The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 85% of the country has hard water, and while drinking hard water won’t kill you, bathing in it isn’t great for your skin or your hair. Keep scrolling to learn more about hard water and the benefits of a water softener and to see our picks for the best water softeners. “These minerals can form a layer on the skin, causing dryness and itchiness, and exacerbating existing skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis,” says Brian Campbell, founder and chief water treatment expert at WaterFilterGuru.com. “When we shower in hard water, the calcium and magnesium buildup on our hair causes it to become dry and brittle and the color to fade.” Hard water also wreaks havoc on your home. The residue left behind by these minerals can reduce the life span of your appliances, clog your pipes, and even increase the cost of heating water. Salt-based ion exchange softeners: These work by exchanging the hardness minerals in water (primarily calcium and magnesium) for small amounts of sodium. According to Campbell, salt-based softeners are ideal for excessively hard water, such as well water. Salt-free water conditioners: Salt-free water conditioners work by crystallizing the minerals in your water and preventing them from sticking to surfaces. Electromagnetic descalers: These water softeners alter the chemical structure of the minerals so they can’t adhere to surfaces. By installing a water softener in your home, you can increase the efficiency of your pipes and water-based appliances and even reduce the time it takes to heat up your water. Campbell reiterates that softer water is also beneficial for smoother skin and stronger, healthier-looking hair and can help your dishes come through the wash actually looking clean. When your pipes are flowing with soft water, suddenly everything is better. Soap and shampoo lather more easily, and laundry feels softer to the touch. Making the swap is a simple way to elevate your everyday routine—and while some of the best water softeners may seem like a splurge now, installing one will save you money and time in the long run. It’s also incredibly easy to use, thanks to the up-front electronic controls and the handy status light indicator that will display metrics like how many days until empty and whether you’re running low on salt. This softener ships in two business days and comes with an instruction manual for installation, which reviewers say is easy to do yourself. What customers say: It’s currently rated 4.65 stars on AJ Madison, with reviewers loving its set-it-and-forget-it operation, the easy installation process (some even managed to do it themselves), and the compact size. One shopper emphasizes, “It’s simple and easy to use, and we love the difference it makes in our water,” and another adds, “Water softener working so well. Love the feel of my skin and hair using soft water. It’s working great! Highly recommend!!!” This softener is made in the U.S. and ships in three business days. It comes with an instruction manual for DIY installation. Note, the installation is said to be a bit trickier here. What customers say: With a 4.5 out of 5-star rating overall, this water softener gets a lot of love. Reviewers rave about the value for the cost, the improved flavor of their water, and how low maintenance this appliance is. Even those who had to hire a plumber for installation still say it was a worthy investment they would recommend to anyone. “Once hooked up, it’s low maintenance. Soft water is amazing! Your clothes will feel better, your hair will seem cleaner, your dishes wash better—hard water feels like you are rinsing with sandpaper,” one person writes. This salt-based water softener is so powerful at filtering out iron, dirt, and other tough sediments, that you can use it for well water or city water. The settings can also be adjusted to control your water’s softness level, simply by using the machine’s consumer-friendly controls. It will be shipped to your home in a box, along with a DVD that shows you how to complete the installation—which is notably easy. What customers say: In addition to how easy the installation is, reviewers also praise the machine’s long life span—one person didn’t need to replace their model for a full 14 years. It has an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on the Home Depot website, with one reviewer emphasizing, “Easy to install and simple setup. Once done with setup, I drained the water heater and immediately had clean, soft water. Couldn’t be any easier.” You can choose among three types of regeneration (time clock delayed control, meter immediate control, and meter delayed control), depending on your household’s needs. One major callout is that it does not have a low salt indicator and is therefore not as easy to monitor as other models. This water softener ships in a box and comes with written instructions for DIY installation. Some people mention that while installation is fairly easy, it does take a good amount of time and the product is heavy (120 pounds). What customers say: “I have hard well water and chose this product to remove the hardness and also a slight sulfur smell,” one reviewer explains. “It has done both quite well. It came with very good instructions and was easy to install. It is a bit heavy, so I would suggest someone should be helping to move the tank into position. Beyond that, it is an easy job for one person to accomplish.” This product is made in the U.S. and can be found at some Home Depot stores or can be delivered to your home. It will arrive in a box with instructions for a do-it-yourself installation. What customers say: With a 4.5 out of 5-star rating on the Home Depot website, this water softener has people raving about its easy DIY install, compact size, and efficient water usage. After installing the unit on their own, one shopper says, “[The] compact size makes it easy to find a spot that will suit your needs. It took a few days to really feel the difference in the water. It’s awesome! Taking a shower and washing dishes takes way less soap. We’ve only had it up and running for a week. But, what a difference.” This water softener is made in the U.S. and will be shipped to your home in a box with two hose connections. What customers say: With over 600 overwhelmingly positive reviews, there is praise from cabin-goers, RV owners, and more about how portable and lightweight it is and the value you get at a lower cost. Some do note a difficult installation, but the pros clearly outweigh the cons in these reviews. One person raves, “Skin and hair car issues caused by hard water have been eliminated. Furthermore, coffee and other hot drinks taste much better. Despite a difficult hook up caused by reversed fittings, we can honestly say that this unit has improved every part of our RV life involving water.” Keep in mind: Due to the alternative method this water descaler uses, it won’t remove the very heavy minerals from your water. That said, it will help with any pesky mineral buildup on your shower head or faucets. This is a great fit (pun intended) for someone who does not have a ton of space but still wants to experience the benefits of slightly softer water (i.e., softer skin, healthier hair, and a more enjoyable taste). It’s also a fraction of the cost of traditional water softeners, and it does not use salt or chemicals or require any maintenance or plumbing installation. This machine will be shipped to your home in a box, and installation is easy. What customers say: As mentioned earlier, the salt-free method crystallizes the minerals in your water rather than trapping them or exchanging them for salt. This type of softener is sometimes called a water conditioner because the process actually neutralizes the water, versus “softening” it. The result? A cleaner, purer water quality that won’t stick to your dishes or hands. One note for salt-free water softeners: If your home runs on well water, your water is probably exceptionally hard. In this case, a salt-free water softener is not recommended unless your water is pre-treated (meaning it has already gone through a treatment process to filter out iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, copper, etc. This softener ships in two business days and comes with an instruction manual for DIY installation, which reviewers say is very easy. This softener is not NSF-certified. What customers say: Purchasers of this water softener love how simple it is to install and how quickly you can feel the difference. It’s currently rated 4.5 stars out of 5 on the Spring Well Water website, with 154 reviews. One person raves, “Best idea ever made concerning our new place. Super easy with just a few tools and the installation guide. I highly recommend this product. You can feel the difference within a week.” Campbell also advises checking your local regulations regarding water softeners. “In some places, it is not legal to install an ion exchange system, so be sure to look this up first!” he explains.
