The Best Water Softener Salt Options That You Should Try

If you own a traditional water softener, chances are your biggest headache is getting just the right salt for your needs. After all, not all water softener salts are created equally, so choosing a large bag with one that won’t break your bank account and get the job done is essential.

For this reason, we have thought about creating a buying guide for those who are looking for the best of the best. Even better, if you stick with us till the end, we’ll show you a solution that doesn’t require any salt whatsoever to get the best possible water softening results.

 

Selection Criteria

 

First and foremost, the water softener salt we chose had to be of high quality. We don’t accept sacrifices in quality whatsoever, especially if the salt doesn’t offer other neat advantages of its own.

Secondly, the salt needs to have what we call “availability”. We don’t like sending our readers on a quest to search for “hidden treasures”. Instead, we will offer you options that are available in most stores and that come in large bags instead of small ones that practically force you to buy more often.

Finally, we have looked for options that have had plenty of reviews at the ready so we could get a confirmation from multiple verified purchases whether that particular water softener salt was worth it or not. User feedback is critical for us, both when judging others’ and our own products. It’s our philosophy and we think more people should think like this.

Anyway, enough about that. Let’s get into the top best water softener salt options that you can find on the market right now. And don’t forget to scroll all the way down to see how you can soften your water without any salt.

 

Morton Salt 1501 Water Softener Pellets

 

We like the Morton 1501 Salt because it comes in a 50-pound bag. That’s more than enough to last you for at least a few weeks even if your household has the highest possible water hardness level.

What’s more, this salt option comes with absolutely no added chemicals, so it might also extend the lifespan of your water softener to a certain degree. The Morton salt comes in the form of pellets, so thanks to this design, it’s easy to measure, pour, and prevent the appearance of salt brides.

Furthermore, it is available in an easy-open tab along with a hard handle, which can make pouring and carrying from one place to another convenient.

Finally, if there’s one bad thing you can say about this product, it’s definitely the price. It’s not exactly the most affordable option, even if it will last your for quite a while. However, since we value quality above everything else, we’ve chosen this as our top pick for the best water softener salt.

 

 

Cargill Salt 7304 Water Softener Salt

 

These salt crystals are absolutely fantastic at softening water regardless of hardness, so much so that they stand in direct competition with our previous entry. The product is completely natural and free from any chemical additives.

What’s more, it prevents any formation of salt bridges due to the way that each individual crystal is shaped and textured. As such, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you’ll have to deal with one less water softener maintenance task.

Even better, the salt is multi-purpose, as you can also use it for some cooking. For example, you can use the Cargill 7304 in quality grading sensitive veggies, processing meat or poultry, and curing pickles and olives. Finally, what we also like about it is the packaging. It’s a polyethylene bag with film liners for protection against humidity and moisture.

 

Diamond Crystal Bright & Soft Salt Pellets

 

While not exactly perfect, these pellets still have a purity rate of 99.8%, meaning that there aren’t any noticeable traces of additives that could damage your softener or other appliances. Coming in a 50-pound bag, this offering is slightly more affordable than what the Morton pellets brought to the table.

These pellets not only remove calcium and magnesium particles, but they also deal with iron, barium, and a few other lesser-known minerals as well. As such, you can say that they do a better job than most offerings (even though most people with hard water only need to deal with calcium and magnesium).

However, we do not recommend them if you have soft hands or don’t really have all that much strength because the bag isn’t all that easy to open. As such, you’ll have to cut it with a pair of scissors and then ruin the entire resealing mechanism. Still, it’s your decision to make whether you can handle a hard to open package or not.

 

Compass Minerals Water Softener Salt Crystals

 

When looking at the best water softener salt options, you can’t ignore the Compass Minerals 40-pound True Value pack. These extra coarse water conditioning salt crystals have a purity level of 99.8%, so they’re just as great at dealing with hard water as our previous selection.

We like these crystals because they don’t cause salt bridges, nor do they block your water softener’s innards, which makes them both economical and a great choice for those who want to tackle less maintenance tasks on their unit.

We like the fact that the price is quite affordable when compared to the previous offerings, so you might want to check them out if you want to shop on a budget yet still get 40 pounds of almost pure water softener salt. In short, it may be a little less expensive, but it does not sacrifice quality one bit.

 

 

Nature's Own Potassium Chloride Crystal Cubes

 

These potassium-based salts are slightly safer to put in your water when compared to classic sodium-based salts, so you might want to give them a shot if you own a traditional salt-based water softener.

First of all, their efficiency is on par with all of our previous selections, and it’s more environmentally-friendly as well. Potassium-based salt affects plants and other life far less since it doesn’t block their ability to absorb nutrients nearly as much.

Also, potassium-rich water is also good for making sure that you meet your dietary potassium goals, which is one of the main reasons people choose it.

 

Windsor System Saver II

 

With a purity level of 99.7%, the Windsor water softener salt offering is truly magnificent considering it usually retails for a very low price compared to most of its competitors. What many people appreciate about it is its ability to regenerate the softener resin much faster when compared to a multitude of its top-of-the-line competitors, including Morton.

The reason for this is that this formula contains additives that clean the resin beads very effectively, which in turn enhances the effectiveness of your water softener. Fear not, however, for the additives that it does contain are not toxic.

 

The Salt-Free Option

 

You’ve come so far, so it’s only fair that we let you in on a little secret: you can have softened water without maintenance, the use of salt, or hefty installation processes.

Thanks to technological advancements, researchers have been able to create what we now know as water descalers – a simple yet effective device that uses the principles of cathodic protection to prevent limescale buildup, rust, and many other negative things that come with increased water hardness.

Now you might be asking yourself how it works. It’s relatively simple. The device is connected to the main pipe via two wires through which it transmits capacitive electromagnetic signals. These signals actively work on reshaping the mineral crystals that flow through the pipe, making them far less sticky and much smaller.

There is no need to modify your plumbing or read through hefty instructions, as the unit is easily installable without any special tools in only 15 minutes. Afterwards, you just need to plug it into a power supply and let it do its thing. The unit will also eliminate current limescale deposits within three months depending on hardness levels, so no need to fiddle with that either.

 

Introducing the Yarna Water Descaler Versions

 

Fortunately for you, we have several descalers available for purchase right from our homepage. You’ll notice that each of them is means for different-sized pipes, so choose the one that will be suitable for yours.

Other than that, you’ll also notice that all of them are compatible with any pipe material, so you won’t have to worry about changing anything. Regardless of GPM, hardness, or any other factors, any water descaler you choose from us will deal with your hard water problems flawlessly.

However, we don’t want to leave you with that claim alone. We want to back up what we’re saying, so we’re offering a 100-day money-back guarantee in case you are not satisfied with the product.

Furthermore, our default one-year warranty is extendable up to ten years once you register your water descaler on our website. As such, you’ll get the full benefits of both hard and soft water for an entire decade without having to worry about anything. If you want to know more about how a descaler works so you can better understand the science behind it, click here to read this simple guide.

 

The Bottom Line

 

For all intents and purposes, getting the best water softener salt is great, but you’ll be far better off once you switch to a water descaler for numerous reasons. In any case, we wish you the best of luck in keeping your water hardness problem under control regardless of your chosen method.