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Are Filtered Shower Heads Worth It? Real Hard Water Results
Are Filtered Shower Heads Worth It? Real Hard Water Results
Writtten and Edited by: Benjamin White
January 19, 2025
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If you’ve ever dealt with dry skin, itchy scalp, or thinning hair, you’ve probably looked into filtered shower heads. Most shower filters claim to remove or filter chlorine, heavy metals, and impurities — and some even claim to soften hard water.
But the real question is: Do filtered shower heads actually improve your water or are they just fancy shower heads with filters inside?
I tested three popular filtered shower heads using real water test strips and pressure measurements to find out.
If you would like to see the video of me testing these filtered shower heads watch at this link:
The Products Tested
Here’s a breakdown of the products put through our testing process.
Aqua Home Group Luxury Filtered Shower Head Set — $50.95
This showerhead filter claims to have 20 stages of filtration, enrichment with vitamins C and E, water disinfection, and removal of unpleasant odors. It’s marketed as a full luxury filtration solution for hard water and skin health.
Myhalos Fixed Shower Head and Filter — $69.99
This showerhead filter focuses on high pressure and chlorine removal, using a 3-stage filtration system with calcium sulfate, KDF-55, and activated charcoal. It runs at 1.8 GPM, which is standard for efficient showers.
MD Hair Filtered Showerhead — $99
This premium showerhead filter also uses 20-stage filtration, claims to remove chlorine and heavy metals, soften hard water, and boost water pressure, while promoting healthier hair and skin.
How We Tested
Below is the process we followed to test and assess each shower filter.
Test 1: Water Quality Parameters
To test shower water quality, I used Varify 16-parameter water testing strips. While the strips test many things, I focused on the three most relevant to shower head filters:
Water Hardness
Lead
Total Chlorine
These three indicators help determine how effectively a shower filter can address common water concerns. Hard water can contribute to mineral buildup on skin and hair, lead is a critical safety consideration in older plumbing systems, and chlorine can strip away natural oils, affecting sensitive skin, and hair condition. By comparing results from before and after use, I could measure how effective each filter really was.
Baseline (My Regular Shower Head)
This table shows the baseline test results from my existing showerhead setup, which I used as the comparison point for all filters.
| Parameter | Color Observed | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardness | Dark Purple | 250 | Very Hard Water |
| Lead | Medium Brown | 5 | Detectable Lead |
| Total Chlorine | Light Yellow | 0.5 | Low Chlorine Present |
If each shower filter worked as claimed, these colors should get lighter after filtration.
Test 1 Results Table
Here’s how each filtered shower head performed in our first round of testing. None of the models softened the hard water — all showed the same high hardness level.
| Product | Hardness Result | Lead Result | Chlorine Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Home Group | 250 (Dark Purple) | 0 (Clear) | 0 (Clear) |
| Myhalos | 250 (Dark Purple) | ~2.5 (Light Brown) | 0 (Clear) |
| MD Hair | 250 (Dark Purple) | 0 (Clear) | 0 (Clear) |
Test 2: Water Pressure
Next, I tested whether these showerhead filters affected shower pressure. To keep things fair, I compared each filtered shower head against my existing shower head, not bare pipe flow.
I ran each shower for one minute and measured how much water filled a bucket.
Test 2 Results Table
Here’s how each filtered showerhead performed in our test.
| Shower Head | Water Collected in 1 Minute | Approx. Liters | Pressure Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Shower Head (Baseline) | 1.5 Gallons | 6.5 Liters | Baseline |
| Aqua Home Group | 2.5 Gallons | 9 Liters | Stronger |
| Myhalos | 3.25 Gallons | 12+ Liters | Strongest |
| MD Hair | 2.5 Gallons | 9 Liters | Stronger |
The table above shows how much water comes out of each showerhead in one minute, which tells us how strong the water pressure is. Compared to the regular showerhead, all three filtered models improved water flow rate. Myhalos delivered the most water at over 12 liters per minute, giving the strongest pressure, while Aqua Home Group and MD Hair both provided a noticeable boost to 9 liters per minute.
Final Verdict
Filtered shower heads may not completely fix hard water — but they can still improve overall water quality and shower performance. In many cases, that means cleaner water, better filtration of other contaminants, and stronger or more consistent pressure, which are factors most people will notice in daily use. As always, I test these products so you don’t waste your money.
Here’s the honest conclusion:
If you’re buying a filtered shower head specifically to soften hard water — the models I tested did not deliver that result. But if you’re looking for:
Reduced chlorine
Reduced lead
Stronger water pressure
Cleaner-feeling water
Then these filtered shower heads do provide real benefits. Even if they don’t soften water, they can still improve your overall shower experience in ways you’ll notice every day.
Standouts
Best Pressure: Myhalos
Best Lead & Chlorine Reduction: Aqua Home Group & MD Hair
Best Budget Option: Aqua Home Group
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