No matter how beautiful the water in your pool looks, if it weren’t for filters, it’d start looking much less appealing in no time. Even though sanitizers and cleaning agents like chlorine can kill off most of the contaminants and bacteria inside your pool, you still have to rely on filters to clean everything else out. So, if you don’t have any installed in your pool or haven’t replaced them in a while, you might notice your water getting cloudy or murky. That's the sign to invest in a new pool filter cartridge. But which one should you buy? We’ve researched and picked out some of the best pool filter cartridges for 2024, with the Optimum Pool Filter Cartridge topping the list. Let’s check them out!
Our Top Picks For Pool Filter Cartridge
The Best Pool Filter Cartridges
Best Overall
The Optimum Pool Filter Cartridge, like the name suggests, can offer some great cleaning, mostly thanks to its incredibly long length. This product is the longest filter cartridge on this list, and it measures over 26 inches. This pick also has a large 7-inch outer diameter, making it ideal for bigger pools, especially if they get a lot of traffic. This option is completely made in the U.S. too, and it features high-quality filtration media that prioritize cleaning, performance and longevity. Each cartridge element also has support bands around it, which play a role in enhancing the lifespan. Plus, thanks to the large size and high build quality, this filter can last longer, especially if you get light to moderate traffic in your pool and keep it covered when it’s not in use. With its high capacity, this product is the best overall cartridge to purchase in 2024.
Key Features
- Sold as a single-piece
- Can last several weeks
- Material: Premium-quality polyresin
Longest-Lasting
This product from Poolpure is designed to last over a month, and it mostly relies on its cleanable and reusable design. This longevity doesn’t come at the expense of performance though, which is pretty evident from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certifications. This rating represents a filter’s capability for removing contaminants with a precision of up to 50 microns (earning it an NSF/ANSI 50 certification). And all this means this product can catch pieces of hair, sediment, sand and dust particles and even finer contaminants. So, if you want a product with some serious backing behind it, this is an option to consider.
Key Features
- Comes as a pack of four cartridges
- Can last for months with proper use
- Material: Unique, trilobal filtration fabric
Great Value
The Intex Pool Filter Cartridge offers some great value. For a reasonably small amount of money, you get a pack of filter cartridges that can last you a whole season with some proper maintenance, timely cleaning and light to moderate pool traffic. This product is super easy to use too, and you can install it without going through any kind of tricky assembly. Plus, the design also makes it way easier to remove these filters, clean them up and reuse them to help maximize their longevity over a summer.
Key Features
- Comes in three-packs
- Lasts over two weeks
- Material: Easy-to-clean, dacron fibers
Easiest to Clean
This option from Volca Spares is compatible with a wide range of pump models and pools, and it can provide some top-notch performance thanks to its finely perforated design. These filters are long too, around 8 inches, which allows them to clean water more effectively and keep up with the heavy-duty cleaning demands of relatively large pools — or even hot tubs that get a lot of use. And even under heavier workloads, this option can easily last about a couple of weeks and still provide some excellent cleaning performance.
Key Features
- Comes in packs of four and six
- Needs to be replaced every two weeks
- Material: Easy-to-clean dacron
Best for Small Pools
The Sunset Filters Pool Filter Cartridge is the ideal fit for small-size swimming pools, spas, hot tubs and jacuzzis. This option is fine enough to collect even thinner pieces of contaminants including hair, dust, leaves, sand, sediment and more. You can easily clean, replace and reuse this option, too. And it consists of sturdy materials that should be resilient enough to last several weeks. The compatibility also isn’t limited to a fixed set of models either. If you’ve got almost any spa model that works with type VI filters, this cartridge can fit like a glove as a replacement.
Key Features
- Available in four or six packs
- Requires replacement every two to three weeks
- Material: Extra-durable, plastic and dacron fiber pleats
Pool Filter Cartridges: A Buyer’s Guide
Pool filter cartridges are one of the most common solutions that people use to help keep their pools clean and free of contaminants. From large debris like leaves and twigs to the stuff you can’t even see like dust particles and pieces of hair, these filters can help remove almost anything. They won’t last forever though so eventually you’ll have to replace them.
And if you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance that your pool is overdue for a filter replacement. So, before you spend your hard-earned money on a new pack of filter cartridges, it’s a good idea to keep the following factors in mind to help make the most out of your investment:
Cleaning Efficiency
Your filter’s cleaning efficiency can really make or break your experience as a pool owner, depending on how picky you are when it comes to its cleanliness. And remember, although cleaning agents like chlorine can do a lot, they can’t do much against sticks, leaves, and whatever else falls into your pool. Higher-quality filters can help remove debris that’s as small as 10 microns, but even filtering out 50 microns is still impressive. So, if you’re the type of person with a very low tolerance for debris and dirt in your pool, it’s a good idea to find a filter with at least a 50-micron precision level.
Easy Cleaning and Reusability
While pool filter cartridges are supposed to be easy to replace, you can help enhance their lifespan significantly through regular cleanings to help get more reuse cycles out of them. If you manage to get an extra week out of each one of your filter cartridges by cleaning them, your savings on replacement costs can add up pretty quickly. You might even be able to save hundreds of dollars over a season.
So, it’s important to buy filter replacements that are reusable and designed for convenient cleaning. Ideally, you shouldn’t have to do anything besides remove a pool filter cartridge from your tank, give it a quick spray with your hose to get rid of debris and then pop it back in.
Buying a model that’s made of dacron is also a good idea, and it can help make this process as seamless as possible.
Longevity
The market for pool filter cartridges varies a lot in terms of longevity from model to model. And technically, how long a filter can last depends on factors like how busy and large your pool is and how frequently you clean it. But larger, higher-quality filters do tend to last longer.
The industry average for these products is about two weeks, after which you’ll have to switch out your filter for better cleaning performance. Some models can also last as long as a month though, as long as you clean them regularly and don’t put them through heavy-duty cleaning and use.
Finding the Right Size Filter for Your Pool
As you can imagine, larger pools require larger pool filter cartridges, while smaller pools can even go a couple of weeks using 4-inch filters. But the right filter size doesn’t only depend on your pool’s dimensions, it also depends on other factors that can determine how dirty your pool gets.
For example, if there are a bunch of trees towering over your pool, chances are a lot of leaves and twigs end up falling into the water. And if the area around your pool is dusty, your pool will get a lot of dust and sand buildup, which can put a lot of extra pressure on your filters. Under these kinds of circumstances, even a small pool will need larger filters to help maintain cleaner water for at least two to three weeks.
People Also Asked
How frequently should I replace my pool filter cartridge?
Generally, you should switch out your pool filter cartridge every two to three weeks. But some cartridges are designed to last longer and you can squeeze out a longer lifespan from them by regularly cleaning them and covering your pool when it’s not in use.
How do I know if my pool filter cartridge needs to be replaced?
If the fabric on your pool filter cartridge looks tattered and frayed, it usually means that it’s no longer capable of filtering out the contaminants in your water. You might also notice your pool’s water getting dirtier and murkier, which is another sign that you should replace your filter cartridge.
How can I get rid of algae buildup in my pool filter cartridge?
Algae is a bit more stubborn than regular debris and generally won’t get washed away by the water pressure from your hose. So, using a muriatic acid solution for cleaning your filter cartridge can work. Or you can try soaking your filter in trisodium phosphate (TSP) overnight.
