Looking for a sink water filter? Finding lots of cheap water filters on Amazon but don’t know which one to buy? Here’s why you shouldn’t buy any water filter unless it’s been independently tested by a trusted lab.
正在寻找水槽净水器？在亚马逊等互联网上发现很多便宜的净水器，但不知道买哪一个？以下是为什么你不应该购买任何净水器，除非它经过值得信赖的实验室的独立测试。

Can you trust a cheap water filter for the sink?
你能相信一个便宜的水槽净水器吗？

It’s become easier than ever to manufacturer cheap consumer products in China. Therefore the Internet, Amazon and millions of small online stores provide super-cheap copies or alternatives to established branded products.
But when it comes to drinking water, don’t gamble. Many of the product descriptions on Taobao & Jingdong are simply fabricated. They claim 7 stage filters when in fact it’s a standard activated carbon filter with low quality. If it looks too good to be true then it probably is.
在中国制造廉价消费品变得比以往任何时候都容易。 因此，互联网、亚马逊和数以百万计的小型在线商店为已建立的品牌产品提供超便宜的副本或替代品。
但是当涉及到饮用水时，不要赌博。淘宝和京东上的许多产品描述都是简单的捏造。他们声称有7级过滤器，但实际上是一个低质量的标准活性炭过滤器。如果它看起来好得难以置信，那么它可能就是。

While testing over 30 water filters as part of the research for TAPP these are some of the issues we found with the cheap sink water filters:
作为 TAPP 研究的一部分，在测试 30 多个净水器时，我们发现廉价水槽净水器存在一些问题 ：

• Leakage due to low quality connections, cartridges and lack of pressure testing of the cartridges
• Completely false promises about removal of substances from the tap water (we tested the filter water in a lab)
• Filtering process adding metallic taste to the tap water or discolouration due to chemicals used in the filter cartridges
• Difficult or impossible to attach to a faucet due to poor connections or missing adapters
• Promised filters that last 6-12 months but that lost filtering effect after just a few months
• Product manufacturer increased the cost of the cartridges after purchase or even worse went out of business which mean that cartridges were not available at all
• Made up filtering technologies such as 7-stage filtering process with mineral stones, insufficient amounts of Ion Exchange Raisins and other materials with no proven effect.
• 由于低质量的连接、滤芯和缺乏压力测试的滤芯造成的泄漏
• 关于去除自来水中的物质的完全虚假的承诺（我们在实验室测试了过滤水）=
• 过滤过程给自来水增加了金属味，或因滤芯中使用的化学品而变色
• 由于连接不良或缺少适配器，难以或无法安装到水龙头上
• 承诺的净水器可以持续6-12个月，但仅仅几个月后就失去了过滤效果
• 产品制造商在购买后增加了滤芯的成本，甚至更糟糕的是倒闭了，这意味着根本没有滤芯可买 
• 组成的过滤技术，如用矿物石的7级过滤过程、数量不足的离子交换树脂和其他尚未证实有效的材料
   

In conclusion several of the sink filters were pure placebo and others only lasted a few months of usage.
总之，有几个水槽净水器纯粹是安慰剂，还有一些只维持了几个月的使用。

We tested several cheap water filters for you
我们为你测试了几种廉价的净水器

We compared the apparently best water filter in detail and also made two water tests. The result was terrifying. The filter has no heavy metal after installation. After two months the result was the same. So no effect on the most dangerous substances.
The material was a cheap plastic. Even the screw connections were made of plastic. For comparison, TAPP Water has the most durable plastic material and all screw connections are made of stainless steel.
我们详细比较了显然是最好的净水器，还做了两次水测试。结果是很可怕的。净水器安装后没有过滤重金属。两个月后，结果也是如此。所以对最危险的物质并没有影响。 材料是一种廉价的塑料。螺丝连接也是塑料做的。作为比较，TAPP Water拥有最耐用的塑料材料，螺丝连接都是由不锈钢制成。

After two months of use, we cut a TAPP Water and a cheap water filter. Complete filter materials are missing. Left TAPP Water, right the cheaper Taobao product.
经过两个月的使用，我们切割了一个TAPP WATER和一个廉价的水过滤器作对比。完整的过滤材料不见了。左边是TAPP WATER，右边是某店便宜的产品。

Best Sink Water Filters
最佳水龙头净水器

So what are the best water filters for the sink if I don’t want to spend RMB 2000 or more for an under-the-sink installation?  
那么，如果我不想花2000多元或更多钱在水槽下安装，有什么最好的水槽净水器？  
The best alternatives are
最好的替代品是

• Water pitchers by well known brands that clearly state what and how much in terms of volume they filter
  知名品牌的水壶，明确说明其过滤内容和过滤量的多少。
• Sink faucet water filters such as TAPP Water since they provide the most bang for the buck in terms of volume, water quality and convenience
  水龙头净水器，如TAPP Water，因为它们在水量、水质和便利性方面提供了最大的实惠。
• Gravity filters similar to pitchers are slow but sometimes have better filtering technology
  类似于投壶的重力式净水器速度慢，但有时具有更好的过滤技术。

How to select the best sink water filter
如何选择最好的净水器

Here are a couple of simple tips:
这里有几个简单的提示。

• Identify and clearly define your needs in terms of removal of contaminants (e.g. chlorine, lead, microplastics).
• Always make sure the filters are independently tested by a certified lab to remove the contaminants you are concerned about and that results are published with recent source data and contact information.
• Compare cost per volume of filtered water and not just the cost of the filter plus cartridges as this can make a huge difference.
• Check customer reviews on Facebook, Amazon and other places.Read our comparison of faucet water filters including Brita, PUR, Culligan and TAPP Water.
  
  
• 识别并明确定义你在去除污染物方面的需求（如氯、铅、微塑料）。
• 一定要确保净水器是由经过认证的实验室独立测试的，以去除你所关心的污染物，而且测试结果要公布，并有最近的来源数据和联系信息。
• 比较每体积过滤水的成本，而不仅仅是过滤器和滤芯的成本，因为这可能会产生巨大的差异。
• 在Facebook、亚马逊和其他地方查看客户评论。阅读我们对水龙头净水器的比较，包括Brita, PUR, Culligan和TAPP Water。 

In Summary

Don’t just go for the cheapest but calculate what delivers the greatest value for your needs and select an independently tested sink water filter.
For faucet water purifiers like TAPP Water, the purchase price is 389-459 yuan, or an annual subscription of 480 yuan, including filter element, which costs only 40 yuan per month. Compared with bottled water or more expensive filters, it can save a lot.

总结

不要只选择最便宜的，而是要计算出满足您需求的最大价值，并选择经过独立测试的水龙头净水器。
像TAPP Water这样的水龙头净水器，购买价格为人民币389-459元，或480元的年度订阅，包括滤芯，每月只需花费40元，与瓶装水或更昂贵的过滤器相比，可以节省很多。