Waterdrop X Series Dual Flow RO System (X12-Pro) Review

It’s not that tap water in America is unsafe to drink in most places—but it may be full of junk you’d prefer not to drink. And that’s where a water filter comes in.

About the Waterdrop X Series Dual Flow Reverse Osmosis System (X12-Pro)

• Type: Reverse osmosis featuring an 11-stage precision filtration system with a dedicated faucet
• Dimensions: 18.2 x 6.25 x 16.72
• Certifications: NSF/ANSI 42, 58, and 372
• Contaminants removed: SGS certified to reduce TDS, PFOA, PFOS, chlorine, fluoride, barium, salt, sediment, chromium-VI, lead, microplastics, and odors
• Filter life: F1A is 12 months, F2-Pro is 6 months, F3 is 24 months
• Replacement cost: $173 per year
• Location: Under-sink unit with above-sink smart faucet

The Waterdrop X12-Pro is a reverse osmosis water filtration system that reduces chemicals such as chlorine, fluoride, PFAS, and lead from your tap water. The system also features what Waterdrop calls a "dual flow." Essentially, the system unit is designed to fit beneath your kitchen sink and incorporates an additional smart faucet into your setup. This provides you and your family with filtered water that flows from your existing faucet, which you can use for washing dishes or produce. Additionally, it offers pure water that flows from the added smart faucet, which has undergone the reverse osmosis process, and can be used for drinking. The Watedrop RO system’s digital smart faucet monitors water quality and filter life in real time on a panel at its top.

We’ve used several faucet water filters, including ones from popular brands like AquaTru, Brita, and Culligan.

How to install a Waterdrop RO system

Waterdrop assured us that the X12-Pro RO system would take less than 30 minutes to install and would not require a professional plumber to do the work. However, in our experience, unless you are a seriously experienced DIYer, that is decidedly not the case. We had to call in the pros.

Waterdrop offers a helpful installation video that guides you through all the steps, and the unit is well-labeled, so you know which hose goes where. However, drilling a hole into your pipe for the drain can be problematic for those who aren’t handy or experienced. In addition, you’ll likely need to have a hole drilled in your countertop for the faucet, which could be a total disaster if not done correctly—cracked marble counters are expensive to replace.

The Waterdrop X12-Pro RO system comes with all of the parts you need to install the system, and the basic steps are as follows:

• Step 1: Connect the water supply
• Step 2: Install the faucet
• Step 3: Install the drain saddle
• Step 4: Connect all the tubing
• Step 5: Connect the power cord
• Step 6: Start the system

It took my plumber about two hours to install the system, which included removing part of my cabinet and drilling a hole in the countertop.

How to replace a Waterdrop filter

The Waterdrop X12-Pro RO system features three filters. The F1A (an activated carbon filter), F2-Pro (for pre-sediment and carbon block filter), and X12-F3 (the reverse osmosis membrane filter).

Removing and replacing them is seriously easy. The filters are located on the front of the unit. To replace one, turn off the water valve to release the pressure, then turn the filter you want to remove counterclockwise. Next, insert the new filter and turn it clockwise until it clicks into place. Once the filter is replaced, turn the water valve back on and flush the system for a minute or two. The process takes less than five minutes total.

Installation and how we tested

I knew right away that the installation of the Waterdrop was going to require a professional—I’m handy, but not “drill into a pipe” handy—but it wasn’t until the filter arrived that I realized I would need to remove a section of my cabinet to fit the unit.

My plumber was able to saw out the cabinet, drill a hole in my countertop, and install the Waterdrop in about two hours, start to finish.

We let the faucet run for about five minutes to flush the system. Once the water ran clear—no bubbles—I roped the whole family into participating in a taste test of the Waterdrop water versus the Brita water. Not surprisingly, the Waterdrop came out on top, and we’ve been enjoying it for the last few weeks, using it for drinking water as well as for making coffee or tea.

What we like

The water tastes great

If you’ve never had reverse osmosis water before, you’re really missing out, because it tastes so fresh and clean. It may sound weird to describe water as having a taste. Still, the difference between the flavor of the water from our Waterdrop system and what we were getting from our countertop Brita water filter pitcher is dramatic.

Reverse osmosis water is better for you

No question, drinking lots of water is essential, but the quality of the water matters (or should matter), too.

Reverse osmosis water is essentially the top-shelf version of water, so I feel much better knowing we’re not drinking water full of chemicals and other things that could stunt my children’s growth.

The Waterdrop has an 11-stage filtration system that significantly reduces chlorine, fluoride, lead, arsenic, and other harmful contaminants.

Using this system is way more convenient than having to refill a pitcher daily

We’re huge water drinkers over here at Casa Lane, which means we constantly refill our Brita filter, often multiple times a day. I love that we can now drink our copious amounts of water simply by turning on a tap.

Additionally, we installed the system on the sink located directly across from the ice maker, allowing anyone who prefers chilled water to add ice without having to walk across the entire kitchen.

While minimizing our steps is important to quenching our thirst more quickly, the X-12 Pro also offers another (major) convenience. It gives us two types of water. We can use filtered water from our main tap for washing our fruits and veggies, or for our dishes—cases where we wouldn't want to overuse (i.e., waste) the life of the advanced RO filter. And then we can get all our drinking water at the same sink from the RO faucet.

Filters are easy to change

There is nothing more annoying than an appliance that requires upkeep but boasts a design that makes it virtually impossible to do so.

No one wants to spend an hour rummaging under their kitchen sink with a flashlight to change a filter. I love that the Waterdrop is designed so that the filters are easily accessible and can be changed in just a few minutes. I explained the whole process above, in the About section.

What we don’t like

The smart faucet is fugly, subjectively

I love the idea of the smart faucet that you can program to dispense a certain amount of water, and that tells you, in real-time, how much bad stuff the system is removing from your water.

Unfortunately, its aesthetic style won’t appeal to anyone who doesn’t have a kitchen with a very modern design. If you have brass fixtures—like I do—the Waterdrop faucet will look out of place, as it only comes in chrome or black matte and features a black digital panel on top.

I decided to purchase a separate filtered water faucet because the included faucet didn’t work with my kitchen design.

I wish Waterdrop offered a companion app

Surprisingly, in this era of apps for everything, the Waterdrop doesn’t have a companion app that connects via Bluetooth to monitor your water or filters. This feels like a real oversight, especially for customers who choose not to use the Waterdrop faucet itself.

Warranty

The Waterdrop X12-Pro comes with a two-year limited warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship.

Should you buy the Waterdrop X12-Pro Reverse Osmosis System

Yes, it's an investment, but one that keeps your best health in mind

Whether you’re concerned about the quality of your tap water or you want to move away from using single-use plastic water bottles, the Waterdrop X12-Pro (available at Waterdrop) is an excellent choice.

Yes, it’s an investment—over $1,000, not including replacement filters—but it’s not significantly more than other high-quality reverse osmosis systems. Have you ever done the math on how much bottled water you buy each year?

You'll really notice a difference in your drinking water, and having boundless amounts of clean, fresh water at the turn of a faucet is a convenience that can’t be overstated.