I have a shower filter that just filters out the chlorine. Not as pricey but I'm apartment living now until law school is finished. It cost me $10 at home depot, a filter is $10 so I change it about every other month cause I bath alot. I immediately noticed that my hair is softer and I feel cleaner without the chlorine. I don't think it filters anything else out but where I live the water is heavily chlorinated anyways. It works, and I have a pur on all my taps to filter it well enough to drink. But the aquasana is probably the most recommended system