For the average consumer, looking for a Reverse Osmosis (or R.O.) Water System can seem overwhelming, but this doesn’t have to be the case. This page will cover the basics of reverse osmosis water filters and show the pros and cons of many popular brands along with links to these filters in the Amazon store.
For an in-depth discussion of RO, take a look at our How Does Reverse Osmosis Work? page. This page also discusses the different filter stages which is summarized below.
Why Do I Want An RO Water Filter?
When looking for a R.O. water system, it is important to find a brand that is the best value for your budget. If you’re looking at reverse osmosis water filters, you want to remove most contaminants such as lead, mercury, arsenic, etc,
I hear you – the most important requirement is that it remove as many contaminants as possible.
You are in the right place – ANY reverse osmosis filter will remove more deadly particles than a faucet water filter or a pitcher water filter.
Our popular What Contaminants Are Removed By Reverse Osmosis page includes details for those shoppers who want more information.
The best water system layout would be a water softener at the entry to the home and then a RO filter wherever drinking water is needed. For comparisons of water softeners, take a look at our Best Water Softeners page.
Each brand provides its own features and with all the options out there it can be difficult to narrow down which are your best bets. All the units we review below have a separate chrome faucet. Capacity is shown in Gallons Per Day which is abbreviated as GPD.
Best Reverse Osmosis Water Systems
1. APEC – RO90
Although this APEC unit is a little higher in price than their ROES-50 system, the High Flow 90 unit makes up for it in quality. It can filter almost 2 times more water (90 GPD) compared to the ROES-50 (50 GPD).
It comes with ultra capacity filters that lasts twice as long as the competition. All their filters are made 100% in the USA to guarantee safety and quality.
Another reason APEC is known for their R. O. water systems are their rigorous inspections and their standard 8 hour lab tests for each unit before shipping.
- Filtering Capacity: 90 Gallons Per Day
- Product Weight: 25 pounds
- Tank Dimensions (W x D x H): 11 x 11 x 15
- Package Dimensions (W x D x H): 14 x 17 x 23
- Tank Size: 4 gallons
2. iSpring – RCC7
The iSpring RCC7 is one of the most popular brands on the market. Since 2014 they’ve made many upgrades to the unit including:
- Designer nickel faucet and clear hosing
- Larger adapter to ensure easier installation
- Automatic shut off valve that turns off when the storage tank is full
- Higher quality membrane to increase the rejection rate of contaminants.
- Water detection alarm that will alert you if there are any leaks.
Made in the USA, APEC has great customer service. They have “how to” videos on YouTube to help make installation easier.
- Filtering Capacity: 75 Gallons Per Day
- Product Weight: 30 pounds
- Package Dimensions (W x D x H): 14 x 17 x 23
- Tank Size: 3.2 gallons
3. Express Water – RO5DX
One of the pluses to the Express Water Reverse Osmosis System is that it comes with a full set of extra filters.
It is made with BPA free materials, is 100% lead free and removes 99% of water contaminants.
Keeping the customer in mind, the company made this system user friendly and labeled the connections on the unit. They pre-assembled the filters to ensure a smooth installation.
They also perform their own pressure test before shipping the unit to make sure there are no leaks.
Based in California, Express Water has a one-year warranty and satisfaction guarantee.
- Filtering Capacity: 50 Gallons Per Day
- Product Weight: 30 pounds
- Package Dimensions (W x D x H): 16.2 x 18.8 x 18.1
- Tank Size: 3.2 gallons
4. APEC ROES-50
APEC is known for its 5-stage water filtration system and is one of the best under sink water filters you can buy. This advanced system removes up to 99% of the contaminants in your water. Instead of the usual GAC filters, this system uses all carbon block filters to give it one of the highest contaminant absorption rates.
If you are looking for a system that is hassle free this is the one for you. Its high quality fittings ensure that you won’t need to buy extra parts to detect leaks.
This unit has some of the best R. O. reviews and is made 100% in the USA.
- Filtering Capacity: 50 Gallons Per Day
- Product Weight: 25 pounds
- Tank Dimensions (W x D x H): 11 x 11 x 15
- Package Dimensions (W x D x H): 16 x 5.2 x 17.5
- Tank Size: 4 gallons
5. Home Master – TMAFC
The feature that makes the Home Master TMAFC R. O. Water Filter System stand out is its innovative design. It has 7 stages of filtering.
It uses larger tubes to increase the water flow rate so that you don’t need to wait as long to fill your coffee pot. This RO also re-mineralizes the water with small amounts of calcium and magnesium after filtering to improve taste.
It is like having bottled water come from your tap, but without the monetary and environmental cost of buying bottled water.
The filters on the unit are easy to change and last for a year (or 2000 gallons). On this model, the filter is attached to the housing so when changing the filter, the entire assembly is discarded.
This system comes with easy to use instructions for installation and is one of the best under sink water filters available.
- Filtering Capacity: 50 Gallons Per Day
- Product Weight: 25 pounds
- Tank Dimensions (W x D x H): 11 x 11 x 15
- Package Dimensions (W x D x H): 20 x 16 x 13
- Tank Size: 3.2 gallons
What to Look For In a RO Filter
Number of Filter Stages
A good water reverse osmosis water filter will have at least 3 stages, such as these below:
- Sediment Water Filter – To remove the larger particles.
- Carbon Filter – To remove small particles and larger chemicals such as chlorine. There may be 1 or 2 carbon filters.
- Reverse Osmosis Filter – This removes the smallest particles including heavy metals such as lead and mercury.
Warranty
A good warranty means the company will stand behind their product. The warranties on the reverse osmosis filters above are 1 year or more.
How Long Will a RO Filter Last?
Another question is how long will the filter last? Although it depends upon the “dirtiness” of the water that is getting filtered, a large filter size means the filter will last longer because it will take longer to clog up. The filters shown above have long lasting filters.
Reverse Osmosis Water Filter Dimensions
Many of these filters have similar dimensions. In some cases, the under-sink dimensions may be very tight so the dimensions shown above may help you choose the best reverse osmosis water filter.
Summary
There are a wide variety of Reverse Osmosis Water Systems on the market, but these are the top water filter systems available.
You can’t go wrong with any of these high quality RO water systems. Make sure to take into account what the most important features are to you. If water flow is important, the HomeMaster TMAFC is probably a good choice. If filtering capacity is important, the APEC RO90 is almost commercial sized. If ease of installation is important, the ExpressWater RO5DX or iSpring RCC7 are good choices.
It helps to consider the ease of installation as well as the quality of the materials and the space available when you are installing these RO water filtering systems.
Hopefully these Reverse Osmosis reviews narrowed your shopping choices to the top R.O. brands and made it easier to find the best Reverse Osmosis water system.
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