The best water filter for lead (and PFAS)

Last reviewed July 2026.

For a filter certified for both lead and PFAS (PFOA/PFOS), the best value we track is PUR PLUS Pitcher & Dispenser Replacement Filter — about $0.37 per certified gallon. Certification is the point: an accredited certifier (NSF, WQA or IAPMO) verified the claim in a public listing, not just on the box. Here are the filters with a certified lead claim, ranked by cost per certified gallon, with who certifies each claim.

Certified for lead (NSF/ANSI 53), by cost per certified gallon

Each claim is read from the certifier's listing, or from the maker's performance data sheet where it names the certifier, on the date given in the model notes of the brand pages. A model holding NSF/ANSI 53 or 401 is not counted unless its claim set names lead or PFOA/PFOS: Brita's Standard OB03 holds 53 for cadmium, copper and mercury, not lead, and none of the 401 claim sets we read includes PFOA or PFOS.

PUR PPF951K1, PFAS claim: Total PFAS reduction (test mixture includes PFOA and PFOS). IAPMO R&T certificate W-29904 lists a total PFAS claim for the PPF951K under NSF/ANSI 53. PUR's performance data sheet (pur.com/pds: https://www.pur.com/wp-content/uploads/PUR_PDS_Pitcher_Filters_PPF951K.pdf, read 2026-10-02) gives the test mixture as PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFHpA, PFBS and PFDA. The claim is not in NSF's listing: NSF's NSF/ANSI 401 claim set for the PPF951K covers pharmaceuticals, BPA, nonylphenol and microplastics, with no PFOA or PFOS. Read 2026-10-02.

ZeroWater ZR-002, PFAS claim: PFOA/PFOS reduction. PFOA/PFOS is one of the NSF/ANSI 53 claims ZeroWater's data sheet says IAPMO R&T certifies. It is a 53 claim, not a 401 one. Read 2026-10-02.

What doesn't remove lead

Hollow-fiber backpacking/microfilters (Sawyer, Katadyn, LifeStraw and the like) strain out microbes, not dissolved metals — they hold no NSF/ANSI 53 listing, so no certified lead claim. See backpacking filters and NSF.

Certified vs “tested to”

“Certified to NSF/ANSI 53” means an accredited third party verified the claim and lists it publicly. “Tested to” or “meets” is a manufacturer's own lab claim with no public listing. We rank only certified claims — see what NSF certified means and the full ranking.

FAQ

What is the best water filter for lead?
A filter with a certified lead claim (made under NSF/ANSI 53), cheapest per certified gallon: Waterdrop WDS-F27 — Samsung DA29-00020B replacement (4-pack) (about $0.03/gallon). Backpacking microfilters do not remove dissolved lead.

What is the best water filter for lead and PFAS?
PUR PLUS Pitcher & Dispenser Replacement Filter — a certified lead claim (IAPMO R&T, NSF/ANSI 53-2024) and a certified Total PFAS reduction (test mixture includes PFOA and PFOS) claim (IAPMO R&T, NSF/ANSI 53-2024), about $0.37 per certified gallon.

Do backpacking water filters remove lead?
No. Hollow-fiber microfilters remove microbes, not dissolved metals, and hold no NSF/ANSI 53 listing — so they have no certified lead claim.

We do not test filters — we index what accredited certifiers publish, with attribution, and make no health or treatment claims. A certification covers a specific model against a specific standard; it is not a general seal of quality. We are not affiliated with NSF International.

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