Ninja Just Launched Its First Water Filter. Here’s What It Does That Others Don’t

Water filtration is a booming category, and at-home units come in a range of formats: under-sink attachments, whole-house systems, water filter pitchers and countertop dispensers.

Ever the innovator, Ninja has jumped into the category with the launch of HydraSense, a slim countertop water filter that removes more than 80 contaminants (including forever chemicals, lead, microplastics and pharmaceuticals) and does a few things its competitors don’t.

The Best Countertop Water Filters, Lab-Tested by CNET See at CNET

I got a firsthand look at the HydraSense at Ninja’s New York headquarters, where the product team walked me through its unique features and also showed off the filter’s pure power by running a batch of Kool-Aid through it.

Here’s what it does.

Filters out the bad stuff but leaves the good

Red Kool-Aid run through the HydraSense came out crystal clear. David Watsky/CNET

Reverse osmosis filters are the best for pure filtering power. The knock is that they strip water of minerals, which can leave water tasting bland. HydraSense’s oversized and especially dense activated carbon filter preserves naturally occurring minerals, including calcium, magnesium and potassium, for better-tasting water.

I sipped some fresh from the spout, and it tasted as crisp and clean as any I’ve had from the many filters I’ve tested.

In a demo, the product team filtered a batch of freshly made red Kool-Aid through the HydraSense. What emerged was perfectly clear liquid that tasted like clean water with no residual fruit punch flavor.

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