Filtered the shower but your kid still comes out of the bath dry and itchy? That's because the tub and the shower are two different taps. Bath filter vs shower filter: here's who in your house needs which.
A bath filter clips onto your tub spout and cleans the water as the tub fills. A shower filter attaches to your showerhead and cleans water under pressure as you shower. If your kids bathe, get a bath filter. If you shower, get a shower filter. Most families with young kids need both. The Tubo Classic Combo gets you both Tubo filters for $99, each removing up to 99% of chlorine.
What's the difference between a bath filter and a shower filter?
They use similar filter media. The difference is how water moves through them, and that changes the whole design.
| Bath filter | Shower filter | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it goes | On the tub spout | Between the shower arm and showerhead, or built into the head |
| How water flows | Pours through by gravity as the tub fills | Pushed through under full water pressure |
| Who it's for | Babies and kids who take baths, anyone who soaks | Older kids, teens and adults who shower |
| Exposure it covers | A long soak in a full tub | A few minutes of hot water on skin, scalp and hair |
| Main job | Remove chlorine from bath water | Remove chlorine from hot, fast-moving water |
| What Tubo's removes | Tubo 2.0: up to 99% of chlorine and heavy metals, plus chloramine and up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses | Tubo Go: up to 99% of chlorine, plus fluoride, heavy metals and up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses |
| Clinically tested | Yes | Yes |
| Tubo price | $64, refills $34 | Tubo Go $59 (refills $39), or Tubo Pro Showerhead $95 |
Each one is built for its own tap. The bath filter clips onto the tub spout. The shower filter goes on the shower. Together, every bath and shower in your house is covered.
Filter only one, and someone in your house is still soaking in chlorine every night.
Who in your house needs which?
Think about each person, not the house. Who bathes, who showers, and how often?
| Your household | What you need | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Baby or toddler, parents bathe them only | Bath filter | All their water contact is in the tub |
| Young kids who bathe + parents who shower | Both | Two different ways of getting tap water on skin |
| Kid with eczema who bathes daily | Bath filter first | Daily soaks are the biggest exposure. Add a shower filter for you later |
| Kids moving from baths to showers | Both, for now | The bath filter covers the little ones, the shower filter covers the big ones |
| Teens and adults only | Shower filter | Every shower is covered |
| Dry, tangly or brittle hair is the main complaint | Shower filter | Hair gets washed under the shower |
Dealing with hard water? The Tubo 2.0 Bath Filter also reduces excess hard water minerals. More in hard water and eczema in kids.
Why the tub and shower each get their own Tubo
Each one is built for how water reaches your family.
What's actually inside each type, and what it removes, is covered in do bath filters actually work? and do shower filters actually work?
“It helps our skin so much. We don't come out feeling dry anymore.”
If you can only buy one, which first?
Start with the person whose skin worries you most.
Start with the Tubo 2.0 Bath Filter ($64). It clips on in seconds and is safe from newborn up. A daily soak in a full tub is the most tap water your kid's skin sees all day. Why that matters is explained in is chlorine in bath water bad for kids?
Start with the Tubo Go Shower Filter ($59). It screws on between your shower arm and your existing showerhead in minutes, no tools, removes up to 99% of chlorine plus fluoride and heavy metals, and doesn't affect your water flow. Want a brand-new head instead? The Tubo Pro Showerhead Filter ($95) replaces your old one. Not sure which? Read showerhead filter vs inline shower filter.
The Tubo Classic Combo is the simplest way to get both at once, for less than buying them separately.
How much upkeep do two filters take?
It's easy. Each one needs a new cartridge on a schedule, and that's it.
Both work on the same easy rhythm: a fresh cartridge every 3 months. Subscribe and refills ship automatically at 25% off with free shipping, so the new cartridge shows up before you need it. Pause or cancel anytime.
Want the full schedule and the signs a cartridge is done? See how often to change a bath filter and how often to change a shower filter.
Tubo fits 99% of tub spouts and clips on in seconds, no tools. Want to double-check yours? Our spout fit guide takes 30 seconds.
Softer skin in the bath, softer hair in the shower. 50,000+ families trust Tubo, with a 4.7★ bath filter, a 4.9★ shower filter and a 60-day money-back guarantee. Get the Tubo Classic Combo for $99 →
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a shower filter for the bath?
For the tub, use the Tubo 2.0 Bath Filter. It clips onto the spout and filters water as the tub fills, so every bath is covered.
Can I use a bath filter in the shower?
For the shower, use the Tubo Go or Tubo Pro. They're built for full shower pressure, while the bath filter is made for the tub spout.
Do I need a bath filter if I already have a shower filter?
If anyone in your house takes baths, yes. A shower filter only treats water coming out of the showerhead, not the tub spout.
Is a bath filter or shower filter better for babies?
A bath filter. Babies and toddlers take baths, so all their tap water contact happens in the tub. The Tubo 2.0 Bath Filter is BPA-free and safe from newborn up.
Is the Tubo Classic Combo worth it?
If anyone in your house bathes and anyone showers, yes. You get the Tubo 2.0 Bath Filter and the Tubo Go Shower Filter for $99, less than buying them separately, and every bath and shower is filtered.
Will a bath or shower filter soften hard water?
Both are built to remove chlorine and heavy metals, and the Tubo 2.0 Bath Filter also reduces excess hard water minerals as the tub fills.