Well water isn’t without impurities. The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) warns that private well water might be contaminated with radon, arsenic, nitrate, volatile organic compounds, and other impurities. You should thus filter your well water before using it for bathing purposes.

That’s where the best shower head filters come into play. Most of them are models that will be compatible with your existing shower head. Or they’ll replace the shower head you’re currently using entirely (so there’s no need for you to purchase additional parts).

Keep in mind, though, that shower filters aren’t a ‘make-it-and-forget-it’ kind of purchase. They’ll eventually need you to replace their built-in filter, which is an extra cost you’d do well to factor into your decision-making process. Read on for more.

In a Rush? Here’s Our Top Picks

How We Select Best Shower Head Filters For Well Water

We selected all the shower head filters based on the following criteria:

• One-year warranty: All five out of five models you see below are backed with a 1-year warranty. This should give you the peace of mind that in case these models don’t work as advertised, you can return them and have a replacement.

• 2GPM+ flow rate: According to a study conducted by the American Water Works Association, the flow rate of an average shower in the US is 2.1 gallons per minute. That’s why we tried to pick only those models whose flow rate met or exceeded this number.

• Multiple filtration stages: Any shower head filter with a single filtration stage would never be able to remove all the contaminants found in well water. All the models you see below have thus 3 or more filtration stages, with our top pick boasting 15 filtration stages.

ADOVEL High Output Shower Head and Hard Water Filter

Why is ADOVEL’s high output showerhead and filter our top pick? Start with the fact that this model offers 15 stages of filtration. They include KDF, vitamin C, KDF and stainless steel mesh filtration. This allows the filter to target heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, odors and other contaminants.

Next comes this model’s design. Its 360-degree swivel head allows you to get any kind of spray you want, from fast to ultra-slow. Both the filter and the showerhead have standard fittings, ensuring easy attachment. So you won’t have to hire a plumber to install them.

Both the filter and the showerhead are easy to clean, too. The silicone nozzle from which water oozes out can be easily rid of blockage by pushing and pressing. ADOVEL further sweetens the deal by including an extra cartridge in the package. And you get a one-year warranty, too.

Things We Like   

• 15 filtration stages
• Easy to install and clean
• Comes with an extra cartridge

Things We Don’t Like      

• Water pressure could have been higher

How It Compares With Our Criteria

1. 2GPM+ flow rate: Yes
2. Warranty: 1-year
3. Multiple Filtration Stages: Yes

AquaBliss Multi-Stage Shower Filter

How does the AquaBliss Multi-Stage Shower Filter compare with our top pick? This model has much sleeker dimensions, making it more discreet than our top pick. Also, while our top pick has 15 filtration stages, this one has three of those.

They include redox media, calcium sulfite and activated carbon. These three stages enable this model to remove most of the contaminants found in well water, including chlorine, bad odors, bacteria, viruses, and sediment. You can thus count on AquaBliss to revitalize your skin and hair.

That’s where the differences between both our top two picks end. Both of them are covered by a moneyback guarantee, so you can immediately return your model and get a new one. Both are also backed by 12-month warranties and can be installed with bare hands.

Things We Like   

• Can be installed with bare hands
• Comes with a moneyback guarantee
• Replacement parts don’t cost much

Things We Don’t Like      

• Doesn’t have a GPM rating

How It Compares With Our Criteria

1. 2GPM+ flow rate: Yes
2. Warranty: 1-year
3. Multiple Filtration Stages: Yes

AquaHomeGroup Luxury Filtered Shower Head

The AquaHomeGroup Filtered Shower Head is available in two versions. The 15-stage model we’re reviewing here has an internal filter cartridge with vitamins C and E. It is capable of removing heavy metals, rust, sand and other sediments from water, while also reducing the concentration of chlorine.

Sure, this model’s body isn’t metal, but the fact that it’s made of ABS plastic means it can withstand a lot of beating without giving way. And in addition to removing contaminants, it adds vitamin C to filtered water, thereby promoting healthy skin and hair and helping the soap lather better.

Yet another thing that we liked about this shower head is the rain-style spray. The spray’s vastness allows it to cover more area, even when you’ve set the water pressure at a low setting. All in all, this model has plenty of features to make up for the only complaint we have about it: its higher asking price.

Things We Like   

• Has a luxurious rain showerhead
• Adds Vitamin C to promote healthy skin and hair
• Removes chlorine, heavy metals, rust and sand

Things We Don’t Like      

• Doesn’t come cheap

How It Compares With Our Criteria

1. 2GPM+ flow rate: Yes
2. Warranty: 1-year
3. Multiple Filtration Stages: Yes

Aqua Earth 15 Stage Shower Head

There are many similarities between this shower head and our top-pick. Both offer 15 stages of filtration, are capable of removing heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride and other contaminants from your bathing water and are equally easy to install. And both are backed by 1-year warranties from their manufacturers.

Why, then, is this model not our top pick? Perhaps because this model’s cartridge is designed to last up to 12,000 gallons, unlike our top pick whose cartridge can filter two times as much quantity of water. Still, when juxtaposed with its price tag (2x lower than our top pick), its filtration capacity seems formidable.

Keep in mind that you need to flush this filter for 30 seconds after installation. This will give it the time to remove any embedded carbon. Multiple users insist that they found traces of carbon even after 30 seconds had passed, leading us to believe that perhaps the flushing time should be extended to a minute.

Things We Like   

• Available at a pocket-friendly price
• 2.5 gallons per minute flow rate
• Has rugged ABS plastic construction

Things We Don’t Like      

• Cartridge won’t last longer than six months

How It Compares With Our Criteria

1. 2GPM+ flow rate: Yes
2. Warranty: 1-year
3. Multiple filtration stages: Yes

Sprite High Output Shower Filter

Oxidation reduction filters like this have a unique operating mechanism. They rely on a copper-zinc alloy to exchange electrons with contaminants, such as mercury and lead, with the resulting chemical reaction converting them into harmless substances.

This model uses KDF-55 cartridge to convert chlorine into chloride, which isn’t harmful. It also eliminates bacteria and viruses, both of which get killed off the moment they touch the KDF filter’s surface. It comes with an ABS plastic housing and has finger grips for ease of opening.

On top of everything else, this is one of the few shower head filters that are certified by the National Sanitation Foundation. NSF certification means it meets the organization’s requirements for structural integrity, material safety, and chlorine reduction.

Things We Like   

• NSF and ANSI certified
• 12-month filter life
• Fits most standard fittings

Things We Don’t Like      

• Only offers a 1.5GPM flow rate

How It Compares With Our Criteria

1. 2GPM+ flow rate: No
2. Warranty: 1-year
3. Multiple Filtration Stages: Yes

Benefits of Using Shower Head Filter

Here are the benefits of using shower head filter for well water:

• Less risk of hair loss. Well water contains many impurities that can decrease the strength of hair follicles, leading to hair poss. A shower head filter could thus save you from going bald by removing such contaminants.

• Prevent damage to skin. Health experts say that well water passes through limestone and rock on its way to your well. This exposes it to carbonation along the way, and carbonated water might contribute to the risk of skin eczema.

• Helps your soap lather better. Did you know that hard water hurts the ability of soap to lather? As a result, some of the soap particles are left behind on your skin, giving way to dryness. A shower head water filter makes sure this doesn’t happen.

How to Choose Shower Head Filter for Well Water

Whether you’re buying a shower head filter for the first time, or you intend to replace an existing model, there are a few points you’d do well to factor in your decision-making process. Doing so might help you make a better purchase.

Keep these factors in mind while choosing a shower head filter for well water:

Well Contaminants

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, private wells can be contaminated by human activities and naturally found sources. The commonly found well water contaminants are: microorganisms, heavy metals, organic chemicals, fluoride, radionuclides, and nitrate and nitrite.

Of all these impurities, heavy metals, organic chemicals and fluoride are likely to be the most common. At the very least, your shower head filter should remove these impurities. Check out the filter packaging for the list of contaminants it claims to remove and ensure these contaminants are mentioned there.

Flow Rate for Well Showerhead

According to a study conducted by the American Water Works Association, the flow rate of a typical shower in the US is 2.1 gallons per minute. This makes showers the third largest water guzzlers in US homes, behind toilets and clothes washers.

Why are we telling you these figures? To tell you that 2.1 gallons is the bare minimum amount of water your shower head filter should be able to process per minute. All the products we’ve recommended in this review can process two (or even three) times more flow rate.

Material

Shower head filters are available in two materials: plastic or metal. Plastic shower heads don’t cost much, come with low-cost replacement cartridges and are lightweight. On the flip side, they don’t last much longer and aren’t environmentally friendly, either.

Metal shower head filters, however, provide you with the best of both worlds. Their sturdy construction enables them to process more gallons per minute than their plastic counterparts. And the fact that they aren’t prone to wear-and-tear and leaking makes them more durable, too.

Lifespan

As is the case with every type of filter, a shower head filter for well water will eventually be clogged by the impurities it has removed from your bathing water. This will leave you with no choice but to replace the cartridge with a new one.

However, while all filter cartridges eventually need replacement, some need replacement more frequently than others. You must avoid them. The best shower head water filter cartridges can last a year under heavy use, making sure you don’t have to change the cartridge every few months.

Types of Shower Filters

Different shower filters target different contaminants. Some filters go more after bacteria and viruses, and others take better care of chlorine. Still others might be better at removing heavy metals and volatile organic compounds.

Here are different types of shower filters:

Showerhead Filter

Showerhead filters are meant to replace the showerhead you’re currently using. You can identify them from their shape – they look similar to your existing showerhead. These models come with a built-in filtration system to remove common contaminants from your water.

Keep in mind, though, that showerhead filters don’t remove as many contaminants as inline water filters (discussed below). If you intend to buy a showerhead filter, make sure it comes with a multi-layer filtering media. This will help it remove more impurities than its single-layer counterpart.

Inline Shower Filter

Inline shower filters attach to the pipe behind the showerhead. They use large-size filter cartridges, with multiple layers of filtering media. Inline shower filters are capable of removing disinfection by-products (DPS), bacteria as well as various other contaminants.

When compared with their showerhead counterparts, inline filters are expensive. However, they justify their asking price with their ease of maintenance. Also, when compared with showerhead filters, they last longer, up to 1,300 showers or more.

Other Types

• Carbon Filters: Carbon filters use several layers of carbon (as well as other media) to remove VOCs, chlorine, sediments, lead and fluoride from water. They’ll be an overkill if you just want a shower head filter for well water.

• KDF Filters: Kinetic Degradation Fluxion filters have a copper-zinc filtration media. They are capable of removing chlorine, heavy metals and hydrogen sulfide. KDF filters work on a principle known as redox to remove contaminants.

• Vitamin C: Vitamin C shower filters remove chlorine and chloramines from water. They use either ascorbic acid or sodium Ascorbate to achieve their objective. Click here if you’re interested in knowing more about vitamin C shower filters.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I soften well water?

One of the best ways to soften well water is using a whole-house water softener. One that relies on ion-exchange method to strip water from its hardness causing minerals. Such softeners use sodium ions to replace calcium and magnesium (aka the hardness ions) in hard water.

Is it safe to bathe with well water?

According to the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, bathing with well water is safe. However, if you have doubts about the quality of well water, make sure you boil it, especially if you use or intend to use well water for drinking purposes.

Conclusion

Most of us already filter our drinking water for health purposes. It won’t take a huge leap if we start bathing with filtered water, too, especially if you’re using well water for bathing. Especially when we know that private wells have all kinds of bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants that need to be shocked out of the system.

Using a shower head filter for well water would thus prevent these pollutants from coming into contact with your body.