Do you have a smaller home?
And a mini water softener would be ideal for you?
Read my article about the best small water softener systems, and learn all the important information that will help you while shopping for the most suitable model for your house. Here you can find out about the main features and technical specifications of 5 best models on the market.
Things To Know Before Buying Mini Water Softener
Where To Buy Best Small Water Softener?
The best are online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart. In my opinion, you can find many models in one place and easily compare them. Also, you can find reviews from other costumers that bought the same product and find great offers for a low price. You can also find great models at the brand’s official websites, or in specialized stores for softener or any other local stores that offer household appliances.
Mini Softener Price Range
Small soft water systems have variable prices that depend on many factors. The general price range of softeners is between $300 and $3000. The prices will depend on the type of softening system, materials used in production, included tech-advanced functions, brand, etc.
The Water Softening System Type
When searching for small water softener units, you should decide which type of softening system you want to buy. Salt-based systems are in general bigger in comparison to magnetic or electronic units. The most portable is salt-free units because they don’t need big tanks for processing water.
Additional Functions Included
Small house water softeners can have many user-friendly functions. For example, the included filtration system will make your water soft and clean to drink. Saltless units are having an energy-saving system, while salt-based units are including a highly informative LCD interface.
The Best 5 Small Water Softener System Reviews
The Best Water Softener For RV:
On The Go Portable Softener
Dimensions And Weight
Because of the compact space-saving design, this is the best model you can buy for your RV. It’s 23.4” long, 11” wide and 10.8” high. Also, it weighs only 32 pounds so it’s lightweight and easy for transport and installation. The carrying handle at the top makes it even more easy for transport.
The System Capacity
This water softener for small spaces has one of the highest capacity on the market, considering other compact models. It can process twice the gallons in comparison to other compact models.
High Water Supply
Its system capacity is up to 16 000 grains. The unit supplies your household or RV with 40% more soft water than any other softener available on the market. This one softener will provide you with up to 1600 gallons of soft water.
Salt-Based System
The device has a salt-based system that softens the water by exchanging hard ions such as calcium and magnesium with the salt. When the mineral tank isn’t charged with salt anymore, the system regenerates it.
Fast Regeneration And Installation
Regeneration is fast and lasts up to 30 minutes. It requires a maximum of 2 boxes of common table salt. The unit includes 360-degree swivel for easy connection of the inlet hose and travel-friendly cap and plugs to prevent leakage. It requires no electricity or tools for installation.
- 16 000 grains system capacity
- 4” high, 11” wide and 10.8” long
- weighs 32 pounds
- 360-degree swivel for easy connection
- the system regenerates within 30 minutes
The Best Small Water Softener For Shower:
Dewifier Shower Water Softener
Multifunctional Showerhead
This is the mini water softener for a shower and it’s ideal accessories for your bathroom. The showerhead in the package is multifunctional and works as both a filtration system and a water softener.
Benefits And Test Kit
It’s very beneficial since soft and clean water is great for your skin and hair. It prevents skin irritations and dryness of hair. The great user-friendly feature is the test kit which allows you to test chlorine removal on hard water before and after using the filter.
Dimensions And Weight
Another great user-friendly feature is the compact structure and highly portable design. It’s 5.2” long, 3.7” wide and 3.6” high. It weighs only 14.4 ounces so you can easily carry it and install it.
Installation And Package Content
The showerhead is suitable for any 0.5” wide shower system, and you don’t need any tools for installation. The user manual with instructions for installation is included. In the package, you’ll get Teflon tape for sealing the connections and 2 silicone O-rings for connecting shower filters to shower arm and showerhead.
Construction Of The Unit
Construction of this unit is high-quality made and long-lasting since it has durable chromed buy and it’s rust resistants. The filtration system is multistaged which increases filtration efficiency. The KDF and ceramic balls are removing chlorine, while resin removes hard ions from water and prevents mineral build-up.
- includes a multistage filtration system
- resin removes hard ions from water
- suitable for 0.5” wide shower system
- test kit for testing efficiency of removing chloride
The Best Small Domestic Water Softeners:
Watts Water Technologies Portable Water Softening System
Easy To Carry Compact Design
This is one of the most portable salt-based water softeners on the market. It’s 22” high, 10” wide and long. It’s space-saving and easy to install. It weighs only 9 pounds, so it won’t be heavy to carry.
High Flow Rate And System Capacity
The system capacity of this small domestic water softener is up to 10 000 grains. It has a high flow rate of 4 GPM and a low-pressure drop. For the softening process, you can add common table salt into the unit.
Salt-Based Softening System
The salt-based system is using salt for removing hard ions such as calcium and magnesium from water. Great user-friendly features of this small water softener are included hardness strips to check the efficiency of the softening process.
Secure Full Cradle Base
Also, the unit has a safe full cradle base that keeps the tank more secure that open base tanks. The regeneration process is filling the mineral tank with the salt again, so it can be effective in removing hard ions for the next 10 000 grains.
Increased Regeneration Efficiency
Additionally, the unit has built-in drain line flow restrictor which provides more effective regeneration and increases the capacity up to 55%. The unit is easy to install, and the process is described in detail in the user manual.
- 10 000 grains system capacity
- 4 GPM flow rate
- 22” high, 10” wide and 10” long
The Best Water Softener For Small Household:
Aquios AQFS220 Water Softener
The System Capacity And Dimensions
This is one of the small home water softener systems that’s designed for living spaces that are smaller than 2500 sq ft. The unit has a compact design and it’s 5” long and 20” high. The system has saltfree technology and 40 000 gallons capacity.
Inlet diameter And Included Seals
It has a 3/4” wide NPT inlet and an outlet for installation. The device includes a pressure-relied feature which has an O-ring seal. Also, it has a knife-edge seal at both ends for a positive seal eliminating by-pass.
Filtration System Included
Besides being a softener, this unit is multifunctional because it also features a filtration system that has a 5-micron coconut carbon filter which reduces chlorine odor and taste, while removing small particles, chemicals, bacteria and viruses from water. Filter lasts for 3 to 6 months.
Scale Prevention Media
Additionally, it features scale prevention media which is great for removing build-up mineral scale which can cause damages on the main water pipes and all other household appliances that use water.
Hardness Efficiency And Flow Rate
The operating temperature is between 40°F and 113°F. The maximum pressure is 105 PSI and maximum hardness efficiency is 22 GPG. The unit has a high flow rate of 14 GPM. The chloride removal efficiency is 14 000 gallons at a flow rate of 2 GPM.
- suitable for living space smaller than 2500 sq ft
- filtration system included
The Best Small Saltless Water Softener:
Magnetic Water Technology Softener
Lightweight And Compact Design
This is one of the smallest units for softening water. It’s very compact and practical, and the installation is very easy. It weighs only 12 ounces, so it’s extremely lightweight and easy to transport. It’s 5” long, 5” wide and 3” high.
Eco-Friendly And Energy-Saving
It’s a salt-free technology that doesn’t use salt for softening the water. Therefore it’s more eco-friendly, but it also saves a lot of money and energy since there’s no wastewater, salt additions, needed electricity and drainage. Also unit doesn’t release additional salt in the environment.
Easy Installation
Installation is easy and doesn’t require any tools or plumber. You just need to strap the device to the main water pipe which requires a minute of your time. The unit can be attached to any type of pipe: copper, iron or PVC/ABS pipe.
Unit’s Construction
The exterior is made from solid steel which makes it long-lasting and durable. The unit contains 2 neodymium magnets that have a very high pulling force. They create a magnetic field within the inlet pipe that causes softening of the water.
Changing Structure Of Hard Ions
When the hard water passes through the part of the pipe where the device is attached, hard ions’ molecular structure is changed. Because of the structure changes, the hard ions lose the adherence power. Therefore they can’t form mineral build-ups on surfaces of pipes and household appliances.
- electromagnetic field changes the structure of hard ions
- suitable for any type of pipe
- eco-friendly and easy to install
- 5” long, 5” wide and 3” high
- weighs only 12 ounces
Conclusion: Which Two Best Small Water Softener Models You Should Buy?
When comparing these models from the list, I’ve concluded that, in my opinion, the two best small water softener systems are Magnetic Water Technology softener and Aquios AQFS220 mini water softener. The first model is the most compact while having highly-efficient eco-friendly and resource-saving technology. The second model is an ideal water softener for small spaces with an included user-friendly multistage filtration system.
In case you want to learn more about other softener models available on the market, and read the buying guide, check out this review on the best water softeners. If you’re looking for an ideal model for the home, read this article on the best water conditioning system. For more models with filters, read this review about whole home water filter and softener models.