Samsung HAF-QIN Water Filter: Fit, Genuine vs Compatible (2026)

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The Samsung HAF-QIN water filter is the square cartridge used in many current Samsung French door, side-by-side and Bespoke refrigerators, and it goes by several names at once. Samsung sells it as HAF-QIN and HAF-QIN/EXP, the cartridge part number is DA97-17376B, and the filter system it plugs into is DA97-08006C. Compatible brands add their own model numbers on top. This page untangles those names, explains how to confirm your fridge really takes the square HAF-QIN rather than the round HAF-CIN, compares what genuine Samsung listings state with what certified compatibles state, and ranks five current listings. If you are not sure which Samsung cartridge family you have at all, start with our Samsung refrigerator water filter overview, linked below.

Part of our Plumbing & Water guide — start there for the full picture →

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How we compared: we compared 11 current Amazon listings for the HAF-QIN cartridge, three sold by Samsung and eight from compatible brands, on what each listing actually states: the part numbers it replaces, its shape and fit warnings, rated capacity in gallons and months, the certifications it names and who it says certified them. We did not lab-test these filters or install them hands-on. A twelfth listing named HAF-QIN part numbers but described itself as a faucet-mount unit, so we set it aside. Prices and availability change often, so confirm the live listing before buying.

Quick picks: the HAF-QIN filters worth a look

Product	Best for	Key features	Price	Buy
Samsung HAF-QIN/EXP	Genuine HAF-QIN, best overall	Genuine Samsung square cartridge States square-only fit in writing Authentication tag with magnet check	$35.85as of Oct 20, 2026 6:53 pm GMT+0000	Buy now →Check current price
Samsung DA97-17376B	Genuine with stated capacity	Says certified by NSF International 300-gallon capacity stated 90-degree rotate-and-lock install	$36.99as of Oct 21, 2026 12:49 am GMT+0000	Buy now →Check current price
Waterspecialist WS645A	Compatible with high capacity	Names NSF 42 and 372 316 gallons or 6 months Monthly date labels included	$25.26as of Oct 21, 2026 12:49 am GMT+0000	Buy now →Check current price
PUREPLUS RWF4200A	Compatible naming its certifier	NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 by IAPMO 3-pack States 400 PSI pressure test	$24.89as of Oct 21, 2026 12:49 am GMT+0000	Buy now →Check current price
ICEPURE RWF4200A	Compatible with stated flow	Names NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 0.5 GPM flow stated 300 gallons or 6 months	$24.20as of Oct 21, 2026 12:49 am GMT+0000	Buy now →Check current price

Prices are Amazon’s listed prices as of the time shown and change often; check Amazon for today’s price. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Which filter fits your fridge

The table below collects the HAF-QIN part numbers and fit statements exactly as the listings give them. It shows how the names relate to each other, not a complete list of every compatible fridge.

The square shape is the deciding fact. Samsung’s single-pack HAF-QIN/EXP listing says it fits any Samsung fridge that requires a square filter and will not fit if your current filter is round. Four of the eight compatible listings repeat a similar warning that they fit DA97-17376B and not the round DA29-00020B.

How to confirm your fridge takes HAF-QIN

The quickest check is the cartridge you are replacing. Twist it out and read the part number on the body. DA97-17376B or HAF-QIN confirms the square family. Also look at the shape: a square-profile cartridge points to HAF-QIN, while a round one points to the HAF-CIN family covered on our brand page.

If there is no old cartridge, use the fridge model number. Samsung typically places the model and serial label inside the fresh-food compartment, often on a side wall or near the bottom edge, and the owner’s manual names the correct filter. Match that model number against the manufacturer’s parts lookup or the fit list in a listing, and be careful with near-identical model strings: the suffix letters often only mark the finish color, but the first block of characters defines the platform.

The model families that compatible listings name most often are the RF28R and RF23M French door lines, the RS27T side-by-side line and newer RF29 and RF32 Bespoke models. Treat those as clues rather than proof, because each list is the seller’s claim.

Genuine vs compatible

The three genuine Samsung listings on this shelf make different amounts of detail available. The two HAF-QIN/EXP listings repeat Samsung’s general claims: a carbon block that reduces 99 percent of potentially harmful contaminants, a 6-month replacement interval, flood protection, and an authentication tag. The DA97-17376B listing is the only genuine one that says the cartridge was tested and certified by NSF International, and the only one that gives a capacity, 300 gallons. None of the three names a specific NSF/ANSI standard number.

The compatibles are the reverse: specific about standard numbers, narrower in what those standards cover. Seven of the eight compatible listings name NSF 42 and 372. The eighth, Crystala, says it complies with NSF 42 and that a specific model is certified, and calls itself lead-free without naming 372. Here is what those standards mean:

• NSF/ANSI 42 covers aesthetic effects, mainly chlorine taste and odor.
• NSF/ANSI 53 covers health-related contaminants such as lead and cysts.
• NSF/ANSI 401 covers emerging contaminants such as some pharmaceuticals and pesticides.
• NSF/ANSI 372 covers lead-free materials in the parts that touch water. It is not a lead-reduction standard.

No compatible on this shelf names 53 or 401. Several still claim reductions of heavy metals, and one QWFIZ listing even names lead and mercury, but those claims rest on brand lab statements rather than a named health-contaminant certification. The EPA’s consumer tool for lead-reducing filters points buyers to filters certified against both NSF/ANSI 53 and 42 by an accredited third party, which none of these compatible listings claim.

Verbs matter as well. “Certified by” a named body is the strongest wording. “Tested to,” “meets” or “in compliance with” can describe a brand’s own testing. Among the compatibles, only PUREPLUS names its certifier, IAPMO. ICEPURE’s listing says it offers the same reliable performance as the original filter; with no 53 or 401 named against Samsung’s broader claims, that is a marketing comparison, not a matching certification.

Samsung’s authentication tag is a magnetic check: detach the tag, hold it over the supplied magnet, and green stripes should appear on a genuine filter, per the single-pack listing. Nothing in these listings describes a chip or sensor that stops a compatible from working in the fridge.

The 5 picks, compared listing by listing

1. Samsung HAF-QIN/EXP — Best Overall HAF-QIN Filter

Best overall

Why we like it

• Genuine Samsung part for the square housing
• Spells out square-only fit in writing
• Explains the magnet authentication check step by step
• One-year manufacturer warranty stated

Samsung HAF-QIN/EXP — genuine square cartridge, single pack, 6-month interval, magnet authentication tag, 1-yr warranty

The Only Genuine Listing That States the Square-Only Rule

Of the three genuine Samsung listings, this is the only one that tells you in plain words that the filter needs a square housing and will not fit if your current filter is round. That one line answers the most common HAF-QIN question before you order, which is why it takes the top spot.

It is also the listing that explains how the authentication tag works in three short steps. If you have ever bought a fridge filter from a third-party seller and wondered whether it was the real thing, the tag gives you a quick check at home.

The gaps are the same as Samsung’s other listings. There is no gallon rating and no NSF standard number. If you want stated capacity, the DA97-17376B listing in pick 2 covers that; if you want named standard numbers, the compatibles do, with narrower scope.

Check Samsung HAF-QIN/EXP price on Amazon

2. Samsung DA97-17376B — Best Genuine Filter With Stated Capacity

Best genuine with stated capacity

Why we like it

• Only genuine listing naming NSF International certification
• States 300-gallon capacity
• Lists the system and older cartridge numbers
• Describes the 90-degree rotate-and-lock install

Samsung DA97-17376B — genuine HAF-QIN cartridge, 300 gal, NSF International certified (standards unnamed), quarter-turn lock

The Only Genuine Listing With a Gallon Rating

Samsung’s two HAF-QIN/EXP listings give only the 6-month interval. This DA97-17376B listing adds 300 gallons and is the one genuine listing here that names a certifier at all, NSF International. That combination makes it the better choice for buyers who want something written down beyond Samsung’s general claims.

It also connects the old and new part numbers. It names the DA97-08006C filter system and the older DA97-08006A-B and DA97-08006A-1 cartridges it replaces, which helps if your manual lists one of those older numbers.

What it does not say is which NSF standards apply. “Certified by NSF International” without a standard number does not tell you whether that covers taste and odor only or health contaminants too. The NSF listings database is where to confirm it. The listing also does not mention the authentication tag or a warranty term.

Check Samsung DA97-17376B price on Amazon

3. Waterspecialist WS645A — Best Compatible for Capacity

Best compatible for capacity

Why we like it

• 316-gallon rating, tied for highest here
• Names NSF 42 and 372
• Square-only and not-HAF-CIN warning up front
• Monthly date labels for tracking install

Waterspecialist WS645A — square HAF-QIN fit, 3-pack, 316 gal / 6 mo, NSF 42 and 372, date labels

Tied for the Highest Gallon Rating on the Shelf

Gallon ratings on this shelf run from 200 to 316. Only two listings state 316, this one and Waterdrop’s WD-F45. That is a modest edge over the 300 gallons Samsung states for the DA97-17376B, and it matters only for heavy dispenser users who would otherwise hit the gallon limit before the 6-month mark.

The listing opens with the fit warning: square, not round, replaces DA97-17376B, not DA29-00020B. It also ships with monthly date labels, which are a practical answer to the fact that the fridge light counts time rather than measuring water quality.

Its certification wording is “NSF 42 and 372” without naming a certifying body, and its long list of reduced substances, including heavy metals, rests on a third-party lab statement rather than an NSF/ANSI 53 certification. Read it as a taste-and-odor filter with lead-free materials.

Check Waterspecialist WS645A price on Amazon

4. PUREPLUS RWF4200A — Best Compatible That Names Its Certifier

Best for named certification

Why we like it

• Only compatible here naming its certifier, IAPMO
• NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 stated
• Designed for DA97-17376B housing only
• States pressure and water-hammer testing

PUREPLUS RWF4200A — square HAF-QIN fit, 3-pack, NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 by IAPMO, 400 PSI tested

The Only Compatible on the Shelf That Names Its Certifier

Of the eight compatible listings, this is the only one that names the organization behind its certification: IAPMO. That is a meaningful detail, because a named certifier gives you something to look up rather than a claim to take on trust.

The listing also states specific durability testing, a 400 PSI pressure test and 10,000 water hammer tests, which speaks directly to the leak worry that genuine Samsung listings raise about third-party filters. We did not verify those tests, but they are concrete numbers rather than vague “leak-proof” wording.

The trade-off is capacity: unlike most compatibles here, the listing does not state gallons. The certification scope is still 42 and 372 only, so treat it as a taste-and-odor filter. It also notes that it will not noticeably lower a TDS meter reading, which is normal for carbon filters that leave minerals in.

Check PUREPLUS RWF4200A price on Amazon

5. ICEPURE RWF4200A — Best Compatible With a Stated Flow Rate

Best for stated flow rate

Why we like it

• States 0.5 gallon-per-minute flow
• Names NSF/ANSI 42 and 372
• Long fit list including Bespoke models
• Installation stickers and instructions included

ICEPURE RWF4200A — square HAF-QIN fit, 3-pack, 300 gal / 6 mo, NSF/ANSI 42 and 372, 0.5 GPM

One of Only Two Listings That State a Flow Rate

Only ICEPURE gives a flow rate on this shelf, in two pack sizes of the same RWF4200A cartridge. We picked the 3-pack; a 4-pack listing for the same model is also on the shelf. A stated 0.5 gallons per minute gives you a baseline if your dispenser has always seemed slow and you want to rule out the filter.

Its fit list is long and includes newer Bespoke and RF29 and RF32 models, and the listing ends with a reminder to confirm fit before purchase, which is good advice for any of these lists.

The listing claims the same reliable performance as original filters at lower cost. With only 42 and 372 named, that is a marketing statement, not a certification match. Its heavy-metal reduction claims come from independent lab testing it does not detail.

Check ICEPURE RWF4200A price on Amazon

Reading HAF-QIN capacity and the filter light

Every HAF-QIN listing gives a time limit, a gallon limit or both. Samsung states 6 months, and its DA97-17376B listing adds 300 gallons. Compatibles state 200, 300 or 316 gallons alongside 6 months. Change the filter at whichever limit you hit first.

The filter indicator on a Samsung fridge is a timer, not a sensor. None of these listings describe anything that measures water quality as it passes through. Reset the light every time you change the cartridge, and write the install date on the cartridge body or use the date labels some compatibles ship with. A household that fills bottles and pitchers at the dispenser and runs the ice maker hard can reach 300 gallons well before 6 months.

If you notice slower flow, a change in taste or more cloudiness well before the 6-month mark, the cartridge may be loaded early, and an early change costs less than a slow dispenser. Our guide to carbon water filters explains why a carbon block slowly loses its ability to adsorb chlorine.

Installing a HAF-QIN without leaks

The HAF-QIN installs with a quarter turn, per the DA97-17376B listing. On most fridges that use it, the housing is in the fresh-food compartment, and the manual shows exactly where. A few habits help:

• Have a towel ready; a small amount of water usually escapes when the old cartridge comes out.
• Check the new cartridge’s seals before inserting it, and turn until it stops firmly.
• Flush water through the dispenser before drinking from it, following the volume in your manual, to clear air and carbon fines.
• Check the housing for drips over the next day, especially the first time you switch to a compatible.

Samsung warns that only its own filters are guaranteed against leaks. Compatibles respond with pressure-test claims. A leak at the filter housing can run behind the fridge unnoticed, and the EPA estimates household leaks waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water a year nationwide. Swelling floor or a damp toe-kick near the fridge is worth investigating right away.

The CDC recommends changing filters on the manufacturer’s schedule, wearing gloves while you do it and washing your hands afterward, since the used cartridge holds whatever it caught.

What a HAF-QIN does on Front Range water

A HAF-QIN, genuine or compatible, is first a taste-and-odor filter. The CDC notes that refrigerator filters often use activated carbon and are mainly meant to improve taste and smell rather than safety, and that most are not designed to remove germs. For Denver-area homes on municipal water, your utility’s annual water quality report, required by the EPA, shows what is in your supply before you decide whether a basic filter is enough.

Lead depends on the house, not the city. The EPA says lead pipes are more likely in homes built before 1986 and that brass fixtures and lead solder are the common sources in homes without lead service lines. If that describes your home, none of the compatibles here are certified to reduce lead. Look at our guide to lead-reducing water filters instead, or a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53.

On a private well, which is common in Elbert County and parts of Douglas and El Paso counties, the CDC advises testing at least once a year and before choosing a filter. A fridge cartridge only treats one tap; it does not stand in for a well treatment system.

For the full brand overview, including the round HAF-CIN and HAFCU1 cartridges, see our Samsung refrigerator water filter guide. For cross-brand context, read our explainer on how refrigerator water filters work and our roundup of the best refrigerator water filters.

When the filter is not the problem

A new HAF-QIN fixes taste and resets the reminder. It will not fix low household water pressure, a kinked supply line behind the fridge, a failing inlet valve or a cracked housing. If a correctly seated new filter still leaks or the dispenser stays slow, call an appliance technician or plumber. Our plumbing and water hiring guide covers how to vet one.

Front Range buyers and sellers who want the water supply, plumbing and appliance connections checked as part of a transaction can get in touch through our contact page to connect with a vetted local inspector.

References

• About Choosing Home Water Filters — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Consumer Tool for Identifying Point-of-Use and Pitcher Filters Certified to Reduce Lead — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Consumer Confidence Reports — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Fix a Leak Week — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense