Best Hard Water Softener for Bathroom – Reviews, Benefits, Buying Guide, FAQ (2023)
Do you know hard water can damage your hair and skin?
Are you fed up with the horrible brownish stains that the hard water causes on the bathroom walls and bath fittings?
Well, there is so much that you must face, having to deal with hard water problems every single day. But the question is, what can you do if hard water runs in the region where you stay? Can you ever get away from it? Can your skin and hair ever be shining and healthy?
In this hi-tech age, when everything is possible, there is also a way to avoid hard water issues.
Yes, try using a hard water softener filter for your tap and shower. A shower filter for hard water is the only thing that you need to dissolve ALL these problems!
If you use a showerhead, you can get rid of the hard water, and your skin and hair will also improve. Here we list down the best water softeners in India for taps and showers.
Before we do that, let’s first see if you need one and the benefits of using a bathroom water softener.
Who Should Buy a Water Softener for the Bathroom?
Most of you might not believe it, but hard water is widespread in India.
If you ask for the visible truth, you should look closely for a white film on your bathroom tiles, deposits on your bath fittings, spots on glassware, etc. But the severe impact hard water has is on your hair and skin; yes, you guessed it right, hard water deteriorates the condition of both. And on top of all these, if your water appliances are breaking down more often than usual, then you are in urgent need of a water softener.
Still not sure if you need a hard water softener for your home? Please read our detailed post on 5 signs you need a hard water softener for your home.
What are the Benefits of a Water Softener?
Reduces Chlorine
Do you know showering in chlorinated water can be worse than drinking it? In warm temperatures, chemicals tend to absorb quickly via the skin entering the bloodstream. Chlorine actively reacts with water, forming toxic byproducts like chloroform, which can harm your health.
Learn more about the harmful effects of chlorine and how you can easily remove chlorine from water.
Makes Water Soft
Apart from your health, hard water also has a severe impact on your water-using appliances. Scaling and sediment accumulation is the most common cause of appliances like washing machines, geysers, and dishwashers dying early. Using hard water for a prolonged period can result in severe ailments like eczema, hair fall, and skin dryness.
You may also like: Difference Between Hard Water and Soft Water
If you are thinking about converting hard water to soft water, then a bathroom water softener is all you need. Apart from reducing water’s hardness, filter-based water softeners also remove physical impurities like sand and dust.
Removes Visible Impurities & Improves Visual Appearance
Besides containing harmful chemicals and heavy metals, raw and unfiltered water may also have sand, mud, dust, dirt, and even rust and iron traces. Impurities like sand, mud, dust, and dirt are common in borewell water. The municipal water generally contains chlorine and traces of iron and rust. The easiest way to see if the water contains such physical impurities is to inspect its visual appearance. If it does not seem clear, then the water contains such physical impurities. All the hard water filters that we have discussed below can easily remove all ordinary physical impurities and improve water’s visual appearance.
Good for Skin and Hair
Apart from worsening dry skin, hard water may also cause a ton of dermatological complications like eczema, psoriasis, and dandruff. Hard water is bad for your hair and skin; it makes your hair look dull and unhealthy.
Removes Odour from Water
Although water is odorless, it might give rise to unpleasant odors due to certain chemicals and heavy metals. Chlorine is the most common cause of unpleasant odor in homes with municipal water supply. Municipal corporations around the world use chlorine to disinfect water. And suppose you do not use municipal water. In that case, the cause of this pungent smell is millions of microorganisms living in your unfiltered showerhead.
Suppose the water in your home also stinks of an unpleasant odor. In that case, you should invest in a multi-stage tap & shower filter to remove chlorine and harmful germs.
Prevents Limescale Formation
As mentioned above, if your region has hard water, you are bound to notice limestone scaling on your appliances, bath fittings, and tiles. Well, guess what? This scaling speeds up your appliances’ aging process, forcing you to spend on new devices! Hard water softeners make the water physically soft, preventing scale formation on your expensive bath fittings, appliances, and tiles.
Prevents Bacteria Build-up in Showerheads
According to research reports by a scientist, 60% of showerheads tested for the research contain various microorganisms, including Mycobacteriumavium, responsible for causing pulmonary disorders. There are even shocking reports stating the presence of carcinogenic bacteria in your showerhead, so beware! Tap & Shower filters with ceramic balls, and KDF-55 filter media are good at crippling germs like bacteria, mold, and algae.
7 Best Water Softeners for Home – Reviews
1. WaterScience CLEO Shower & Tap Filter (SFU-717)
If you are losing tons of hair, then the main culprit is chlorine and other hard water salts in your tap water. Hard water not only affects your lustrous locks but also makes your skin dry, leading to a range of skin problems. The only solution to keep you safe is to filter out the contaminants.
The CLEO bathroom water softener is a shower and tap filter designed with a four-layer filtering system. This water softener for the bathroom filters out sediment & physical impurities, hard water salts, chlorine, and foul odor. It also prevents bacterial growth so that you can enjoy a clean and healthy shower.
This hard water shower/tap filter efficiently removes up to 95% chlorine, all thanks to its KDF technology. The hard water filter features a range of hardness dispersal media, including Zeolites, which wash out the hard water salts so that it doesn’t deposit on your hair and skin.
It is the best water softener for the bathroom in India. CLEO hard water softener for taps & showers features a replaceable cartridge. One cartridge will last for up to 6 months, or 25,000 liters of water per the company claims. However, the water-softening cartridge’s actual life will depend on the usage and quality of the water.
The best thing is this bathroom water softener filter works fine for both cold and hot water (5 – 70 °C), which makes it fit for geyser water. It filters up to 6 liters of water per minute, which is quite impressive.
The intelligent design makes it very easy to install. CLEO tap/shower filter fits easily with standard 22, 24 & 28 mm aerator taps, 1/2” wall, overhead, and handheld showers.
2. D’Cal Hard Water Scale Prevention System
A hard water conditioner that works by preventing the accumulation of calcium formation from hard water. Noticed white marks in utilities like geyser rods, tiles, and water taps? You are using hard water for bathing, washing clothes, etc. The life of these appliances also deteriorates because of internal damage, eventually leading to corrosion.
Bathing with hard water eventually impacts your skin and hair, making them rough and coarse. But thanks to this revolutionary hard water softener for overhead tanks, you can easily stay away from most of the harmful effects of hard water. This hard water softener for the house uses proprietary technology to make calcium ions inert.
If you have been using hard water and made your skin, and hair miserable, you are in dire need of this water conditioner.
D’Cal does not remove calcium from the water.
So how does it make the water soft?
It uses unique water-softening techniques that make calcium inert. What it means is, that calcium by nature, is sticky. D’Cal water softener for overhead tanks changes the sticky nature of calcium, so it does not stick to taps, buckets, tiles, hair, and skin. Since it does not filter the water, you do not need to change any filters or perform any maintenance.
D’Cal hard water softener for overhead tanks does not require any installation. All you have to do is drop it into your overhead water tank. It is suitable for water tanks of up to 2000 liters.
3. PuriFit 10-Stage Shower and Tap Filter for Hard Water
This hard water filter for tap & shower claims to do the unthinkable. Apart from filtering out harmful impurities, it also reduces hair fall and skin dryness caused by hard, chemical-filled water.
The presence of chlorine is the biggest reason for your hair feeling rough and your skin becoming dry. This seemingly small but handy tap water filter removes up to 98% of chlorine and its harmful effects on your hair and skin.
You can easily install this bathroom water softener on both showerheads and taps. Installation is effortless and takes only a few minutes.
PuriFit hard water filter is a 10-stage filter that works best with hot and cold water.
In this hard water softener, the Hardness Removal Layer removes the water’s hardness. The heavy metal removal layer removes heavy metals. The Activated Carbon Layer removes foul odors and bacteria.
The usage of filtration technologies like KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) and Calcium Sulfite keeps the heavy metals and chlorine at bay. The Mineral layer and Alkaline layer improve water quality and make it fit for your skin and hair. The vitamin C layer revitalizes your damaged hair and skin. High-density stainless steel mesh and PP cotton filter remove visible impurities like dust and sediments.
Added Vitamin C layer + Reduced Hardness level + Up to 98% chlorine Removal, provide the perfect solution that prevents dandruff and premature graying of hair.
The replacement cartridge is quite affordable and is readily available online. Each cartridge has a filtration capacity of up to 40,000 liters or up to 8 months.
PuriFit Shower & Tap water filter is one of the best-selling hard water softeners in India. The best thing about this bathroom water softener is the affordable price and ease of installation!
4. RiverSoft SF-15 PRO Shower and Tap Filter for Hard Water
RiverSoft SF-15 PRO shower filter will make your water clean and free from harmful chemicals. Harmful chemicals and impurities such as chlorine, Chloramine, and hard water salts like calcium, fluorides, make the skin dry. These impurities lead to scalp flakiness, which makes hair dull and weak.
RiverSoft filter protects your skin and hair against the harmful effects of chlorine, heavy metals, and hard water salts. This tap and shower hard water softener also enriches water with essential minerals. Vitamin C and alkaline ball adjust the pH value to provide the required nourishment for your hair and skin.
The RiverSoft SF-15 PRO uses more or less similar filtration technology as the PURIFIT shower & tap filter that we have reviewed above.
The hard water softener for the shower & tap from RiverSoft uses 15-stage filtration. The design, filter media, and stages look more or less the same as the PuriFit hard water softener for the bathroom reviewed above.
RiverSoft hard water filter for tap & shower also promises to provide the same set of advantages, for your hair, skin, and bath fittings, as the PURIFIT tap water filter. The price of both filters is almost the same.
RiverSoft SF-15 PRO shower filter with 15 stages contains the right combination of high-purity KDF, Calcium Sulphite, Active Carbon, and Vitamin C, which neutralizes harmful chlorine. It also removes harmful organic matter, dilutes hard water salts, and has an antibacterial effect.
The filter comes with a universal ½ inch inlet and outlet for direct installation to all kinds of showers. For tap installation, you need to provide the image of your tap so that the manufacturer can send you a suitable adapter for tap installation.
The filter cartridge for this tap water filter is readily available online. Each cartridge lasts for about 40,000 liters of water.
5. KOHLER RainDuet Filter Shower
This product is the most unique of all the products listed here.
Launched recently by the world’s leading brand of bath fittings, this isn’t a fits-all filter but a showerhead with a filter cartridge.
Before you dive deep into the product review, let’s first see what’s inside the box.
It comes with a KOHLER showerhead, one filter cartridge (inside showerhead), one flow regulator kit, and an instructions manual.
Unlike the hard water softeners designed for taps and showerheads, KOHLER RainDuet Filter Shower combines the showerhead and filter cartridge.
The filter cartridge easily fits inside the KOHLER RainDuet showerhead. What that means is, the filter cartridge can not be used with any other showerhead, whether from any other brand or KOHLER.
Since this product is a combination of showerhead and filter cartridge, let’s review the showerhead and the filter cartridge in equal detail for your better understanding of the product.
Showerhead
Premium design and world-class quality are the hallmarks of all KOHLER products. This showerhead is an exceptional combination of premium design, quality, and health benefits.
The RainDuet showerhead offers a spray face area of 122 mm for superior performance over other showerheads in its class.
It is a multiple-spray showerhead. A multiple-spray showerhead lets you change the spray as per your choice.
This showerhead gives you the option to choose between 5 spray modes. These five sprays are Relaxing Rain, Focus, Massage, Rain + Massage, and Rain + Focus.
Did you notice, the 4th and 5th modes are a combination of two modes. It is possible because this showerhead comes with a unique option to use two sprays simultaneously.
Another unique feature of this showerhead is the use of Katalyst Air-Induction Technology. This innovative technology makes every water drop larger by infusing 2.2 liters of air through the showerhead into 10 liters of water per minute. What this practically means is a consistent and powerful spray for an enjoyable shower experience.
And last but surely not least, the showerhead comes with a 10-years warranty for a hassle-free user experience.
Filter Cartridge
KOHLER RainDuet showerhead has a specially designed cavity to fit the filter cartridge.
The showerhead is very easy to install. Likewise, you can replace and clean the filter cartridge quite effortlessly.
The filter cartridge has five layers of filtration for removing physical impurities like sand and dirt, removal of chlorine and heavy metals, and reduction of scaling.
You will start noticing the noticeable difference in your skin and hair in a few days.
- Prevent Hair Damage: Reduces dryness, thinning, breakage, and hair fall by removing chlorine
- Reduces Skin Issues: Prevents itchiness and dryness of the scalp by removing toxic metals. It prevents acne by filtering out physical impurities like dust and sand.
The filter cartridge is designed to last for up to 6 months or 25,000 liters of water filtration.
There is a 6-month warranty on the cartridge, but we are unsure how this warranty will work because these showers and tap filters get clogged quite frequently.
One easy way to improve the filter cartridge’s performance and life is to flip the cartridge upside down every two months.
This showerhead filter also comes with a flow regulator/restrictor. If the water pressure in your bathroom is too high, use the flow restrictor.
6. Dr. Recommends 15 Stage Shower & Tap Filter for Hard Water
Dr. Recommends a 15-stage shower and tap filter that is easy to use and affordable.
This hard water softener for shower/tap is almost similar to the RiverSoft hard water shower filter. Both these bathroom water softener filters are practically identical in size, design, and filtration stages.
Just like the RiverSoft hard water softener, Dr. Recommends hard water softener for the bathroom promises to filter and soften hard water through a total of 15 stages.
The benefit of going with this hard water filter over the one from RiverSoft is you get the same product at a lower price.
There is a high chance that the water contains chlorine in the municipal water supply or any other piped water supply. This shower filter is ideal for removing chlorine.
This multi-stage filter dramatically reduces harmful chlorine, dirt, and odor. This filter helps fight out scale build-up and eliminates dry & itchy skin, eczema, hair fall, and acne.
Dr. Recommends Shower & tap water filters consist of several filter layers. KDF 55 media (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) and Activated Carbon layers effectively remove the harmful chlorine and prevent bacterial growth.
The filter also features medical stones that boost oxygen levels in the water. Vitamin C balls help restore your skin, thus preventing it from various dry skin diseases. But that’s not all; after taking a shower, you will feel more revitalized than ever, all thanks to the mineral balls. Thanks to the calcium sulphite and KDF-55, you can now bathe with water free from chlorine.
The filter also uses a dual combination of PP Cotton and Stainless Steel Mesh filters in the first and the last stage. Both these filters are good at removing physical impurities like dust, sediment, and rust.
Talking about installation, installing it on a showerhead or handheld shower is easy. The product comes with all the required accessories required for proper installation.
You don’t need any special skills, knowledge, or tools to install the shower water filter. You can replace the cartridge effortlessly. One cartridge filters up to 40,000 liters of water and lasts for 4-6 months for a 4-member family. The replacement cartridge is available online.
7. Caresmith SIFT+ Shower & Tap Filter
We liked this shower & tap filter because, unlike other shower & tap filters, it does not make any tall claims.
The product description mentions that it does not reduce TDS or hardness. The Caresmith SIFT+ converts chlorine and other dangerous impurities to harmless salts. But it gives you complete assurance of making the water a lot safer and free from chlorine and other contaminants.
Designed for Indian water conditions, Caresmith SIFT+ is 50% larger than standard shower filters available in the market.
Each day you expose your body to harsh impurities, which can lead to your skin getting excessively dry and your hair falling out.
Looking at this shower filter’s features, we can confidently say that this is an ideal tap & shower filter for municipal water supply. We are saying so because municipal water generally contains chemicals like chlorine.
Did you know that one of the big reasons for dry hair, dull skin, and brittle nails is chlorinated bathwater?
With its unique ten-layer filtration, the Caresmith SIFT+ Shower Filter gets rid of all the chlorine, heavy metals, and several other harmful chemicals in your bathwater. This tap filter reduces hair fall, protects skin, and removes foul odors from your shower water.
The filter life is around 3-6 months, depending on water quality and usage. It can typically filter around 25,000 liters of water. The replacement filter costs around Rs. 599 and is available on Amazon.in.
It is easy to install and does not need any professional installation. The filter comes with all the things you’ll need for quick self-installation. You can use it with all ½” standard showerheads, handheld showers easily, and 24 mm & 28 mm aerator taps.
Are you looking for a high-quality shower filter to fight the side effects of hard water contaminated with chlorine and other chemicals? Caresmith SIFT+ is the right shower filter for your home.
You may also like to go through our detailed review of the Bathroom Water Softener from Kent.
Hard Water Softener/Filter Buying Guide
Most shower filters are ineffective, as the manufacturers implement outdated filter technology. Indeed, not all tap & shower filters are not as good as they claim. But does that mean that there are no reliable water softeners for a shower in the market, and you have to live with hard and contaminated water?
It would be best to look for certain things when you buy any tap or shower filter to ensure that the product does what it claims. Filtration technologies like KDF and multi-stage filtration systems are effective enough to drive off contaminants and heavy metals.
We have listed down a comprehensive buying guide to help you make the right choice.
Type of Tap/Shower Filter
According to the design, here are two types of shower filters you can use:
- Showerhead or Tap Filters: These exactly resemble a showerhead and even act like one. You have to install it on top of your tap and shower. Although these appear to be a bit bulkier, they are best at their job of cleansing the water from the harmful particles and maintaining constant water pressure.
- In-line Filters: These shower filters do not come with a showerhead. You will have to install it between the existing showerhead and the water pipe. One of the benefits of opting for this type of filter is that you need not change your showerhead.
According to Filtration Technology
- Multi-Level Carbon Filters: These types of filters use similar technology used by other water filtration systems. The filters lead the water through several mediums, each designed to remove a specific kind of impurity. Some of the filters even filter the water by pushing it through 10-12 mediums.
- KDF Filters: These filters either can be used in combination with carbon filters or can be used alone. Made of copper and zinc, these are incredibly effective in removing harmful heavy metals, bacteria, and viruses. Also, these filters are very useful in eliminating other impurities from municipal water.
- Vitamin C Filter: You can also use Vitamin C filters in conjunction with carbon and KDF filters. This filter proves itself to be the best when it comes to removing chlorine and chloramine particles. If you want to see improvements in your skin, you should use this shower filter for hard water.
Initial Price & Cost of Cartridge Replacement
The hard water filter you order will come with an inbuilt cartridge, and some manufacturers also provide an extra cartridge. Upon exhaustion of these, you need to replace your cartridge with a new one. So, apart from the initial one-time cost, you should also check and compare the replacement cartridge cost. You wouldn’t want to throw the filter when you later find that the replacement cartridge is priced very high.
Cartridge Filtration Capacity
This feature is also brand-specific, and thus before buying, you should check this. It helps you to understand how much water the cartridge can filter before finally giving up. Accordingly, you can arrange for its replacement. Most tap filter cartridges last around six months to a year or 20,000 liters to 40,000 liters of water.
Don’t want to go through the hassle of replacing the cartridge too frequently? Go for a shower filter with maximum cartridge life.
Hard Water Tap/Shower Filter – FAQs
No. These tap & shower water softeners are not recommended for purifying drinking water. These compact hard water softeners can not give you water that may be fit for drinking. Raw water can contain several impurities and dissolved solids (TDS), and only an RO water purifier can remove them.
A water softener does not lower the TDS level of water, and it follows the exchange process. The magnesium and the calcium ions, which are hard water constituents, get removed, or their chemical properties are changed. As the water flows through the filter, it goes through several layers, but these layers do not lower the TDS levels of water.
Yes, a water softener not only cleans the water and makes your skin and hair better, but it also removes the scaling on your bath fittings. Calcium in water is the main constituent responsible for scale formation on bath fittings and water-using appliances. These water softeners change the sticky nature of Calcium to give you physically soft water. All good water softeners will reduce the formation of scale on bath fittings.
Is chlorine in your tap water making your life difficult? It would be best to opt for a multi-stage filter with an activated carbon layer, calcium sulfite, or KDF 55 layer. Not all water softeners can remove chlorine, and you should check this before choosing one.
Your tap & shower hard water filter’s longevity depends hugely on the water’s quality and quantity. Most tap & shower filters require you to replace the filter cartridge every 3-6 months or every 20,000 to 40,000 liters of filtered water.
Final Verdict
As you can see in the reviews of hard water filters for a tap, you can see that every model is unique in some sense. All of these have one thing in common. They do their best to filter out contaminants from the water so that you can bathe and shower in clean water. Ultimately, you need to determine your preferences and select a filter that you think will best suit you.
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I changed my cartridge of RiverSoft. Yet salty water is coming. Please guide or support.
Please get in touch with the brand/seller for this issue.
Extremely helpful information. Thanks for this post
Can anybody tell me 10 reasons to use a Shower filter head?
Please read this post.
Also, talk about Aquaking and Dr. Water shower filters.
Great Information!
But along with the above mentioned, I think Wellon Shower filters is also one of the best shower filters in Indian market. They have specialized softening media from USA and KDF85 which reduces scaling and calcification and thus helps in getting more soft water. Wellon has antiscalant softening media, activated carbon with 1200 iodine, Molecular Sieves zeolite, KDF, Vitamin Balls which effectively aims at removal of hardness, chlorine and bacteria, giving all Wellon healthy bath.
I do not see a listing for a salt based ion exchange water softener. Are they not pratical to implement?
No they are not. You can go for Wellon non salt based Shower filter.
The water softener listed at #5 is an ion exchange water softener. The only reason we have listed fewer ion-exchange water softeners in this post is that we have focussed more on water softeners which can be easily fitted to tap and showerheads. If you have space and do not mind spending some time on their installation then you can definitely go with an ion-exchange water softener.
Will any of these tap/shower hard water softeners lower the TDS level of the water?
None of the tap/shower hard water softeners reduce the TDS level of the water. These hard water softeners feature a range of hardness dispersal media like Zeolites which changes the sticky nature of hard water salts like Calcium and Magnesium. Hard water salts, especially Calcium, are very sticky in nature and that is why they deposit on your hair, skin, bath fittings, tiles, etc. These hard water softeners change this property of hard water salts so that they do not deposit on your hair, skin, and bath fittings.