Review: Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

Full Analysis of the Waterdrop G3P600

Filtration: 4.50/5.00

1. Lab Results: 4.87/5.00

Lab Results Chart

*100% means reduction to below the minimum detection level. To learn more about our testing procedures check our editorial guidelines.

Link to Filtered Water Report
Link to Unfiltered Water Report

Usability: 5.00/5.00

Costs: 4.73/5.00

Please note: This page is still a work in progress. Additional content and details will be added shortly – stay tuned!

Paraphrased Video Script

Hi everyone! It’s Sara from BOS, and today we’re reviewing the Waterdrop G3P600 which is a tankless reverse osmosis system that goes under the sink. Most importantly, I want to discuss the filtration results the Waterdrop G3P600 could achieve in our lab testing for real-life contaminant reduction. Ready? Let’s go!

Okay, so we recently compared 11 of the most popular and most effective under sink reverse osmosis systems. The Waterdrop G3P600 was among them and it came out on top and became our best overall and best tankless under sink RO – you’ll find a link to that video in the description below.

As usual, lab testing for real-life contaminant reduction was a key factor of our comparison. In other words, for each of the 11 under sink ROs, we measured the level of impurities and contaminants in our tap water and compared that to the levels after filtration.

And aside from that, we conducted a few additional tests:

• We tested how the filtered water tasted and smelled obviously.
• And we measured how fast each system could provide filtered water and how much water got wasted in the filtration process.
• And because we had to install, prime, and use each system, we also gained plenty of hands-on experience.

We will discuss all results for the Waterdrop G3P600 now. Plus, you can find our full analysis of the system including lab reports in addition to the 10 other under sink ROs we tested in this Google Sheet, which I’ll also link in the video description. If you want you can use the sheet to make your own comparison. And the sheet contains all our product links together with plenty of discount codes so definitely don’t forget to check these in case you want to make a purchase and save a few bucks while supporting our work! All the product links and discount codes will also be included in the description box.

And speaking of support, please consider liking this video, and if you subscribe to our channel, you’ll always know when we publish new content.

Lab Testing

Great, with that out of the way, let’s start with the results the Waterdrop G3P600 reverse osmosis system could achieve in our lab testing. So after setting up the unit precisely according to the provided instructions, we took 2 water samples – one from our unfiltered tap water and one after that water had been processed by the G3P600. We then sent both samples to an independent lab for analysis and compared the contaminant levels once we had received the lab reports.

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that this before vs after lab testing is not an exact science and you won’t get 100% accurate results for several reasons. Also, we can’t test for the reduction of contaminants that are not actually present in our water.

Okay, how did the Waterdrop G3P600 perform?

Well, it could remove the majority of undesirable impurities to below the minimum detection levels: Chlorine, all 4 disinfection byproducts, copper, barium, lithium, and uranium, so this was great. But boron was only removed to 33% and some of the other systems we tested performed better. Strontium saw 94% reduction so a negligible difference to a handful of other systems that achieved more than 94%. For both nitrate and fluoride we saw a minimum reduction rate of 71%. What this means is that there were traces of both elements remaining in the filtered water but the lab couldn’t quantify how much was left. As such, we calculated a minimum reduction rate of 71%. But reduction might have been in the high 90s – we don’t know. Anyway, this meant that the Waterdrop G3P600 was among the leading systems when it came to fluoride reduction. And for nitrate reduction it was probably just a little bit behind the leading systems.

So in summary, the Waterdrop G3P600 achieved solid overall results in our lab testing but with a few of the other under sink RO systems performing a little bit better. And by the way, the fact that the G3P600 may have leached a tiny amount of iron into the filtered water is absolutely nothing to worry about. The detected level was extremely low and iron is only an aesthetic impurity anyway.

Still, you’re probably wondering why we chose the Waterdrop G3P600 as our #1 under sink RO system if some of the other systems achieved slightly better filtration results. Well, for one, the Waterdrop G3P600 is just great in terms of usability. And in addition to that, the other RO systems in question have their own flaws, like very slow faucet flow, leaking, or similar issues that could cause malfunctioning. These and other problems have resulted in quite a lot of negative feedback from third-party customers. And we experienced several of these issues ourselves. And so this made them fall behind the Waterdrop G3P600 for us.

NSF Certifications

Okay, what else is there to say about the Waterdrop G3P600 in terms of filtration? The system is backed by some NSF certifications. We have standard 42 for chlorine reduction, standard 53 for PFOA and PFOS reduction, and standard 58 for the reduction of TDS, fluoride, cadmium, chromium 6, and selenium – so definitely not everything covered here but a good start! And we have some additional NSF test data, meaning this testing was provided by Waterdrop and not by the NSF, WQA, or IAPMO, and it basically shows that the RO system is effective at removing organic compounds including pesticides and industrial solvents which isn’t really surprising since such compounds are relatively easy to remove using activated carbon.

By the way, we have pretty much the go-to filtration process for point-of-use reverse osmosis systems which, aside from the RO membrane itself, includes sediment and carbon pre and post-filter stages. We have 8 filter stages in total, although that isn’t really relevant.

Taste, Wastewater & Speed Tests

In regards to taste and odor, the filtered water was perfect and just as you would expect from an RO system.

As for our wastewater test, the Waterdrop G3P600 wasted 0.75 gallons of water per 1 gallon purified. Although to be fair, this does not take into account any water wasted during the automated flushing cycles. Still this is really good when you consider that a traditional tank-based system wastes around 3 to 5 gallons or even more per 1 gallon purified. And in comparison to the other tankless systems we tested, only the Waterdrop X12 wasted less water.

And finally, we performed a dispensing speed test. Now, what you need to know here is that because the Waterdrop G3P600 is tankless, it has to filter water on demand which means it uses an electric pressure pump to boost filtration speed. This allows the system to filter and dispense 1 cup within 7 seconds. Again, compared to our other tankless ROs, only the Waterdrop X12 was faster. Now some of the tank-based systems were faster, too, but remember that with a tank-based system the faucet flow rate will go down as the tank empties and pressure inside the tank decreases. Compared to that, a tankless RO system like the Waterdrop G3P600 will continue to provide water at a constant flow rate. Also, you cannot run out of filtered water.

And, using a system that has a built-in pressure pump means you are much less dependent on the water pressure in your plumbing. So even if your feed water pressure is relatively low, this won’t be a problem – unlike when you are using a standard tank-based RO. If you have low feed water pressure with one of these, it will drastically reduce filtration speed and faucet flow, and increase your wastewater ratio.

Usability

And this brings me to our next review category: Usability. So because the Waterdrop G3P600 is tankless, it’s more space-saving. And using the system couldn’t be easier: You just open the faucet which triggers the electric booster pump, and filtered water is produced in real-time and fast.

What’s more, installing the system and priming its filter elements is about as simple as it gets:

1. I first turned off the cold water supply valve. Then I disconnected the cold water pipe and installed the feed water adapter. After that, I reconnected the cold water pipe.
2. Next, I needed to install the faucet. I simply fed the tubes through the hole, placed the faucet body flush against our countertop, then screwed on the mounting washer to make sure we had a snug fit.
3. After that, I drilled a hole in one of the drain pipes under my sink and installed the drain saddle. The saddle was slightly too large for the sink drain pipe, but I fixed this easily by using an extra piece of flexible foam board.
4. I placed the RO system housing under my sink and connected all of the tubing. Everything is color-coded, so it’s very easy to follow the directions. One minor note: when installing the tubes, I found that compared to other systems I had to use a little more elbow grease, really pushing them in to make sure they were snug.
5. After that, I connected the faucet power cord into the faucet connector and plugged in the power adapter as well. I installed the filters with a simple twist motion, then turned on the cold water supply valve and the feed water adapter, and plugged in the power adapter.
6. I waited 5 minutes to let the system flush automatically. Then I turned on the RO faucet and allowed it to run for 30 minutes until the display screen showed a TDS reading. At that point, the system was fully set up and ready to go.

When handling the system for the first time, you’ll also notice that it not only looks great, it also feels well-made – especially the faucet which is the only component that you’ll see and use on a daily basis. And both faucet and the system module show a TDS reading of the output water. So even though such TDS monitors aren’t 100% accurate, they still allow you to monitor your system much better.

What’s more, we have filter life indicators so you’ll know exactly when you need to replace one or more of the modular filters – which is an extremely simple process! All you need to do is uninstall the old cartridges and install the new ones with a simple twist– completely tools-free!

Costs

What about costs? Based on the average filter life of 550 gallons or 6 months for the pre-filter element, 2,200 gallons or 2 years for the RO membrane, and 1,100 gallons or 12 months for the post-filter, we estimate around $200 a year which is about average. And you can save 5% with a filter subscription.

The upfront price tag for the Waterdrop G3P600 is usually somewhere around $500 to 550 which we find acceptable. Also, the system is usually on discount! And we were able to negotiate for a special discount code: Basically if you use our code you’ll get 5% off on top of any Waterdrop sale that’s currently running. So for example, if there’s currently a $100 sale and you use our code, you get those $100 off PLUS and an additional 5%, so don’t forget!

Last but not least, the Waterdrop G3P600 is covered by a 1-year limited warranty and we found Waterdrop’s customer service to be helpful. Also, we like the fact that this is an established model and so it had time to prove itself.

Additional cons? Some people complained about the system being noisy. And yes, the system does make some noises, but within reasonable limits. Also, we found contradicting information on the Waterdrop website about the G3P600’s exact filtration process.

Summary

• Right now the Waterdrop G3P600 is our #1 under sink RO system and also our favorite tankless model. That’s because it offers the complete package:
• Fast and effective water filtration with a solid pure-to-drain ratio
• Great usability
• A quality build
• And acceptable upfront and long-term costs.

Okay! Remember that you can check our Google Sheet which lists everything you need to know about the Waterdrop G3P600. Also check the sheet and the description box for our links and discount codes in case you want to make a purchase. You can also use the sheet to compare the system to 10 other under sink ROs. You could also check our comparison video where we also talk about a few additional systems like the Waterdrop X12, the successor of the G3P600 which filters even faster and wastes less water, but which is also far more expensive. We also cover the Aquasana SmartFlow and the USWS All American RO which are both tank-based – among other models. And we also have a top 10 countertop RO system comparison video – you’ll find all links in the video description and here on our channel.

And as always, please don’t hesitate to ask questions in the comments below, remember to like and subscribe if you want more content like this. And let us know which water filters you would like us to review next! Thanks for watching!