Best Water Softeners Under $800

A certified demand softener for one to four people that also reduces barium and radium, a plus on some well water.

A low-cost, NSF certified demand softener for a small household on city water, with excellent salt efficiency.

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.

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.

A compact, certified demand softener for one to four people, though the same design costs less under other brands.

A compact, certified softener for a small home or a well with some iron, where space matters more than capacity.

A basic Fleck 5600SXT softener for small households, for buyers who know the Fleck platform and do not need published ratings.

A budget metered softener for one to three people on city water, for buyers who want the lowest upfront cost and accept a short valve warranty.

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.

A well rounded certified softener for a family of up to six on hard city or well water.

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.

A good value 40,000 grain softener for a family of three to five, with certified salt efficiency and strong iron handling.

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.

A low cost 48,000 grain softener for a typical family on city water, for buyers who put price ahead of warranty and published ratings.

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.

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.