Whirlpool WHES48 PRO
A strong all-round pick for larger families on hard city or well water: high flow, certified efficiency and a longer parts warranty for the price.
Blain's Farm & Fleet $679.99$679.99
A water softener swaps the calcium and magnesium in hard water for sodium, which stops scale in pipes, water heaters and fixtures and lets soap lather. These rankings compare what the makers publish on the same terms: how much capacity you get for the money, how many grains of hardness it removes per pound of salt, how much water it can supply at once, how long the control valve is covered and whether an independent lab has certified it.
Capacity comes first. Multiply your water hardness in grains per gallon by the gallons your household uses a day (about 75 per person), then by seven: a softener with at least that many grains regenerates about once a week. Running a bigger softener at a lower salt setting is also the most salt-efficient way to use one.
All of these are salt-based softeners. Salt-free “conditioners” don’t remove hardness, so they aren’t ranked here.
Top Picks
Rheem Preferred RHS32
A certified demand softener for one to four people that also reduces barium and radium, a plus on some well water.
Home Depot $489$489
Shop by Size
Up to 32,000 grains
10 rankedUp to 32,000 grains: one or two people, or moderately hard water.
Top rated: Rheem Preferred RHS32 $489
32,001 to 48,000 grains
14 ranked32,001 to 48,000 grains: a typical family of three to five with hard water.
Top rated: Whirlpool WHES48 PRO $679.99
Over 48,000 grains
6 rankedOver 48,000 grains: large households, very hard water or well water with iron.
Top rated: SoftPro Elite 64,000 Grain $1,527
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Deals
Prices were last checked November 1, 2026 and are subject to change; the price and availability shown by the retailer at the time of purchase apply.
Best Small Water Softeners
- Rheem Preferred RHS32#1 of 10Full review
A certified demand softener for one to four people that also reduces barium and radium, a plus on some well water.
Home Depot $489$48932,0007.9 gpm4,940 - Whirlpool WHES30#2 of 10Full review
A low-cost, NSF certified demand softener for a small household on city water, with excellent salt efficiency.
Blain's Farm & Fleet $469.99$469.9930,0007.3 gpm5,094 - Aquasure Harmony 32K#3 of 10Full review
A low cost metered softener for a small household on city or well water that wants the basics done cheaply. Buyers who want verified salt efficiency should look at a certified model.
Amazon $523.29$523.2932,000-- - SoftPro Elite 32,000 Grain#4 of 10Full review
A premium small softener for buyers who want long warranty cover and lower salt use and will pay well above budget brands for it.
Amazon $1,159$1,15932,000-- - AFWFilters Fleck 5600SXT 32K#5 of 10Full review
A plain Fleck 5600SXT softener for one to three people on moderately hard water, for buyers who want a valve any local shop can service.
Amazon $785$78532,00012 gpm-
Best 40,000 and 48,000 Grain Water Softeners
- Whirlpool WHES48 PRO#1 of 14Full review
A strong all-round pick for larger families on hard city or well water: high flow, certified efficiency and a longer parts warranty for the price.
Blain's Farm & Fleet $679.99$679.9948,00011.9 gpm5,090 - Rheem Preferred Plus RHS42#2 of 14Full review
A well rounded certified softener for a family of up to six on hard city or well water.
Home Depot $549$54942,0009.9 gpm5,010 - Aquasana SimplySoft 40K#3 of 14Full review
A certified, salt efficient cabinet softener for a family of up to five on city water. Pick it over cheaper uncertified units if you want verified salt savings.
Amazon $749$74940,00011 gpm4,423 - Whirlpool WHES40#4 of 14Full review
A good value 40,000 grain softener for a family of three to five, with certified salt efficiency and strong iron handling.
Blain's Farm & Fleet $579.99$579.9940,0007.6 gpm5,094 - Aquasure Harmony 48K#5 of 14Full review
A budget metered softener sized for a typical family with hard water. It costs little per grain, but its capacity and salt use are not independently verified.
Amazon $629.99$629.9948,000--
Best Large Water Softeners
- SoftPro Elite 64,000 Grain#1 of 6Full review
A premium large softener for big households that want long warranty cover and lower salt use more than the lowest price.
Amazon $1,527$1,52764,000-- - Aquasure Harmony 64K#2 of 6Full review
A cheap way to get a large metered softener for a big household or very hard water. Capacity and salt use rest on the maker’s word alone.
Amazon $749.99$749.9964,000-- - Aquasana SimplySoft 60K#3 of 6Full review
A certified, salt efficient softener for a large household with very hard water that does not need high flow. Homes with many bathrooms in use at once should look for more flow.
Amazon $1,049$1,04960,00011.1 gpm4,543 - AFWFilters Fleck 5600SXT 64K#4 of 6Full review
A low cost large capacity Fleck softener for big households or very hard water, for buyers comfortable with an uncertified, seller-built system.
Amazon $895$89564,000-- - Tier1 Essential 64,000 Grain#5 of 6Full review
A cheap large capacity softener for big households on city water, for buyers who want capacity on a budget and accept a short valve warranty.
Amazon $749$74964,000--
How We Rank
Each softener is ranked against others of the same size, and scored on its price per 1,000 grains of capacity, its salt efficiency, its service flow, its valve warranty and whether it’s certified to NSF/ANSI 44.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | price per 1,000 grains of capacity | 30% |
| Salt efficiency | grains removed per pound of salt | 20% |
| Flow | service flow rate | 15% |
| Warranty | warranty on the control valve | 25% |
| Certification | independent NSF/ANSI 44 certification | 10% |
How we rank explains each factor in full.