Aquasana AQ-5300 Review

The AQ-5300 system is our top pick for under-sink water filters. Its top-notch filtration certifications, huge filtering capacity, and excellent flow rate make it more than capable of providing an entire household with an endless supply of clean, healthy, great-tasting drinking water.

Water is absolutely essential to the health of you and your family. But what comes out of your tap isn’t always pure enough — or clean tasting enough — to really give you all the benefits that come with hydration. When you’re ready to ensure the highest water quality possible for you and your family, Aquasana’s AQ-5300 is our top recommendation.

For this Aquasana AQ-5300 review, we spent over 20 hours researching and testing their system. Then, by comparing it with other under sink water filters, we learned a wealth of helpful information for potential buyers. The result? A full look at who should — and who should not — buy the AQ-5300.

Components

When you open the box for the AQ-5300, you’ll find a full selection of fittings necessary to install the system. That means washers, bolts, a flow regulator, and all of the hardware to install a faucet directly into your sink. And, of course, you’ll receive the 3-stage under-sink filter system as well.

This means that you won’t have to take a trip to the hardware store for complete installation. 

You will, however, need some basic household tools (more on that later). The included faucet means you won’t be wasting your filter capacity when you don’t need it, as the separate water source is dedicated to purified water.

How It Works

The Aquasana AQ 5300 is equipped with three stages of filtration. That includes a sediment pre-filter and two proprietary Claryum filters.

In the first Claryum filter, activated carbon is combined with selective filtration to remove the bad and leave the good. This maintains a great flavor for your water by keeping healthy trace minerals.

The second Claryum filter uses catalytic carbon, ion exchange, and sub-micron filtration to ensure maximum contaminant removal. That includes lead, mercury, asbestos, and cysts.

Performance

Altogether, that three-stage filtration system means the Aquasana AQ 5300 removes 15x the contaminants of standard pitcher filters. All while retaining the healthy and great-tasting minerals naturally present in your water.

This is represented by the systems NSF/ANSI certifications. Let’s take a closer look at each

• Certification 42 protects against “aesthetic impurities”, like the bad taste and smell given by chlorine.
• Certification 53 protects against known harmful contaminants, like lead and mercury.
• Certification 401 protects against “emerging contaminants”, like pharmaceutical and chemical contamination.

All said and done, this means that the AQ 5300 protects against the full range of possible contaminants in municipal water.

Flow Rate

The Aquasana AQ 5300 offers a better flow rate than any under sink filter in its price range. Whereas most filters max out at half a gallon per minute, the AQ 5300 comes closer to three-quarters of a gallon per minute.

That means if you’ve ever been disappointed with the speed at which other filters can dispense water, the AQ 5300 will be a big upgrade. It will fill a glass of water in just a few seconds, or an 8-quart stockpot in a couple of minutes.

What Is Installing the AQ-5300 Like?

Installing the AQ-5300 takes a fair bit of DIY know-how and the willingness to follow along with Aquasana’s installation guide.

Before you begin, you’ll need to get set up with these tools:

• a bucket
• adjustable wrench
• tape measure
• Hammer
• variable speed drill
• phillips head screwdriver

Next comes turning off and disconnecting your cold water supply before attaching the brass “T” valve. After reattaching the cold water supply to the T valve, you’ll have one extra branch to connect the AQ-5300’s water supply tube.

Installing the faucet is the trickiest part. Or at least, it can be. If your sink is already equipped with an extra hole, it’s as easy as following the diagrams to screw in the faucet head. But if you don’t already have an extra hole, you’ll need to punch or saw one out — or get someone to do it for you.

Drilling a few holes to mount the filter system means you’re nearly finished with the setup. Using the provided mounting brackets, you’ll hang the system from one wall of your cabinet. Then, simply connect the hoses you’ve installed in the first few steps, and you’re ready to go!

Filter Info

The multi-stage process of the AQ 5300’s filters is responsible for its excellent performance. 

The pre-sediment filter extends the life of the two proprietary Claryum filters. With their complex sub-micron, activated carbon, and ion exchange layers, the Claryum filters completely eliminate harmful contaminants. 

Check out the performance data sheet for a complete list of everything the filters cover.

It’s recommended that this system’s filters be replaced every six months. When it’s time, the filter replacements will cost you about $80, or $160 for a year of filtered water.

Build Quality

One of the biggest benefits of buying a name brand like Aquasana is the quality of the system’s components. Brass fittings and stainless steel hardware are durable and attractive, as well as simple to work with. And unlike some competitors, they include a significant length of tubing so you can install the system wherever you’d like under your sink.

Warranty & Support

Aquasana offers both a 1-year warranty and a 90-day guarantee with the AQ 5300. 

First, that means a 90-day trial period. If at any time in the first three months you decide it’s not right for you, you can return the system with no questions asked.

After the three-month period, your system is covered against any defects for a full year. If there’s a problem with the materials or workmanship, Aquasana will replace the parts in question at no cost to you.

And if you’re having troubles with you system, you can call Aquasana at 888-572-9095 for support during Monday-Friday business hours.

Recap

Aquasana’s AQ-5300 is the most complete answer to clean, great-tasting water for a family home. From the components to the filtering capacity to its certifications, everything about the system is top-notch.

We’d recommend the AQ 5300 if you want:

• Unlimited drinking water for a family home
• Top-quality certifications
• Great tasting, naturally mineralized water

But we’d recommend you avoid the AQ 5300 if:

• You’re looking for a filter system for a small apartment or home
• You only need drinking water for 1 or 2 people

If you need a smaller and more affordable filter, Aquasana’s AQ 5200 is the way to go. Together, the two filters cover any size of household and need for water.

Frequently Asked Questions