Best Whole House Water Filter and Softener Combos
Quick answer: a softener removes hardness, and a filter removes everything else you care about, so many homes need both. On city water, the usual combo is a sediment pre-filter, then a carbon filter for chlorine (or chloramine), then the softener. That order also keeps chlorine off the softener’s resin. Our top city-water pick is the SpringWell filter and salt-based softener combo, sized by bathroom count. On well water, swap the carbon stage for an iron and sulfur filter if you need one, like the SoftPro Elite with AIO Iron Master.
Our picks:
- Best overall for city water: SpringWell CF + SS combo
- Best upflow combo for city water: SoftPro Elite + Chlorine+ carbon filter
- Best combo on Amazon: iSpring WCS45KG softener + WF150K filter
- Budget pick on Amazon: Oceanic Fleck softener + upflow carbon
- Best for well water with iron or sulfur: SoftPro Elite + AIO Iron Master
- Also good for well water: SpringWell well water filter + softener
How we chose: we haven’t installed or tested these systems ourselves. We compared what each maker says its filter removes, its flow rate, upkeep and warranty, and matched them to city and well water. Where a detail comes only from a seller’s listing, we say so.
What each stage removes
| Stage | Removes | Doesn’t remove |
|---|---|---|
| Sediment pre-filter | Sand, silt and rust particles, protecting the stages after it | Dissolved chemicals, hardness |
| Carbon filter | Chlorine, many organic chemicals, and chemicals that cause bad tastes and odors, including hydrogen sulfide | Iron, nitrate and hardness |
| Carbon rated for chloramine | Chloramine as well as chlorine, if the maker says so (SpringWell, SoftPro and iSpring all do for their filters below) | Hardness |
| Iron and sulfur filter | Iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide, by oxidizing and then filtering them | Hardness |
| Water softener | Hardness (calcium and magnesium) and small amounts of dissolved iron | Chlorine, bacteria, most chemicals |
| UV light | Disinfects bacteria, if a well test shows them | Chemicals, hardness |
Carbon details from the Minnesota Department of Health; softener and iron details from Penn State Extension; the rest from the makers below.
The Minnesota Department of Health says carbon removes chlorine, hydrogen sulfide and many organic chemicals, but not iron or nitrate. That’s why well water with iron needs a different filter. For a plain comparison of the two, see water softener vs water filter.
City water vs well water: the right order
City water: sediment pre-filter, then carbon filter, then softener. SpringWell’s manual describes exactly this order, and putting the carbon first keeps chlorine off the softener’s resin. Resin maker Purolite says each 1 ppm of chlorine cuts resin life by 50%; see our resin guide. One exception: some cartridge filters are made to go after a softener. iSpring, for example, recommends a softener before its WGB32B cartridge system when your water’s total dissolved solids are above 300 ppm, so follow your system’s instructions.
Well water: sediment filter, then an acid neutralizer if the pH is low, then an iron and sulfur filter if needed, then the softener, then UV if bacteria are present. Our well water guide explains each step, and the iron checker tells you whether you need an iron filter.
Which combo do you need?
Answer a few questions to see the stages you need, in order, and a matching pick.
Choose your water source to see the stages you need.
Our picks at a glance
| Combo | Water | Filter removes | Softener | Filter upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SpringWell CF + SS | City | Chlorine, chloramine, PFAS | 32,000–80,000 grains | Pre-filter every 6–9 months; media 10 years or 1M gallons |
| SoftPro Elite + Chlorine+ | City | Chlorine, chloramine | 32,000–64,000 grains | See SoftPro |
| iSpring WCS45KG + WF150K | City | Chlorine, chloramine (up to 99.9% and 99.8%) | 45,000 grains | Up to 10 years in a 2–3 bathroom home |
| Oceanic Fleck + upflow carbon | City | Not detailed in the listing | 32,000 grains | Not listed |
| SoftPro Elite + AIO Iron Master | Well | Iron up to 30 ppm, manganese up to 7 ppm, sulfur | 32,000–64,000 grains | Automatic backwash |
| SpringWell well combo | Well | Iron, sulfur, manganese | 32,000 or 48,000 grains | See SpringWell |
SpringWell water filter + salt-based softener (CF + SS)
SpringWell sells its city-water filter and salt-based softener as a matched set, sized by bathroom count. Water runs through a sediment pre-filter, then the carbon filter, which SpringWell says removes chlorine, chloramine and PFAS, then the softener.
- Sizes: CF1/SS1 for 1–3 bathrooms (9 gpm filter, 11 gpm softener, 32,000 grains); CF4/SS4 for 4–6 (12 and 13 gpm, 48,000 grains); CF+/SS+ for 7+ (20 gpm each, 80,000 grains)
- Upkeep: pre-filter every 6–9 months; filter media rated for 10 years or 1 million gallons
- Warranty: lifetime against defects on covered items, 5 years on electronic heads, plus a 6-month money-back guarantee (10% restocking fee on non-defective returns)
Good to know: it’s made for city water. SpringWell says well water must be free of iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide and oils. Its current page rates the media for 10 years; an older manual said 6, so ask which applies. SpringWell doesn’t claim third-party certification for the combo.
See it at SpringWellSoftPro Elite + Chlorine+ carbon filter
SoftPro sells its upflow Elite softener as a bundle with its Chlorine+ filter, which uses catalytic carbon in an upflow tank to reduce chlorine and chloramine. It’s a good fit if you want the Elite’s upflow brining, which we cover in our high-efficiency guide.
- Softener sizes: 32,000, 40,000, 48,000 and 64,000 grains
- Filter: catalytic carbon for chlorine and chloramine, per SoftPro
- Warranty: limited lifetime (see terms), plus a 6-month money-back guarantee
Good to know: choose the filter bundle on the Elite’s product page. We didn’t find a published media life or flow rate for the Chlorine+ filter, so ask SoftPro.
See it at SoftProiSpring WCS45KG softener + WF150K filter
iSpring pairs its 45,000-grain WCS45KG softener with its WF150K whole-house filter. iSpring says the WF150K reduces up to 99.9% of chlorine and 99.8% of chloramine and is designed to last up to 10 years in a home with 2–3 bathrooms without filter changes.
- Filter: WF150K, 26 gpm peak flow; up to 10 years (2–3 bathrooms) or 5 years (4–5 bathrooms)
- Softener: WCS45KG, 45,000 grains, with a backwash feature
- What the filter doesn’t do: iSpring says it doesn’t soften water or remove arsenic, radium or fluoride
Good to know: iSpring lists the WF150K’s NSF testing inconsistently across its pages, so treat its reduction figures as the maker’s claims. Check that the listing names both the WCS45KG and the WF150K before you buy.
Check price on AmazonOceanic Fleck softener + upflow carbon filter
A two-tank kit that pairs a Fleck-valve softener with an upflow carbon tank. The listing describes a 32,000-grain softener with 1 cubic foot of resin in a 9 × 48 in tank.
- Softener: Fleck valve, 32,000 grains, 1 cubic foot of resin (listing)
- Filter: upflow carbon tank (listing)
Good to know: we couldn’t find a spec sheet with the carbon volume, flow rate or what the carbon is rated to remove, so ask the seller before buying, especially if your city uses chloramine. At 32,000 grains, it suits smaller homes; check with our size calculator.
Check price on AmazonSoftPro Elite for well water + AIO Iron Master
SoftPro’s well-water bundle puts its AIO Iron Master in front of the Elite softener. The Iron Master uses air injection and Katalox Light media to remove iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide with no chemicals or salt, so the softener only has to handle hardness.
- Iron filter limits: iron up to 30 ppm, manganese up to 7 ppm, plus hydrogen sulfide (SoftPro’s figures)
- Iron filter sizes: 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 cubic feet, needing at least 5, 7 or 10 gpm from your well pump
- Softener alone: rated for clear-water iron up to 3 ppm with no odor, if you don’t need the filter
- Warranty: limited lifetime on the tanks and core components, plus a 6-month money-back guarantee
SpringWell well water filter + salt-based softener
SpringWell’s well-water combo pairs an air-injection iron filter with its salt-based softener. Water Filter Guru’s review lists the filter at up to 7 ppm of iron, 8 ppm of hydrogen sulfide and 1 ppm of manganese; SpringWell’s own page doesn’t list ppm limits, and the WS1 filter is rated at 12 gpm.
Good to know: SpringWell asks for a well test before you buy. More detail in our well water guide.
See it at SpringWellHow to size a combo
Size the softener by grains (your hardness and water use) with our size calculator, and make sure the filter’s flow rate keeps up with the softener’s. SpringWell sizes both by bathroom count. On a well, size an iron filter by your well pump’s flow rate as well. Don’t want salt at all? See the best salt-free water softeners.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a water filter and a water softener?
If your water is hard and you also want less chlorine taste or smell, or your well has iron or sulfur, yes. A softener removes hardness, and a filter removes chemicals, tastes and odors. Neither does the other’s job.
Should the water filter go before or after the softener?
For carbon and iron filters, before: they protect the softener’s resin from chlorine and iron. Some cartridge filters are meant to go after a softener on hard water, so follow your system’s instructions.
Does a water softener filter water?
No. It removes hardness minerals and small amounts of dissolved iron, but not chlorine, bacteria or most chemicals. See water softener vs water filter.
Do I need a filter that handles chloramine?
If your city uses chloramine, yes. Check that the filter is rated for it; SpringWell, SoftPro and iSpring all say their filters above reduce chloramine. Your water supplier’s annual report says which disinfectant it uses.
Related guides
- Water softener vs water filter
- Best water softeners for well water
- Best water softeners for iron
- Best water softeners (all types)
Sources
- Minnesota Department of Health, Water Treatment Using Carbon Filters (GAC) (August 2018).
- Penn State Extension, Iron and Manganese in Private Water Systems.
- SpringWell, water filter + salt-based softener combo and its installation manual (install order).
- SoftPro, Elite for city water, Elite for well water and AIO Iron Master.
- iSpring, WF150K whole house filter.
- Purolite (Ecolab), Factors That Affect Softening Resin Performance and Life.
- Water Filter Guru, SpringWell well water filter review.