OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer. In the world of refrigerator water filters, an OEM filter is a water filter manufactured by the same company that made your refrigerator.
The manufacturer of your refrigerator is not the only place you can purchase your fridge filter from. In fact, there are companies that make replacement filters of equal or higher quality that you can sometimes get for a better price.
In truth, no. Fridge manufacturers would like you to believe that you do, but there are replacement filters available that are totally compatible with your refrigerator. And not only are they compatible, but they’ll often cost you less and offer higher quality filtration for your drinking water. Take a look at the chart below that pits OEM filters against comparable offerings from Second Nature.
In the case of Second Nature, replacement options are easier than tracking down your OEM fridge filter because you only have to buy it once. You select what you need only one time, and it’s shipped to you automatically for each scheduled changeout of your refrigerator water filter. Pricing is also simplified with Second Nature's subscription service. You pay $29 or $39 depending on which brand you'd like, and that's it. No variation in price based on size or type of fridge filter.
Absolutely. It Matters by Second Nature will filter more than 99% of lead from your drinking water. It's certified to meet NSF 53 and 42 standards, just as your higher-quality OEM options are. You can depend on It Matters to remove the same contaminants that your OEM will, including chlorine, lead, turbidity, asbestos, and VOCs.