What contaminants does Aquasana actually remove?

Aquasana's contaminant scope depends entirely on which SKU you buy — the brand spans 6+ product lines with materially different cert footprints. The Claryum under-sink line (AQ-5300 3-Stage, AQ-5200 2-Stage, AQ-MF-1 Direct Connect) is WQA-certified or IAPMO-certified to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 covering 78 contaminants including 97% chlorine, 99% lead, 99% microplastics, 96% PFOA/PFOS, asbestos, mercury, cysts, VOCs, pesticides (atrazine, lindane), and emerging compounds (atenolol, BPA, ibuprofen, naproxen). The SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2) ADDS NSF/ANSI 58 to the same scope — covering 90 contaminants total including 90% fluoride, 99% arsenic, nitrate/nitrite, hexavalent chromium, TDS, with a remineralization stage retaining beneficial minerals. The Clean Water Machine (AQ-CWM2) countertop carries the same 78-contaminant Claryum certification. The Rhino whole-house family (WH-1000 / WH-1010 chlorine; WH-1011 / WH-1021 chloramines) is brand-tested (NOT third-party listed) to NSF/ANSI 42 for up to 97% chlorine (and 83% chloramines on the WH-1011/1021 chloramine variants); the Rhino tank IS WQA-certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 for material safety. The OptimH2O whole-house (EQ-OPTM) is brand-tested by IAPMO to NSF/ANSI 53 for up to 99% lead + cysts + 98% PFOA/PFOS at the point-of-entry. The shower-filter family (AQ-4100 / AQ-4105) is brand-tested to NSF/ANSI 177 for up to 90% chlorine in shower water. None of the Claryum or whole-house SKUs cover bacteria/viruses (the AQ-UV-MF / AQ-UV-SF UV add-ons are the brand's bacteria-targeted SKUs at NSF/ANSI 55). For deeper detail on certified lead removal options across all brands, see our lead in tap water guide.

How often should I replace Aquasana filter cartridges, and how long do they last?

Aquasana's filter-life answer varies dramatically by SKU — the brand spans cartridges with 600-gallon and 600,000-gallon service intervals. The Claryum under-sink line (AQ-5300 3-Stage, AQ-5200 2-Stage, AQ-MF-1 Direct Connect) uses 600-gallon cartridges with a ~6-month replacement interval for typical family-of-4 usage; replacement filters retail $60-$80 (4-pack ~$150). The Clean Water Machine (AQ-CWM2) countertop uses the same Claryum cartridges with the same 600-gallon / 6-month cycle. The SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2) uses a multi-cartridge stack — sediment pre-filter (~6 months), carbon block (~12 months), RO membrane (~2-3 years), remineralization cartridge (~12 months); annual replacement cost typically $120-$180 for a family of 4. The Rhino whole-house family (WH-1000 / WH-1010 / WH-1011 / WH-1021) is the brand's standout long-cycle SKU at 600,000 gallons / ~6 years on the main tank — but requires AO-WH-PRE pre-filter cartridges every 2 months at $30-$50 each. The OptimH2O whole-house (EQ-OPTM) uses a similar pre-filter + post-filter cycle to the Rhino. Shower filters (AQ-4100 / AQ-4105) replace every 6 months. The brand offers subscription-based filter delivery to automate replacement timing, which the Reddit community generally rates as a positive convenience feature.

Who owns Aquasana and where is Aquasana made?

Aquasana, Inc. is a subsidiary of A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS), the publicly-traded global water heating and water treatment manufacturer headquartered at 11270 West Park Place, Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA. A. O. Smith acquired Aquasana on August 8, 2016 from L Catterton (a consumer-focused private equity firm) for $87 million in cash on a debt/cash-free basis — the acquisition price represented approximately 2× expected 2016 Aquasana sales. The acquisition was framed by A. O. Smith's CEO as the company's 'significant first step to bringing our industry-leading reverse osmosis water treatment technology and innovative product development capabilities to the large and growing U.S. market.' Pre-acquisition, Aquasana was founded around 1994 and operated as an independent direct-to-consumer water-filter brand. Post-acquisition, Aquasana retained its Austin, Texas executive and marketing team and its Haltom City, Texas sales and operations facility (6310 Midway Road) — both retained from the pre-acquisition organization. A. O. Smith Corporation operates a separate set of NSF DWTU listings under its own name for the AO-* prefixed product line (AO-IM, AO-MF-B, AO-WH-PREV, AO-WH-FILTER, AORO-50) — these are A. O. Smith parent-brand products, NOT Aquasana-branded products, and operate as a parallel A. O. Smith retail line. The brand does not publicly disclose component-level country-of-origin for the Claryum filter media, Rhino tank, or shower-filter housings.

What does 'tested and certified' mean on Aquasana's marketing? Are claims like '99% PFAS removal' third-party certified?

This is the most important question about Aquasana, and the honest answer requires distinguishing three distinct phrasings the brand uses ON THE SAME 'Aquasana Certified Products' page. They are NOT the same thing, and the difference defines what is and is not third-party-certified on the lineup. (1) 'WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 401' (used for Claryum 3-Stage AQ-5300, Claryum 2-Stage AQ-5200, SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis AQ-SFRO2, and Clean Water Machine AQ-CWM2) — this is a real third-party WQA LISTING. WQA is ANSI-accredited; the certification is searchable at find.wqa.org; it requires annual recertification. Equivalent in evidentiary standing to NSF International certification under the same standards. (2) 'IAPMO certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 401' (used for Claryum Direct Connect AQ-MF-1) — same evidentiary tier, different certifier (IAPMO is ANSI-accredited like WQA), searchable at pld.iapmo.org. (3) 'IAPMO TESTED to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 to remove up to 99% of lead and cysts, and up to 98% of PFOA/PFOS' (used for OptimH2O EQ-OPTM whole-house) — the word 'tested' is doing critical work. IAPMO is a recognized third-party testing body; the testing record is real and produces a published Performance Data Sheet. But 'IAPMO tested' is NOT the same as 'IAPMO certified' or 'IAPMO listed.' A LISTING means IAPMO has independently verified the SKU meets the FULL standard's contaminant scope and requires annual recertification. A TESTING RECORD is a one-time measurement. (4) 'Independently tested to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 to remove up to 97% of chlorine' (used for Rhino whole-house WH-1000 / WH-1010 / WH-1011 / WH-1021 and shower filters AQ-4100 / AQ-4105) — the SKUs are NOT on the public NSF DWTU directory; the Rhino tank IS WQA-certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 (material safety, NOT performance). Specific to '99% PFAS removal': the Claryum 3-Stage / 2-Stage / Direct Connect / SmartFlow RO third-party certifications under NSF/ANSI 53 explicitly cover PFOA + PFOS at ~96% reduction under WQA or IAPMO LISTING — that is genuinely third-party-certified PFAS reduction. The OptimH2O whole-house's '98% PFAS reduction' claim is supported by IAPMO TESTING but NOT by an IAPMO LISTING under NSF/ANSI 53 — real testing evidence, narrower than a full listing. To compare Aquasana against alternative SKUs certified for PFAS specifically, see filters certified for PFAS.

Aquasana Water Filters

Q: Is Aquasana better than Brita, or what's the difference vs Brita Elite?

Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage (AQ-5300) and Brita Elite (OB06) sit at different format and price tiers. Aquasana Claryum is an under-sink hard-plumbed filter at $170-$260 retail; Brita Elite is a pour-through pitcher at $30-$45. Both carry legitimate third-party NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certifications (Aquasana via WQA, Brita via NSF International) — the cert evidence is equivalent. The Aquasana Claryum wins on contaminant scope (adds PFOA/PFOS + asbestos + cysts that Brita Elite does NOT cover), filter life (600 gallons vs 120 gallons per cartridge — 5× longer), and convenience (always-on filtered water at the tap). Brita Elite wins on initial cost ($35 vs $200+) and lack-of-installation. The honest pick framework: households with lead-service-line risk + PFAS concerns who can handle a one-time plumbing install choose Aquasana Claryum; households shopping at the entry-level pitcher tier without PFAS concerns choose Brita Elite. Both certifier directories (WQA find.wqa.org for Aquasana, NSF info.nsf.org for Brita) are independently searchable. See the full Aquasana vs Brita comparison table below.

Aquasana, owned by A. O. Smith Corp (NYSE: AOS) since 2016, has a Claryum under-sink line and SmartFlow RO that are WQA/IAPMO-certified, but its Rhino whole-house and shower lines are only 'independently tested,' not certification-listed.

Best for

Households wanting a WQA/IAPMO-certified under-sink lead + PFOA/PFOS + microplastics reducer — the Claryum 3-Stage (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401)
Buyers needing a WQA-certified RO system covering NSF/ANSI 58 that retains beneficial minerals — the SmartFlow RO (AQ-SFRO2)
Households shopping a high-flow whole-house carbon + KDF chlorine-reduction system at ~600,000-gallon life — the Rhino (WH-1000 family)
Buyers who want one brand covering whole-house + drinking water + shower with consistent US-based customer service

Not recommended for

Buyers needing an NSF-listed performance cert on the Rhino whole-house or shower filters — these are 'independently tested,' not listed
Buyers reading OptimH2O EQ-OPTM as 'NSF/ANSI 53 certified' — it is IAPMO TESTED, not an IAPMO LISTING under NSF/ANSI 53
Buyers on tight filter-replacement budgets — Rhino / OptimH2O whole-house run $1,000-$3,000+ plus $80-$200/yr in replacement filters
Households who specifically need the NSF International certifier (or any cert mark) on the Rhino whole-house and shower lines

Premium tier — typically $500+

Certs:NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 372, 401
2 SKUs
$85–$3000
Parent:A.

Certification Reality: What's Actually Tested

This table shows the NSF/IAPMO/WQA-listed certifications for each Aquasana SKU we tracked, alongside the contaminants the brand markets but which do not appear on the third-party listing. Green chips are third-party verified; amber chips are marketing claims without a corresponding listing. Every row links to the live certifier database so you can verify the listed claim set yourself.

SKU / Model	Standards held	What’s certified	Brand claims but NOT certified	NSF listing
AQ-5300 Claryum 3-Stage Under-Sink Water Filter (AQ-5300; AQ-5300+ Max Flow variant) — the brand's flagship cert-listed under-sink unit	NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401	Chlorine (Taste and Odor) Lead Mercury Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia) Asbestos Microplastics PFOA PFOS VOCs Atrazine Lindane Atenolol Bisphenol A Ibuprofen Naproxen	Fluoride (Claryum line does NOT remove fluoride — the brand's own SmartFlow RO and OptimH2O lines are the fluoride-targeted SKUs) Arsenic (Claryum line does NOT cover arsenic — same point as fluoride) Nitrate / Nitrite Total Dissolved Solids (Claryum line preserves dissolved minerals — this is a brand marketing differentiator vs ZeroWater, not a removal claim) Chloramines (the under-sink AQ-5300 carries chlorine NSF/ANSI 42 cert but NOT specifically chloramines — the Rhino Chloramines whole-house variant WH-1011 is the chloramine-targeted SKU) Hexavalent Chromium Uranium Bacteria / Viruses The Claryum 3-Stage (AQ-5300) is the brand's strongest cert story — WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 401 is a legitimate third-party certification equivalent in evidentiary standing to NSF International certification under the same standards. WQA is ANSI-accredited. The C2 (tested-to vs certified-to) confusion arises only at the framing level — the brand consistently uses 'tested and certified' for this SKU, which is technically correct (WQA did test, and then certified). The risk is a buyer collapsing this language with the 'independently tested' (NOT certified) Rhino whole-house SKUs and forming a single 'all Aquasana is NSF-tier' mental model that overstates the cert footprint of the broader lineup. The C10 ('reduces' vs 'removes') framing also applies on the marketing claim of 'Remove up to 99% of 78 contaminants' — the 78-contaminant count is the WQA-certified PLUS the surrogate-tested compounds from the performance data sheet, not 78 individually-certified line items. Marketing copy of '99% lead removal' is a single-pass laboratory reduction at the certified NSF/ANSI 53 influent concentration (150 ppb for lead), not a guarantee of 99% removal at arbitrary influent lead exposures.	View NSF listing
AQ-5200 Claryum 2-Stage Under-Sink Water Filter (AQ-5200) — same Claryum filtration with 2 stages instead of 3	NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401	Chlorine (Taste and Odor) Lead Mercury Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia) Asbestos Microplastics PFOA PFOS VOCs Atrazine Lindane Atenolol Bisphenol A Ibuprofen Naproxen	Fluoride Arsenic Nitrate / Nitrite Total Dissolved Solids Chloramines Hexavalent Chromium Uranium Bacteria / Viruses The Claryum 2-Stage (AQ-5200) sits in the C11 sister-SKU position relative to the AQ-5300 3-Stage: same WQA NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 cert scope, narrower physical filter stack. The brand markets both with the same '78 contaminants' language and the same 99% lead / 96% PFOA-PFOS / 97% chlorine reduction percentages — because they share the same Claryum filter media and the same WQA certification. The 2-Stage variant is the cost-conscious entry point ($220 vs $260) sharing the cert profile; the 3-Stage adds an extra mechanical pre-filtration stage for sediment-heavy water sources but does not extend the certified contaminant set. Same C10 ('reduces' vs 'removes') framing applies to the 78-contaminant marketing copy.	View NSF listing
AQ-SFRO2 SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint	NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 401	Chlorine (Taste and Odor) Chloramines Lead Mercury Fluoride Arsenic Nitrate / Nitrite Total Dissolved Solids Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia) Asbestos Microplastics PFOA PFOS Pesticides Herbicides Cadmium Copper Atrazine Lindane Hexavalent Chromium Atenolol Bisphenol A Ibuprofen Naproxen	Bacteria / Viruses (RO membranes do reject bacteria mechanically but the AQ-SFRO2 is not certified to NSF/ANSI 55 UV disinfection) Uranium (not in the standard NSF/ANSI 58 certified list for this SKU) Radium 226/228 (some RO systems cover this; the AQ-SFRO2 does not list it on the WQA cert scope) The SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2) is the brand's strongest cert SKU — WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 58 + 401 + CSA B483.1, the only Aquasana SKU certified to NSF/ANSI 58 (the standard that covers RO-format-specific contaminants: arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, TDS). At $199.99 retail (sale price; $449.99 regular) the SmartFlow RO is meaningfully cheaper than competitor RO systems with comparable cert scope (iSpring RCC7AK, APEC ROES-PH75) at similar quality tiers. The remineralization stage downstream of the RO membrane is the brand's marketing differentiator vs deionized-only RO competitors — the output water retains calcium, magnesium, and potassium so it does NOT taste 'flat' the way pure-deionized RO output does. The cert scope on this SKU genuinely is the broadest in Aquasana's lineup; the C2 / C10 confusion patterns DO NOT apply to this specific SKU in any meaningful way (the brand markets 'tested and certified' with reduction percentages that match the performance data sheet).	View NSF listing
WH-1000 Rhino Whole-House Water Filtration System (WH-1000 / EQ-1000) — the most-reviewed Aquasana product line; the centerpiece C2 (tested-to vs certified-to) SKU	NSF/ANSI/CAN 61		Chlorine (brand claims 'up to 97% removal' but the 'tested to NSF/ANSI 42' language is brand-published lab data, NOT an NSF performance listing under NSF/ANSI 42) Sediment / Particulate Pesticides (the Rhino's KDF media is documented to reduce some pesticides, but the SKU is not on the NSF/ANSI 53 performance listing) Industrial Solvents Lead (brand does NOT claim Rhino lead removal — the OptimH2O whole-house line is the brand's lead-targeted whole-house SKU) PFOA / PFOS (same point as lead) Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia) Microplastics The Rhino WH-1000 is the canonical SKU for the C2 (tested-to vs certified-to) confusion pattern in the Aquasana lineup. The brand's own certified-products page uses TWO distinct cert-language patterns on this single SKU: (a) 'INDEPENDENTLY TESTED to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 to remove up to 97% of chlorine' for the performance claim — the word 'tested' is doing the work; (b) 'Rhino tank tested and certified by WQA to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 for Materials Safety Requirements and Structural Integrity Requirements' for the tank itself. The NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 certification is REAL — WQA (third-party ANSI-accredited certifier) has certified the tank materials don't leach lead or other contaminants into the water. But NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 is the MATERIAL-SAFETY standard, NOT the performance standard that says 'this filter removes X contaminants at Y reduction percentage.' The performance claim under NSF/ANSI 42 is brand-published lab data ('tested to'), not a certification listing. Buyers reading 'NSF/ANSI 42' and 'NSF/ANSI/CAN 61' on the same Rhino product page may collapse them into a single 'NSF certified' mental model — that mental model overstates the performance-cert footprint of the Rhino. The honest version: the Rhino's tank is third-party-certified for material safety; the Rhino's chlorine-reduction performance is brand-tested but not third-party-listed. The brand DOES NOT claim Rhino lead reduction, PFAS reduction, or microplastic reduction — those claims belong to the OptimH2O and Claryum lines, not the Rhino. The Rhino is a high-flow chlorine + sediment + KDF system at the 600,000-gallon service interval, sized for whole-house comfort filtration rather than targeted health-contaminant reduction.	Listing TBD
EQ-OPTM OptimH2O Whole-House Water Filtration System (EQ-OPTM) — the brand's lead-and-PFAS-targeted whole-house SKU; the centerpiece C5 (single-contaminant cert generalized) SKU	NSF/ANSI/CAN 61		Lead (brand claims 'IAPMO tested to NSF/ANSI 53 for up to 99% lead reduction' — testing is third-party data but is NOT equivalent to an IAPMO LISTING under NSF/ANSI 53) PFOA / PFOS (brand claims 'up to 98% reduction' via IAPMO testing — same point as lead) Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia) Chlorine (brand claims 'independently tested to NSF/ANSI 42 for up to 90% chlorine + chloramine reduction') Chloramines Microplastics Hexavalent Chromium The OptimH2O EQ-OPTM is the canonical SKU for the C5 (single-contaminant cert generalized) confusion pattern in the Aquasana lineup, with the C2 pattern also active. The brand's marketing claim is 'IAPMO tested to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 to remove up to 99% of lead and cysts, and up to 98% of PFOA/PFOS.' The word 'tested' is doing critical work: IAPMO is a recognized third-party ANSI-accredited testing body, and the testing record is real. But 'IAPMO tested to NSF/ANSI 53' is NOT the same as 'IAPMO LISTED under NSF/ANSI 53.' A LISTING means IAPMO has independently verified the SKU meets the FULL standard's contaminant scope under the standard's specific testing protocols and continues to require annual recertification. A TESTING RECORD means IAPMO ran a specific test for specific contaminants and produced a performance data sheet. The under-sink Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1) carries a full IAPMO LISTING under NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401; the OptimH2O whole-house carries an IAPMO TESTING record. Same certifier (IAPMO), different evidentiary tier. The C5 pattern: marketing copy implies broad health-cert coverage under NSF/ANSI 53 (lead, cysts, PFOA/PFOS — those are real NSF/ANSI 53 contaminants); the actual third-party listing footprint is the Claryum line, not the whole-house EQ-OPTM. Buyers shopping for 'a whole-house lead and PFAS reduction system with third-party cert' should understand that the OptimH2O has third-party TESTING but not third-party LISTING — those are different categories of evidence even though both come from IAPMO.	Listing TBD
AQ-MF-1 Claryum Direct Connect Under-Sink Filter (AQ-MF-1) — the IAPMO-LISTED counterpart to the WQA-listed AQ-5300	NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401	Chlorine (Taste and Odor) Chloramines Lead Mercury Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia) Asbestos Microplastics PFOA PFOS VOCs Atrazine Lindane Atenolol Bisphenol A Ibuprofen Naproxen	Fluoride (Claryum line does NOT remove fluoride — same as the under-sink AQ-5300) Arsenic Nitrate / Nitrite Total Dissolved Solids Hexavalent Chromium Uranium Bacteria / Viruses The Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1) is the C11 sister-SKU instructive case: same Claryum filtration technology as the AQ-5300 / AQ-5200 under-sink line, certified to the same NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 standards, but by IAPMO instead of WQA — and with the added chloramines coverage that the under-sink AQ-5300 does not explicitly carry. Same brand, same filtration, same cert scope on paper, different ANSI-accredited certifier. The functional implication: a buyer comparing 'Aquasana under-sink' SKUs sees both at similar retail price tiers ($170-$260) with similar marketing — but the AQ-MF-1 adds chloramines cert that the AQ-5300 lacks. Both are legitimate third-party certifications equivalent in evidentiary standing; the only practical difference for the buyer is which certifier's directory you'd search to independently verify (find.wqa.org for AQ-5300 vs pld.iapmo.org for AQ-MF-1).	View NSF listing

AQ-5300

Claryum 3-Stage Under-Sink Water Filter (AQ-5300; AQ-5300+ Max Flow variant) — the brand's flagship cert-listed under-sink unit

Standards held

NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401

What’s certified

Chlorine (Taste and Odor)
Lead
Mercury
Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia)
Asbestos
Microplastics
PFOA
PFOS
VOCs
Atrazine
Lindane
Atenolol
Bisphenol A
Ibuprofen
Naproxen

Brand claims but NOT certified

Fluoride (Claryum line does NOT remove fluoride — the brand's own SmartFlow RO and OptimH2O lines are the fluoride-targeted SKUs)
Arsenic (Claryum line does NOT cover arsenic — same point as fluoride)
Nitrate / Nitrite
Total Dissolved Solids (Claryum line preserves dissolved minerals — this is a brand marketing differentiator vs ZeroWater, not a removal claim)
Chloramines (the under-sink AQ-5300 carries chlorine NSF/ANSI 42 cert but NOT specifically chloramines — the Rhino Chloramines whole-house variant WH-1011 is the chloramine-targeted SKU)
Hexavalent Chromium
Uranium
Bacteria / Viruses

The Claryum 3-Stage (AQ-5300) is the brand's strongest cert story — WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 401 is a legitimate third-party certification equivalent in evidentiary standing to NSF International certification under the same standards. WQA is ANSI-accredited. The C2 (tested-to vs certified-to) confusion arises only at the framing level — the brand consistently uses 'tested and certified' for this SKU, which is technically correct (WQA did test, and then certified). The risk is a buyer collapsing this language with the 'independently tested' (NOT certified) Rhino whole-house SKUs and forming a single 'all Aquasana is NSF-tier' mental model that overstates the cert footprint of the broader lineup. The C10 ('reduces' vs 'removes') framing also applies on the marketing claim of 'Remove up to 99% of 78 contaminants' — the 78-contaminant count is the WQA-certified PLUS the surrogate-tested compounds from the performance data sheet, not 78 individually-certified line items. Marketing copy of '99% lead removal' is a single-pass laboratory reduction at the certified NSF/ANSI 53 influent concentration (150 ppb for lead), not a guarantee of 99% removal at arbitrary influent lead exposures.

NSF listing

View NSF listing

AQ-5200

Claryum 2-Stage Under-Sink Water Filter (AQ-5200) — same Claryum filtration with 2 stages instead of 3

Standards held

NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401

What’s certified

Chlorine (Taste and Odor)
Lead
Mercury
Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia)
Asbestos
Microplastics
PFOA
PFOS
VOCs
Atrazine
Lindane
Atenolol
Bisphenol A
Ibuprofen
Naproxen

Brand claims but NOT certified

Fluoride
Arsenic
Nitrate / Nitrite
Total Dissolved Solids
Chloramines
Hexavalent Chromium
Uranium
Bacteria / Viruses

The Claryum 2-Stage (AQ-5200) sits in the C11 sister-SKU position relative to the AQ-5300 3-Stage: same WQA NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 cert scope, narrower physical filter stack. The brand markets both with the same '78 contaminants' language and the same 99% lead / 96% PFOA-PFOS / 97% chlorine reduction percentages — because they share the same Claryum filter media and the same WQA certification. The 2-Stage variant is the cost-conscious entry point ($220 vs $260) sharing the cert profile; the 3-Stage adds an extra mechanical pre-filtration stage for sediment-heavy water sources but does not extend the certified contaminant set. Same C10 ('reduces' vs 'removes') framing applies to the 78-contaminant marketing copy.

NSF listing

View NSF listing

AQ-SFRO2

SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint

Standards held

NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 401

What’s certified

Chlorine (Taste and Odor)
Chloramines
Lead
Mercury
Fluoride
Arsenic
Nitrate / Nitrite
Total Dissolved Solids
Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia)
Asbestos
Microplastics
PFOA
PFOS
Pesticides
Herbicides
Cadmium
Copper
Atrazine
Lindane
Hexavalent Chromium
Atenolol
Bisphenol A
Ibuprofen
Naproxen

Brand claims but NOT certified

Bacteria / Viruses (RO membranes do reject bacteria mechanically but the AQ-SFRO2 is not certified to NSF/ANSI 55 UV disinfection)
Uranium (not in the standard NSF/ANSI 58 certified list for this SKU)
Radium 226/228 (some RO systems cover this; the AQ-SFRO2 does not list it on the WQA cert scope)

The SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2) is the brand's strongest cert SKU — WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 58 + 401 + CSA B483.1, the only Aquasana SKU certified to NSF/ANSI 58 (the standard that covers RO-format-specific contaminants: arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, TDS). At $199.99 retail (sale price; $449.99 regular) the SmartFlow RO is meaningfully cheaper than competitor RO systems with comparable cert scope (iSpring RCC7AK, APEC ROES-PH75) at similar quality tiers. The remineralization stage downstream of the RO membrane is the brand's marketing differentiator vs deionized-only RO competitors — the output water retains calcium, magnesium, and potassium so it does NOT taste 'flat' the way pure-deionized RO output does. The cert scope on this SKU genuinely is the broadest in Aquasana's lineup; the C2 / C10 confusion patterns DO NOT apply to this specific SKU in any meaningful way (the brand markets 'tested and certified' with reduction percentages that match the performance data sheet).

NSF listing

View NSF listing

WH-1000

Rhino Whole-House Water Filtration System (WH-1000 / EQ-1000) — the most-reviewed Aquasana product line; the centerpiece C2 (tested-to vs certified-to) SKU

Standards held

NSF/ANSI/CAN 61

What’s certified

Brand claims but NOT certified

Chlorine (brand claims 'up to 97% removal' but the 'tested to NSF/ANSI 42' language is brand-published lab data, NOT an NSF performance listing under NSF/ANSI 42)
Sediment / Particulate
Pesticides (the Rhino's KDF media is documented to reduce some pesticides, but the SKU is not on the NSF/ANSI 53 performance listing)
Industrial Solvents
Lead (brand does NOT claim Rhino lead removal — the OptimH2O whole-house line is the brand's lead-targeted whole-house SKU)
PFOA / PFOS (same point as lead)
Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia)
Microplastics

The Rhino WH-1000 is the canonical SKU for the C2 (tested-to vs certified-to) confusion pattern in the Aquasana lineup. The brand's own certified-products page uses TWO distinct cert-language patterns on this single SKU: (a) 'INDEPENDENTLY TESTED to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 to remove up to 97% of chlorine' for the performance claim — the word 'tested' is doing the work; (b) 'Rhino tank tested and certified by WQA to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 for Materials Safety Requirements and Structural Integrity Requirements' for the tank itself. The NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 certification is REAL — WQA (third-party ANSI-accredited certifier) has certified the tank materials don't leach lead or other contaminants into the water. But NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 is the MATERIAL-SAFETY standard, NOT the performance standard that says 'this filter removes X contaminants at Y reduction percentage.' The performance claim under NSF/ANSI 42 is brand-published lab data ('tested to'), not a certification listing. Buyers reading 'NSF/ANSI 42' and 'NSF/ANSI/CAN 61' on the same Rhino product page may collapse them into a single 'NSF certified' mental model — that mental model overstates the performance-cert footprint of the Rhino. The honest version: the Rhino's tank is third-party-certified for material safety; the Rhino's chlorine-reduction performance is brand-tested but not third-party-listed. The brand DOES NOT claim Rhino lead reduction, PFAS reduction, or microplastic reduction — those claims belong to the OptimH2O and Claryum lines, not the Rhino. The Rhino is a high-flow chlorine + sediment + KDF system at the 600,000-gallon service interval, sized for whole-house comfort filtration rather than targeted health-contaminant reduction.

NSF listing

Listing TBD

EQ-OPTM

OptimH2O Whole-House Water Filtration System (EQ-OPTM) — the brand's lead-and-PFAS-targeted whole-house SKU; the centerpiece C5 (single-contaminant cert generalized) SKU

Standards held

NSF/ANSI/CAN 61

What’s certified

Brand claims but NOT certified

Lead (brand claims 'IAPMO tested to NSF/ANSI 53 for up to 99% lead reduction' — testing is third-party data but is NOT equivalent to an IAPMO LISTING under NSF/ANSI 53)
PFOA / PFOS (brand claims 'up to 98% reduction' via IAPMO testing — same point as lead)
Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia)
Chlorine (brand claims 'independently tested to NSF/ANSI 42 for up to 90% chlorine + chloramine reduction')
Chloramines
Microplastics
Hexavalent Chromium

The OptimH2O EQ-OPTM is the canonical SKU for the C5 (single-contaminant cert generalized) confusion pattern in the Aquasana lineup, with the C2 pattern also active. The brand's marketing claim is 'IAPMO tested to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 to remove up to 99% of lead and cysts, and up to 98% of PFOA/PFOS.' The word 'tested' is doing critical work: IAPMO is a recognized third-party ANSI-accredited testing body, and the testing record is real. But 'IAPMO tested to NSF/ANSI 53' is NOT the same as 'IAPMO LISTED under NSF/ANSI 53.' A LISTING means IAPMO has independently verified the SKU meets the FULL standard's contaminant scope under the standard's specific testing protocols and continues to require annual recertification. A TESTING RECORD means IAPMO ran a specific test for specific contaminants and produced a performance data sheet. The under-sink Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1) carries a full IAPMO LISTING under NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401; the OptimH2O whole-house carries an IAPMO TESTING record. Same certifier (IAPMO), different evidentiary tier. The C5 pattern: marketing copy implies broad health-cert coverage under NSF/ANSI 53 (lead, cysts, PFOA/PFOS — those are real NSF/ANSI 53 contaminants); the actual third-party listing footprint is the Claryum line, not the whole-house EQ-OPTM. Buyers shopping for 'a whole-house lead and PFAS reduction system with third-party cert' should understand that the OptimH2O has third-party TESTING but not third-party LISTING — those are different categories of evidence even though both come from IAPMO.

NSF listing

Listing TBD

AQ-MF-1

Claryum Direct Connect Under-Sink Filter (AQ-MF-1) — the IAPMO-LISTED counterpart to the WQA-listed AQ-5300

Standards held

NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401

What’s certified

Chlorine (Taste and Odor)
Chloramines
Lead
Mercury
Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia)
Asbestos
Microplastics
PFOA
PFOS
VOCs
Atrazine
Lindane
Atenolol
Bisphenol A
Ibuprofen
Naproxen

Brand claims but NOT certified

Fluoride (Claryum line does NOT remove fluoride — same as the under-sink AQ-5300)
Arsenic
Nitrate / Nitrite
Total Dissolved Solids
Hexavalent Chromium
Uranium
Bacteria / Viruses

The Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1) is the C11 sister-SKU instructive case: same Claryum filtration technology as the AQ-5300 / AQ-5200 under-sink line, certified to the same NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 standards, but by IAPMO instead of WQA — and with the added chloramines coverage that the under-sink AQ-5300 does not explicitly carry. Same brand, same filtration, same cert scope on paper, different ANSI-accredited certifier. The functional implication: a buyer comparing 'Aquasana under-sink' SKUs sees both at similar retail price tiers ($170-$260) with similar marketing — but the AQ-MF-1 adds chloramines cert that the AQ-5300 lacks. Both are legitimate third-party certifications equivalent in evidentiary standing; the only practical difference for the buyer is which certifier's directory you'd search to independently verify (find.wqa.org for AQ-5300 vs pld.iapmo.org for AQ-MF-1).

NSF listing

View NSF listing

Check Certification for a Aquasana Filter

This widget shows the third-party-listed certifications for Aquasana SKUs only. Type a model number to filter the list below — every result links to the full breakdown. To search across every brand we track, use the global certification tool.

Search Aquasana models

AQ-SFRO
Aquasana
NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 372, 401
View details
AQ-SFRO2
Aquasana
NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 372, 401
View details

Listings as of May 29, 2026.

About Aquasana

Aquasana is a US premium water-treatment brand founded in 1994, acquired by A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) on August 8, 2016 from L Catterton for $87 million. The brand spans the broadest format footprint in consumer water treatment — under-sink, countertop, whole-house, shower, and UV. Its centerpiece is the proprietary Claryum filtration technology: a multi-stage combination of activated carbon, catalytic carbon, and ion-exchange media that the brand's WQA-issued performance data sheet (AQ-5300) documents as reducing 78 contaminants including 97% of chlorine, 99% of microplastics and lead, and 96% of PFOA/PFOS. The cert-reality story is uniquely instructive in this lineup because Aquasana's own marketing copy distinguishes three distinct cert-language patterns on the same 'Aquasana Certified Products' page: (a) 'WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 401' for the under-sink Claryum line (AQ-5300, AQ-5200, AQ-MF-1 via IAPMO) and the SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2) and Clean Water Machine (AQ-CWM2) — these ARE third-party-certified by a recognized ANSI-accredited certifier (WQA or IAPMO); (b) 'IAPMO tested to NSF/ANSI Standard 53' for the OptimH2O EQ-OPTM — IAPMO testing is real third-party data but is NOT equivalent to an IAPMO listing under NSF/ANSI 53; (c) 'Independently tested to NSF/ANSI Standard 42' for the Rhino whole-house family (WH-1000 / WH-1010 / WH-1011 / WH-1021) and shower-filter family (AQ-4100 / AQ-4105) — these SKUs are NOT on the public NSF DWTU performance-standard listing under any company-name variant. The Rhino tank IS WQA-certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 (material safety, no lead leaching from the tank itself), which the brand's certified-products page accurately documents — but copy on a Rhino product page that mentions 'NSF/ANSI 61' without qualifying material-safety vs performance is in the C5 confusion pattern by default. The brand also drives ~$1.70 CPC at 20,000 monthly searches on the head term 'aquasana' (per Ahrefs), indicating both brand strength and significant retail competition. Aquasana operates under A. O. Smith's water treatment segment, retaining its Austin TX executive/marketing team and Haltom City TX sales/operations facility. The public NSF DWTU directory under 'Aquasana, Inc.' returns exactly 2 products as of 2026-05-23 — AQ-UV-MF and AQ-UV-SF, both UV systems certified under NSF/ANSI 55. Every other Aquasana certification lives at WQA (find.wqa.org) or IAPMO (pld.iapmo.org).

Founded:1994 (Aquasana, Inc., as an independent consumer-water-treatment brand) / August 8, 2016 (A. O. Smith Corporation acquisition)

Headquarters:Executive and marketing team: Austin, Texas USA. Sales, customer service, and operations facility: 6310 Midway Road, Haltom City, TX 76117 USA (per NSF certifier listing for Aquasana, Inc.). Parent A. O. Smith Corporation HQ: 11270 West Park Place, Milwaukee, WI 53224 USA.

Parent company:A.

Ownership history

1994
Aquasana, Inc. founded as an independent consumer-water-treatment brand headquartered in Austin, Texas. Initial product focus: countertop and shower carbon-block filters at the premium consumer tier, sold direct-to-consumer through the brand's website.
Pre-2016
Aquasana, Inc. held by L Catterton, a consumer-focused private equity firm. Under L Catterton ownership the brand achieved approximately 19% trailing-three-year revenue CAGR and approximately $44 million in expected 2016 sales, ~35% of which was recurring revenue from consumable replacement filters.
2016
August 8, 2016: A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) completed the purchase of Aquasana, Inc. from L Catterton for $87 million in cash on a debt/cash-free basis. The acquisition price represented approximately 2× expected 2016 sales. A. O. Smith publicly framed Aquasana as a strategic fit to access the ~$2 billion US residential water treatment market, complementing A. O. Smith's then-leading RO product position in China.
Post-2016
Aquasana continues to operate under its existing brand name as a subsidiary of A. O. Smith Corporation. Aquasana CEO Todd Bartee (at the time of the acquisition) remained involved through the integration; the executive and marketing team continues to operate out of Austin, Texas, and the sales/operations facility in Haltom City, Texas, both pre-2016 locations retained post-acquisition. A. O. Smith Corporation maintains separate NSF DWTU listings under its own name (Milwaukee, WI HQ) for the AO-* prefixed product line — these are NOT Aquasana-branded products and operate as a parallel A. O. Smith product line.
2024
Aquasana launches the SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis system (AQ-SFRO2), WQA-certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 + 53 + 58 + 401 + CSA B483.1 covering 90 contaminants. This is the brand's broadest cert footprint per single SKU and the realization of A. O. Smith's 2016 stated thesis of bringing RO technology to the US consumer market.

Claryum Under-Sink Family (AQ-5300 3-Stage / AQ-5200 2-Stage / AQ-MF-1 Direct Connect)

The brand's flagship cert-listed lineup. Claryum 3-Stage (AQ-5300) and 2-Stage (AQ-5200) are WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 401 to remove 78 contaminants including 97% of chlorine, 99% of microplastics and lead, 96% of PFOA/PFOS. Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow (AQ-5300+) is the higher-flow variant with the same WQA cert scope at 44% faster flow rate. Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1) is the no-plumbing-required faucet-mount variant, IAPMO-certified to the same NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 standards. Retail $170-$260; replacement filter cartridges $60-$80 every ~6 months (600-gallon rated capacity).

SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2)

Aquasana's broadest single-SKU cert footprint. WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, 58, 401, and CSA B483.1 covering 90 contaminants including 90% of fluoride, 99.99% of cysts, 99.9% of asbestos, 99% of lead, VOCs, and microplastics; 96% of chlorine, chloramines, arsenic, pesticides, and herbicides; 95% of PFOA/PFOS. Retail $199.99-$449.99. Includes a remineralization stage downstream of the RO membrane that retains calcium, magnesium, and potassium (the brand's marketing differentiator vs deionized-only RO competitors).

Clean Water Machine (AQ-CWM2) — countertop Claryum dispenser

Countertop electric dispenser using the same Claryum filtration as the under-sink line. WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 401 covering 78 contaminants including 99% of microplastics, lead, and cysts; 97% of chlorine; 96% of mercury; 95% of PFOA/PFOS and VOCs. Closest analogue to a pour-through pitcher in the lineup but at $200+ price tier — competes with high-end ZeroWater dispenser and Brita Total360 countertop systems.

Rhino Whole-House Family (WH-1000 / WH-1010 / WH-1011 / WH-1021 / EQ-1000)

The Rhino is the most-reviewed whole-house consumer system in the brand's lineup with 600,000-gallon / ~6-year rated service life. WH-1000 is the base unit; WH-1010 is Rhino Max Flow (higher flow rate); WH-1011 is Rhino Chloramines (carbon + KDF + media tuned for chloraminated municipal water); WH-1021 is Rhino Chloramines Max Flow. The Rhino tank is WQA-certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 (material safety — no lead leaching from the tank itself). Performance is documented via brand-published 'independently tested to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 to remove up to 97% of chlorine' (and up to 83% of chloramines on the chloramines variant) — the SKUs are NOT on the NSF DWTU performance listing under any company-name variant. The Rhino Well Water UV Filter variant adds NSF/ANSI 55 'tested' UV sterilization. Retail $1,000-$2,800 base system; replacement pre-filters ~$30-$50 every 2 months; replacement post-filter cartridge less frequent.

OptimH2O Whole-House (EQ-OPTM) — lead-and-PFAS-targeted

Aquasana's whole-house specialty SKU for lead and PFAS reduction at the point-of-entry. Marketed as 'IAPMO tested to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 to remove up to 99% of lead and cysts, and up to 98% of PFOA/PFOS' — the word 'tested' is doing load-bearing work in this language. IAPMO testing record is real third-party data; the SKU does NOT carry an IAPMO listing under NSF/ANSI 53 in the public IAPMO PLD directory under the Aquasana name. The brand also markets 'independently tested to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 to remove up to 90% of chlorine and chloramines' — same 'tested' language. The C2 confusion pattern in pure form: buyers reading 'tested to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead + PFAS' may conclude the SKU is 'NSF certified' for those contaminants when the actual third-party listing scope is the WQA-certified Claryum under-sink line, not the whole-house OptimH2O.

AQ-4100 / AQ-4105 Shower Filter Family

Aquasana's shower-filter lineup. AQ-4100 is the wall-mount shower filter; AQ-4105 adds a handheld wand. Both are described as 'independently tested to NSF/ANSI Standard 177 to remove up to 90% of chlorine in shower water.' NSF/ANSI 177 is the shower-filter chlorine-reduction standard, but the AQ-4100 / AQ-4105 SKUs do NOT appear on the public NSF DWTU listing under the Aquasana name — the 'tested' language is C2 again. The brand's performance data sheet at AQ-4100-4105_Performance_Data.pdf documents the brand-published test results; no NSF or WQA or IAPMO LISTING covers these SKUs. Retail $85-$160.

AQ-UV-MF / AQ-UV-SF Ultraviolet Disinfection (Point-of-Entry)

Aquasana's only SKUs on the public NSF DWTU directory as of 2026-05-23. Both certified under NSF/ANSI 55 (UV Disinfection Performance, Class B) per the NSF directory entry for 'Aquasana, Inc.' (6310 Midway Road, Haltom City, TX). AQ-UV-MF runs at 19 gpm flow rate with the AQ-UV-510L replacement bulb; AQ-UV-SF runs at 6 gpm with the AQ-UV-300L bulb. Both are also certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (lead-free plumbing) and conform to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 (material safety). Typically sold as add-ons to the Rhino Well Water whole-house system rather than standalone retail.

Aquasana, Inc. is the manufacturer-of-record on the NSF directory's UV-system listings (AQ-UV-MF and AQ-UV-SF), at 6310 Midway Road, Haltom City, TX 76117 USA. The Haltom City facility is the brand's US sales, customer service, and operations hub. Component-level country-of-origin for the Claryum filter media (activated carbon, catalytic carbon, ion-exchange resin), Rhino tank stainless steel, and shower-filter components is not publicly disclosed by the brand on its consumer-facing pages. Post-2016 the brand operates as a subsidiary of A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS), headquartered at 11270 West Park Place, Milwaukee, WI 53224 — a global manufacturer of water heaters and water treatment products with operations in 16 countries.

Which Aquasana Filter Is Right for You?

We mapped each Aquasana SKU’s NSF-listed certifications against the 10 contaminants people search for most. Where Aquasana doesn’t have a certified SKU, we say so.

Lead

Best pick: SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint — certified for Lead (Aquasana).

PFAS

Best pick: SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint — certified for PFAS (Aquasana).

Fluoride

Best pick: SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint — certified for Fluoride (Aquasana).

Arsenic

Best pick: SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint — certified for Arsenic (Aquasana).

Nitrate

Best pick: SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint — certified for Nitrate (Aquasana).

Chromium-6

Best pick: SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint — certified for Chromium-6 (Aquasana).

Mercury

Best pick: SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint — certified for Mercury (Aquasana).

Atrazine

Best pick: SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint — certified for Atrazine (Aquasana).

Chloroform

Not the right choice if Chloroform is your priority — no certified Aquasana SKU for Chloroform. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Cysts

Best pick: SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis System (AQ-SFRO2) — the brand's broadest single-SKU cert footprint — certified for Cysts (Aquasana).

How Aquasana Compares

Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Under-Sink (AQ-5300) vs Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

Feature	Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Under-Sink (AQ-5300)	Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher
Format	Under-sink hard-plumbed filter with proprietary Claryum filtration (activated carbon + catalytic carbon + ion-exchange resin)	Activated-carbon pour-through pitcher with Brita Longlast+ (OB06) cartridge
Third-party certifier	WQA (Water Quality Association — ANSI-accredited)	NSF International (Midland, Ontario / Dominican Republic — The Brita Products Company)
Certification language	'WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 401' — a third-party LISTING with annual recertification under WQA	'NSF Certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for Lead Reduction' — a NSF directory LISTING under The Brita Products Company
NSF/ANSI 42 (Chlorine T&O)	Yes (WQA-certified)	Yes (NSF-certified)
NSF/ANSI 53 — Lead reduction	Yes (WQA-certified)	Yes (NSF-certified)
NSF/ANSI 53 — PFOA/PFOS	Yes (96% reduction at certified influent concentration)	No (Brita Elite is NOT certified for PFAS)
NSF/ANSI 53 — Cysts / Microplastics	Yes (99% reduction on microplastics + Cryptosporidium / Giardia cysts)	Yes microplastics (NSF/ANSI 401 cert covers microplastics on Brita Elite)
NSF/ANSI 401 (emerging contaminants — BPA, ibuprofen)	Yes (BPA, atenolol, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, naproxen)	Yes (BPA, atenolol, ibuprofen, microplastics)
Fluoride / Arsenic / TDS	No (under-sink Claryum line does NOT remove fluoride, arsenic, or TDS — those need the SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis SKU)	No (Brita Elite covers chlorine taste, lead, microplastics only)
Filter life	600 gallons / ~6 months on the AQ-5300 / AQ-5300+	120 gallons / ~6 months on the OB06 Elite cartridge
Initial retail	$170-$260 (system + first filter cartridge)	$30-$45 (pitcher + first OB06 cartridge)
Annual filter cost (family of 4)	~$120-$160 (2 cartridges/year at $60-$80 each)	~$36-$48 (2 OB06 cartridges/year at $18-$24 each)
Installation	Under-sink hard plumbing required (or AQ-MF-1 Claryum Direct Connect for no-plumbing variant)	Pour into pitcher, refill manually

Format

Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Under-Sink (AQ-5300)

Under-sink hard-plumbed filter with proprietary Claryum filtration (activated carbon + catalytic carbon + ion-exchange resin)