Culligan's retail filters are certified by IAPMO R&T: the US-EZ-4 under-sink system to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53, with chloramine, lead and PFOA/PFOS among the claims, at 500 gallons. The dealer side — softeners and whole-house systems — is sold through local franchises with no published pricing, which is a different kind of purchase entirely.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. The button goes straight to the retailer.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Culligan US-EZ-4 Under-Sink Filtration SystemIAPMO certified to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 — chloramine, lead, cysts, VOCs, PFOA and PFOS — at 500 gallons. | The one to buy | $92.96 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 6, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure. |
| 2 |  Culligan HSH-C135 Filtered Handheld ShowerheadNSF/ANSI 177 for free chlorine over 10,000 gallons. Chloramine is explicitly not evaluated. | For the shower | $65.43 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 6, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure. |
| 3 |  Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Under-Sink Filter (AQ-5300)78 certified contaminants against Culligan's shorter list, at a higher price and 600 gallons. | The wider claim list | $154.99 - View on Amazon $349.99 — 56% off #ad Price as of October 6, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure. |
Two businesses wearing one name
Culligan is the oldest name in American water treatment and the most confusing to shop, because the brand covers two completely different businesses.
- The dealer network. Softeners, whole-house systems, service contracts and salt delivery, sold through local franchises. There is no published price, the equipment is quoted after a home visit, and the business model is service rather than hardware.
- The retail range. Faucet mounts, under-sink cartridges, shower filters, inline refrigerator filters — sold in hardware stores and online at prices anyone can see, with certifications you can look up.
This page is about the second one, because it is the part you can actually buy and compare. If what you want is a softener, the honest advice is in the hard water roundup: buy on grain capacity and valve type, get more than one quote, and be aware that a dealer quote bundles equipment with service in a way that makes comparison difficult on purpose.
The retail certification picture
This is where Culligan is better than its reputation among enthusiasts. The retail filters are certified by IAPMO R&T — one of the three bodies that certify to NSF/ANSI standards — and the claim lists are specific.
| Product | Certifier and standards | Notable claims | Rated capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| US-EZ-4 under-sink | IAPMO R&T, NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 | Chloramine, lead, mercury, cysts, VOC, MTBE, turbidity, PFOA and PFOS | 500 gallons |
| FM-25 faucet mount (see note) | IAPMO R&T, NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 | Lead, chlorine taste and odor, atrazine, lindane, turbidity | 200 gallons |
| HSH-C135 showerhead | NSF/ANSI 177 | Free available chlorine only | 10,000 gallons |
| Dealer UV systems | NSF/ANSI 55 Class A and B | Disinfection performance | Varies by model |
Two of those rows deserve more attention than they usually get.
The chloramine claim, which almost nothing else has
The US-EZ-4's NSF/ANSI 42 certification includes chloramine, not just free chlorine. That matters because chloramine is the disinfectant a large share of US utilities now use, standard activated carbon handles it poorly, and most filters say nothing about it at all. The chlorine roundup explains why that one word changes which product works on your supply.
The shower filter is the opposite case, and Culligan is straightforward about it: NSF/ANSI 177 covers free available chlorine, and the performance sheet states chloramine was not evaluated. If your utility chloraminates, a shower filter will do less than you hope.
The PFOA and PFOS claim on a cheap filter
The other surprise in that table is that the US-EZ-4's 53 certification includes perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate. PFAS claims are usually found on premium carbon systems and reverse osmosis; the PFAS roundup lists what else carries one.
Read it precisely, as always: a certified PFOA and PFOS claim is not a claim about the whole PFAS family, and it is measured over the cartridge's rated life at a stated challenge concentration. But on a cartridge rated for 500 gallons at supermarket money, that is a genuinely strong piece of paperwork.
What the retail range does not do
Fluoride, nitrate, arsenic. No carbon cartridge reduces them, from any brand. Reverse osmosis is the certified route.
Hardness. That is the dealer side's business, and no cartridge softens water.
Microbiological purification. The retail filters are not purifiers; the dealer UV systems are the products certified for disinfection, under NSF/ANSI 55.
Where Culligan sits against the rest of this site
On claim breadth, Aquasana's Claryum line is wider — 78 certified contaminants against Culligan's shorter list — at a higher price and a 600-gallon cartridge. Brita is cheaper and narrower. Culligan's retail range occupies a sensible middle: certified, specific, inexpensive, and sold in places where you can buy a replacement cartridge the same afternoon.
One availability note on the faucet mount, because it changes what you can actually buy. The FM-25 is certified by IAPMO to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 including lead, and we rate the certification — but on the date at the top of this page we could not find the system itself in stock through the retailer we track, only its FM-25R replacement cartridges. It is not a pick here for that reason. The faucet-mount roundup covers the alternatives, and the physical limit that applies to all of them: no faucet-mounted filter fits a pull-out or pull-down sprayer tap, which is the single most common reason one goes back in the box.
The cost-per-gallon math
A household drinking and cooking with two gallons a day uses about 730 gallons a year.
At 500 rated gallons, the US-EZ-4 cartridge is roughly a cartridge and a half per year — cheap running cost for a certified list that includes lead and PFOA/PFOS. At 200 gallons, the FM-25 faucet mount is closer to four a year, which is the usual trade for not drilling anything. The shower filter's 10,000 gallons is a different unit entirely: that is about six months of showers, not drinking water.
We show the arithmetic rather than a verdict so you can redo it with the price you actually pay. Filter prices move; the rated capacities above do not.
The picks in full
The one to buy
Culligan US-EZ-4 Under-Sink Filtration System
Culligan
The cheapest certified under-sink filter on this site, and the claim list is better than the price suggests: chloramine under 42, and lead plus PFOA and PFOS under 53. The catch is a dedicated faucet and a 500-gallon cartridge.
Certification status
Certified by IAPMO R&T to NSF/ANSI 42 for chlorine taste and odor, chloramines and nominal particulate Class I, and to NSF/ANSI 53 for cysts, lead, mercury, VOCs, MTBE, turbidity, PFOA and PFOS. Rated at 500 gallons or about six months, at a 0.5 gpm service flow.
Published specifications
| Rated capacity | 500 gallons / about 6 months |
|---|---|
| Certified standards | NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 (IAPMO R&T) |
| Chloramine | Included in the NSF/ANSI 42 claim |
| PFOA / PFOS | Included in the NSF/ANSI 53 claim |
| Also certified for | Lead, mercury, cysts, VOCs, MTBE, turbidity |
| Service flow | 0.5 gpm |
| Operating pressure | 30-100 psi |
| Replacement cartridge | RC-EZ-4 |
| Faucet | Dedicated faucet included — needs a hole |
What we like
- A certified chloramine claim, which most filters do not carry and most chloraminated supplies need
- PFOA and PFOS named in the 53 certification on an inexpensive cartridge
- Twist-on, twist-off cartridge change with quick-connect fittings and a double shut-off
What we do not
- Needs a dedicated faucet, which means drilling the counter or using a spare hole
- 500 gallons is a modest cartridge life next to direct-connect inline filters
- No fluoride, nitrate or arsenic claim — the limit of carbon, not of this product
- Proprietary RC-EZ-4 cartridge
Skip it if
Fluoride, nitrate or hardness, and anyone who cannot drill or spare a hole in the sink deck for the faucet.
#ad Price as of October 6, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure.
Where these specifications came from
For the shower
Culligan HSH-C135 Filtered Handheld Showerhead
Culligan
Culligan's filtered showerheads are the category's old guard, and the performance data sheet says what the marketing usually will not: tested for free chlorine, and not evaluated against chloramine.
Certification status
Culligan's performance data sheet for its WSH-C125 and HSH-C135 filtered showerheads states the system was tested according to NSF/ANSI 177 for reduction of free available chlorine. The same sheet states the system has not been evaluated for free available chlorine reduction performance in the presence of chloramines.
Published specifications
| Rated capacity | 10,000 gallons / about 6 months |
|---|---|
| Rated service flow | 2.5 gpm |
| Operating pressure | 40-100 psi |
| Water temperature | 40-120 degrees F |
| Standard | NSF/ANSI 177, free available chlorine |
| Chloramine | Not evaluated |
| Replacement cartridge | WHR-140 |
What we like
- Handheld head and filter in a single fitting, which is the format most people actually want
- Higher rated flow than the Aquasana, so it feels closer to an unfiltered shower
- Replacement cartridges are stocked by general retailers, not just the manufacturer
What we do not
- The data sheet's chloramine exclusion is explicit, and chloramine is common on US municipal supply
- Culligan publishes no percentage reduction figure alongside the NSF/ANSI 177 statement
- Plastic housing at a price where metal fittings exist
- Like every shower filter, it does nothing about hardness
Skip it if
Households on chloraminated water who want a documented answer. The sheet says the system was not evaluated for that case, and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
#ad Price as of October 6, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure.
Where these specifications came from
The wider claim list
Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Under-Sink Filter (AQ-5300)
Aquasana
Carbon-block filtration rather than reverse osmosis: it keeps the minerals, wastes nothing, and fits where a reverse-osmosis system will not. It also cannot do what RO does for fluoride or nitrate.
Certification status
WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI 42, 53 — which includes the P473 protocol for PFOA and PFOS — and 401, for the reduction of 78 contaminants. Aquasana publishes 99.6% for lead and microplastics, 99.7% for PFOA and PFOS, 99.99% for cysts and 97% for chlorine across the Claryum 3-Stage line.
Published specifications
| Filter life | 600 gallons / up to 6 months |
|---|---|
| Certified standards | NSF/ANSI 42, 53 (includes P473), 401 (WQA) |
| Flow rate | 0.5 gpm |
| Wastewater | None |
| Format | 3-stage carbon block with a dedicated faucet |
| Contaminants claimed | 78 |
| Lead / PFOA and PFOS | 99.6% / 99.7% |
What we like
- No drain line, no wastewater, no tank — much easier to install than reverse osmosis
- NSF/ANSI 401 certification covers pharmaceutical-class trace compounds
- Full flow rate, unlike reverse osmosis, so filling a pot is not a project
What we do not
- Not reverse osmosis: no meaningful fluoride, nitrate or TDS reduction
- 600-gallon filter life is short next to an inline system's tens of thousands
- Proprietary cartridges
Skip it if
Anyone whose problem is fluoride, nitrate or total dissolved solids. Carbon block does not remove those; you need reverse osmosis for that job.
$349.99 — 56% off
#ad Price as of October 6, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure.
Questions people actually ask
Are Culligan water filters NSF certified?
The retail filters are certified by IAPMO R&T to NSF/ANSI standards — the US-EZ-4 under-sink system to 42 and 53, the FM-25 faucet mount to 42 and 53, and the showerhead to NSF/ANSI 177. IAPMO is one of three bodies that certify to those standards, so these products appear in IAPMO's directory rather than NSF's own. NSF's listing for Culligan covers the dealer-installed UV systems under NSF/ANSI 55.
Does a Culligan filter remove chloramine?
The US-EZ-4 under-sink system's NSF/ANSI 42 certification includes chloramine, which is unusual and useful on a chloraminated supply. The HSH-C135 shower filter does not: its NSF/ANSI 177 certification covers free available chlorine, and Culligan's performance sheet states chloramine was not evaluated.
Does Culligan remove PFAS?
The US-EZ-4's NSF/ANSI 53 certification includes PFOA and PFOS by name. That is a claim about two specific compounds rather than the whole PFAS family, and it is measured over the cartridge's rated life — but it is a real certified claim on an inexpensive filter.
Why does Culligan not publish prices for whole-house systems?
Because that side of the business is a franchised dealer network selling equipment bundled with installation and service. Pricing is quoted after a home visit. It is a legitimate model, but it makes direct comparison hard, so get more than one quote and compare on grain capacity and valve type rather than on monthly payment.
Is Culligan better than Brita?
For claim breadth at the kitchen tap, yes: the US-EZ-4 is certified for chloramine, lead, cysts, VOCs and PFOA/PFOS, where a Brita Elite pitcher is certified for a shorter list. It is also a plumbed system rather than a jug. If chlorine taste is the whole problem, the pitcher is the cheaper rational purchase.