The Claryum Direct Connect (model AQ-MF-1) solves the one thing that stops most people fitting an under-sink filter: it connects to your existing kitchen tap. No second faucet, no hole drilled in the counter, no landlord conversation.
Available in Canada — no duties or brokerage
Stocked on Amazon.ca and shipped domestically, so you avoid the cross-border duties and carrier brokerage fees that apply to orders from Aquasana’s US site.
Why the “direct connect” part matters
A conventional under-sink system needs its own dedicated tap, which means drilling the countertop. On stone or composite that is a job for someone with a diamond bit and steady nerves, and on a rented property it is usually out of the question entirely.
The Direct Connect skips that. It plumbs into the cold supply under the sink and sends filtered water back up through the tap you already have. Fewer holes, faster fitting, and it comes out with you when you move.
What it filters
It uses Aquasana’s Claryum filtration, the same media as their conventional under-sink range — certified to NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401. In plain terms: chlorine and taste under 42, health-related contaminants including lead and cysts under 53, and emerging contaminants such as pharmaceutical residues under 401.
That last standard is what separates it from a basic carbon filter. A filter rated only to Standard 42 improves taste and does nothing for lead.
The trade-offs, honestly
Everything comes through one tap. With a dedicated faucet you choose filtered or unfiltered. Here, all your cold kitchen water is filtered — including the water you use to fill a pasta pot or rinse dishes. That consumes cartridge capacity on water you did not need filtered.
Flow can drop slightly, as with any filter in line with the tap.
It is not the cheapest route. At around $256 it costs more than a conventional Claryum 3-Stage at $349.99 only because the latter includes the faucet — but a plumber to drill stone can close that gap quickly.
Replacement cartridges
AQ-MF-1-R
The replacement cartridge for this system. Check the current interval on the packaging — capacity depends on how much water your household runs through it.
Prefer a dedicated tap?
The conventional Claryum 3-Stage gives you filtered and unfiltered separately, and longer cartridge life.
Work out the real cost
Cartridge spend usually overtakes the purchase price within three years. Do the arithmetic first.
Who it actually suits
Renters who cannot alter the counter. Anyone with a stone or composite worktop they would rather not drill. Households that want NSF 53 lead reduction without a second tap cluttering the sink. And people who move often enough that a removable system matters.
If none of those apply and you are happy to drill, the conventional under-sink system is the better long-term buy.
Prices checked August 2026 and shown live on the retailer’s site. Stock on this model has been limited.
Disclosure: links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.