There is a very unfortunate certification for faucets which is named “lead-free” but means the faucet can contain 0.25% lead. If you are concerned about lead you want to look for 100% lead-free faucets.
The ones I have seen that are 100% lead-free are made of 100% solid stainless steel.
This post contains affiliate links, upon purchase I earn a small commission at not extra cost to you.
Options for 100% Lead-Free Faucets:
- MGS an Italian company makes 100% stainless steel faucets (pricy!)
- Nivito in Canada
- Bay Castle makes 100% stainless faucets.
- Trywell makes a 100% stainless steel spigot for RO systems. Affordable.
- Waterstone has some stainless steel options and those ones are 100% stainless.
- Signature Hardware, Bennet
- Build Essentials from Build with Ferguson
- Kraus Purita made with lead-free brass, it says 100% lead free on Amazon but in an email they said it only complies with the 0.2% law.
- Delta uses PEX lines in their faucets so there is no contact between the metal and the water.
- American Standard has replaced the lead in brass with bismuth. Though they say the faucets still have trace amounts of lead. But lead-free brass is a definite improvement.
Next Best Options
If you cannot source a 100% lead-free faucet you can add a certified filter to the tap like this Brita one which will remove lead.
It’s ideal to also have a whole house system or reverse osmosis (RO) as well to remove contaminants.
The type of system needed depends on if you are on city or well water, and which contaminants your water contains.
If you are on well water, a RO or charcoal system is not advised without having a primary UV or ceramic filter to take care of microbes first.
Sarah says
I have an antique claw foot tub and am desperate to find a lead free tub Mount faucet for it. I will regularly bathing littles in it. Any idea as to what company makes faucets for these tubs that are now less free? It’s difficult enough finding these fixtures, let alone finding some that don’t have lead in them 🙁
lori says
Unfortunately your tub itself is likely leaded. I’m so sorry to say this, but the faucet is probably the least of your concern.
Andrea says
Wondering if IKEA faucets are 100% lead free? I looked up some information that stated they banned the use of lead and all of their fittings back in 2010 and I’m just curious if these faucets have been explored yet?
Corinne says
it’s hard to impossible to get direct answers from them in email so I can’t really check but I would assume they use brass with lead. Brass without lead is really uncommon. I would expect them to say the faucets or the brass in faucets is 100% lead free if that was the case.
Andrea Beaulieu says
Thank you so much!
Andrea Beaulieu says
Just called IKEA, they do claim that lead was removed in 2010 BUT I was told there is still the “0.2% ” in them. They use metalized brass as well which they told me was lead free? I don’t know, sounds like IKEA can’t be a trusted lead free choice either.
Corinne says
sounds like it’s “lead free” which is the 0.2% level.
Joanna says
Is there a DIY water test that is accurate that one could use on their own to test their water for lead or is it best to use a lab?
Thanks in advance.
Corinne says
I would use a lab
jay says
RO amazon link you mentioned has below materials listed on amazon. will it not be bad if we drink water passing through them ?
Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Plastic, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, Polystyrene
-jay
Corinne says
All RO systems have a plastic bladder in the tank and will have some plastic pipes/tubes.
Tata says
Not all! Blue water doesn’t have that plastic BS
Joanna says
You mentioned that in testing the .25% faucets, there was not any leaching of lead however I came across this article from the Environmental Defense Fund that has me concerned.
HomeBlogsEDF Health
Lead from a new “lead-free” brass faucet? More common than you’d hope
By Tom Neltner / Published: November 6, 2018
As well even if a faucet is stainless still can there still not be lead in the brass fittings?
Thanks in advance
Corinne says
A regular “lead-free” faucet with brass with leach at first, but from what I have seen this doesn’t go beyond a few months. Have your water tested to see.
If the faucet is 100% stainless there is no lead in the faucet. Brass fittings can be use in your pipes.
Joanna says
Thank you for your reply and the work that you do. I appreciate it.
Joanna
Commenter says
HI Corinne,
Do these Parmir faucets look good to you?
https://www.houzz.com/products/query/parmir-bathroom-faucet
https://www.parmirus.com
I was worried that this might have been the company that another commenter linked to and you said that they were a scam. I appreciate your response, as I’m looking to order a new faucet ASAP.
Thanks!
Alex says
Thanks again for a helpful post!
Any concern. with copper fixtures for the bathroom or kitchen? Do I need to look out for nickel content or is that not much of a concern?
Thanks!
Rebecca says
Do you have any updates on this? Do you worry about this with not drinking water? I ask because finding an acceptable shower fixture seems to be even more difficult. No one seems to have any test results on those at all.
Corinne says
I don’t worry about it because you would have to swallow the shower water. There are some brands that say they meet “lead free” standards with their bathroom fixtures as well. But the lead doesn’t usually leach from the fixtures as a natural build up blocks it.
Rebecca says
Lead is absorbed through the skin, though, so you wouldn’t have to drink it.
Corinne says
That kind of lead doesn’t really enter through the skin. Only the lead that used to be in gasoline.
Jesse says
I think that for those of us with small children it’s very relevant to find 100% lead free shower and bath fixtures. I know that both my 10-year-old and 2-year-old regularly drink bath or shower water. This is especially true for the two-year-old taking baths. There really aren’t a lot of options. I found this company that makes complete sets for bath and shower that are 304 stainless steel:
Corinne says
that company is a total scam, I deleted the link so I can speak more freely. there used to be info on that online but it might have been removed by them. a reader showed me the info and I thought it used to be in the comments here but is no longer here.
the faucets will not be leaching after a few weeks so just have your water tested.
Paige says
Hi Rebecca! Did you end up finding any shower fixtures?
Thanks!
Lyn Oligino says
Not sure if anyone mentioned these:
https://www.fisher-mfg.com/campaign/downloads/Catalog23SS-2011.pdf
I like the wrist handles.
Mona says
I ordered a castle bay pull down faucet and then contacted them because it has a Nylon braided hose. They said they are using nylon in the newer models. They said the hose inside is EPDM rubber. Not sure if that is ok from a chemical standpoint.
Joanna says
The Kraus Purita faucet says its 100% Lead Free as it uses Lead Free Brass. Would this be considered 100% Lead Free?
Thank you in advance
Corinne says
That should be 100% lead free, as long as they are telling the truth! I’m going to add it to the post.
Drea says
I just called Krauss and they told me their faucets are NOT 100% lead free but are lead compliant….
Corinne says
they are advertising them as 100% lead free
Corinne says
I’ve updated the post but pretty displeased that they are still advertising this as 100% lead free or their customer service reps just don’t know what’s going on.
Mona says
I contacted nivito and they use soft PEX hoses for the supply lines – so not so good.
Drea says
yeah, I am wondering, is PEX safe? I see that used on the Nivito and our new house build is using PEX pipes instead of copper and am not sure if this is safe? We planned on installed a “whole house” wanter filtration system but now I am wondering, if that filtered water runs through PEX pipes to our “lead free” faucet, are we still drinking something potentially toxic? So hard to find the best solution here!
Eva says
Hi! I’ve been looking for knobs and handles for my kitchen that are non toxic. Every knob and pully I’ve found so far have prop 65 warnings (usually for lead I believe). It seems to have the warning on every knob I find! Please let me know if you have found anywhere that sells non toxic hardware. Thank you!
Corinne says
I need to write a post on this!
Christina says
Omg! I’ve been looking for the same thing! I was wondering if ikea has less toxic options for cabinet pulls?
Nic says
You can simply drill a hole (that actually also allows for ventilation, great for mold prevention) and then you just use a finger or two to pull open. There are great options using Fabric or leather pulls, & I’ve seen leather Tabs are very popular cabinet and drawer pulls. There are stainless options for Hardware but they’re very expensive. Maybe porcelain, but that’s a nightmare to find good quality.
Sheila Hamanaka says
https://www.build.com/build-essentials-be052/s1716202?uid=4056312&searchId=vCkTqnXqvC
The above faucet is described as 100% stainless steel… but it’s a “pull down” hose… and does not say what that is made of.
btw Has anyone come across an all stainless steel kitchen faucet with TWO handles? I don’t like single handles.
Thanks
Sheila
Ashley says
Hi Corrine, I am desperate to find a lead-free faucet. I believe that Franke makes at least a few, specifically FF3350 and FF3352 appear to be manufactured from T304 and T316 stainless steel. I read the above comments to your post. Have you found that the faucets that are certified as “lead-free” with .025% truly don’t leach lead? I’d be interested to know as it would certainly open up more purchasing options than what I have found.
Corinne says
I have seen them show no lead in the water but you would want to test it when it’s brand new and then at a few months time.
Sandra Iglesias says
Hello, just started searching for kitchen faucet options and I happened to see this one: https://www.signaturehardware.com/faucets/kitchen-faucets/single-hole-kitchen-faucets/bennett-single-hole-outdoor-kitchen-faucet.html
Unless I am reading the info wrong, this faucet is made out of stainless steel and they say it’s lead free.
Have you heard/had experience with this brand by any chance?
Thank you very much
Corinne says
It would have to be 100% stainless and 100% lead free to be free of lead (as opposed to the “lead free” certification which allows some lead.
Sandra says
Hello and thank you. Well, for what I can see the specs say this is a solid 316 stainless steel. It is not cheap, but it’s certainly not as expensive as the other stainless steel options out there so that is why I wanted to see if you had ever heard of this brand. It seems like a good option for a stainless steel faucet, but not sure if I am misreading something.
Corinne says
If it’s solid then that would be great.
Sandra says
Hello and thank you. Leaving this info here in case it’s of any interest… per the info they sent me (email) the faucet is made of 100% 316 stainless steel. The cartridge of the faucet is made of ceramic, and that is the only place water would pass through that isn’t stainless. The nozzles is also stainless.
Have a nice week!
Corinne says
than you so much! I added it to the post. this is very helpful!
Mona says
I contacted signature hardware to ask about the hoses that are used to connect to the faucet and they said “The inlet hose internal tubing is PEX with SS304 braid.”
Corinne could you comment on what the hose material inside of braided stainless steel hoses? It seems there are some that are stainless steel but others have rubber or PEX inside. And maybe in this case one could swap out the provided braided hoses with different ones, but I am not sure.
Corinne says
PEX is the best option out of what could be used there.
Amanda says
Anyone have details on the Kraus Allyn Bridge kitchen sink and filtered water spout? It claims to be 100% lead free brass in both.
Thanks!
Anon says
Kraus said on the phone that their faucets are lead-free, but in writing by e-mail they said:
“All Kraus product is AB1953, which means the products weighted average Lead content meets the federal code, with less than .25%.”
This includes faucets labelled “100% lead-free”. I guess 99.75% rounds to 100%.
There is also the concern that stainless steel leaches nickel.
Anna says
Just an FYI, Waterstone uses vulcanized rubber as their supply line. Some manufacturers use latex as the rubber. I can’t imagine heated latex in chlorinated water will be a good thing in the long run. Not to mention, the hoses in the pull out faucets are made out of junk in most cases too. Why spend $1400 on a kitchen faucet that ends up producing toxins? I might as well spend $300 on a Parmir product. Parmir has not gotten back to me about what their hose materials are made from, but I can’t imagine it being worse than what Watersone is doing.
IC says
Not quite sure why they don’t use silicone tubing. It’s widely used in medicine, and not that expensive.
IC says
Actually, <0.25% brass can leach a lot of lead, because of its microstructure; the lead is not evenly distributed, but forms channel-like networks. When the leaded brass is cast from the molten metal mixture, the brass solidifies first, and the lead collects in little blobs at the edges of the grains of brass (if you look at a galvanized metal surface, you will see the interlocking grains of metal). For actual test results on leaching, see the Environmental Defense Fund blog posts on lead in faucets, the first of which is here:
http://blogs.edf.org/health/2018/11/06/nsf-61-lead-from-a-new-lead-free-brass-faucet/
The lead in the brass is not necessary, but it is deliberately added because it improves the machineability of the brass. When the metal is cut, the lead smears across the cut surface, and the metal cuts better. Just a small amount of lead is needed for this effect, though since lead is very cheap, the higher the metal's lead content, the less the manufacturer has to pay for the metal. Without any lead, the manufacturer can't machine the faucets and other fittings in one pass; they have to do a rough cut and then a fine cut. Which also costs them more. See Wikipedia's article on brass:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass#Lead_content
Appallingly, manufacturers who deliberately add lead to their fittings can still sell them as "lead-free" in the US, as long as the weighted average of the wetted surfaces is <0.25% lead. So if they include a quarter of a square inch of pure lead touching the water in their faucet, they must include 100 square inches of lead-free metal in contact with water in the faucet to average it out. As the EDF posts show, faucets can pass this test while leaching huge amounts of lead.
You might want to only buy fittings which tell you that they are made with no added lead, and give test results telling you the amount of lead in the alloys (should be undetectable), and the amount of lead that leaches from them (ditto). If the manufacturer can't give you their own test results when asked, go elsewhere (the tests are legally required). If it says "NSF/ANSI/CAN 61: Q ≤ 0.5" means that the average lead concentrations are less than or equal to 0.5µg per sample use, on AVERAGE. This is the detection limit in some commercial labs.
Some of the links in this article are to manufacturers who do not seem to have posted test results; the blog could do us all a great service by phoning around manufacturers and posting the test results they give, and what alloys they use.
Corinne says
Thanks for posting that. The water tests I have seen have not showed leached lead. Right now we dont have enough companies who have verified their testing, or third party testing of multiple brands.
It would be a good idea to test your tap and see, I add water filtration anyway.
Suzanne says
Thanks so much for this. Is this true for stainless steel also?
Carol says
Thank you for the post, however, I cannot find any of the lead free faucet brands you mentioned.
Corinne says
They are unusual and hard to find. The ones with 0.25% don’t seem to actually leach, as water testing results showed though. I will be updating this soon.
Danielle says
please do update us, been looking for a fully stainless kitchen faucet for weeks now and cannot find any in the country. just not right!