Best Bath Water Filter Review: Do Bath Balls Actually Work?

If you enjoy taking refreshing baths, or if you have young children, you might be wondering if there’s an easy way to filter your bath water. This is especially true if you have water with chlorine, hard water, heavy metals, or other chemicals that are hard on the skin and hair. Sure, there are a lot of shower filter options out there, but what about a bath tub water filter? To get to the bottom of it, we tested the Crystal Quest Bath Water Filter, or, the “Bath Ball”.

In this review, we will discuss how the bath water filter works, what contaminants it removes, and what we like and dislike about the bath ball. Let’s dive in!

How Does A Bath Water Filter Work?

The filter for bath water works by hanging the ball-shaped filter from the faucet so that the water runs through the filter. Within the Crystal Quest bath water filter are multiple stages of granulated activated carbon (GAC) and oxidation filter beads ^[1]. As the water flows through the filter, contaminants like chlorine, chloramines, VOC’s, pesticides, sulfur, and odors are removed while balancing pH of the water for healthy skin.

The added benefit of using the bath water filter is that it will also leave your bathtub clean. Because it helps to remove rust water and minerals, there is less build-up around your tub that needs scrubbing. The end result is purified water coming from your bath faucet.

Crystal Quest Bath Ball Filter Best Overall

Improves Bath Water Quality
Helps With Dry Skin
A Good Value
Easy To Setup And Use

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How We Tested The Crystal Quest Bath Ball

We wanted to personally test the Crystal Quest Bath Ball to see if it did indeed provide some water purification benefits. To do this, we used a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) meter and a 16-In-1 Water Quality Test Kit with a before and after sample. The first water sample was from the unfiltered bath faucet water and the second sample was from the filtered bath water.

The initial TDS reading of the unfiltered water was 487 ppm, while the TDS reading from the filtered water was 464 ppm. So a quick 23-point TDS reduction on our initial sample.

The water quality test strips measure 16 different water contaminants, but we were most interested in chlorine and pH levels since this is for bath water. With the test strips, there were noticeable reductions in the level of carbonates, alkalinity, and chlorine.

Note that this is a test from a single bath faucet. Everyone has different water compositions, so it is important to get your water tested so you know what’s in your water.

What We Like About The Bath Ball Filter

Easy To Use

The bath tub water filter is incredibly easy to use. The kit comes with everything included. Set up and installation takes only a few minutes (more on that below). And since the bath ball is so compact it can be easily tucked away when you’re not using it.

Better Bath Water Quality

The multi-stage bath filter cartridge uses granular activated carbon and oxidation media to remove chlorine, lead, mercury, iron, and bad odors. We independently tested the bath water and found that chlorine, carbonates, and alkalinity were indeed improved.

Helps With Dry Skin

The Crystal Quest bath ball is designed to help with softer skin and hair. We qualitatively noticed a difference in skin dryness after a few days of use. The kid’s skin after baths did not require any lotion. The filter also helped with eczema where my skin was not as dry or irritated.

A Great Value

The overall price of the bath ball filter is only $65. And since the filter cartridges last up to 18 months and cost only $39.5, it is a very cost-effective water filter for bath solution.

What Are The Drawbacks Of A Bath Filter

Not A Comprehensive Solution

The bath ball filters only work on your bathtub faucet. They are not a comprehensive solution that will resolve water contaminant issues throughout the house like a whole house filter system. That said, if you need a cost-effective and compact water filter for bath time, these are ideal!

Hard Water With Chrome Bath Ball

The Crystal Quest Bath Ball comes in two color options, white or chrome. If you have hard water it can potentially leave water spots or damage the chrome finish. If that’s the case, it is best to purchase the white color option or wipe down your chrome bath ball after each use.

How To Install And Use Your Bath Tub Water Filter

The great thing about installing a bath faucet water filter is they are super easy! They generally take under 5 minutes to setup and hook onto your faucet to get going. Here are the steps using your bath ball filter:

1. Contained in the box should be a bath filter cartridge, a bath ball filter housing, and brackets to hang the bath ball from your faucet.
2. Place the filter cartridge inside the bottom half of the bath ball filter housing, then screw the top half of the housing onto the bottom.
3. Select which bracket shape works best for your particular bath tub faucet design, then snap the bracket into the top of the ball ball filter housing.
4. Hand the bath ball from your bath tub faucet and let hot water run through the filter for 15 minutes before using. This will activate the filter and flush loose and fine filter media before your first bath. Note: it is perfectly normal to see small black carbon particles in the first few times of use, this will go away.

Bath Ball Replacement Cartridge

The Crystal Quest Bath Ball will provide up to 2,500 gallons of filtration or up to 18 months. Compared to other filter options, the bath water filter provides great value. Since the Crystal Quest replacement cartridge is only $39.50, you can have purified bath water at a fraction of the price of expensive whole-house filtration options. To further extend the filter life, periodically flipping the cartridge will ensure balanced filtration for longer use. You can even subscribe to save an additional 5% on replacement cartridges.

The Competition

We previously considered the CuZn Bath Ball Faucet Filter and the Sprite Showers Bath Filter. After thoroughly reviewing these options, the differences were significant enough to recommend the Crystal Quest as our favorite. We based that decision on filter life, effectiveness, and overall quality. For example, the CuZn Bath Ball uses a thin attachment band and tape to attach to your bath faucet. The filter also lasts only 12 months, and costs nearly as much as the entire assembly to replace. But that is at least better than the Sprite Bath Filter that will only last for 30 baths. Overall, the Crystal Quest removed the most contaminants and had a lowest cost of ownership when factoring in filter life and replacement cost.

FAQs on Bath Water Filter Options

Are these bath tub filters to remove chlorine and fluoride?

Yes, the Crystal Quest removes chlorine, chloramines, pesticides, VOC’s, heavy metals, sulfur and removes rotten egg smell and rust water. The bath water flows through both oxidation media for de-chlorination and enhances pH balance.

What’s the best hard water filter for bathtub water?

The best hard water filter for bathtub water is the Crystal Quest Bath Ball. The patented Eagle Redox Alloy media works to reduce or remove calcium carbonate, which is one of the primary contributors to scale buildup and hard water ^[2]. That said, these are water filters for your bath faucet. If you have very hard water, it would be best to get a whole home water softener system.

Can bath water be filtered?

Yes, bath water can be filtered by using a point-of-use filter like a bath faucet filter, or by using a whole house filter. A water filter for bath faucets would be considerably less expensive. However, a whole house water filter system would be more effective at removing contaminants and would purify your entire home’s water, not just your bath.

Can you put a water filter on a bathroom faucet?

Yes, you can attach a water filter to your bathtub faucet. Bath ball filters come with faucet brackets that allow you to hang the filter down from the faucet. Then the bath water flows down through the filter where it is purified.

Why Trust Freshnss?

Ricky is the founder of Freshnss and product reviewer specializing in water filtration, home, and kitchen products. For this review, he spoke with members of our water review board of experts. And also with our network of industry professionals who offered bath water filter recommendations and the qualities that made them stand out from the competition. Next, he researched today’s best bath water filters, considering over a dozen options from various merchants. The selected products stood out based on filtration performance, filter replacement costs, and overall value. He has also tested and re-tested some of our top picks, and looked for emerging filtration companies offering new home water treatment options worth trying.