Kenmore Refrigerator Water Filter Guide (2026): 9081, 9083, 9490, 9690 and 9980 Decoded

Quick Answer: Kenmore doesn’t build refrigerators, so the right Kenmore refrigerator water filter depends on who made yours. Read the first three digits of the model number: 106 = Whirlpool (Kenmore filters 9081 to 9085, the everydrop family), 795 = LG (9490, 9690, 9890, 9980, 9990), 253 = Frigidaire or Electrolux (9911, 9916, 9999) and 363 = GE (9991), per DiscountFilters.com’s Kenmore cross-reference. Genuine Kenmore cartridges cost $49.73 to $93.59 at Sears PartsDirect (checked November 4, 2026, one clearance listing aside), and the LG-built 9490 and 9690 cost $35.90 and $38.60 more under the Kenmore label than the same LG cartridges at LG.com ($54.99). Change the filter every six months.

Kenmore has always been a store brand. Sears sold Kenmore refrigerators built by Whirlpool, LG, Frigidaire, Electrolux, GE and Samsung, and today the name is a trademark of Transform SR Brands LLC, according to kenmore.com. That history is why a “Kenmore refrigerator water filter” search returns a dozen cartridges that look nothing alike. Below we decode each Kenmore number against NSF’s certified-product database (searched November 4, 2026), Sears PartsDirect’s Kenmore filter catalog and replacement guide, and DiscountFilters.com’s cross-reference tables, and price each one both ways.

This is the Kenmore companion to our LG, Samsung and Frigidaire refrigerator water filter guides, and to our overall best refrigerator water filter rankings.

Step 1: find who built your Kenmore

The model number is on a sticker inside the fresh-food compartment, usually on a side wall or the ceiling, and on Kenmore refrigerators it is written with a dot after the first three digits, for example 106.50599002 or 795.72052.110. Those first three digits are a manufacturer code.

The 106, 253, 363 and 795 codes come from DiscountFilters.com’s help center, which also gives the Kenmore-to-maker filter pairs used throughout this guide. The 401 (Samsung) code comes from iFixit’s Kenmore manufacturer list, and the 111 (Daewoo) pairing is a long-standing servicer convention we could not confirm on a manufacturer page, so check your manual for those two. Some makers used more than one code (iFixit also lists 596 for Amana, a Whirlpool brand since 2006), and the filter number on your old cartridge always beats the prefix.

Kenmore refrigerator water filters compared at a glance

Prices are single cartridges, checked on November 4, 2026. NSF claims come from NSF’s DWTU listings searched by company name, trade name and filter number on the same day; “Not found” means no listing under a Kenmore or Sears name, not that the cartridge is uncertified. Check the maker’s own version for those.

Kenmore fridge filters by the numbers

• 6 Kenmore cartridges are listed under the Kenmore owner’s name in NSF’s database: 9081, 9082 and 9083 (made at a facility in Pingtung, Taiwan, per NSF) and 469490, 469890 and 469990 (made in the Republic of Korea), all under Sears Brands Management Corporation. NSF also names the Kenmore 9084 on Whirlpool’s own EDR4RXD1 listing.
• 18 NSF/ANSI 53 claims is what NSF lists for the Kenmore 9081 and 9082, including lead, cysts, asbestos, benzene and atrazine, plus 3 NSF/ANSI 401 compounds (atenolol, linuron, trimethoprim). The Kenmore 9083 has 17 NSF 53 claims, including mercury, MTBE and a VOC claim, plus 15 NSF/ANSI 401 compounds, the longest list of any Kenmore cartridge we found.
• 200 gallons is NSF’s rated capacity for the 9081, 9082, 9083, 9084 and 9490, or about 1.1 gallons a day over the six months Sears PartsDirect recommends. The LG-built 9990 is rated at 300 gallons, and the 9890 at 500 gallons but for chlorine, taste and odor only.
• $38.60 more for the same cartridge: Sears PartsDirect charged $93.59 for the Kenmore 9690 on November 4, 2026, while LG.com charged $54.99 for the LG LT700P it cross-references ($39.99 on LG’s filter subscription, $69.95 at DiscountFilters.com). The Kenmore 9490 cost $35.90 more than an LG LT800P on LG.com. On Whirlpool-built cartridges it ran the other way: the Kenmore 9081 was $11.03 cheaper than an everydrop Filter 1 at DiscountFilters.com.
• PFOA and PFOS claims on the everydrop box, not the Kenmore one: NSF lists everydrop Filter 3 (EDR3RXD1) for 20 NSF/ANSI 53 claims, including PFOA and PFOS, and 16 NSF/ANSI 401 compounds including microplastics. The Kenmore 9083 that fits the same housing lists 17 and 15, with no PFAS or microplastics claim. Everydrop Filter 1 likewise lists 10 NSF 401 compounds against 3 for the Kenmore 9081.
• Only 2 of 18 counterfeit fridge filters removed lead for a full six-month life in testing published by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) in 2018, which is why the NSF listing matters more than the logo.

1. Kenmore 9081 — the Whirlpool-built side-by-side and French-door filter

The 9081 is the most common Kenmore filter for Whirlpool-built side-by-side and French-door refrigerators, and it is one of the few Kenmore cartridges you can look up in NSF’s database under the Kenmore owner’s name today. That listing is unusually long: 18 NSF 53 claims, against 11 for an LG LT800P and 21 for Samsung’s HAF-CIN. It also happened to be the cheaper box on November 4, 2026: $68.92 for the Kenmore at Sears PartsDirect against $79.95 for everydrop Filter 1 at DiscountFilters.com. The trade-off is in the fine print: NSF lists the everydrop version (P8WB2L) with a VOC claim and 10 NSF 401 compounds, including microplastics, where the Kenmore listing has 3. If your old cartridge says 9081, 46-9081, 9930 or EDR1RXD1, any of those fits.

2. Kenmore 9083 — the filter with the longest claim list

On paper the 9083 is the strongest Kenmore cartridge: no other Kenmore-name listing we found has both a VOC claim and 15 NSF 401 compounds. It was also $4.08 cheaper than the 9081 at Sears PartsDirect on November 4, at $64.84, while DiscountFilters.com charged $79.95 for the everydrop Filter 3. One trap: NSF lists two P1KB versions under the 9083 number, rated at 200 and 100 gallons, so check the rated capacity printed on the box. The bigger catch: the everydrop Filter 3 that fits the same housing is the only cartridge in this guide we found NSF-listed for PFOA and PFOS reduction (under NSF/ANSI 53), plus microplastics under NSF/ANSI 401. If PFAS is on your water report, the extra $15.11 for the everydrop box buys a certified claim the Kenmore box does not have.

3. Kenmore 9084 — the Filter 4 cartridge, listed on Whirlpool’s own certificate

The 9084 is the one Kenmore filter whose certificate sits directly on the maker’s own listing, so there is no question about whether the Kenmore box and the everydrop box hold the same certified cartridge. It is also the only Kenmore cartridge with an NSF microplastics claim. On price, Sears PartsDirect’s $70.82 beat DiscountFilters.com’s $89.95 for the everydrop Filter 4 on November 4, 2026. For the rest of the everydrop line, see our Whirlpool water filter review.

4. Kenmore 9490 — the LG LT800P under a Kenmore label

The 9490 is the same cartridge as LG’s LT800P, and its NSF listing matches LG’s own: 11 NSF 53 claims, no NSF 401. What does not match is the price. Sears PartsDirect charged $90.89 for the Kenmore box on November 4, 2026, while LG.com charged $54.99 for the LG-branded LT800P, or $39.99 on LG’s subscription, and DiscountFilters.com $69.95. On an LG-built Kenmore, the LG box is the better buy unless the Kenmore one is on sale; the LT800P section of our LG refrigerator water filter guide covers the LG side.

5. Kenmore 9690 and 9980 — LG LT700P and LT1000P

These are the two Kenmore numbers where the label costs you the most and tells you the least. The 9690 cost $93.59 at Sears PartsDirect on November 4, 2026, $38.60 more than the LG LT700P at LG.com, and neither carries an NSF listing you can look up. The 9980 was the opposite case on the same day: Sears PartsDirect listed it at $18.95, marked down from $30.32. That is a clearance price, so expect it to change, and confirm the part number AGF80300805 on the listing before ordering. If a checkable lead claim matters more to you than the fit, NSF does list aftermarket LT1000P replacements with NSF 53 claims; see our LG guide for the suffixes that carry them.

6. Kenmore 9911, 9999 and 9991 — Frigidaire- and GE-built fridges

For Frigidaire-built Kenmores, the Kenmore label is a small saving on the 9911 ($51.07 against $54.95) and a $19.42 premium on the 9999 ($89.37 against $69.95 for the ULTRAWF). Frigidaire’s own performance data sheet for the ULTRAWF reports 99.3% lead reduction, but NSF had no Frigidaire listing either when we checked; our Frigidaire refrigerator water filter guide has the details. GE-built Kenmores take the MWF, which DiscountFilters.com lists to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53; see our GE water filter guide for GE’s current lineup.

The aftermarket: cheaper, but mostly taste and odor only

DiscountFilters.com sells its own budget replacements for most Kenmore numbers, and its spec tables are clear about what they cover:

NSF/ANSI 42 covers chlorine, taste and odor; it says nothing about lead or cysts, which are NSF/ANSI 53 claims. For the Whirlpool-built 9081, 9082 and 9083, DiscountFilters only stocks the genuine everydrop cartridges. If you want a cheaper cartridge with a lead claim, look the exact model code up in NSF’s database before you buy; on the LG and Frigidaire side, the suffix often decides it, as our Waterdrop water filter review explains.

How to replace a Kenmore refrigerator water filter

Sears PartsDirect groups Kenmore cartridges by how they come out, which is faster than going by fridge style:

1. Eject and slide out (9081, 9999): push the filter or open the cover so it ejects, then pull it straight out. Slide the new one in with the arrow pointing up (or pointing left in a grille housing) until it stops.
2. Push button to eject (9083, 9911, 9916): press the eject button, pull the cartridge out, move the decorative cap to the new filter if it sits in the grille, and push the new one in until the button snaps out or it clicks.
3. Pull down (9490, 9690): remove the shelf below if needed, put a container under the cover, press the release buttons, pull the filter down and out, insert the new one and lift it back up.
4. Open tray and twist out (9082, 9084, 9980, 9990): release the locking tab, lower the tray, twist the filter left and pull it out, then insert the new one and twist it right until it stops.
5. Twist to remove (9085, 9890, 9990, 9991): turn a quarter turn counterclockwise, pull out, and reverse to install.

Then, for every type, run 2 gallons of water through the dispenser to purge air and carbon fines, and reset the filter reminder on the control panel, per Sears PartsDirect. The reset button depends on who built the fridge, so check the manual for your model number. For a brand-by-brand walkthrough, see our water filter cartridge replacement guide.

What a Kenmore fridge filter will not do

• PFAS: none of the Kenmore NSF listings we found includes a PFOA or PFOS claim. The one fridge cartridge here that NSF lists for PFOA and PFOS is everydrop Filter 3 (EDR3RXD1), which fits Kenmore 9083 housings. For other fridges, see our best water filter for PFAS guide.
• Microbes: cyst reduction is not disinfection. Fridge filters are meant for water that is already microbiologically safe.
• Fluoride and dissolved minerals: a carbon block does not remove them; a reverse osmosis system does.
• The kitchen tap: a fridge filter only treats the dispenser and ice maker. If lead is the worry, filter the tap too; see our best water filter for lead picks.

We found no recall of a Kenmore refrigerator water filter in the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall database on November 4, 2026.

The bottom line

The right Kenmore refrigerator water filter is the number on your old cartridge, and if that is gone, the first three digits of your model number tell you which maker’s family to shop in. On Whirlpool-built Kenmores (106.), the genuine Kenmore 9081, 9083 and 9084 were $11 to $19 cheaper at Sears PartsDirect than the everydrop versions and carry long NSF listings, but the everydrop boxes list more: everydrop Filter 3 is the only one with PFOA and PFOS claims. Buy the Kenmore box for lead and chlorine, the everydrop box if PFAS or microplastics matter. On LG-built Kenmores (795.), the Kenmore 9490 and 9690 cost $35.90 and $38.60 more than the same LG cartridges at LG.com, so buy the LG box unless the Kenmore one is on clearance. Change the filter every six months, and if your water has problems a fridge filter cannot fix, treat it at the tap or the main line with a whole house water filter.