Brace yourselves: tap water in China is actually held to stricter standards than bottled water. We don’t recommend you stick your head under the sink and guzzle up, but before you go broke splurging on Watsons costly jugs, consider investing in a home water filter instead. You’ll save cash and rack up major karma points for being environmentally friendly.
To help our readers in this intimidating endeavor, we compiled an exhaustive list of the top water filters on the market. When in doubt, remember to take it slow. The slower the filtration method, the more effective.
Pitcher filters (pictured above)
Though a popular choice, pitcher filters are one of the most expensive options, as the pricey cartridges require frequent replacement. Utilizing GAC (granulated activated carbon), pitcher sieves only remove some chlorine and hydrogen sulfide and cannot effectively reduce all VOCs, metals, pesticides or fluoride.
Rating: Average
Try: Laica, Brita, Philips (RMB200-500 on Tmall)
Under counter/sink filters
Unlike simple faucet or countertop filters (which don’t remove many contaminants), under counter filters are more comprehensive and can remove lead and heavy metals, chlorine, E. coli and more.
Rating: Good
Try: Philips, 3M Filtrete, GE, Pentair, Litree
(立升) (RMB1,100-3,000 on Tmall)
Reverse osmosis filters
These units rely on a membrane that removes contaminants from water in conjunction with a GAC to eliminate chlorine.
Considered to be very effective at trapping pollutants, reverse osmosis filters are a foolproof solution.
Rating: Very good
Try: A.O. Smith AR series (RMB6,000-9,000 on Tmall); Tap Master TMAFC, APEC Water 5-Stage RO System, iSpring RO System (USD160-350 on Amazon)
Gravity-fed filters
One of the best options on the market, gravity-fed filters are excellent at removing chlorine, chlorination byproducts, fluoride, VOCs, pesticides, particulates and pharmaceuticals. Able to operate without electricity, these units clean water as it drips down from an upper chamber to a lower chamber.
Rating: Excellent
Try: Berkey (USD228-650 on www.berkeyfilters.com), ProPur (USD190 on www.gopropur.com)
Shower filters
Showering allows some water to seep through your skin and orifices. If you live in a rural part of China or an extremely old apartment, consider buying a shower fixture that filters out excess chlorine and other byproducts.
Rating: Good
Try: 3M, Honeywell HBF-W shower filter (RMB240-400 on Tmall); Sprite HOB-CM Brass Shower Filter (USD93 on Amazon)
Whole-house filtration
Those who prefer to shower, wash produce and do laundry using filtered water should consider purchasing a whole-house filtration system. After an initial investment, these systems can last up to 12 months before needing filter replacement.
Rating: Excellent
Try: Pentair (RMB8,880+ on Tmall); A.J. Antunes (brand used by Starbucks and McDonald’s in China: USD1,150+ on ajantunes.com)
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