Consumer Reports' 3 best faucet-mounted water filters under $45

Faucet-mounted water filters give renters and homeowners cleaner-tasting tap water without a plumber or a crowded countertop. The ongoing expense lands on the cartridges, which cost $36 to $86 a year and often run higher than the filter itself.

Consumer Reports tested faucet-mounted filters for taste improvement, speed and resistance to clogging, verified each certification claim, and landed on three models worth a look.

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The ZeroWater ExtremeLife ZFM-400CR costs $45 and carries certification to reduce both chlorine and PFAS. Consumer Reports found no other faucet-mounted model in its tests certified against both of those contaminants, and testers measured strong flow with no clogging through the cartridge's full life. Owners can track cartridge life through the built-in indicator, and replacements add about $36 a year, less than the yearly outlay for either other model CR tested. The filter holds no lead certification, and availability has narrowed since Culligan acquired ZeroWater, with newer units carrying the Culligan logo and the same five-stage filtration design.

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Unlike the ZeroWater model, the Pur FM-3333B is certified against lead as well as chlorine, and it costs $26.97 to $35.99. CR rated it highly for improving taste and reducing odors, placing it just behind the ZeroWater overall. Testers measured a slow flow rate, so filling a glass took longer than with the other two picks, though no clogging showed up over the cartridge's life. Each cartridge is rated for 100 gallons, and a year of replacements runs about $61, more than either of the other two picks.

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Speed is what the Brita Basic SAFF-100 delivers, and it costs between $30.28 and $36.99 with certification to reduce both lead and chlorine. CR testers measured quick water flow and saw little slowdown from clogging across the cartridge's rated life. Taste and odor improvement reached only a middling level in those same evaluations, and that weakness left the model behind the ZeroWater and Pur units in CR's overall assessment. It includes a filter-life indicator, and replacement cartridges cost about $57 a year, which is more than double the price of the unit itself.