Kinetico is renowned for its electricity-free water softeners. These devices don’t need to be plugged into an outlet, which simplifies the installation process and also saves money on power bills. But, the company is also known for having one of the largest catalogs of water softeners in the heavy water purification industry.
In this article, we’ll evaluate kinetico water softeners to help you choose the best one for your needs.
- Type: Ion Exchange
- Grain Capacity: 32,000 – 80,000 grains
- Flow Rate: 11 – 20 GPM
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Type: Template Assisted Crystallization
- Grain Capacity: N/A
- Flow Rate: 15 GPM
- Warranty: Lifetime
Who Makes Kinetico Water Softeners?
Kinetico water softeners are made by Kinetico Water Systems. The company was started all the way back in 1970 by two engineers who had the goal of creating a self-sustainable water treatment system, a goal which they would achieve. Kinetico then spread to over a hundred countries before finally being bought in 2006 by Axel Johnson Inc.
Under the umbrella of the Axel Johnson corporation, Kinetico continued to grow and became one of the frontrunners in the water softening industry.
Today Kinetico offers many water treatment products, from carbon and backwashing filters to aeration and arsenic reduction systems. It also has headquarters all over the world, including countries like Canada, Belgium, and France.
This is a global company with a large selection of water-based appliances to choose from, so it’s easy to see why a lot of people consider it to be one of the best brands in the water-softening field.
List of Kinetico Water Softener Systems
Kinetico water softeners come in three categories – the Signature Series, the Premier Series, and the Essential Series.
The Kinetico Signature Series
The Signature Series features whole-house water softeners with dual tanks that provide a great balance between capacity and regeneration time, and don’t use any electricity.
The Kinetico 735 water softener model has the lowest maximum hardness threshold in this particular series, but it has a shorter regeneration time than the other models, and the tank has just as much capacity.
The Kinetico 1035 water softener model has the largest daily capacity and max hardness threshold, which makes it a great option for areas that have a particularly high concentration of minerals in the water.
And finally, the Kinetico 935 model is a great middle-of-the-road option that uses more salt per regeneration than the 735 model, but it has a larger grain capacity and can tackle as many gallons per regeneration as the 1035 model.
| 735 | 935 | 1035 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (HWD) | 41″ x 15″ x 7″ | 41″ x 21″ x 9″ | 41″ x 21″ x 10″ |
| Max Hardness | 40 gpg | 60 gpg | 80 gpg |
| Max Daily Capacity | 10,614 grains | 15,957 grains | 21,276 grains |
| Water Per Regeneration | 29 gallons | 42 gallons | 42 gallons |
| Salt Per Regeneration | 1.8 – 3.0lbs | 3.3 – 4.4lbs | 4 – 6lbs |
| Regeneration Time | 40 minutes | 50 minutes | 50 minutes |
| Grains Per Pound of Salt | 4,175 | 4,592 | 4,592 |
The Premier Series
This series boasts the most powerful models that are ideal for large homes or even apartment complexes thanks to their high flow rates and their dual tanks that can run the regeneration process without any downtime.
If you live in an area with a particularly high concentration of hard minerals in the water, then you’ll need a softener with a high max hardness capacity like the Kinetico 2030s or the 2060s.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for water economy, then the Kinetico 404s, the Q850 XP, and the 4040s OD Chloroban uses the least amount of water per regeneration cycle, and they all have a very short 11-minute regeneration time.
As for the Kinetico S150 XP, the S250 OD XP, and the 4060s OD, they’re all great all-rounders that have decent stats in every category, so they’re a good choice for most homes.
| 2030s | 2060s | 4040s | Q850 XP | S150 XP | S250 OD XP | 4040s OD | 4060s OD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (HWD) | 41″ x 15″ x 7″ | 46″ x 17″ x 8” | 42″ x 17″ x 8″ | 42″ x 17″ x 8″ | 41″ x 15″ x 7″ | 46″ x 17″ x 8″ | 42″ x 17″ x 8″ | 48″ x 17″ x 8″ |
| Max Hardness | 45 gpg | 66 gpg | 44 gpg | 33 gpg | 40 gpg | 29 gpg | 44 gpg | 31 gpg |
| Max Daily Capacity | 10,500 grains | 16,630 grains | 4,921 grains | 5,100 grains | 9,783 grains | 15,399 grains | 4,921 grains | 3,475 grains |
| Water Per Regeneration | 29 gallons | 35 gallons | 13 gallons | 15 gallons | 29 gallons | 35 gallons | 13 gallons | 50 gallons |
| Salt Per Regeneration | 1.8 – 3lbs | 2.7 – 4.4lbs | 1lb | 0.8 – 1lb | 1.5 – 3.0lb | 2.4 – 4.4lbs | 1lb | 3.3 – 4.0lbs |
| Regeneration Time | 40 minutes | 45 minutes | 11 minutes | 11 minutes | 40 minutes | 45 minutes | 11 minutes | 40 minutes |
| Grains Per Pound of Salt | 4,371 | 4,622 | 4,291 | 5,423 | 4,485 | 4,698 | 4,921 | 3,475 |
The Essential Series
The Essential series boasts compact models that don’t take up much space, run on an electricity-free motor that’s powered by the water itself and have incredibly quick regeneration processes.
Both of these models have their own advantages and disadvantages. The Gold model takes up less space in your home, but can only handle 42 gpg and has a smaller grain capacity. The Platinum model, on the other hand, uses more salt per regeneration, but the process itself is the same length as the Gold model.
| Gold | Platinum | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (HWD) | 24″ x 12″ x 18″ | 40″ x 9″ x 9″ |
| Max Hardness | 42 gpg | 50 gpg |
| Max Daily Capacity | 3,660 grains | 5,000 grains |
| Water Per Regeneration | 6.6 gal | 9.5 gal |
| Salt Per Regeneration | 0.8lbs | 1.25lbs |
| Regeneration Time | 15 min | 15 min |
| Grains Per Pound of Salt | 4,574 | 4,000 |
Kinetico Water Softener Reviews: User Feedback
Like most websites, Kinetico has their own user review section that lists reviews they’ve received from people that have bought and used their water softeners. The problem is that these might very well be cherry-picked reviews and there’s no way to confirm that Kinetico is unbiased.
In order to get an accurate idea of what users genuinely think about Kinetico water softeners, we went to review aggregate sites like Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs.
The majority of reviews on these sites are positive, with users praising the flow rates that the devices can generate, their salt economy, and the performance of the devices in general. They also have very good things to say about how silently they run and how the regeneration process is quick, convenient, and practically unnoticeable.
The handful of unsatisfied customers have complaints on kinetico water softener problems that are focused on improper installation, the difficulty in obtaining the salt blocks for the softeners, and the prices. Some of them also note that Kinetico’s customer service leaves something to be desired.
The truth is that the quality of the service may vary depending on where you’re located and that the majority of customers seem to be satisfied.
The issue with obtaining the salt blocks has to do with the fact that the salt blocks for the compact models can only be obtained from Kinetico themselves, and there’s a two-week wait period. However, this shouldn’t be a deal breaker for you as long as you plan ahead.
Kinetico Water Softener Prices
Kinetico water softeners typically costs between $500 – $5,000. The price depends on the capacity and specification of the system you’re purchasing.
The biggest issue that most people seem to have with the Kinetico water softeners is their price, or, to be more precise, the lack of transparency around how much the unit you want will actually cost.
So the best option is to request a quote tailored to your specific situation. Kinetico offers the option to get a quote by entering information about the size of your home, your household plumbing situation, and your water care needs. It might be a bit of a hassle to put in all of the relevant info, but it’ll give you a very accurate estimation of what the device and the entire installation process will cost you.
This is great, in my opinion, especially if you consider that other water softener brands don’t include the installation costs when they list prices.
Kinetico Water Softener Alternatives
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of getting pricing from Kinetico, here are 2 high-quality kinetico water softener alternatives you can get instead:
- Springwell SS1 Salt-Based Water Softener (also see Springwell Salt-free Softener)
- Kind Water Systems E-2000 Water Softener
- Type: Ion Exchange
- Grain Capacity: 32,000 – 80,000 grains
- Flow Rate: 11 – 20 GPM
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Type: Template Assisted Crystallization
- Grain Capacity: N/A
- Flow Rate: 15 GPM
- Warranty: Lifetime
Pros & Cons of Kinetico Softener Systems
Like any other appliance, Kinetico water softeners have their own advantages and disadvantages, and here are some of the most notable ones:
- Features: Options like the self-cleaning feature and the kinetic motors in the Signature Series models make Kinetico water softeners a lot more appealing than other models on the market that are lacking the same features.
- Good Specs: Kinetico models generally have decent flow rates and don’t use too much salt during the regeneration process, and while the larger models use more than the portable ones, it’s still not as much as some other similarly-sized units on the market.
- Easy Maintenance: The automatic cleaning feature that we just mentioned is a great option when it comes to making sure that the pipes and the valves are as clean as possible and last for a good long while.
- No Upfront Cost: having to input all of your personal information into a site before you can get an exact quote on a water softener is definitely a pain, especially if that same site doesn’t even have a general price range for any of the models that it offers.
Aquasana vs Kinetico
The main difference between Aquasana and Kinetico is that Aquasana offers much more cost-effective water softeners than Kinetico, with even their whole-house models being cheaper than what the most compact Kinetico water softener will cost you.
They also offer both large and small water softeners, and even the whole-house models are pretty compact, so they can probably even fit in an apartment.
On the other hand, even the largest models of Aquasana water softeners don’t come anywhere near the flow rate and tank capacity of most Kinetico models, so they’re not a good option for large homes.
Culligan vs Kinetico
The main difference between culligan and kinetico is that culligan has limited water softener models while kinetico has a large catalog of water softeners to choose from.
Culligan is also a reputable water softener brand. They offer whole-house water softeners that are compact but have a pretty decent tank size. However, they only have 3 models on offer. They’re definitely cheaper than the Kinetico models, with prices of around $500 to $1,500, but that’s only a good thing if any of the 3 models they have appeal to you.
Kinetico have a lot more models than Culligan, so it’s much easier to find something that’s a good fit for your home in their catalog.
Are Kinetico Water Softeners Worth the Money?
In my opinion, the price is worth it. Once you get over the initial cost, you’ll find that the electricity-saving properties of these devices will pay off in the long run.
Plus, it makes much more sense to spend a bit of money and get a reliable brand that’ll last you for many years than to keep buying cheap water softeners, as the build-up of calcium causes them to fail.
At the end of the day, the choice is yours, but we’d recommend taking all of the advantages that these products have to offer into account and weighing them against the initial cost before you decide.
Similar Water Softener Brands:
Here are some high-quality water softener brands to also consider:
