The Best Water Softeners of 2024 - Recommended by Bob Vila

Oct 14, 2024

By Timothy Dale

Updated on Oct 9, 2024 4:48 PM EDT

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›

Water softening systems prevent common problems with water, including chalky deposits of calcium carbonate, called limescale (or scale), and other harsh minerals, like iron and magnesium. These deposits cause hard water, which dries skin and hair. When one of these units is installed in a home, it works to soften water running out of every faucet, reducing or altogether removing these harsh minerals. This improves the quality of the home’s drinking water and leads to healthier skin, hair, and nails after bathing.

The best water softeners work by either drawing heavy minerals out of the water using a process called ion exchange or by neutralizing these minerals so that they are unable to bind together and remain soluble in the water.

As a plumbing project manager, I installed and worked with a wide range of water softeners installed in both residential and commercial locations, including many Whirlpool and Rheem models. Drawing on this experience, I researched a broad pool of water softeners to find these top options to find these top options. Products were selected based on the size, capacity, type of water softener, and the regeneration cycle. Here are some of the best water softeners available based on our findings.

Water-softening systems aren’t widely known products like lawn mowers or cars, so it can be difficult for shoppers to judge the best ones. However, years of plumbing industry experience and extensive research into the types of water softeners helped us compile our list of top-rated water systems.

Key considerations included the type of soft water system, the capacity of the product, the suitability of the softener for various family sizes, the water softener companies buyers choose, and any outstanding features that made a water softener stand out from similar products.

Most water-softener systems are salt-based. That’s why a high number of salt-based systems were selected, including both single-tank and dual-tank products. Capacity and suitability were typically considered together because in most cases, a large family will require higher-capacity water softener systems. Also, metered systems from top water-softener brands were generally favored, simply because this design helps conserve water and only regenerate when necessary.

The best water-softener systems remove calcium and magnesium deposits, improving the overall quality of a home’s water. The following water-softening systems are some of the most reliable products in their respective categories.

Installing this single-tank, salt-based water softener by Whirlpool immediately improves a home’s water quality by removing hard minerals from its water supply. This reduces the extra costs involved in replacing faucets, dishwashers, and other water-based fixtures or appliances due to the premature wear and tear caused by hard water.

Because this Whirlpool water softener treats the problem at the source, the rest of the plumbing isn’t exposed to the hard water. A small amount of salt is added to the water during the ion-exchange process and must be refilled regularly to ensure that salt levels are maintained. This water softener has a capacity of 40,000 grains, and it recharges automatically using a metered system.

Get the Whirlpool water softener at Amazon or Walmart.

This water softener by WaterBoss regenerates salt in less than 30 minutes, saving users time and water. An affordable, single-tank, salt-based water softener, it has a capacity of 36,400 grains and is a suitable option for households with four or more people.

This is one of the best water-softener systems available at an affordable price, making it an attractive solution for hard-water problems in average-size homes. It comes with a factory-installed bypass valve, water filter, and a built-in safety shut-off system, making it easier to safely clean the water softener. Just keep in mind that the softener does add salt to the water and this salt does need to be refilled regularly.

Get the WaterBoss water softener at Ace Hardware or The Home Depot.

Despite the premium price of this 48,000-grain-capacity water softener, DuraWater’s model is an excellent investment for a medium to large household. This salt-based water softener removes magnesium, calcium, and even traces of iron to protect pipes, clothing, and hair from the effects of hard water.

A digital LCD screen with touch pad controls the water softener. This allows users to customize the unit’s metered regeneration system to suit their weekly schedules. The display can also be used to view error codes for help troubleshooting. The salt-based softener system weighs 53 pounds and includes a bypass valve and an installation tutorial for handy DIYers.

Get the DuraWater water softener at Amazon.

This single-tank Rheem water softener optimizes salt consumption, water usage, and regeneration cycles. The tank measures 43.5 inches tall by 15.25 inches wide by 20.5 inches deep. Its metered system only regenerates when necessary, instead of relying on a fixed schedule that may regenerate too frequently or too infrequently to treat the water adequately.

This salt-based Rheem water softener has a capacity of 32,000 grains, making it a good choice for small to average-size households of up to four people. As expected of a salt-based system, a small amount of salt is added to the water in exchange for the heavy minerals. This water softener includes a low-salt indicator light so users know when to refill the salt.

Get the Rheem water softener at The Home Depot.

Designed for portability, the On The Go portable water softener is an excellent choice for an RV, a large boat, a small one- or two-person home, or an apartment. An included hose allows for connection directly to an outdoor faucet or campground water supply for instant access to softened water for cleaning, drinking, and bathing.

Intended for portable functionality, this sand-based water softener can be recharged using simple table salt. This is great because the 16,000-grain capacity will require frequent recharging with regular use. However, with the reduced size, there’s a lower price, making this option easier on the wallet.

Get the On The Go water softener at Amazon or On The Go.

Aquasure’s dual-tank water softener is known as one of the best hard water softeners for a well system, with a high-capacity 48,000-grain tank that’s suitable for homes with up to five people. The digital control panel allows users to see the time of day, current flow rate, and the volume of soft water or the number of days remaining until regeneration.

This Aquasure water softener works to eliminate iron, magnesium, calcium, and scale. It also has a metered regeneration system that helps to reduce overall salt and water consumption. Just keep in mind that dual-tank systems can take up a lot of floor space.

Get the Aquasure water softener at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Aquasure.

The iSpring ED2000 water descaler is an affordable solution for treating scale buildup in appliances, on faucets, and on shower heads. Like all electronic magnetic water softeners, it does not remove heavy minerals from water, so clothing may still suffer from premature fading. However, whole-house water-softener reviews for this descaler indicate its effectiveness at treating mineral buildup.

This top whole-house water softener is easily installed on all types of pipe, including PEX and PVC, by wrapping the two antenna cables from the water softener around the water pipe and then plugging the unit into a power outlet. The neutralized soft water doesn’t just prevent scale buildup; it breaks down existing scale to give the home a cleaner look and feel.

Get the iSpring water softener at Amazon, Lowe’s, or Walmart.

While choosing a house water softener, shoppers may want to take a few minutes to learn about the most important considerations to keep in mind, including type, capacity, available area to install the water softener, whether or not it has a bypass valve, and the length of its regeneration cycle. Here’s a closer look at some important features included with today’s water softeners.

There are four main types of water softeners: salt-based, salt-free, dual-tank, and magnetic water softeners. The cost of a good water softener generally falls between the affordable magnetic units and the pricier salt-free options. Before buying a water softener unit, shoppers should familiarize themselves with the types of water softeners available and determine which one best suits their needs.

Salt-based water softeners are available in several sizes and are appropriate for just about every dwelling, from RVs to mansions. These water softeners remove heavy minerals, like calcium and magnesium, from drinking water through an ion-exchange process. During the process, minerals are drawn into a resin within the softener and are exchanged for sodium ions (salt). This makes a home’s drinking water healthy and neutral so that it doesn’t damage appliances and faucets or dry out skin and hair.

While salt-based water softening systems do add salt to the water, it is such a small amount that it frequently goes unnoticed. The downside to salt-based softeners is that the positively charged sodium ions in the resin do run out and need to be recharged with salt about once a week. These water softeners are also much larger than magnetic or salt-free water softeners, so they aren’t ideal for smaller spaces.

Salt-free water softeners don’t soften water; they condition it instead. This is done by crystallizing mineral ions so they don’t form scale with the plumbing.

Salt-free water softeners have a template-assisted crystallization system consisting of polymeric beads that hold microscopic nucleation sites. When heavy minerals attach to these sites, they begin to form into crystals through a neutralization process. Once established, the crystals detach and do not bond to anything, preventing mineral buildup to soften water.

Salt-free water softeners tend to cost more initially but last for around 3 years without electricity or recharging required. These models are also smaller than salt-based water softening systems, so they can be used for small- to large-size houses without issue. However, salt-free water softeners may struggle with very high levels of hard water and households with higher-than-average water usage.

A dual-tank water softener is salt-based and has two resin tanks, making it the best kind for homes that rely on well water. When one of the tanks is in the regeneration cycle, the other is still providing softened drinking water to the household.

Dual-tank softeners aren’t necessary for most homes, and due to their size, they can be challenging to install. They also carry a higher price tag than other water-softener types and do need to be recharged. However, a dual-tank water softener can handle more water per regeneration cycle and never run out of softened drinking water.

Magnetic or electric water softeners are great for small spaces, as they sit on a water pipe and take up almost no space at all. While there’s no need to cut into the water line to use them, certain models do have to be wired into a home’s electrical system. However, once installed, the best electronic water softener available will work fine without having to worry about accidentally pulling the plug.

These water softeners don’t remove heavy minerals from the water. Instead, they use a magnetic field to strip negative or positive ions from heavy minerals, neutralizing them. Once they are no longer positively or negatively charged, the minerals cannot bond to each other and remain entirely soluble in the water.

An affordable choice, magnetic water softeners are the best option for those experiencing light to moderate hard-water issues.

Capacity is the measurement of grains per week that a water softener can handle before needing replenishment.

Water softness and hardness are measured using grains per gallon (gpg), where 1 grain is equal to 0.002 ounces of calcium carbonate dissolved in 1 gallon of water.

Small water-softening systems have weekly grain capacities of 16,000; 24,000; and 32,000 and are ideal for RVs, apartments, and small houses. Those with grain capacities of 40,000; 48,000; and 64,000 are great for medium to large households. For big families and large properties, a residential water softener with a grain capacity of 80,000 or 100,000 works best.

Before buying, shoppers will want to measure the area where the water softener will be installed and compare it to the manufacturer’s installation specifications if space is a concern.

Salt-based and dual-tank water softeners, for example, can take up a lot of space and are best for medium to large homes. By contrast, most salt-free water softeners are smaller than salt-based models and are suitable for small, medium, and large households. Portable salt-based water softeners are an alternative option for small homes or RVs that prefer a salt-based model to remove heavy metals entirely.

Magnetic water softeners take up the least amount of space and can be installed without cutting into plumbing. Typically, these smaller softeners can be mounted directly on the pipe and do not interfere with floor space. These softeners are the best option to save space in smaller homes, RVs, or apartments.

A valve controls the flow of water through a pipe, closing, or opening when necessary. A bypass valve works in the same way as a regular valve, but its purpose, when used with a water softener, is to divert the flow of water away from the softener, providing access to the hard water running into the home.

This feature may seem pointless to some shoppers, but a bypass valve can save time and money by preventing the water softener from using excess salt or energy to soften the water used for watering the lawn or washing the deck. If it’s going to be used for these purposes, the bypass valve will divert the flow of water around the softener and back into the pipes. Once complete, the bypass valve can be closed, restoring the flow of water through the softener.

Salt-based water softeners must be regenerated or refreshed when users add salt or begin a regeneration cycle. This can be regulated using a metered system or with a timed system.

Water softeners are an excellent option for homes with light to heavy hard water, which can result in clogged pipes and leaky faucets and can degrade water-based appliances. The heavy minerals detected in hard water tests also prevent moisture permeation in hair and skin and can cause colors to fade in the washing machine and items to come out of the dishwasher looking chalky or spotted.

A water softener solves all of these issues by preventing heavy minerals from binding or flowing through the water. With softened water, the moisture and “life” returns to skin and hair. It also prevents clothes from wearing out prematurely and leaves dishes looking and feeling clean, which cuts down on cleaning time. These hard water treatment systems can:

After installing a water softener, its salt levels should be checked every 4 to 6 weeks. If the salt level drops, then hard water will begin to return to the home’s water system.

While checking salt levels, the condition of the brine tank should also be checked, as salt bridges may have formed over time. These bridges can prevent the resin beads from softening the water properly and must be cleared to ensure the proper functionality of the water softener. Here are a few more tips to consider:

Our guide addressed most of the questions and concerns shoppers have while looking for the best water-softening system for their homes. Sometimes, additional questions crop up, particularly those involving filtration-system usage and regular maintenance. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about water softeners.

A water softener removes harsh minerals like calcium and magnesium from a home’s water supply. The resin beads inside these systems trap the calcium and magnesium and convert them to potassium and sodium. Essentially, this exchange makes household water gentler on skin, hair, and clothes.

Empty the contents of the water softener and scrub the empty tank with soapy water. Rinse and fill with 0.25 cups of bleach and water. After 15 minutes, rinse. Replace brine grid. Fill tank with water, replenishing salt.

Yes, it’s safe to drink water from a water softener if the only contaminants are hardening minerals. It won’t remove any other harmful particles, though. For completely safe water from the tap, try an under-sink water filter.

Copper pipes are vulnerable to heated and softened water and could cause corrosion and pinhole leaks in your system. Over time, minerals could build up on the copper and cause these leaks to occur.

The average water softener lasts between 10 and 15 years. With proper maintenance and care, it can last longer than that without requiring a replacement. Another option for lengthening the life of your water softener is a prefilter, which prevents sediment and materials from building up and causing malfunctions.

Soft water has a high sodium content and is not recommended for daily consumption. Pipes can also be affected if minerals and other elements build up over time.

Contributing Writer

Timothy Dale is a home improvement writer who has been in the industry for several years. In his work for BobVila.com, he has written a number of how-to articles related to yard maintenance, vehicle repair, and home renovation, not to mention a wide variety of buying guides and articles on DIY projects. He always ensures readers get the information they need to tackle their next project.

Learn more about BobVila.com Editorial Standards

We’re committed to testing and reviewing products so you can make an informed decision. Advertising does not influence our product reviews and it never will. We always focus our coverage on standout products and never hesitate to mention their flaws and quirks. By using our affiliate links, you’re supporting our work and helping us continue to provide expert analysis. Find out more about our product evaluation process.