Are you looking for a better way to soften your household water? There’s no better way than using a high performance water softener. Check out our collection!
There’s no doubting the challenges the come with using hard water. From stained utensils & laundry to ashy skin and hair, using hard water for various household chores is simply not the best. And because it has plenty contaminants, hard water is not good for drinking or even cooking.
However, with water softener systems, it is now possible to soften hard water from whichever source. These water conditioners come in different varieties and brands. You need to have sufficient info about water softeners in order to know what suits you best.
In this review, we have enlisted some of the best water softeners. We have included sufficient details about product description, associated pros and cons so as to helps you take the guess work out of shopping.
Comapre Different Water Softener brands
Here are some of the water softeners we have included in this listing. For quick and easy comparison of the different brands, we have included details on flow rate and capacity.
| Product name | Capacity | Flow rate |
|---|---|---|
| Fleck 64K grain blue water softener | 64,000 Grains | 20 GPM |
| Fleck 5600SXT Iron Pro 2 combination water softener | 64,000 Grains | 16 GPM |
| Triple Action poly Salt free water softener | 50,000 grains | 30 GPM |
| ABCwaters built Fleck 5600sxt water softener | 48,000 Grains | 12 GPM |
| Aquios AQFS220 Full house salt-free water softener | 40,000 Grains | 12 GPM |
| Nuvo H2O DPHB Home water softener system | 50,000 Grains | 15 GPM |
| Fleck 9100SXT Dual tank water softener | 96,000 Grains | 20 GPM |
| Eddy electronic water descaler and softener | 20 Grains | 6 GPM |
| Tier1 48000 grain high efficiency digital water softener | 48,000 Grains | 15 GPM |
| Morton M30 system saver 30000 grain water softener | 30,000 Grains | 11 GPM |
What is a water softener?
By simple definition, a soft water system softens hard water. Water softening is the removal of calcium, magnesium and other hardness causing ions from water. This is done with the help of water conditioners which can be lime based or ion exchange resin based.
The best, most effective water softening, however, is achieved with the help of Nano-filtration technique or reverse osmosis. The choice of the best water softener depends largely on individual taste and preference. It also depends on efficiency, cost, and ease of use among other factors.
Do you really need a water softener?
No one actually wants to use hard water for whatever purpose. It’s just because of some unavoidable circumstances that some find themselves having to use hard water. However, with the availability of affordable and efficient water softeners, people can now enjoy using soft water whenever they feel like.
If you don’t want to waste more soap, stain your clothes and dishes, you know for sure that a water conditioner is all you need. The essence and necessity for a good water softener in any household cannot be overemphasized.
Best Water Softeners Reviews - Why We Like it
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It has been two years since I bought my first Fleck 64K Grain soft water system and it is still in good shape and softens water like it used to 24 months ago. Unlike most water softeners out there, this one comes with a 10 year and 5-year warranty coverage for the tank and valve respectively. It is very easy to install. No need for complicated plumbing and tools.
In fact, they offer free lifetime tech support for all installation and programming related concerns. It features a high capacity tank and a standard square brine tank with a safety float. This 64000-grain water softener even comes with full video installation instructions on a USB drive and an accompanying installation kit. It features fully programmable filtration cycles and a digital metered control head. This makes it very easy and simple to regulate the rate and amount of water filtered. It is USA-engineered and its mineral tank is loaded with resin for superior water filtration performance.
- Its mineral tank is preloaded with resin for superior water filtration and softening.
- One of the best water conditioners with fully programmable cycles.
- Easy Do-It-Yourself installation process. There’s an accompanying USB drive with full video instructions for installation.
- Comes with a 10-year and 5-year warranty for the tanks and valve respectively.
- Lifetime tech support for installation and programming related concerns.
- Not identified
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This is a high-performance water softener system that also doubles as iron filter. It comes with a relatively higher flow rate compared to some other water filter brands. This 64000-grain capacity water purifier uses fine mesh resin for efficient and effective removal of iron, calcium and magnesium salts hence giving your drinking water a sweet and refreshing taste. The design and construction of the fine mesh resin also make it very durable and long lasting.
It uses Fleck 5600SXT digital metered valve to regulate the filtration cycles and the amount of water, in gallons, filtered. The digital metered valve has a 5-year warranty.
This water purifier removes water hardness of up to 75 GPG. In addition, it also removes manganese up to 6 PPM, iron up to 8 PPM, and other sediments. It is very easy and simple to install. There’s even user manual with complete installation instructions. The manufacturer also guarantees lifetime tech support. Simply contact their experts on phone and get the necessary support you need.
- The Fleck 5600SXT digital metered valve has a 5-year warranty cover.
- Removes water hardness of up to 75 GPG besides iron, manganese, and other chemical contaminants
- Uses fine mesh resin filters with a 64000-grain capacity.
- Has a high flow rate ideal for whole house use.
- Not identified
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If you are looking for a true salt-free hard water treatment with absolutely no replaceable filter cartridges, Triple Action soft water system is worth checking out. It uses a catalytic electro-mechanical filtration process to remove most of the water contaminants. This is one distinguishing feature that separates it from ordinary water softeners that often use T.A.C filters or citric filters. It uses no electricity and also has no backwashing brine for pure water for household use.
This soft water system is ideally suited for well and city tap water with a hardness of up to 25 grains. With a flow rate of 30 GPM, this water softener guarantees a ready supply of clean water on demand. The catalytic core and housing parts have a lifetime and 2-year warranty respectively. So you can be sure to get replacements in the event of a malfunction.
The design features stainless steel with polyphosphate inner screen. The installation process is super easy and direct. In fact, this softener comes with installation nipples and a user manual with full installation instructions.
- Unlike citric filters and TAC filters, this one has no costly cartridges which are replaceable every once in a while.
- Does not require electricity to operate. And it doesn’t have a brine tank so brine backwash is simply not an option here.
- Affordable recharge kit costs $29.99
- The catalytic core and housing parts have lifetime and 2-year warranty coverages respectively.
- High capacity with a flow rate of 30 GPM hence ideal for big households.
- Comes with installation nipples for a fast and easy installation process.
- Not identified
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This is a complete whole house water softener that comes with the popular Fleck 5600SXT digital valve meter. For efficient filtration, this water conditioner has a 48,000-grain capacity and a 10% cross-linked resin for superior performance and longer life. With a flow rate of 12 GPM, this water filter is ideal for small households of up to 7 users. The Fleck valve comes with a 5-year warranty for free repairs and replacement. The installation process is very simple and direct. There’s even an installation kit with all the necessary accessories for a smooth and easy installation process. A pair of American high capacity mineral and brine tanks 10” and 36” respectively makes this softener ideally suited for high capacity water filtration. Both tanks are backed with a 10-year product warranty for free repairs and replacements. It is made of high-quality components and is hand-assembled by ABCWaters based in Arizona USA. The manufacturer seeks to simplify your water filtration experience by preloading the mineral tank with resin and pre-programming the Fleck digital meter for efficient filtration and flow rate regulation.
- Simple and direct installation process, thanks to the user manual and installation kit with all the necessary accessories and instructions.
- 24/7 tech support via email, Facetime, and phone calls.
- Every water softener package includes a mineral tank preloaded with resin and pre-programmed Fleck digital meter for filtration regulation.
- Comes with a high capacity water softening system that uses 10% upgraded Cross-linked resin
- High capacity best water softener with a 12 GPM flow rate.
- The Fleck valve has 5-year warranty coverage.
- Not identified
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There’s no mention of eco-friendly and salt-free water filters for whole house water softening without mentioning Aquios AQFS220. This water filtration system has a high-end filters that conditions, filters, and descales your water without compromising valuable water pressure. This water filter has a compact design that requires absolutely no maintenance. In addition, it requires no electricity and programming to operate. Simply put, this softener has no complicated requirements to operate. Every package comes with a 20-year Aquios Salt-Free technology warranty and lifetime tech support. The filtration cartridges are replaceable once every 6 months.
- Comes with a 20-year Aquios Salt-Free technology warranty
- Commercial strength water conditioner with 6-month long life cartridges
- Comes in a compact design that requires no electricity or programming to operate.
- Maintenance free water softener system.
- All-in-one soft water system naturally conditions, filters, and descales you household water without reducing your tap flow rate pressure
- Not identified
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This is a revolutionary water softening system that uses chelation concept to lower water pH levels. The hardness causing mineral ions are bound to the chelating agent thus purifying and making your water soft, tasty, and refreshing. Their FDA-approved proprietary formulation keeps calcium and magnesium soluble and unable to cause water hardness. This is a low capacity water filter suited for small households of max 3 users. It has an eco-friendly design that produces no waste water or salt and uses no electricity. You want to extend the life of your plumbing fixtures and water heating equipment, you need a tested and proven best water softener. That is what you get with this water filter.
- An eco-friendly soft water system that uses no electricity and produces no wastewater or salts.
- Eliminates all water hardness causing mineral ions; calcium and magnesium to give you a tasty and refreshing household water.
- Prevents scale build up in your plumbing fixtures thus extending their lifespan.
- FDA and NSF approved low capacity water purifier suitable for small households of max 3 users.
- No warranty coverage
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Fleck 9100SXT water softener comes with dual tank design for a guaranteed ready supply of fresh water whenever you need it. It has a 20 GPM flow rate and is best suited for softening water of up to 96,000 grains. No waste water or salts with this filter. What’s more, you don’t need electricity to operate this best water softener.
It is a high capacity filter that is best suited for big households. It comes with an installation kit with all the necessary installation accessories. There’s a user manual with all the necessary installation instructions. Uses ion exchange technique to remove hardness causing ions and descale your plumbing appliances. It uses Fleck 9100SXT digital control head polymer valve body and a digital metered head for simplified filtration cycle control. The control head and tank have 5 year and 10-year product warranty coverages respectively.
- Control head and tank have 5 year and 10-year warranty coverages respectively.
- Uses 3 cubic feet high-efficiency resin capable of removing up to 96,000 grains of water hardness.
- Has a flow rate of 20 GPM.
- High-quality poly-glass tank with high-grade resin for efficient ion exchange water filtration process.
- Simple installation process; typically takes 1 – 2 hours
- Not identified
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Lime scale can cause untold damage to your home plumbing fixtures if not managed appropriately. You need the Eddy electronic water purifier to help you prevent build up within pipes and even dissolve existing deposits. It is very easy to install onto your metal and plastic pipes. No experience or much expertise required for the same; the perfect do-it-yourself installation process. It’s important to note that this water descaler does not remove the hardness causing minerals. So your water is not stripped of any mineral ions, hence healthier and ideally suited for drinking. Water from this descaler very much mimics softened water. So you can use it to do your usual laundry and other household chores without much difficulties.
- Maintenance free water descaler capable of removing water hardness of up to 20 GPG.
- Environmentally friendly filter with no wastewater or even salts.
- Retains all the healthy water minerals hence the water is suitable for drinking and cooking.
- Simple installation process on metallic and plastic pipes.
- Every purchase comes with a 12-month money back guarantee and a lifetime repair and replacement warranty.
- Not identified
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This is one of the latest arrivals in the water conditioner market. Tier 1 4800 grain high efficiency digital water softener system has some advanced features for better filtration performance. A digital meter control valve and a manual bypass regulate the rate and amount of filtration. It has a complete traditional system featuring a brine tank and a preinstalled mineral tank with a 1.5 cubic feet cation resin. The installation process is very easy. Just connecting and fixing the drain line, brine tubing, and other mechanical components to the pre-installed water conditioner connections.
It has a compact design featuring a precision turbine meter incorporated in the system bypass valve saving over 4ft. of floor space. It uses no electricity hence your power bills won’t be affected in any way. It improves soap lathering for better cleaning experience. Your laundry, utensils, skin, and hair will be a lot cleaner and better that with hard water. Every purchase of this water filter comes with a 100% Tier 1 no worries customer tech support.
- A smart compact design featuring precision turbine meter saves you valuable storage space.
- Improves soap lathering for a better cleaning and bathing experience.
- 100% Tier 1 customer tech support with every purchase
- Easy installation process involving simple fixing of the mechanical components to the pre-installed water softener system.
- Comes with LCD display, digital meter control valve with a manual bypass together with other features for simplified operations.
- Not identified
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If you are looking for a whole house or small business soft water system that is affordably priced, this one is worth checking out. Experience brighter laundry, spotless dishes, and soft and tender skin by using water from this high-end softener. This is one of a few high capacity water filters with a 30,000-grain hardness capacity. That is to say, it can be used to treat well or municipal tap water. It uses a patented “look-ahead” technology to gauge your daily water usage hence regenerating only the right amount of soft, refreshing, and tasty water for household use. Comes in a compact design that fits in a 1.3 sq. floor space hence saves you extra space for some other household items. This unit comes with an 8-hour power interruption protection. This ensures continued soft water regeneration during blackouts.
- Comes with an installation kit with step down conversion nuts, copper connectors, and washers for fast and easy installation process.
- Has an 8-hour power interruption protection that guarantees soft water regeneration during blackouts.
- Deluxe single disk rotary valve helps regulate flow rate, regeneration cycles, and filtration rate.
- Morton system saver softener results in better soap lathering for spotless utensils, cutlery, brighter laundry, and much healthier looking skin and hair.
- No product warranty
What to consider when shopping for a water softener
There are a number of important aspects to consider when shopping for an ideal water softener. Among others, you need to check out the following in an ideal water purifier:
Resin capacity
If you are looking for a salt-water softener system, then it is important to consider its resin capacity. This determines the amount of water filtered and the efficiency of filtration.
Size and design
The size and design of the water filter are very important. These 2 determines the amount of space the unit will requires for installation. If you are tight on space, you may want to go with the more compact varieties.
Bypass valve
Once in a while, you won’t require soft water. For instance, when you want to fill up your swimming pool or washing your truck. That’s when the bypass valve comes in handy. It allows you to bypass the actual water conditioner and get to use your hard tap water without having to soften it.
Regeneration settings
Metered water softener systems regenerate resin after a specified time interval or after a particular capacity of water is filtered. In a timed soft water system, the resin regeneration process occurs automatically after a few days depending on an estimated rate of water consumption.
Methods of water softening
There are different approaches to removing water hardness. These approaches and techniques constitute the working mechanisms of water softeners. Some of these include:
Ion exchange resin method
This is the most commonly used water softening technique. In fact most water softening appliances for home use have an integrated ion exchange resin system for water filtration and softening. In this method, hardness causing ions, mainly calcium and magnesium are exchanged for sodium and potassium.
Lime based softening
In this water softening technique, quick lime is added to hard water to make it softer. Basically, this method involves the use of water softener salt to condition your household water. This method comes with myriad benefits over the ion exchange resin technique. It is often used in large water treatment plants.
Chelating method
This method involves using chelating agents to make hardness causing ions, calcium and magnesium, more soluble.
Distillation method
This is one of the oldest techniques of removing water hardness. Though very energy intensive, distillation method provides you with a soft water for household use. Because distilled water is stripped of all minerals, this type of water is not fit for human consumption without infusion with essential mineral ions.
Reverse osmosis
This makes use of a semi permeable membrane and the concept of hydrostatic pressure gradient. I won’t delve into the detail, but just know that this water softening technique is recommended for removing all Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).
That’s it for our detailed review of the best brands of water softeners. Be sure to compare the various products and also check the provided Amazon links for the best price deals.
