# Aquasana AQ-5300+ Water Filter # Aquasana AQ-5300+ Water Filter: The Widest Certificate and the Priciest Gallon **strong** Aquasana states *em*, and writes the reduction figures out per contaminant: *em*, *em*, *em*. It also runs at about **strong** a gallon on its rated capacity and closer to **strong** on the calendar, the highest running cost in the category, on an **strong** cartridge. It sat at rank **strong** the day we last checked. [Aquasana AQ-5300+ Water Filter Specs](#specs) [Aquasana AQ-5300+ Water Filter Score](#score) [Who This Aquasana Water Filter Fits](#who) [Aquasana Water Filter Pros and Cons](#proscons) [Aquasana Water Filter Cost Per Gallon](#cost) [Aquasana AQ-5300+ Water Filter vs the Field](#compare) [Aquasana Water Filter FAQ](#faq) [Where the Aquasana AQ-5300+ Water Filter Lands](#verdict) **strong** This article contains affiliate links. **strong** at *em*. **strong** retail prices move daily, so we quote ranges and send you to the live figure on the listing. **strong** *em* Every number on this page traces to manufacturer documentation, a WQA certification statement, or our own catalog records, held against the claims on the box. No free products, no paid placements, no manufacturer relationships. Scoring rules are public on our [methodology page](/methodology). [](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XGZMTRH?tag=waterfilternerd-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1) ## Aquasana AQ-5300+ Water Filter Specs: What 78 Contaminants Actually Buys **strong** Model AQ-5300+.55 in brushed nickel, and the same family now sells as the AQ-6300M, so the body you get in 2026 depends on the vintage of the listing. That matters because the paperwork is the product here. For where this sits against the rest of the aisle, our [under sink water filter rankings](/best-under-sink-filters) hold the running list, and the [rest of the Aquasana lineup](/aquasana-review) uses the same filter blocks. - Certification: WQA certification to NSF/ANSI 42, 53 including P473, and 401, for the claims written on the Performance Data Sheet. P473 is the PFAS standard inside 53, which is why PFOA and PFOS can be named here at all. - Named reductions: 99.995 percent of cysts, 99.6 percent of microplastics and lead, 99.7 percent of PFAS (specifically PFOA and PFOS), 97.3 percent of chlorine and 91 percent of chloramines. That is the level of detail this page exists to translate. - Contaminant list: 78 contaminants, published by name on the manufacturer's page, from lead and asbestos to ibuprofen, DEET and BPA. - Rated capacity: 800 gallons, with a stated interval of 6 months. Whichever arrives first is the one that bills you. - Flow rate: 0.72 gpm in the current Max Flow specification table, described as 44 percent faster than the standard three stage. The listing we track describes about a half gallon a minute. - Filtration stages: a 5 micron pre-filter for rust, sediment and silt, then two Claryum blocks combining activated and catalytic carbon with ion exchange and sub-micron filtration for lead, mercury, asbestos and cysts. - Minerals: retained by design. Calcium, potassium and magnesium stay in the glass, which is the opposite of what a deionizing pitcher does, because the Claryum block's ion exchange pulls lead and mercury rather than stripping every dissolved solid. - Water conditions: 20 to 80 psi and 40 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, cold water only, indoor use. - Dimensions: 4.25 by 12 by 12.85 inches, and the listing asks for 15.85 inches of space under the sink to fit the body with clearance. - Included: the dedicated all-metal faucet, the first filter set, and the compression tee and fittings for a 3/8 inch line. - Warranty: one year limited plus a 90 day satisfaction guarantee, with an extended limited warranty if you join Aquasana's filter subscription. - Price band: $220 to $230 at our last check, in stock, sold by Aquasana, buy box winner. Aquasana's own store lists the current generation in the band just above that, so treat both as bands and check the listing. - Not published: a certificate or listing number and a precise micron rating for the Claryum blocks. The WQA mark and the data sheet are published, and those two absences cost this system a Nerd Stamp point below. **strong** *em* **strong** A household drinking a gallon each day gets through about *em* of those in six months, so the sticker sends roughly *em* down the drain on schedule. The capacity is generous. *em* Think of it this way **strong** Most filters in the band hand you a standard number and hope you stop reading. *em* Accredited standards named per under sink system Bar chart of the number of accredited standards named in the listing: the Aquasana AQ-5300+ in this review names three, 42, 53 with P473 inside, and 401, the Frizzlife SK99 names three, 42, 53 and 372, the Waterdrop 10UA names two, 42 and 372, and the ICEPURE WFS6310A names one, 42. Accredited standards named in the listing Only 53 and 401 name health claims. 42 is the taste standard and 372 is about materials - 0 1 2 3 4 Aquasana AQ-5300+ Frizzlife SK99 Waterdrop 10UA ICEPURE WFS6310A 42, 53 incl P473, 401 42, 53, 372 42, 372 42 only Certifications as recorded in our records and on each manufacturer's own page. Standards named in each listing, from our records. The navy bar is this system. The top row is the whole argument for this page: two of the four systems here name a health effects standard, and only this one adds the emerging compounds standard on top. See the Full Spec Sheet on Amazon ## Aquasana AQ-5300+ Water Filter Score: 4 of 7 Every product in this index is rated 1 to 7 across seven verifiable criteria. One point per criterion. No partial credit. I am an enthusiast with a long memory and a spreadsheet, not a lab, and the scorecard below is the full scoring rule in one table. Each line asks two questions: is the number on the record, and does it hold up against the rest of the class. The line stays at zero when the document is missing or the figure is the worst in its class. Three of the seven lines sit at zero, which is 3 of the 7 points, and all three are about the price of the certificate rather than the water. Criterion Points Evidence Certified removal scope1 pointNSF/ANSI 42 and 401 plus 53 covering P473, with 78 contaminants named and a reduction figure beside each claim Certification and test transparency0 pointsWQA mark, standards, data sheet and contaminant list published, but no certificate number to look up and no precise micron rating for the Claryum blocks Filter life and rated capacity1 point800 gallons and 6 months, both published, which covers about 2.2 years of drinking water at 365 gallons a year Cost per gallon0 pointsAbout 12 cents a gallon, the highest figure in our under sink records, see the math below Flow rate and pressure drop1 point0.72 gpm in the current specification table, and the Max Flow line is 44 percent faster than the standard three stage Install and footprint0 points4.25 by 12 by 12.85 inches needing 15.85 inches of space, plus a dedicated faucet that wants its own opening in the counter Maintenance burden1 pointTwo cartridge changes a year, a quarter turn each, no hoses to disconnect and an alert when the interval lands Three lines sit at zero, and the first of them is paperwork. The certification is the strongest in our records and the certificate number is not published, so the claim cannot be looked up in a listings database. That is the same treatment the ZeroWater pitcher got on its own page, and applying two standards to two products would make both scores worthless. The other two zeros are the price of that certificate. Eleven to twelve cents a gallon is the highest figure in the category, and the install wants a counter opening and about sixteen inches of cabinet space. This system does not lose points for the water it makes. It loses them for what the paperwork adds to the bill. Cheaper Gallons? See the Waterdrop 10UA ## Who This Aquasana Water Filter Fits The question is never which filter is best. It is which filter matches your tap, your counter, and the contaminant you actually named before you started shopping. This system answers the contaminant question better than anything else in our under sink records and answers the running cost question worst, at about 11 to 12 cents a gallon. Pick your side. If the contaminant you named is lead, our lead removal options include cheaper systems with 53 on the certificate. The PFAS household: PFOA and PFOS are named inside the certification with a percentage attached, which is the specific, checkable claim most listings avoid. - The lead and old plumbing household: lead is certified at 99.6 percent, and the ion exchange stage is doing that work rather than carbon. - The cysts and sediment household: 99.995 percent of cysts and a 5 micron pre-filter ahead of the blocks, which is why the pre-filter exists. - The mineral keeper: calcium, potassium and magnesium stay in the glass, so the water keeps tasting like water instead of tasting like nothing. - The two tap kitchen: filtered water arrives from its own all-metal faucet, so the main tap keeps full pressure for washing up. - The household with a water report: if you already know which compound you are chasing, this is the listing that names it back to you with a number. #### This Is Not Your Filter If - You want the cheapest gallon in the category. A direct connect carbon system does that job for about a quarter of a cent and about a fifth of the upfront money. - You cannot open the counter. The kit includes a dedicated faucet, and a dedicated faucet needs its own opening or an existing spare hole. - You want most of your cabinet back. Fifteen and a bit inches of height is part of the deal, and a compact 12 inch body is not. - You drink well under a gallon daily. The six month clock does not care how little you drink, so a light household pays the same as a heavy one. - You want a certificate you can type into a database. The WQA mark and the data sheet are published and the listing number is not. The way I see it **strong** Lead, cysts, PFOA, PFOS, chloramines, and 73 more, each with a percentage beside it, from a lab whose mark is printed on the box. *em* Rated cartridge capacity against the 365 gallons a household drinks in a year Bar chart of rated capacity per cartridge with a marker at 365 gallons, the volume a house that drinks a gallon daily uses in a year: the Aquasana AQ-5300+ is rated 800 gallons, the Waterdrop 10UA 11,000 gallons, and a ZeroWater pitcher 15 gallons. Rated capacity per cartridge, in gallons The line marks 365 gallons, which is what a household drinks in a year - 0 3,000 6,000 9,000 12,000 gal Aquasana AQ-5300+ Waterdrop 10UA ZeroWater pitcher 800 gal, just over two years of drinking 11,000 gal 15 gal a year of drinking Rated capacity per manufacturer documentation and our records. One gallon daily is 365 gallons a year. Rated capacity per cartridge, with a year of drinking water marked. The navy bar is this system. Its capacity clears a year of use comfortably, and the cartridge still gets changed twice a year, which is the difference between the tank and the clock. See the Aquasana AQ-5300+ on Amazon ## Aquasana Water Filter Pros and Cons #### What You Get The widest certificate in the class we compare: all three accredited standards on one listing: 42 for taste, 53 with P473 for PFAS, and 401 for emerging compounds. - Reduction figures per contaminant: 99.995 percent of cysts, 99.7 percent of PFAS, 99.6 percent of lead, 97.3 percent of chlorine, 91 percent of chloramines. - 78 contaminants named: the list includes pharmaceuticals and herbicides that standard carbon does not touch. - Minerals retained: calcium, potassium and magnesium stay in, unlike a deionizing pitcher. - A real dedicated faucet: all-metal, brushed nickel, with full pressure left on the main tap. - Fast for the class: 0.72 gpm in the current specification table, which is about a gallon in under a minute and a half. #### What It Costs You - About 12 cents per gallon: the highest running cost in our records, and roughly 46 times the cheapest system we carry. - A pair of cartridges a year: the 6 month interval binds long before the 800 gallon capacity for a household that drinks a gallon each day. - About $176 to $190 a year in cartridges, against about $25 to $32 for the direct connect system with the longest interval. - Sixteen inches of cabinet: 15.85 inches of space plus clearance, and a 4.25 inch deep body behind the disposal. - A counter opening: the dedicated faucet is part of the kit, so the install is not fully reversible on a rental. - No listing number: the WQA mark and the data sheet are published, the certificate number is not. [Grab the Genuine AQ-5300+R Cartridge](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LB0L6MS?tag=waterfilternerd-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1) ## Aquasana Water Filter Cost Per Gallon **strong** I have run this arithmetic across every system in the index, and this is the widest spread in the spreadsheet: *em* Which is why our [replacement cartridge comparisons](/best-replacement-cartridges) sit next to every review on this site. - The system: a $220 to $230 band at our last check, first filter set included. - The cartridge: the genuine AQ-5300+R sits in the $88 to $95 band. Divide by the certified 800 gallons and you get about 11 to 12 cents per gallon. - Against Aquasana's own copy: the listing describes the running cost as under 10 cents a gallon. At the band we hold, the arithmetic lands just above it, which is a small thing that only shows up if you do the division. - The interval math: a 6 month clock is two cartridges a year, which is about $176 to $190 a year, or roughly 48 to 52 cents a day for a house that drinks a gallon every day. - The lived cost per gallon: drink a gallon every day and the calendar gives you about 182 gallons per cartridge, which works out to about 48 to 52 cents a gallon. The capacity figure is about 12 cents. Both are true, and the clock is the one that bills you. - The same math on the cheapest system we carry: about a quarter of a cent per gallon and about $25 to $32 a year, with no counter opening required. *em* **strong** That is not a trick, it is a calendar rule that protects the filter from sitting wet in a dark cabinet. *em* If you want the intervals side by side by filter type rather than by brand, the [filter replacement schedule](/filter-replacement-schedule) lays them out. Think of it this way **strong** You are paying for the paperwork and the peace of mind, and the water you throw away is the tip. *em* Cost per eight ounce glass in cents, three filter types Bar chart of cost per eight ounce glass for a household of one drinking a gallon of water a day: the Aquasana AQ-5300+ works out to about 3 cents per glass on two cartridges a year, the Waterdrop 10UA about half a cent, and a ZeroWater pitcher about 6 to 7 cents. Cost per eight ounce glass, in cents Annual cartridge spend divided by 5,840 glasses, which is a gallon of drinking water a day - 0 2c 4c 6c 8c Aquasana AQ-5300+ Waterdrop 10UA ZeroWater pitcher about 3c about half a cent about 6 to 7c Cartridge bands from our records, divided by 5,840 glasses a year. Prices move, bands are indicative. Cost per eight ounce glass for a household of one drinking a gallon of water a day, using each unit's stated interval. The navy bar is this system. It sits in the middle of the three, which is a more useful picture than the per gallon column suggests: this is cheaper than the pitcher it replaces and several times dearer than the carbon body next to it. See What Two Cartridges a Year Add Up To The genuine AQ-5300+R, one cartridge, rated 800 gallons. ## Aquasana AQ-5300+ Water Filter vs the Field Every row below is an under sink system from our own index, with certifications and capacity taken from our records. Nothing here is a manufacturer comparison chart, and the figures are bands, not live prices. System Certified Rated life Upfront band Aquasana AQ-5300+NSF 42, 53 incl P473, 401800 gal, 6 months$220 to $230 Frizzlife SK99NSF 42, 53, 372not recorded$98 to $105 Waterdrop 10UANSF 42, 37211,000 gal per Waterdrop$60 to $68 Waterdrop 10UBNSF 428,000 gal$55 to $61 ICEPURE WFS6310ANSF 4222,000 gal$35 to $42 Two things stand out. First, the NSF certified shortlist is short in this price band: the Frizzlife SK99 is the only other row carrying 53, and it is recorded without a filter life figure, which is the field that keeps a page from being written at all. Read the certificate column before the gallon column. Second, buying this certificate costs roughly $150 more upfront and about 46 times more per gallon than the Waterdrop 10UA direct connect system two rows down. Aquasana's page is also careful to say the water keeps its minerals, which is true of carbon and ion exchange and is the opposite of what PFAS removal filters built on reverse osmosis do. You are buying the widest certificate, and the certificate is priced like the widest certificate. No system in our records gives you both, and this one is honest about which side it chose. See the Current Max Flow Generation The AQ-6300M with the brushed nickel faucet, same family, same published 0.72 gpm specification table. ## Aquasana Water Filter FAQ Does the Aquasana AQ-5300+ water filter remove PFAS? Yes, and it is the certification rather than a slogan. Aquasana states WQA certification to NSF/ANSI 53 including P473, with 99.7 percent reduction of PFAS, specifically PFOA and PFOS, written into the reduction figures. The Performance Data Sheet linked from the product page is where the rest of the claims live, contaminant by contaminant. How often do the filters need changing? Aquasana states 800 gallons or 6 months, and the clock is the one that arrives first for most households. At 30 gallons a month you use about 182 gallons in six months, which is under a quarter of the rated capacity, and the instruction is still to swap the cartridge. Budget for two a year. Does it lower TDS? No, and the design is the reason. Claryum is catalytic carbon plus ion exchange, so dissolved minerals stay in the glass, and Aquasana describes that as a feature rather than a limitation. If a low TDS reading is what you want, that is a reverse osmosis system and a different purchase entirely. What is the flow rate on this water filter? The current Max Flow specification table publishes 0.72 gpm, which is roughly a gallon in under a minute and a half and about 92 ounces a minute. The listing we track describes about a half gallon a minute, and Aquasana says the Max Flow line is 44 percent faster than the standard three stage. Either way, it fills a glass faster than a pitcher fills a mug. Will it fit under my sink? The body is 4.25 by 12 by 12.85 inches and the listing asks for 15.85 inches of space to fit it with clearance, which is the tallest requirement in our under sink records. The kit also includes a dedicated faucet, so plan on a counter opening or a spare hole already in the sink deck. ## Aquasana AQ-5300+ Water Filter: Where It Lands, Widest Certificate, Priciest Gallon The Aquasana AQ-5300+ water filter earns 4 of the 7 points, and the three lines at zero are the price of the certificate rather than a fault in the water. It carries three accredited standards, names 78 contaminants with a reduction figure beside each claim, keeps the minerals in, and fills a glass from its own faucet. It also runs around a dozen cents a gallon on the rated capacity, hands you a fresh cartridge on a six month clock whether you drank the water or not, publishes no listing number, and wants about 16 inches of cabinet plus a hole in the counter. If the compound you are chasing is named on that list, the money is doing something real, and the Performance Data Sheet is where you check it line by line. If your complaint is taste, the certificate is overhead and a cheaper carbon system does the same job for about 0.25 cents a gallon. Widest certificate in the category, highest charted cost per gallon, and both numbers are on the record. See the Aquasana AQ-5300+ on Amazon ### Where It Lands: The Certificate With a Price Tag Seventy eight contaminants named, reduction figures beside each one, minerals kept and PFOA, PFOS and lead certified. It costs about 46 times the cheapest gallon in our records and wants a pair of cartridges a year to hold that certificate. Check the Price on the Aquasana AQ-5300+ ## Aquasana Water Filter Lexicon: Every Standard in This Review NSF/ANSI 42 The aesthetic effects standard. Covers the chlorine that makes water taste and smell like a pool, so a listing with 42 alone promises taste and nothing about health. NSF/ANSI 53 The health effects standard, and the one to look for. It covers lead, chromium, mercury and, since PFOA and PFOS were added, the two most studied PFAS compounds. NSF/ANSI P473 The original PFAS protocol, now folded inside 53. When a listing says 53 including P473, it is telling you the PFAS claims were certified under a specific, checkable method. NSF/ANSI 401 Covers emerging compounds: pharmaceuticals, pesticides, flame retardants and some microplastics. It is the standard behind the ibuprofen and DEET entries on this page's contaminant list. WQA Gold Seal The Water Quality Association's certification mark, the equivalent of an NSF listing for a different testing body. It is the mark on this box, and it is the reason the standards above are named at all. Claryum Aquasana's trade name for the filter block, which stacks catalytic carbon, ion exchange and sub-micron filtration. Catalytic carbon is the part that handles chloramines, which plain carbon struggles with. Chloramines Chlorine bonded to ammonia, used by many utilities because it lasts longer in the pipe. It tastes flatter than chlorine and needs catalytic carbon rather than standard carbon to shift it. Cysts Hard shelled organisms like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. They are why 99.995 percent appears on the certificate, because a filter that leaves even one through is not doing this job. Micron rating The particle size a filter is rated to capture. This system publishes a 5 micron rating for the pre-filter and describes the Claryum blocks as sub-micron without publishing the figure. Rated capacity The volume a cartridge filters before performance is no longer certified, in gallons. Here it is 800, and the interval beside it is 6 months, which is the half that usually arrives first. ## Keep Reading: More Aquasana Water Filter Reviews Best Under Sink Water Filters: the parent roundup, every system in the index ranked by certification before price. - Aquasana Water Filters Review: the whole lineup, from this under sink body to the whole house systems. - Best Water Filters for PFAS Removal: every listing in our records that names PFOA and PFOS inside a certification. - The Nerd Stamp Methodology: how the 1 to 7 rating is calculated.