Best Water Softeners 2024: How to Find the Right One for You

Even in 2024, hard water is a nuisance for countless Americans. In contrast to general contamination, water “hardness” is the amount of dissolved sediment in water. Though hard water might not sound any worse than a bottle of mineral water, it presents a whole cocktail of inconveniences, including brittle hair, cloudy stains on dishes, faded clothing, and sediment buildup inside pipes. To fix this problem, water softeners use a chemical reaction to remove sediment from water.  But there are so many to choose from, so which one is best for you?  In this blog, we’ll address different types of water softeners and tell you the one we think is best.

Price and Quality Inform Three Water Softener Categories

The sheer number of available water softeners doesn’t lend itself to easy solutions. We’ll outline three practical categories related to your needs to make the process less overwhelming.

“Big Box” companies, like General Electric, Rheem, Morton and WaterBoss, offer the least expensive, most accessible water softeners, many of which you can find in department (home improvement) stores. Big Box water softeners are suitable for condominiums and small homes.

Second, “Sticker” companies put water softeners together after receiving parts from manufacturers, most of which are outside the United States. Because Sticker water softeners are more effective and expensive than Big Box water softeners, purchasing them is easier online than anywhere else. Sticker companies make up most of the water softener market. This category often confuses customers the most because sticker companies say they’re manufacturers, but they’re not. Instead, they’ve simply assembled a water softener from parts they’ve purchased around the world.

Finally, “Pro-Grade” water softeners are four to five manufacturers who genuinely build their water softeners from head to toe. They also have a network of dealers around the country. Some are even NSF-44 certified, meaning the National Sanitation Foundation can vouch for their quality and durability. They are generally the best ones with the highest costs.

Comparing Types of Water Softeners

The most effective way to find the best water softener for your home begins with a comparison among Big Box, Sticker and Pro-Grade companies. For each of these categories, we’ll compare five traits:

• Warranty – What warranties do vendors place on the water softener’s electronics, tanks and filters? Who is warranting the product? This is a crucial question because if Chuck-in-the-truck assembled the water softener, then he’s warranting the unit. On the other hand, if Ecowater provides the warranty, then a 100-year-old manufacturer backs the product.
• NSF 44 certification – Has the water softener endured a series of expansive tests demonstrating its effectiveness?
• Serviceability – With how much difficulty can a licensed plumber service the water softener?
• Pressure Loss – How much does the water softener reduce water pressure?
• Whether It’s Made in America – Is the manufacturer liable if the water softener breaks down or needs maintenance?

Big Box Companies Offer Cheapest Options

Big Box companies offer their one-size-fits-all water softeners in major retail stores, like Lowe’s, Menard’s or Home Depot. What’s often most striking to potential customers about this type of water softener is its small profile. The smallest water softeners are the easiest to use and store, perfect for condominiums.

Big Box water softeners cost around $700, but that price doesn’t include installation. Professional installation from a licensed plumber can add an additional $900 to $1,500 to the total costs.

A Moderate Warranty

While the tank’s warranty doesn’t expire until after a decade, the electronics usually have a one-year warranty, and the filter has no warranty. This is relatively standard among Big Box companies.

No NSF 44 Certification

Big Box water softeners typically don’t have NSF 44 certification, so extensive testing hasn’t guaranteed their effectiveness or longevity.  You won’t know how well they’ll work until after installation. Even then, it can be challenging to accurately determine its effectiveness if you’re not an expert on hard and soft water. Many people don’t realize that hard water is causing many of the problems around their homes and with their hair or skin.

Poor Serviceability

Big Box water softeners are built to hit a cheap price point, not to last. These Big Box options might be the easiest to purchase, but they are the hardest to find someone to service or program it. They’re built from cheap, shoddy parts that frequently break or wear down faster than they’re supposed to. You’ll require more frequent visits from a plumber, which results in significantly more upkeep expenses long-term versus alternative options.

Impactful Pressure Loss

These water softeners may also reduce water pressure if multiple people use running water simultaneously. They can cause water to trickle from showers and faucets much more slowly. This can be frustrating, particularly in households with two or more residents. Those with big families will quickly discover Big Box options aren’t their best option.

Not Made in America

Finally, most of these aren’t made in America, and here’s why that matters: If a flood or accident puts your water softener out of commission, you or your insurance company must pay, and the overseas vendor is off the hook. Water softeners from overseas are also made from cheap, shoddy parts.

What’s the Verdict?

Big Box water softeners aren’t worth pursuing unless you’re temporarily living in a condominium with one other person. You’ll need to learn how to test your water and program and maintain the product because facilities to service them are few and far between. Overall, we don’t recommend them.

Sticker Companies Are Slightly Better

As the intermediate option, Sticker companies comprise most of the water softener market. Pelican, Aquasana and other online retailers are good examples, but they’re far from the only ones. Any local search on Google will produce a variety of “Chuck-in-the-truck” dealers who also sell stickered systems.

They’re called sticker systems because a distributor or dealer will buy components from a foreign country (usually China), assemble them together and call it a water softener. While these water softeners have better serviceability than Big Box options, they still fall short of Pro-grade options.

A Common Warranty

Warranties on Sticker water softeners are usually the same as those on Big Box ones.  While the warranty on the tank itself is good, the warranties (or lack thereof) on other parts are poor. If something breaks, the chances are high you’ll need to pay out of pocket to replace or fix parts.

No NSF 44 Certification

Like Big Box water softeners, they don’t have NSF 44 certification showing they’ve been rigorously tested. As with the option above, there’s no guarantee they’ll work or how well they soften water.

Much Higher Serviceability

Sticker companies allow for easier replacement of intermediate parts and give licensed plumbers enough space to work. Since the parts are more durable, they tend to break or need serving less frequently than their Big Box counterparts. Although there’s a more significant upfront investment, the trade-off is lower maintenance costs.

Noticeable Pressure Loss

The bad news? Sticker water softeners usually have a noticeable effect on water pressure. The good news? That effect is usually significantly less than what you’d experience with a Big Box option. There will be enough pressure loss to dampen the speed of water coming out of a faucet, but it shouldn’t be enough to slow things to a trickle. Those looking for sustained high water pressure from the best water softeners in 2024 will still likely feel frustrated.

Not Made in America

A few Sticker options may be assembled in America, but they’re usually made overseas – or at least their parts are. Be careful about companies who say their products are designed and assembled in America because this isn’t the same as the parts being made here. Parts created overseas are shoddier, and the manufacturers are not responsible for accidents.

Salt-Based and Salt-Free Aren’t the Same

Since Sticker companies are the biggest category, make sure you distinguish between salt-based and salt-free water softeners while you search, as salt-free ones don’t soften water. Salt-free water “softeners” only condition the water to keep sediment from sticking to pipes. While Sticker water softeners are less of a fit for condominiums, their significantly greater efficacy can make them a nice choice for large homes.