Best Under-Sink Water Filters for PFAS and Lead in 2026

Almost every under-sink filter sold in the United States advertises lead reduction. Far fewer advertise PFAS reduction. Fewer still carry both claims on the exact model number you can actually buy, which is the only thing a certification listing records.

This page compares the ones that do. Every certification line below was read from the certifier's own listing database on August 16, 2026, and every price was read from the seller's page on the same day.

Quick answer

A certification belongs to a model number, not to a brand and not to a product family. Aquasana, Brondell, Multipure and APEC all sell under-sink systems where one model carries a lead claim and the model next to it does not.

Checked on August 16, 2026, these under-sink systems carry both a lead reduction claim and a PFOA/PFOS reduction claim under NSF/ANSI 53 on the same model number: Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow AQ-6300M, Aquasana SmartFlow AQ-SFRO2, Brondell Coral UC300, Brondell Capella RC250, A.O. Smith AO-US-200, Multipure Aquaperform, Multipure Aqualuxe, Multipure Aquapremier and Amway eSpring 122941.

Cheapest cartridge cost per rated gallon in that group: Aquasana AQ-6300M at $0.11, then A.O. Smith AO-US-200 at about $0.12 and Brondell Coral UC300 at $0.13. Most expensive: Aquasana SmartFlow RO at $0.62 per rated gallon, because reverse osmosis carries three consumables on three different schedules instead of one.

How we checked

• Databases used. The NSF certified drinking water treatment units database and the WQA product listing directory. The NSF listings page states its data is current as of Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 12:15 a.m. Eastern Time.
• Search method. In NSF, by trade name and by reduction claim (PFOA Reduction). In WQA, by manufacturer name and by the combined reduction-claim filter for Lead plus Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in the Filters and ROs categories.
• Inclusion rule. A model appears in the first table only when a single listing record for that model number shows both a lead claim and a PFOA or PFOS claim. No model is included on a vendor marketing claim alone.
• Prices. Read from the manufacturer's own store on August 16, 2026, in USD, before tax, shipping or installation. Where a seller was running a promotion we show the promotional price and the list price, because these promotions rotate.
• Cost per rated gallon. Cartridge set price divided by the manufacturer's rated capacity for that cartridge. It is a cartridge number, not a total cost of ownership number.
• What we did not do. We did not test any filter, buy any filter, or review any homeowner's quote. Every number here is a published figure with a source.

Under-sink models carrying both a lead claim and a PFAS claim

The eSpring 122941 is the only model in this set whose NSF listing carries the newer Total PFAS Reduction claim rather than PFOA and PFOS alone. The Multipure Aquaperform, Aqualuxe and Aquapremier listings add an Arsenic (Pentavalent) claim, which the other carbon systems here do not have. The two reverse-osmosis systems add claims no carbon block on this list has: the Aquasana AQ-SFRO2 adds fluoride, nitrate, nitrite and arsenic (V) at 50 ppb influent under NSF/ANSI 58, and the Brondell RC250 adds fluoride and arsenic (V) at 300 ppb influent under the same standard.

What each one costs to buy and to keep running

Two things fall out of that table. First, the cheapest system to buy is not the cheapest to run: the Aquasana SmartFlow RO and the Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow cost the same to buy on the day we checked, and the RO costs $125.97 more per year in consumables. Second, Multipure's systems cost three to six times more up front, and the Aquapremier's 340-gallon cartridge makes it the most expensive carbon block per gallon on this list.

Aquasana was running a 50 percent promotion when we checked, advertised as ending August 17, 2026. Its promotions rotate, so treat the list price as the ceiling and the promotional price as the number you should actually expect to pay. See the replacement cost guide for how consumables compound across a filter's life.

Popular models with a lead claim but no PFAS claim

These are frequently recommended systems. On the day we checked, their listings did not carry a PFOA or PFOS claim.

Popular models with neither claim on the model number

A missing listing is not proof that a product performs badly. It is proof that no listing exists to check, which puts the buyer back on the manufacturer's word. That distinction is the whole subject of the certifications guide.

NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 is not a lead reduction claim

This is the single most common misreading in this category, and it shows up on the listings above. NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 covers the lead content of the materials the system is built from, so the housing does not leach lead. It says nothing about removing lead from the water passing through it.

Lead reduction is NSF/ANSI 53 for carbon systems, or NSF/ANSI 58 for reverse osmosis. If a product page shows only "372" next to the word lead, the model has no lead reduction claim. The same applies to a page that names a standard number with no model number attached to it.

Choosing between them

1. Start with your report, not the product. Pull your utility's consumer confidence report and look for a lead service line notice and any PFAS result. The water report guide covers what the numbers mean.
2. If the report shows PFAS or a lead line and nothing else unusual, buy carbon. The Aquasana AQ-6300M and Brondell Coral UC300 are the two cheapest listed systems in that lane, at $0.11 and $0.13 per rated gallon.
3. If the report also shows fluoride, nitrate, arsenic or high TDS, buy reverse osmosis. Only the RO systems here are certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for those. Expect roughly triple the annual consumable cost and a wastewater line. The RO versus carbon guide covers the tradeoff.
4. Check flow before you check price. At 0.5 gpm, the A.O. Smith AO-US-200 and Brondell Capella RC250 fill a pitcher noticeably slower than the Multipure Aquaperform at 1.0 gpm. For a household that drinks and cooks heavily, that is a daily difference.
5. Measure the cabinet. Three-stage carbon systems and RO tanks need clearance to pull cartridges out, not just to sit. The under-sink guide has the measurement list.
6. Re-check the listing before you pay. Listings are added, amended and withdrawn. Search the model number in the certifier's database on the day you buy.

Not sure which lane you are in? The water filter picker walks the same decision from your report.

Where the federal PFAS rules sit right now

The EPA's 2024 PFAS national primary drinking water regulation set enforceable maximum contaminant levels of 4.0 parts per trillion for PFOA and 4.0 parts per trillion for PFOS, with 10 parts per trillion each for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX), and a hazard index of 1 for mixtures. Initial monitoring and public disclosure run to 2027, with compliance for systems above the limits by 2029.

On May 18, 2026 the EPA announced two proposed rules: one that would let water systems request two additional years, to 2031, to comply with the PFOA and PFOS limits, and one that would rescind the limits for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and the hazard index. As of August 16, 2026 both are proposals open for comment and neither is final. Nothing on this page depends on their outcome, because a certified point-of-use reduction claim is independent of the utility's compliance deadline.

What we could not verify

Publishing this honestly matters more than filling every cell.

• IAPMO R&T listings. IAPMO is the third certifier in this category and its public directory could not be queried for these brands. A model certified only by IAPMO would not appear in our tables. Absence from this page is not evidence of absence of certification.
• A.O. Smith AO-US-200-R cartridge price. Not published on the manufacturer's site. The $120 annual figure is A.O. Smith's own stated maintenance cost, and the $0.12 per gallon is derived from it, not from a cartridge price we could read.
• Amway eSpring pricing. Amway's storefront blocked access, so the system and cartridge prices are marked not published rather than guessed.
• Brondell replacement element numbering. The WQA record we found for the Coral line references replacement element UF-15, while Brondell currently sells the UF-35 pack for the UC300. We could not confirm whether UF-35 sits under the same listing.
• Aquasana and NSF/ANSI P473. Aquasana's product pages describe the Claryum certification as "NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53 (includes P473), and 401". The WQA listing we read shows PFOA and PFOS under NSF/ANSI 53 and does not carry P473 as a separate standard, and none of the Aquasana, A.O. Smith or Brondell models appear in NSF's own database at all. That is expected, since the three certifiers keep separate registries, but it means "not in the NSF database" and "not certified" are different statements.
• Brondell Coral UC300 flow rate. Not published on the product page, so the cell says not published.
• Multipure system prices. Listed as the base system price plus the below-sink kit, because Multipure prices the faucet kit separately and the total depends on the finish chosen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which under-sink filter is certified for both lead and PFAS?

Checked on August 16, 2026, the models whose listing shows both a lead claim and a PFOA/PFOS claim are the Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow AQ-6300M, Aquasana SmartFlow AQ-SFRO2, Brondell Coral UC300, Brondell Capella RC250, A.O. Smith AO-US-200, Multipure Aquaperform, Aqualuxe and Aquapremier, and Amway eSpring 122941.

Does a reverse osmosis system remove PFAS?

Only if that exact model carries the claim. Reverse osmosis membranes are generally effective against PFAS, but plenty of RO systems on sale carry no PFAS claim at all. The APEC ROES-50 and the base iSpring RCC7AK are listed for TDS reduction only. The Aquasana SmartFlow AQ-SFRO2 and Brondell Capella RC250 do carry PFOA and PFOS claims.

Is the Aquasana Claryum or the Multipure Aquaperform the better buy?

For a household treating PFAS and lead only, the Aquasana AQ-6300M is cheaper on both counts: $224.99 against $765 installed with a faucet kit, and $0.11 per rated gallon against $0.25. The Aquaperform earns its price if your report also shows pentavalent arsenic, which it is certified to reduce and the Claryum is not, or if 1.0 gpm flow matters to you.

Why is my filter not in the NSF database?

Probably because it was certified by WQA or IAPMO instead. The three certifiers keep separate registries and a product listed in one does not appear in the others. Aquasana, A.O. Smith and Brondell products are all in WQA's directory and none are in NSF's. Search all three before concluding a model is uncertified.

How much should I budget per year for cartridges?

Between $80 and $310 for the systems on this page, at the manufacturer's stated replacement interval. The Brondell Coral UC300 is the cheapest to run at $79.99 per year on a single annual filter pack. The Aquasana SmartFlow RO is the most expensive at $309.95, because it consumes carbon blocks, a membrane and a remineralizer on three different schedules.

Sources

• NSF certified drinking water treatment units database
• NSF listing for Multipure Aquaperform
• NSF listing for Multipure Aqualuxe
• NSF listing for Multipure Aquaversa
• NSF listing for iSpring RCC7AK
• WQA product listing directory
• Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow product page
• Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow replacement filters, AQ-C3M-R
• Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis product page
• Brondell Coral UC300 product page
• Brondell Capella RC250 product page
• A.O. Smith AO-US-200 product page
• Multipure Aquaperform product page
• Multipure Aqualuxe product page
• Multipure Aquaversa product page
• APEC ROES-50 product page
• iSpring RCC7AK product page
• Waterdrop NSF certification page
• EPA: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water
• NSF drinking water treatment standards