Best Water Softeners to Protect Your Pipes and Home Appliances in the UK

The BWT WS455 will be able to boost the sense of wellbeing in your life, that's where we'll start. The machine is not cheap and even the 10-litre version will cost you above 500 pounds, which might be more than most are comfortable with but it is hard to say that the price is elevated beyond reason.

First off, the machine will last, that is what the company's products always do. The rotary valve is more reliable than standard valves and more efficient at the same time. Besides, though the price might be steep, the machine is actually quite frugal. Bringing proportional brining to maximise efficiency, this appliance is able to reduce water and salt use, reducing the operating costs even more than before.

The machine does not look expensive, which is something that we can describe both as an advantage and disadvantage. The grey bottom is pretty sleek and plenty modern but the blue lid looks and feels somewhat flimsy, making the product's outline fairly hard to dissect and categorise. On the one hand, we can see this machine fitting most kitchens. On the other hand, while contemporary kitchens will be able to accept its homey appearance, lavish kitchen settings with stainless steel appliances and expensive-looking cupboards might not accommodate this machine as much appearance-wise. They should be able to accommodate this appliance space-wise though since the model's 532 x 270 x 480 millimetres profile is compact enough to fit most cupboards.

The Tapworks NSC11PRO is not modest at all. To start with, the appliance measures 654 x 302 x 532 millimetres, more than most water softeners but, fortunately, still nimble enough to fit standard kitchen cupboards. With its increased size comes increased capacity though, offering flow rates high enough to accommodate up to 7 people.

What's arguably more important is that the machine accommodates both 15- and 22-millimetre plumbing, making sure that the appliance is a welcome guest as far as all households are concerned. The company's EasyFit All-in-One integrated by-pass kit will present very little installation challenges and will allow you to set the machine up and running within ~10 minutes tops.

But that's not what drives the price forward here. The machine's not cheap and that is partially thanks to the high-flow valve that's compatible with both unvented and vented plumbing systems. You can also make an argument that's the case because the appliance's advanced electronics make it possible, even in blackouts, to maintain statistical and programming data. You'll be accessing these electronics via the LCD screen placed above the lid.

The screen has its moments, including bright backlighting that makes the values readable even in poorly lit places. Through this screen, you'll have access to various data points, including hardness, time, remaining exchange capacity, as well as water softened from the previous regeneration and the average water consumption in the last week. Its intelligent controller will be able to perform electrical self-diagnoses, analysing the operation duration and the regenerations carried out within that duration, all while making sure that the turbine and switches did not receive any damage. That being said, the font is pretty odd and the screen is not that crisp, so some might find its performance less than optimal.

The Water2Buy W2B200 Water Softener has been engineered to accommodate average households, so while the unit is not necessarily versatile, it will usually prove the right fit for most people. Its flow rate will be able to support up to 4 people simultaneously, which is, again, more residents than the average house/flat holds. The machine will be providing completely limescale-free water, able to generate around 1,250 litres of filtered soft water on a daily basis. The components will last when dealing with both city and well waters. Plus, the unit adopts an efficient digital metre control, allowing the appliance to consume less salt and water without minimising the regeneration amount.

Size-wise, the machine reaches 220 x 525 x 650 millimetres, so you can stuff the unit inside most kitchen cupboards or put it in a garage or basement. Just make sure to leave enough space for hoses when planning its installation. As it is always the case with these units, you'll need a power source but the machine makes sure to consume very little of it, approximately 20 pounds annually.

You don't want to be replacing these units every few years, so the right products are the ones that last. That's precisely what we're dealing with here, a machine that's featuring high-strength corrosion-resistant fibreglass components, polyethene tank, and pre-filled premium-grade ionX resin.

The Monarch Midi FreeFlow looks royal enough to justify the company's name. More often than not, these filtering machines look quite rough and relatively uninspired, with plastic bodies and cheap-looking casings. That's not the case here. With its matte finish, the bottom part looks elegant and dignified, whilst the dark insert that holds the black LCD screen and the also grey but less light lid balances the matte finish with its smooth exterior, making the unit's profile much more nuanced and interesting than most softeners. You can hide this unit inside any kitchens' cupboards without worrying about opening them and exposing this unsightly appliance that ruins the whole place's vibe. You can not hide the unit at all if the layout allows you to do so.

Generally speaking, the machine's flow rate is good enough to support royal families. That said, when installed in areas that have very hard water, the flow rate might not be able to support the advertised 6 people but even with extremely hard cases, the machine will not fail to accommodate at least 5 individuals at once. Besides, its flow rate reaches 83 LPM and the unit has low pressure drops even compared to the biggest high-end softeners, so you can rest assured knowing the machine will provide consistent output.

The Great Water SK-15 was an easy choice to make when adding softeners to this list. The machine's performance is not lagging behind its competition, the profile is modern and stylish, and all the right tech is there, making sure that the machine lasts.

To begin with, let's address that modern profile that we've alluded to before. Mixing this white-ish/grey-ish light bottom, all whilst keeping the top dark grey, the appliance strikes this nice balance between clean and understated yet smooth and polished. Plus, the dotted pattern on the bottom gives the unit this rugged, weathered appearance that adds character to an otherwise soulless machine.

From its outline, we're pivoting towards the footprint. The unit measures 575 x 275 x 425 millimetres, not unlike most water softeners, so you should be able to stuff this appliance inside some kitchen cupboard without making any changes to the layout.

The installation kit that comes with the package will let you set the machine up and running with most plumbing systems. The unit's designed to accommodate 15-millimetre fittings (these include standard plumbing systems, combi boilers, mains fed systems) but you can also go with the one that adapts to 22-millimetre ones (full-flow pressurised systems) instead. From where we're standing, the installation part is pretty straightforward, which's nice considering that the supplied instructions are sometimes inaccurate, so we would not recommend relying on those too much.