Review
Aquaphor Crystal Solo review: a budget kit with a tap
At £79.99 the Crystal Solo is the cheapest complete kit on our list that comes with its own tap, and its £22.99 K2 makes it the cheapest dedicated-tap system to run: £217.93 over five years. It earns a place for a household that has or can make a tap hole and wants an affordable dedicated drinking-water tap without a large upfront spend.[1]
Research-based review. Manufacturer documents and published evidence where available. Tap Sorted has not tested this product.
Photo: Aquaphor
- Price
- £79.99, tap included
- Replacement
- K2 £22.99, about every 9 months
- Five-year cost
- £217.93, hardware and cartridges, before fitting
- Evidence
- Manufacturer claims; no independent listing confirmed
The trade-off is the evidence available for the exact UK model. Aquaphor describes carbon filtration for chlorine and taste, but we have not confirmed an independent listing for those claims. Its pages also disagree about the flow rate.
This is the single-cartridge Crystal Solo. The three-stage version has its own review.
Who it suits
- have a tap hole, or can make one
- want a taste and chlorine filter at the lowest dedicated-tap running cost
- like having the tap, housing and first cartridge in one box
Who should look elsewhere
- have no suitable tap hole and cannot get permission to make one
- need independently confirmed claims
- need a published flow rate before you buy
What £79.99 buys
The kit includes a drinking-water tap and a K2 cartridge, with free delivery to the UK mainland; Aquaphor’s pages do not say whether VAT is included.[1][2]
| Configuration | Parts | Total |
|---|---|---|
| As sold: tap and K2 included | Crystal Solo kit with tap £79.99[1] | £79.99 |
Running costs over one, three and five years
The K2 is £22.99. Aquaphor’s product page gives 4,000 litres and a nine-month cycle; an older manual says a year, so we use the shorter, current figure.[3] At eight litres a day nine months uses only about 2,200 of the 4,000 litres, so you pay for time, not volume. Confirm the replacement schedule for your exact UK kit with Aquaphor; the older figure is not a reason to extend cartridge life.
| Case | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware and cartridges | £102.98 | £148.96 | £217.93 |
Same sums and assumptions as the comparison: 8 litres a day, the cartridge fitted at purchase included, no fitting, adaptors or water.
Against the alternatives, the Waterdrop is cheaper still over five years because it uses your existing tap, and the three-stage Crystal costs more to buy and to run.
Where it is weakest
Evidence. The one claim we can quote is the maker’s, and a maker’s claim is not a registry listing. How we weigh claims explains the difference. The flow rate is unresolved on Aquaphor’s pages, so we quote none, and we did not check VAT, warranty or WRAS approval.
Fitting
The kit uses its own tap, so the sink or worktop needs a tap hole.[1] If you rent or cannot drill a new hole, the filter taps page and fitting without drilling explain what to ask first.
Cartridges
The replacement is the K2, which the cartridge page lists with its price and interval. The three-stage Crystal uses a different set that includes a K2 alongside two other cartridges. The cartridge care guide explains how to plan changes.
Alternatives
- Waterdrop WD-10UA review (in the comparison): Cheaper to buy and run, and uses your existing tap, with thin evidence.
- Aquaphor Crystal three-stage review (in the comparison): Three stages for £50 more, with a higher running cost.
- Doulton Kingfisher with Biotect Ultra review (in the comparison): A registry listing for the exact system, at £299.90 with a tap.
For all six side by side, with matched totals, see the under-sink comparison, or all the reviews.
Common questions
Does the Crystal Solo come with a tap?
Yes: a drinking-water tap is in the box, so you need a tap hole for it.
How often does the K2 need changing?
Aquaphor’s product page says nine months, and an older manual says a year. We cost nine months.
Is it independently certified?
We checked no independent registry entry for this model, so we cite only the maker’s own claim.
Sources
- Aquaphor: Crystal Solo read 16 October 2026
- Aquaphor: delivery read 16 October 2026
- Aquaphor: K2 replacement cartridge read 16 October 2026
How we check · Prices checked 16 October 2026 and subject to change.