Salt-based Water Softeners

This system is the most common choice when it comes to buying a water softener system. They will supply soft water to your entire house and will also feature high rates of water flow. A resin that is inside is attracting minerals such as calcium and magnesium from the water and it replaces them with sodium ions and that process is called the ion exchange process. If the resin runs out of sodium ions you can regenerate the resin by using salt. This will happen once per week and it requires a little bit of maintenance from you.

Salt-free Water Softeners

This system doesn't require the weekly keep up as the ion exchange system does because it doesn't need regeneration or uses salt. Salt-free water softener systems don't remove the hard minerals from the water but they neutralize them and that way they prevent them from sticking together and block them from creating the buildup that will lead to hard water. This system is a bit more expensive when you're buying it but later it costs less compared to a salt-based water softening system because you won't be adding salt in large amounts every single week. They also take up less spaces when compared to salt-free systems because you don't need to use an extra tank to take care of brining and draining. Many of these systems use a multi-stage filtration process and that will do more stuff than just remove unwanted impurities, bacteria from your water and neutralize minerals.

Portable Water Softeners

They make it possible for you to have soft water in any place you go. Portable water softeners are a great solution for travelers in RVs. This system doesn't require electricity and you can use it for several weeks between regenerations.
But when there is a need to regenerate this softener you can do that simply by using a bit of regular table salt and you don't even need to use any tools to finish this process. These systems don't have the same level of water flow as a full-size softener but you will be able to supply water for several people or one bathroom. Another benefit of these softeners is the price because they are less expensive compared to big softeners that are made to supply a whole house.

Showerhead Water Softeners

Most of the water softener systems are pretty expensive since they are designed to supply the whole house with soft water and for most people, this is a very good investment. Showerhead softeners are an affordable option to get the benefits of soft water for your skin and hair. Your skin and hair will be much healthier and hydrated if you're using this water softener system. You will not have hard water spots on your shower doors and walls.

Reverse Osmosis Water Softeners

This system will strip all the substances from the water, including minerals that make water hard. They will also re-introduce healthy minerals in the water that you're drinking.