Last Updated on January 3, 2023 by Mattias
One of the obstacles most people face when trying to install a water softener to handle the hard water problems in their homes is the lack of space.
And at the time of reading this article, I guess this is an issue you are presently faced with too.
Most conventional water softeners are built with big structures and require large spaces to be installed in your home, making it perfect for large homes.
However, if you live in a small house or have only small spaces left to spare in your apartment for a water softener, you should go for a compact water softener system.
To save you the stress of searching for the best compact water softener for your home, we have listed 11 of the best softeners for small spaces.
However, before we look at these compact water softeners, let us look at the factors you should consider before buying a compact water softener.
Table of Contents
Factors To Consider Before Choosing A Compact Water Softener
Your Water’s Flow Rate And Hardness Level
Before choosing a compact water softener for your home, you should first test your water and know its hardness level and flow rate.
Knowing your water hardness level will help you know the grain capacity that you should look for in a water softener, while its flow rate will help you check out the gallons of water that can be softened per minute when selecting a softener.
Read also: How To Add Salt To Water Softener
Features
Some water softeners have additional features that benefit your home’s appliances and water supply.
Some come with additional water filtration and sediment removal system, which would be helpful to you and also prevent you from purchasing an additional filter.
Type
In the water softeners we look at in this article. There are salt-based water softeners, salt-free water softeners, and other alternatives which can help you enjoy the benefits of soft water.
However, they carry out these tasks differently, with some types ranking above others in efficiency.
So, make sure you know which type of softener is best for your home’s water supply before making a choice.
Your Budget
Although a small water softener’s initial cost is less expensive than a traditional water softener, its maintenance is one thing that could cause you to spend more money in the long run.
So, the best choice is to get a compact water softener with a low-maintenance system.
If you are going for any salt-based systems, you should ensure it consumes less salt and doesn’t carry out its regeneration cycle more often than usual.
Read also: Will Water Softener Water Kill Plants?
11 Best Water Softener For Small Spaces
On The Go OTG Portable Water Softener
This is a perfect choice if you need a compact, portable water softener with high performance and low cost.
This water softener doesn’t only soften your water but prevents scale buildup and improves your water quality. It also removes rust and dirt from your water.
With 10 to 25-grain hardness, it can produce 320 to 800 gallons of water.
This 8,000-grain water softener is built to fit most Recreational Vehicles (RVs) and small spaces at home.
The regeneration is simple, electricity-free, and swift. Using a box of table salt regenerates in 15 minutes and softens water for 20 days before requiring regeneration.
- Low-pressure drop
- Permits high flow rates.
- Lightweight
- Built with a handle, making it easy to carry.
It also has a fully functional shut-off control valve and comes with hardness test strips which you can use to test the hardness level of your water supply.
With its 4.7/5 Value for Money rating, 4.8/5 Easy to Use rating, and 4.9/5 Easy to Install rating, it is described by many as the best water softener system that uses table salt.
Mobile-Soft-Water Portable Water Treatment System
This portable water softener has a grain capacity of 16,000 and treats iron content, heavy metals, and heard minerals such as magnesium, calcium, etc., from municipal water and well water.
Removing these minerals improves your water’s quality and makes drinking water from it worthwhile.
This softening system can treat water with a 10-grain hardness to produce 5 gallons of water per minute and can treat 1,600 gallons of water overall.
- Weightless
- Easily movable
- Easy to use
Its regeneration is easy to carry out and requires using table salt instead of electricity for its actualization.
It has a complete system and new components with a one-year warranty upon purchase.
It also has a tank filled with a high-charged water-softening resin of 1/2 cubic foot.
To ensure that the drinking water it supplies to your home is lead-free, its fittings are made with robust nylon materials approved by the National Sanitary Foundation (NSF).
This unit can be used at home, with a pressure washer, and in recreational vehicles.
It also comes with a manual that makes installing it stress-free by showing you the step-by-step procedures to follow.
There have been some complaints by customers about the leaking of the unit after installation, but this is due to the improper connection of the hoses.
So, ensure you carefully install them and make sure they fit properly.
With a 4.8/5 Easy to Use rating, a 4.8/5 Easy to Install rating, a 4.4/5 Value for Money Rating, and a 4.6/5 overall rating, it is safe to say this portable unit is a reliable water softener that you should consider getting for your home.
Read also: 9 Reasons Why Your Softened Water Tastes Salty
PRO AQUA Portable Water Softener
This compact water softener is a highly-efficient unit built with a 16,000-grain capacity and designed for recreational vehicles (RVs), boats, and homes.
This softening system can remove hard water minerals and soften water, whether on the road or at home.
Installation takes less than five minutes, while its regeneration runs for 15 minutes using 2 boxes of table salt.
The light speed of its regeneration is due to its unique WS-P regen kit, which swiftly sends brine solution to the resin bed to clean up its resin beads.
At a hardness of 8 GPG, it can provide soft water to you for 40 days and in up to 2,000 gallons of water.
It also has a filtration system that eradicates all impurities from the water.
The soft water it supplies is 40% more than other water softeners.
It is also built with NSF-approved durable materials and fittings, ensuring its long-lasting use.
Despite its exceptional features, this water-softening system has a very fair price tag and requires low maintenance.
Watts RV PRO Water Softener
Watts RV PRO Water Softener is an efficient compact softening system built with a 10,000-grain capacity.
This unit uses table salt to remove hard water minerals like magnesium and calcium, small bits of iron, and unpleasant smells in your water supply.
It is designed with an inbuilt drain line flow resistor which boosts its regeneration capacity by 55%, making it more efficient.
With this portable water softener, you do not need to connect or disconnect it before regenerating it, all thanks to its custom-designed flow valves.
This 4.4/5-rated softening unit from Watts Water Technologies has a low-pressure drop and a flow rate that can go as high as 4 GPM.
It requires very little maintenance, with little money to carry it out.
It is also user-friendly and versatile — it can be used in recreational vehicles and at home.
EcoPure Water Softener and Filtration System
This unit from the EcoPure brand is built as a hybrid with a water softener and water filter.
This 31,000-grain capacity softener doesn’t just soften and filter water. It also removes minerals stains and unpleasant chlorine taste from your water supply and automatically cleans itself when necessary.
To aid significant salt and water savings, the softening unit regenerates based on the amount of water you use and your water’s hardness level. It doesn’t regenerate when you are away from home and aren’t using it.
It also has an indicator light that alerts you when the salt level is low and an installation kit and manual that makes it setting it up stress-free.
This hybrid system can also be a perfect replacement for a Kenmore water softener.
Fleck Water Softener
Fleck Water Softener is a highly-efficient softening system that can solve all your hard water problems.
The regeneration process in this unit is regulated by a meter that measures the water you use and carries out the regeneration only when necessary.
It has a safety float, metered control, and bypass valve to ensure efficiency.
It has a 48,000-grain capacity, and its materials are made in the USA.
You can install it in 1 – 2 hours if you have basic plumbing skills. However, if you don’t have any plumbing skills, you can hire the services of a professional.
This 4.5/6-rated softening system’s only con is that it doesn’t have a low salt indicator light to notify you when your salt level is low.
Water Boss Water Softener
The Water Boss Water Softener is a softening unit coupled with an inbuilt filtration system to do away with sediments and iron content in your water.
It has a 22,000-grain capacity and can remove 10 parts per million (ppm of iron) and 10 microns of sediment.
With an automated generation process that takes approximately 20 minutes.
It doesn’t have a specific salt built for it, so you can use any softener salt. However, ensure it is a great one.
It is easy to install and set up and has user-friendly controls.
Interestingly, it offers so much value but goes for a very fair price.
On The Go OTG Compact Water Softener
Water softeners from the On The Go (OTG) brand are renowned for their efficiency, and that one isn’t any different.
This 16,000-grain portable water softener can be used by owners of marine models, recreational vehicles, and at home.
With many standout features, such as a back flush adapter, a premium resin, and a system that prevents it from leaking.
It permits high flow rates and can be installed in tight corners.
Its regeneration is also swift and simple and doesn’t require electricity.
In addition, it has a wide opening that makes filling it with salt stress-free and a handle that makes carrying It easy.
This softener delivers just as promised, hence its 4.8/5 star rating and countless positive reviews from its users.
Watts Premier Salt-Free Water Softener and Whole House Water Filtration System
This water treatment system from the Watts Premier can be a perfect alternative for a salt-free water softener.
Like the salt-free water softener, it uses the TAC technology to remove unpleasant tastes from your water and prevent the buildup of minerals and scales in your home’s water-using appliances.
It also has a filter that removes sediment and chlorine taste from your water supply.
And hence it doesn’t use salt. It won’t require regeneration or backwashing from time to time.
Its installation is simple, and you can choose to either install it on the floor or the wall.
However, it isn’t advisable that you install it outside your home.
RV Portable Water Softener
With the compact RV portable water softener, you can get soft water at home or on the road.
It is easily movable and can also be used in your recreational vehicle.
It has a 16,000-grain capacity and supplies close to 50% soft water more than its counterparts.
Its regeneration requires table water and can supply 2,000 gallons of soft water to your home for each charge.
Its tank is built with NSF-approved fiberglass material, ensuring its durability, and setting it up takes just 5 minutes, thanks to the step-by-step instructions.
A good compact water softener that you can trust at all times.
3M Aqua-Pure Water Filtration System
The 3M whole house water filtration system is a system that removes sediment, chlorine odor, and taste from your water supply.
It has a carbon filter and is built with a 100,00-gallon capacity.
Its flow rates are high and can meet most homes’ water pressure.
It is NSF-certified and can be used to filter both city and well water.
Built with high-quality materials that will ensure that it lasts long and is free from corrosion.
This is a good choice if you want a unit to effectively remove the water’s sediments, dirt, chlorine odor, and taste.
Read also: 12 Best Kitchen Faucets For Hard Water + Buyers Guide
Water Softener For Small Spaces Summary
You should remember that compact water softener models aren’t less efficient than large traditional softener units.
With both, you can enjoy the luxury of soft water and the benefits of softened water.
An efficient water softener isn’t determined by water softener sizing (whether it has a colossal or compact design), nor is it determined by whether it is installed in larger or smaller homes.
Select any of the above-reviewed compact water softeners and watch them handle the hard water issues in your homes efficiently.
Good luck!
Meet Mattias Jonsson, the head of content at RainSaucers. Passionate about gardening and water-related topics, he’s dedicated to providing expert information and resources to help improve your home, health, and wallet. Learn from his research and experience.