Quick Answer: Neither one softens hard water. Both are chlorine-reducing filters with similar core media (calcium sulfite plus a KDF-type redox media). Get the Jolie Filtered Showerhead if you want a new, nicer-looking head anyway and will actually swap the filter every 90 days. Get the AquaBliss SF100 if you want to keep your current showerhead and spend less to start. Keep in mind that the one independent lab test we found measured only about a 30% chlorine drop through it. If verified chlorine reduction matters most, the Sprite HO2 is certified to NSF/ANSI 177 and rated for 12 months per cartridge.
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Let's get one thing out of the way, since it's the reason a lot of people buy these and then feel let down. If your shower glass has white spots, your showerhead nozzles crust over, and your water tests at 12 gpg, neither Jolie nor AquaBliss will change that. AquaBliss's own product page says its media doesn't change water hardness. A lab-tested review of the SF100 found hardness essentially unchanged. Jolie's filter page talks about chlorine and heavy metals, not hardness.
What these filters can do is cut chlorine, and chlorine is a big part of why some people's hair feels like straw after moving to a new city. If that's your problem, keep reading.
In this guide
- Same core chemistry, different hardware
- The one lab test we could find
- Living with each one for a year
- If your city uses chloramine
- Install and renter notes
- What to realistically expect for your hair and skin
- A two-minute check before you buy either
- If chlorine reduction is the whole point
- Who should buy which
Same core chemistry, different hardware
| Jolie Filtered Showerhead | AquaBliss SF100 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A full showerhead with the filter inside the neck | An inline filter between your shower arm and existing head |
| Filter media | KDF-55 and calcium sulfite (Jolie's description) | Sediment layers, stainless mesh, PP cotton, calcium sulfite, redox media, activated carbon, plus vitamin C, tourmaline and zeolite |
| Replacement | Every 90 days | Every 3–6 months, depending on water (AquaBliss) |
| Rated gallons | Not stated | Not stated by AquaBliss; a reviewer lists 10,000 gallons |
| Certification | None listed on the retail filter page | None listed |
| Size | About 5.3" diameter, 5.4" long (per reviewer) | 3.31" x 3.31" x 4.65", 5.6 oz |
| Finishes | Five colors | Chrome, matte black, matte gold, brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze |
| Warranty / returns | No product warranty listed; 60-day refund window per a reviewer | 1-year warranty; 30-day guarantee |
The important line is the media. Calcium sulfite is the workhorse for chlorine in hot shower water, and both have it. Jolie leans on KDF-55. AquaBliss adds a redox media plus a long list of extras. Tourmaline, vitamin C beads and "mineral infusion" make for good marketing, but AquaBliss doesn't publish test data for them.
The one lab test we could find
Water Filter Guru published a test of the SF100. They measured chlorine falling from 2.70 to 1.88 ppm, about a 30% reduction. Hardness was unchanged, with on-site titration still at 8 gpg. Flow was about 1.5 gpm, which was among the slowest of the shower filters they tested. Zinc in the filtered water also rose noticeably, which the reviewer suspected came from the KDF media. The same review notes that AquaBliss previously claimed certification and removed that claim in 2026.
We couldn't find a comparable independent lab test of the Jolie. A beauty reviewer who used it for about six months reported no drop in water pressure, but didn't test chlorine. Jolie has described its filter as NSF-certified and exceeding NSF 177. We didn't find a certification listing to confirm that, and the retailer filter page we checked lists none.
So, honestly: for the Jolie, you're trusting the media list. For the AquaBliss, you have one test that says it helps, but less than you might hope.
Living with each one for a year
Jolie: four refills a year on the 90-day schedule. Jolie says efficacy fades after that point. One reviewer found swapping the refill very difficult and said it nearly took "the jaws of life." Initial install was easy, though, at about 15 to 20 minutes, with a small wrench and plumber's tape in the box. If you have a subscription, the refills arrive on schedule. If you don't, set a calendar reminder.
AquaBliss: two to four SFC100 cartridges a year. They swap in without tools, and AquaBliss lists its SFC220 cartridge as compatible too. Running cost is lower. The trade-offs are that you're hanging extra length and weight off your shower arm, and the SF100 doesn't look like much. If your arm is short or already wobbles, tighten the wall flange before adding it.
Either way, if you live with hard water, your head will still scale up over time. A filter doesn't stop that. Our guide on a clogged showerhead from hard water covers the vinegar soak that brings it back.
If your city uses chloramine
Many utilities disinfect with chloramine instead of free chlorine, and it's harder for small shower filters to deal with. AquaBliss's FAQ says the SF100's vitamin C media breaks down chloramine, but the claim doesn't appear elsewhere on the product page and isn't independently verified. Jolie's filter page talks about chlorine and heavy metals and doesn't mention chloramine. Check your utility's annual water quality report to see which one you have before you expect either filter to fix the smell.
Install and renter notes
The SF100 threads onto any standard 1/2-inch shower arm, and your old head goes on the other end. When you move out, unscrew it and the landlord never knows. The Jolie replaces the head, so keep the original showerhead in a drawer and reinstall it when you leave. For either one, wrap the arm threads with two or three turns of plumber's tape. Hand-tighten, then snug it with a wrench wrapped in a rag so you don't scratch the finish.
Scale still matters. Jolie's nozzles and the head on the end of your AquaBliss will both slowly clog in hard water.
What to realistically expect for your hair and skin
Less chlorine may help hair feel less dry and color fade more slowly, and may ease tightness on sensitive skin. Neither brand can promise more than that. The beauty reviewer who used Jolie for six months noticed a less itchy scalp but no clear change in shine or shedding. That's a fair picture of what a shower filter can do.
If what really bugs you is hard-water residue, like hair that feels coated and soap that won't rinse, a shower filter is the wrong tool. Our pages on hard water and hair and washing hair and skin with soft water explain the difference. For true hardness, the fix is softening at the main line. See whether you need a whole-house softener.
A two-minute check before you buy either
Pick up a pack of pool or aquarium chlorine test strips and run the shower on hot for a minute. Dip a strip in the stream. If it reads close to zero, you're probably on a private well or your utility uses very little chlorine, and a shower filter has little to do. If it reads 1 ppm or more, a filter has a real job, and you can repeat the test through the filter after installing it to see what you're getting. Do it again in month three. If the reading has crept back up, the cartridge is spent, whatever the calendar says.
If chlorine reduction is the whole point
Then we'd point you to a filter with a published, certified performance claim. The Sprite HO2 uses Sprite's Chlorgon media and is certified to NSF/ANSI 177 for chlorine reduction. It's rated for 20,000 gallons or 12 months per cartridge and flows at 2.5 gpm, with a one-year warranty. It's an inline unit like the AquaBliss, so you keep your head. It's not pretty, but it's the one we'd trust to do the chlorine job. Check price on Amazon.
Who should buy which
- Jolie: you were going to replace a dated showerhead anyway, you like the design, and you'll keep up with 90-day refills. Check price on Amazon.
- AquaBliss SF100: you rent or love your current showerhead, you want the lowest running cost, and partial chlorine reduction is fine with you. Check price on Amazon.
- Sprite HO2: you want certified chlorine reduction and the longest cartridge life of the three. Check price on Amazon.
- None of them: your real problem is hardness. Test your water first.