Have you heard of hard water and water softener? Well, you may say yes but not realize what hard water brings to your life. But reliable data shows that most people who ignore it suffer a lot of property and physical damage, such as hard water intrusion, pipe damage, soap residue, and dry skin, etc.
US Water Hardness Map
Want to have a healthier life? Want to reform your drinking water system effortlessly? An effective water softener system will enable you to have healthy municipal or water and greatly improve the quality of your life.
What is the best water softener? This post gets the top 10 water softeners on the market based on price, functionality and other aspects. Check their details of water softener reviews and pave the way for your final decision.
Top 3 Best Water Softener Comparison
Before we dive in ratings detail, let’s compare the top rated water softeners based on considerations of brands, prices, materials, and more.
| Briefly check and compare the features of top 3 water softeners. |
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Top Pick：Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener Check Price Rating: 4.7 · kill the peers. Digital control, touchpad and LCD display · Brand verification, durable · Suitable for families with 6 people |
Runner Up：Fleck Iron Pro 2 Combination Water Softener Check Price Rating:4.5 1. Does smashing job in removing iron, manganese, sediment, sand 2. No longer suffer from hard water 3. Suitable for medium or large families |
Best Budget：Eddy Electronic Water Descaler Check Price Rating: 4.3 1. Budget-friendly, retain beneficial mineral ions 2. No salt investment 3. Lifetime warranty |
Top Pick：Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener
Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener (Salt-based) is mainly suitable for families (4 to 6 people) to eliminate medium hard water and a small amount of iron. Do you want a soft water system to be touch-adjusted and salt-based? Fleck, the US manufacturer, has taken this into account and developed the touch-enabled display to help you better understand and regulate household water usage with system status and error codes.
What I Like & Don’t like:
You will appreciate such a controllable feature on the whole house water softener. Think about it! You can set it according to local water quality to get the best soft water before use, check the error code and modify the program to make sure it runs smoothly. What’s more, it also produces soft water through a built-in flow meter to ensure freshness while reducing waste.
Also, I think you definitely want to know its basics. It consists mainly of a 10″ X 54″ water tank with a maximum capacity of 48,000 liters, a 15″ X 33″ brine tank and 1.5 cubic feet of 8% resin. And you can install this water softener at any place in your home. However, please note that an additional 1/2 inch ID hose is required as a drain.
The verdict is: the price is slightly higher – current cost $569.00, but the proven brand, convenient control and reliable guarantee will make you a loyal fan.
Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener Features:
- Easy to install and set up (with YouTube video), saving money by “Without expert installation”
- Digital control based on touchpad and LCD display
- Perfect for a big family up to 6 people
- Durable, made of high capacity resin (RB8)
Runner Up：Fleck Iron Pro 2 Combination Water Softener
The Fleck Iron Pro 2 Combination Water Softener (Salt-based) is capable to help even if you are in a hard water-infested area with high iron content and water hardness, medium or large houses. Enjoy a cup of clean and healthy soft water on a hot summer afternoon is no longer a daydream.
If red or orange stains are found on household appliances or glassware, faucets or other items, it means that your drinking water is full of excess iron that your body does not need. For the health of you and your beloved, you can use an iron filter or Fleck Iron Pro 2 combination water softener to resist this terrible water problem.
What I Like & Don’t like:
Fleck can remove hardness up to 75 gpg, up to 6-8 ppm of iron, up to 6 ppm of manganese and up to 2 ppm of sulfur, which is not possible with conventional water softener systems. With it, you can enjoy the upcoming cleaning equipment, healthy skin and soft hair, etc.
The Fleck Iron Pro 2 water softener measures 14 * 7 * 21 inches, and your kitchen is sure to leave room for it. No white precipitates (calcium and magnesium), black viscous (manganese) and water (iron) red stains, and an unpleasant taste (sulphur). Healthy and relaxed life, you deserve it! However, it currently cost $659 which is higher than other water softening equipment. And The installation process is not very smooth because it weighed 119.5 lbs and the guide is unclear.
Fleck Iron Pro 2 Combination Water Softener Features:
- Moderate hard water up to 75 gpg and remove iron up to 6-8 ppm
- Remove sediment up to 6ppm and filter sand
- Offers great Warranty system
- Has various size options
Best Budget：Eddy Electronic Water Descaler – Water Softener Alternative
Are you tired of cleaning equipment? Do you want to know how to get rid of dry skin and dull hair? I would recommend an affordable Eddy Electronic Water Descaler – an electronic water softener alternative. For small and medium-sized families who don’t want to change the salt intake, I think Eddy is for you.
What I Like & Don’t like:
First of all, if you are simply looking for softeners, Eddy, which is only used as a detergent, may not be your best choice. It uses electromagnetism to prevent dirt such as pipes and sinks, but it does not remove mineral ions that are harmful or beneficial to you. However, once you install it, you no longer have to worry about the service life of your home equipment and plumbing.
You can get it just with a portion of the softener investment, currently saying $214.98. Great value for money! And its lifetime warranty proves that its quality can be trusted. Of course, since it is completely powered by electricity, you can’t leave it outdoors, but in theory it works for well water and tap water as well as almost all pipes.
But it also has its downside: it may take a long time to get results; Lack of control options; Unable to react to iron and zinc
Eddy Electronic Water Descaler Features:
- Lifetime repair and replace warranty
- Easy to install by yourself
- Soften water without salt and keep minerals in water
- No harm to environment
Top Rated：Tier1 48,000 Grain High Efficiency Digital Water Softener
Tier1 understands your fatigue with hard water and the urgency of staying away from damaged taps, pipes and other equipment, creating Tier1 48,000 Grain High Efficiency Digital Water Softener, a whole house system for home. After a period of use, you can enjoy the comfort and healthy life brought by the equipment.
What I Like & Don’t like:
When using the inline water softener for the first time, you will get a reasonable reclaimed water mode from the factory preset. Alternatively, you can make more scientific settings based on local conditions to ensure water quality and no wasting. Regardless of the settings, the final result is the soft water flowing from the faucet or well.
During the process, the LCD screen on the head will tell you the time, the number of gallons after self-charging and the current water flow, to help you clearly understand the operation of the system. Thanks to Tier1 Digital Water Softener, you will change the way you use water and have a more energy efficient, clean and convenient water running system. But it’s not so easy to assemble but still can be done by one. And no reverse osmosis with the current cost $499.
Tier1 48,000 Grain High Efficiency Digital Water Softener Features:
- LCD display & manual bypass valve allow you to use it easily
- Traditional system
- High efficiency saving dollars
- Wise design with 10 * 54 inch mineral tank as well as 14 * 42 inch brine tank
Softener Alternative: iSpring ED2000 Whole House Electronic Descaler
If you don’t want or can’t change the salt intake, this is another alternative to water softener system – a high quality electronic detergent – iSpring ED2000 Whole House Electronic Descaler. Designed for small families with a water hardness of 10-19, iSpring is affordable and easy to use, and is a boon for all hard water families.
Once you get the ED2000, you will find it easy to install, no need for plumbing knowledge, installation in a few minutes, and ready to use after plugging in. After a while, the difference will be obvious. Soap bubbles will increase, and household appliances such as water heaters and ice machines will run smoothly and save power. The scale inside the tube will gradually decrease, and your hair will be healthier and more radiant.
What I Like & Don’t like:
The ED2000 runs in a unique way, using computer chips to emit electromagnetic waves and break down minerals adsorbed on the surface of the pipe, so your equipment will no longer have sediment coverage. The home water softener unit only accounts for 7 x 3.5 x 2 inches and does not take up a lot of space. Most importantly, it can also significantly reduce energy consumption and avoid water wastage, and then recoup the investment within a year.
However, it’s noted that the device neither cannot handle water with high iron nor really remove calcium, magnesium and other minerals from the hard water. If you don’t mind, currently you can get it at $145.98.
iSpring ED2000 Whole House Electronic Descaler Features:
- Soften hard water with regular chemicals maintenance
- Not adding salt to water
- Prevent scaling in pipes, particularly for very hard water (10-19 grains)
- Only take up small space for installation
Other Water Softener Systems We Reviewed
Of course, there are other brands of water filtration systems that are reliable and practical, and worth knowing.
#6. Aquasana Whole House Water Filter
If you are a sensitive person and expect healthy soft water without viruses and chlorine, I highly recommend that you try this salt-free Aquasana Whole House Water Filter – the best salt free water softener.
No water waste, with the SLOW PHOS salt-free softening technology, it can support the use for a family of four for eight to ten years, with the current cost: $735.72
Features:
- Salt-Free: No need to invest in salt and wastewater
- It removes chlorine and viruses to the point of direct drinking
- According to different choices, there are 5 years, 6 years, 10 years warranty
- Indirectly improve air quality (no chlorine evaporation)
- Can reduce lead, mercury, herbicides and other pollutants
#7. Watts Water M7002 Flow-Pur RV-Pro 10,000
Should your home on the move, for example, you live in a RV or camper, Watts Water M7002 Flow-Pur RV-Pro is a portable RV system that allows you to enjoy safe and healthy water on board. It is a small water softener that is easy to carry. Very convenient! And now it’s saying $188.75.
Features:
- Small and portable
- Mainly remove calcium, magnesium and trace iron
- The equipment is more stable, large flow, and easy installation and use
- No need to install a drain pipe
- Regenerate water efficiently without connecting and disconnecting the system
#8. ABCwaters Built Fleck 5600sxt 48,000 Water Softener
For people who know the hard water has no other contaminants (Fe, Zn, ect.), picking this one, an upgraded version of the ABCwaters Built Fleck 5600sxt 48,000 Water Softener with 10% resin added is better. With it, well water and municipal water with higher hardness can be converted into soft water with better quality, suitable for families of 2-5 people, current Cost: $629.99.
Features:
- Upgraded 10% cross-linked resin extend the service life
- Valve and tank warranty system
- The installation kit allows you to better experience your own installation
- Fleck digital instruments give you a clearer understanding of the hard water cycle
- The brand has passed WQA certification
#9. Triple Action Poly Salt Free Water Softener
What if the well water you use is full of minerals? Do you boil it? In fact, boiling does not solve the problem, there are still many minerals such as calcium and magnesium in the water. Triple Action Poly Salt Free Water is the best water softener for well water, you can leave it outdoors because it is durable, weatherproof and sunscreen (but not antifreeze). Currently it says $439 on Amazon.
Features:
- Pass BPA FREE, NSF certification
- Maintain trace elements that are beneficial to the human body
- Reduce maintenance costs (stainless steel filter replacement costs are lower)
- Sediment filter, polyphosphate form the triple water softening system
- Can not be used as a filtration system to remove iron and chlorine
#10. DuraWater 64k-56SXT-10 10% 64k softener
Are you tired of calcium and magnesium deposition caused by municipal water? This kind of home water softener developed for urban water can greatly improve your living environment. For everything you want, healthy, long-life equipment, smooth skin… get the Salt-based DuraWater 64k-56SXT-10 10% 64k softener with $619.00 now！
Features:
- 10% crosslinked water softener resin
- The installation kit provides best practices
- Made in the USA, Fleck 5600 SXT control head and fiberglass can
- Certified Blue Dealer
- Programming will not be lost even if the power is turned off
What Changes Can Residential Water Softener Bring?
Extend the Service Life of Appliances:
It reduces the chemical reaction between mineral ions in hard water and pipes, faucets, showers, etc., thus extending their service life. It also reduces the production of white precipitates known as “soap scum”, indirectly protecting household appliances.
Reduce Damage to Human body:
Water softener can adjust the pH of hard water and solve the problem of dry skin and poor hair caused by hard water. At the same time, high quality water can also reduce the incidence of skin diseases.
Reduce Electricity and Heating Costs:
After installing a suitable water filtration system, your electricity and heating costs will be reduced. Don’t be surprised, hard water will increase energy consumption secretly.
Reduce Stains on Bathtub and Clothes:
If you use hard water for a long time, you should find yellow stains in the bathtub and other areas, and the white clothes will be washed more yellow. It is the culprit. When you change the water quality, it will undoubtedly greatly reduce the investment in decontamination.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Water Softener
You need to consider the following factors to get the best water softener.
Type: These 3 types are mainly included in the market: electronic, salt-based (sodium or potassium), salt-free water softener.
Salt-free: It does not remove any salt ions, only reduces the accumulation of minerals in the pipeline, and is suitable for families with low water hardness.
Salt-based: It will change the taste of water and produce a certain amount of wastewater. It can be applied to environments with high water hardness. People who use this water need to reduce their salt intake every day.
Electronic: It works by generating a magnetic field that completely changes the properties of the mineral and prevents the formation of scale. To be honest, it’s not very popular, but it’s much cheaper.
Materials and Quality: Since the water softener is a large investment rather than a one-time consumable, ensuring its sustainable use is one of the important criteria to consider. The equipment materials you choose are best FDA and ANSI compliant.
Brand: The water softener brandisan aspect of verifying its quality. Brand means its price range, quality assurance, after-sales service and adequate reference info.
Size: Each type of each brand generally provides different sizes of equipment, suitable for families of a certain size (population, space size, water consumption, etc.).
Water Softener Price: Choose a cost-effective device based on your price budget, that is, confirm the type of function, brand, etc. that the device contains.
After-sales Service: This refers to the installation, warranty, after-sales consultation, etc. After purchasing water softener.
The Bottom Line
This article describes the 10 best water softeners. Based on the water softener reviews, you can find important info about each system, including features, pricing, customer support, and more.
For the water softener price comparison, the price of the salt-free softener is the highest, the salt-based softener is medium, and the electronic softener is the lowest. Depending on your budget, choose the most appropriate one from the all types of water softeners listed above.
Apart from drinking water, perhaps you may also need to soften the water for shower. It’s a good idea to do it with a water softener shower head.
Looking forward to your comments!