallon.

AquaBliss SF100 Revitalizing Shower Filter: Infusion Claims Fall Short

The AquaBliss SF100 Revitalizing Shower Filter claims to infuse water with vitamins and minerals, improve pH balance, and reduce various contaminants.

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Key Features and Benefits:

• Affordable Maintenance: Ongoing cost of 0.002/ gallon.

Potential Drawbacks:

• Overstated Claims: Many of AquaBliss's claims regarding contaminant reduction, pH balance improvement, and mineral infusion were not supported by testing.
• Chlorine Reduction: Only reduced chlorine by 75%.
• Hard Water: We saw no change to the concentrations of contaminants responsible for water hardness (calcium and magnesium).
• pH Balance: The pH of our water was only reduced by around 7%, from 8.39 to 7.80.
• Design: When we installed the filter, it leaked initially, but we realized the housing wasn’t completely tight and were able to resolve the issue by tightening it.

Canopy Filtered Showerhead: Scented Showers, Limited Filtration

The Canopy Filtered Showerhead is the only shower filter tested that includes an aroma kit for showering with a pleasant scent.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Effective Chlorine Reduction: Completely eliminated the 2 PPM of chlorine detected in our water.

Potential Drawbacks:

• DBP Reduction: Total THMs actually increased by 158%.
• Hard Water: Magnesium wasn’t reduced at all in our Tap Score test, while calcium increased by 16%.
• Misleading Claims: It’s misleading for Canopy to claim that the filter can reduce these. Actually, KDF-55 can control the buildup of bacteria in the filter media, but it’s not meant to reduce bacteria or any other microorganisms in the treated water.
• Metal Increase: An unusual outcome we noticed in our contaminant reduction testing was the 32% increase in copper and the massive 8,797% increase in zinc.
• Price: Unjustifiably expensive at $150 upfront.

Jolie Filtered Showerhead

The Jolie Filtered Showerhead is designed to maximize the pressure that your pipes allow. It uses American-made KDF-55 & Calcium Sulfite.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Water even smelled different (in a better way)!
• Difference in the natural body of my hair
• The problems have been significantly minimized.

Potential Drawbacks:

• Dependable at-home water-quality tests (which we suggest for testing drinking water) can cost hundreds of dollars-more than the price of a Jolie showerhead.

Key Contaminants and Their Impact on Hair

Understanding the specific contaminants that affect hair health is crucial for selecting the right shower filter. Here's a breakdown of some common culprits:

• Chlorine: A disinfectant added to city water can dry out hair and skin, leading to brittleness and damage.
• Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs): Formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water, DBPs can also contribute to dryness and irritation.
• Hard Water Minerals (Calcium and Magnesium): High concentrations of these minerals can leave a film on hair, making it feel dull, limp, and difficult to manage.

The Role of KDF-55 Filtration Media

Many shower filters, including those from Jolie, Canopy, Hello Klean, Act+Acre, Kohler, and AquaBliss, utilize a copper-zinc medium like KDF-55. At a minimum, KDF-55 should be able to reduce (though not entirely remove) chlorine and heavy metals, if they are present in your water. And KDF-55 remains effective even at warm or hot water temperatures, which is critical for showering purposes. Some filters combine the copper-zinc stage with either a calcium sulfite stage (Jolie), an activated carbon stage, or both (Hello Klean, Canopy, AquaBliss, Act+Acre), and some claim that those added ingredients reduce more than just chlorine and heavy metals. A few of them also include other media, like sand, for added particulate filtration.

The Importance of Third-Party Testing and Certification

To ensure the accuracy of manufacturer claims, it's essential to look for shower filters that have undergone third-party testing and certification. NSF International is a reputable organization that provides independent certification for water filtration products.

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Subjective Improvements vs. Objective Data

While some filtered showerhead companies cite clinical studies linking a direct cause and effect of their products on skin and hair improvements. But these internal tests carry an inherent conflict of interest.

Determining Your Water Quality Needs

No matter the evidence, unless you know your home’s water quality, you can’t be sure whether your shower even warrants filtration. Unfortunately, dependable at-home water-quality tests (which we suggest for testing drinking water) can cost hundreds of dollars-more than the price of a Jolie showerhead.

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