Kinetico vs Springwell: Which is Better in 2023?

SpringWell and Kinetico are well known in the water treatment industry. Both brands offer a range of popular water filtration and softening products – which can make choosing between the two difficult.

We’ve researched, and tested some of Kinetico and SpringWell’s top products and compared them in this guide to help you to decide which brand, if any, is best for you.

🏠 Whole House Water Filtration Systems

SpringWell

SpringWell offers a whole house water filtration system for city water, available in three sizes:

Model	Flow Rate (GPM)	# of Bathrooms
CF1	9	1-3
CF4	12	4-6
CF+	20	7+

SpringWell also has a whole house water filter system for homes with a private well water source, available in two sizes:

Model	Flow Rate (GPM)	# of Bathrooms
WS1	12	1-4
WS4	20	4+

Kinetico has a single whole house water filter system:

• The Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System, 2.8 GPM flow rate, for point of use and point of entry installation.

⚖️ Comparison Chart

💡 Media Comparison

SpringWell CF

The SpringWell CF uses two combined media in its tank: KDF and catalytic carbon. The activated carbon media adsorbs contaminants affecting taste and odor, like chlorine and chloramine, and the KDF enhances the carbon’s contaminant removal and traps contaminants like PFOAs, pesticides, and herbicides. The system also comes with a 5-micron sediment filter that removes large particles that could damage the filter media.

The CF is smartly designed, with anti-channeling technology and four-stage proprietary media, to allow water to have an extended contact time with the filter media. Our water tasted cleaner and we were impressed with the thoroughness of the system’s filtration.

SpringWell Well Water Filter System

The SpringWell Well Water Filter System uses a process known as air injection oxidation, which is exactly how it sounds – air is “injected” into water to oxidize a selection of common well water contaminants. The system uses a single tank, with an air pocket at the top, and a media bed at the bottom.

Water travels through the top of the tank, and iron, manganese, and sulfur are oxidized. Then, as water flows through the media bed, these oxidized minerals become trapped, and are unable to leave the tank. Frequent backwashes are needed to rinse the minerals out of the media. The system also comes with a spin-down sediment filter that removes particles as large as 100 microns.

Read the full review: SpringWell Whole House Well Water Filter System (WS) Review

Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System

The Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System uses NanoSmart™ technology, a type of ultrafiltration media, and high-porosity catalytic carbon media. These media combined are capable of improving water’s taste and trapping contaminants down to microbial size.

Ultrafiltration is a type of physical filtration that forces water through a membrane, removing low-weight suspended solids. Catalytic carbon adsorbs contaminants, pulling them out of the water.

This system doesn’t come with a sediment filter, but it’s designed to handle sediment itself.

🧫 What Contaminants Do They Remove?

SpringWell CF

The SpringWell CF filtration has a total of three filter stages, each targeting a specific group of contaminants:

• Stage 1 sediment filter: silt, sand, and clay
• Stage 2 catalytic carbon media: chloramine, chlorine, VOCs, pesticides, and herbicides
• Stage 3 KDF media: harmful chemicals and heavy metals

The CF isn’t designed to remove hundreds of contaminants. Instead, it targets a specific set of impurities that are most common in municipal drinking water supplies.

SpringWell Well Water Filter System

The SpringWell Well Water Filter System oxidizes and removes measured amounts of three common impurities in well water:

• 7 PPM iron
• 8 PPM hydrogen sulfide
• 1 PPM manganese

You’ll know if your well water contains these contaminants because it’ll have an orange tinge and leave red or brown stains on your water-using appliances. It might also have a bad taste and smell like rotten eggs.

Large particles of sediment are also removed by this water filter’s sediment filtration stage.

Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System

The Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System can remove the following contaminants from tap water:

• PFOS/PFOA (certified by the WQA to NSF Standard 53)
• Lead
• VOCs
• Chlorine (certified by WQA to NSF Standard 42)
• Chloramine
• Scale
• Microbe reduction

The system is designed for treating city water, reducing chemical tastes and improving quality. It can’t be used to treat microbiologically unsafe water.

🚦 Performance Comparison

SpringWell CF

We’ve tested tens of whole house water filtration systems, and the SpringWell CF is one of the best-performing systems we’ve seen.

The CF1 has a good flow rate of 9 GPM, and targets all the likely contaminants in municipal water supplies. Our water tasted fresher and cleaner after we installed this filter, and we didn’t notice a difference in our water pressure.

Here’s a summary of the performance of SpringWell CF as assessed through our third-party laboratory analysis.

SpringWell Well Water Filter System

The SpringWell Well Water Filter System is another high-performing model, with a minimum flow rate of 12 GPM. We particularly like that this system removes both iron and hydrogen sulfide effectively, while other AIO systems only remove one or the other. So, if you have an iron and hydrogen sulfide issue, this system is a good choice.

Again, we noticed a clear improvement in our water’s taste and smell after installing this system, and our water pressure didn’t drop significantly enough to notice.

See our SpringWell Well Water Filter System laboratory testing data in the table below.

Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System

The Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System offers a good performance in terms of contaminant removal. It ticks all the boxes for a city water filter, removing all the biggest problem impurities.

The main problem we had was with flow rate. This system can be installed as either a point of entry filter (i.e. for whole home use) or as a point of use filter (i.e. underneath your kitchen sink). The flow rate is just under 3 GPM, making it much more suited to under-sink installation. If you have a big home with lots of water-using appliances, you’ll probably notice a drop in flow rate after installing this system.

💲 Models & Upfront Cost

SpringWell CF Systems

The starting price for the smallest SpringWell CF system is around $1,600. This is a great value for money – most whole house water treatment systems start at above $2,000.

SpringWell Well Water Filter System

The SpringWell Well Water Filter Systems are more expensive, costing $4,000 to $5,000. The good news is that this system doesn’t need maintenance, but it is expensive – and probably out of some people’s budgets.

Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System

The cost of the Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System depends on which Kinetico dealer you buy it from. Prices aren’t available for reference online, and different dealers offer different packages.

📆 Filter Lifespan & Replacement Costs

SpringWell CF

The carbon/KDF media in the SpringWell CF should last for 1 million gallons, or about 10 years. This makes the system virtually maintenance-free – you’ll just need to replace the sediment filter every 6-9 months.

You can buy replacement media on SpringWell’s website for about $335. Remember, you’ll only need to pay for this media every 10 years. The sediment filter needs replacing more regularly; about twice per year. You can buy this filter online for about $80.

SpringWell Well Water Filter System

The SpringWell Well Water Filter System’s greensand media lasts as long as the unit itself – between 18 and 25 years. That’s great news if you’re looking for a completely no-maintenance system.

Plus, the spin-down sediment filter doesn’t need much maintenance because it’s self-cleaning, and lasts for up to 24 months before it needs changing. SpringWell sells this filter for about $100.

Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System

There’s only a single filter to change in the Kinetico PFAS POU system, which makes maintenance relatively low-hassle. The user manual recommends changing the filter every 12 months, although you need to make more frequent changes if your water quality is particularly bad.

You will need to reach out to your local Kinetico dealer to discuss the cost of filter replacements or set up a maintenance plan for your system.

💬 Customer Reviews & Complaints

SpringWell CF

Customer reviews for the CF are largely positive. Reviewers agreed that installing the system themselves was possible, SpringWell’s customer support was good, and their water quality improved after setting the system up.

One customer said that their water quality had been so improved by the SpringWell CF1 that they’d started drinking tap water again after three decades of exclusively drinking bottled water.

On the negative end, some customers said that the CF was too difficult to DIY install, so they’d had to pay to get a professional to install it for them.

SpringWell Well Water Filter System

The SpringWell Well Water Filter System has also been praised by customers for its contaminant removal abilities. Customers were pleased with the improvements to their water’s taste and smell, and agreed that their water quality and clarity had improved.

The biggest setback identified by some customers was backwashing. Reviewers with particularly poor-quality water noted that their water treatment system was backwashing more frequently – and wasting more water in the process – than they’d expected.

Kinetico PFAS POU Filtration System

Kinetico doesn’t have any exclusive reviews for the PFAS POU Filtration System on its website, and because its products aren’t sold elsewhere, there are no other sites to find customer reviews. This is another downside to the Kinetico brand.

☑️ Pros and Cons

Your might also like: Our list of the better water filter systems worth your money in 2022.

🚿 Water Softeners & Conditioners

SpringWell

SpringWell has one whole house water softening system offering: The SS Salt Based Water Softener System

Model	Grain Capacity	Flow Rate (GPM)	# of Bathrooms
SS1	32K	11	1-3
SS4	48K	13	4-6
SS+	80K	20	7+

SpringWell also offers a single water conditioner for whole house water treatment, available in three sizes:

Model	Max Hardness (GPG)	Flow Rate (GPM)	# of Bathrooms
FS1	81	12	1-3
FS4	81	15	4-6
FS+	81	20	7+

Kinetico

Kinetico has salt-based softening systems in three different sizes:

• The Kinetico Essential Series, a compact softener for small homes
• The Kinetico Premier Series, the standard softener for homes of all sizes
• The Kinetico Signature Series, for medium-to-large homes

We reviewed the Kinetico Premier Series in this guide, as it’s the most popular and efficient choice with the best warranty (10 years).

⚖️ Comparison Chart

🚦 Performance Comparison

SpringWell Salt Based Water Softener System

The SpringWell SS Salt Based Water Softener System provides up to 99.9% scale reduction with thorough water softening, using the traditional (and still most effective) process of ion exchange. We like that this water softening system is smart, and only regenerates when it calculates that it needs to, after a certain amount of water usage.

In our testing, the SpringWell SS proved to be consistently reliable, capable, and durable – so much so that it currently takes the top spot in our best water softeners review.

SpringWell FutureSoft® Salt-Free Water Softener

The SpringWell FutureSoft conditions water using a process that’s rapidly gaining popularity as a salt-free alternative: template-assisted crystallization, or TAC. This process isn’t quite as effective as ion exchange, but only by minorities – it still reduces scale buildup up to 99.6%. This is a better figure than most other water conditioners can offer.

We noticed that our hard water problems gradually reduced after we’d installed this SpringWell salt-free softener. The system crystallizes hardness minerals, so although we could still taste them in our water, we were reassured to know that they couldn’t form limescale.

Read the full review: SpringWell Futuresoft (FS) Salt-free Water Softener Review

Kinetico Premier Series

The Kinetico Premier Series soft water systems have been certified by the Water Quality Association (WQA) to NSF/ANSI Standard 44 for their ion exchange performance, which replaces hardness minerals with sodium ions. Our research found that the Kinetico water softening systems are reliable units that are capable of managing a hard or very hard water supply.

There are two Kinetico Premier models to choose from: the Kinetico Premier Series and the Premier Series XP. Both models are the same, but the XP has performance benefits – you can calibrate the system more precisely to improve efficiency, further reducing water and salt waste.

Both models come in three sizes, ranging from around 5,000 to around 16,000 grains per day, depending on the size of your home.

Related: Kinetico water softener not working? Check out this post!

💲 Models & Upfront Cost

SpringWell Salt Based Water Softener System

The SpringWell SS comes in three sizes, and starts at around $2,600, with the largest model costing around $3,500. This is pretty spot-on for salt-based water softeners.

SpringWell FutureSoft® Salt-Free Water Softener

The SpringWell FutureSoft is also priced fairly for a system of its kind, starting at about $2,800 and costing up to $4,800 for the largest sized system.

Kinetico Premier Series

The different models in the Kinetico Premier Series aren’t priced online. You’ll need to note down the models you’re interested in and contact your local Kinetico dealer to learn more about pricing.

📆 Resin Lifespan & Replacement Costs

SpringWell Salt Based Water Softener System

The lifespan of the SpringWell SS’s resin is about 8 years. You can get better resin than this nowadays, lasting up to two decades, so we think there could be improvements here. The good news is that the softening tanks and control valve are supposed to last up to 20 years, so you don’t have to replace the entire thing when the resin gets tired.

As far as we can tell, you can’t buy replacement resin from SpringWell, but it’s worth contacting customer service if you want to stay brand-loyal.

SpringWell FutureSoft® Salt-Free Water Softener

The TAC media in the SpringWell FutureSoft has a lifespan of 1 million gallons, equating to about 6 years. This is a good lifespan for salt-free softening media.

Again, it doesn’t look like you can buy replacement TAC media on SpringWell’s website. You could buy media from another brand or get in touch with SpringWell to discuss your options.

Kinetico Premier Series

There’s no information in the user manual about how often the softening resin will need to be replaced in the Kinetico Premier Series. This is something your dealer will likely explain to you when you’re buying this soft water system (make a note to discuss this if you plan to contact Kinetico about its softeners).

💬 Customer Reviews & Complaints

SpringWell Salt Based Water Softener System

Customers were pleased with the softening benefits of the SpringWell SS. Most customers said that they’d easily installed the system themselves, and many praised the optional Bluetooth app for its convenience.

A common complaint was with installation – not everyone found it easy, and some customers had had to adapt their plumbing systems to install the unit.

SpringWell FutureSoft® Salt-Free Water Softener

Most customers enjoyed the SpringWell FutureSoft’s salt-free water treatment, and saw an improvement to their water quality in as little as one week after installing the unit.

Customers commented that their water no longer deposited limescale, and some reviewers praised the system’s small footprint and relatively easy installation.

Something worth mentioning is that some customers found that the optional installation kit didn’t meet their local plumbing regulations, so speak to customer service if you’re unsure whether this kit is useful for you.

Kinetico Premier Series

There are no reviews available on the Kinetico website for the Kinetico Premier Series water softener systems.

☑️ Pros and Cons

You might also like: Our list of the best water filtration and softener system combos in this post.

⚗️ Reverse Osmosis Systems

SpringWell

SpringWell offers one reverse osmosis system for under-sink use:

• The SpringWell Reverse Osmosis Drinking System

Kinetico

Kinetico has two reverse osmosis systems:

• The Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station, 51.0 GPD
• The Kinetico AquaKinetic® A200 Drinking Water System

Both systems are similar, with a storage tank and lead-free faucet. The Kinetico AquaKinetic® A200 is advertised as the most “economical” choice (pricing isn’t available online) and doesn’t have the option to customize the system, while the Kinetico K5 is customizable. We’ve reviewed the K5, as the more popular choice, in this comparison guide.

⚖️ Comparison Chart

🧫 Contaminants Removed

SpringWell Reverse Osmosis Drinking System

The SpringWell Reverse Osmosis Drinking System removes up to 99% of total dissolved solids from drinking water.

Some of the contaminants this system can remove water are:

• Lead
• Mercury
• Aluminum
• Fluoride
• Chlorine
• Chloramine
• Disinfection byproducts
• Pesticides
• Herbicides
• Iron
• Arsenic

There’s no official information online, in the form of a datasheet or testing overview, that lists the contaminants that the SpringWell RO system removes. We think customers would be a lot more inclined to buy the system if they knew exactly what it removes.

Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station

The contaminants removed by the Kinetico K5 depend on the combination of filters you choose. If you opt for the three standard filters, the system will remove impurities including:

• Sediment
• Chlorine
• Metals
• Nitrates
• Taste and odor

If you buy additional filters for the system, it could also remove:

• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Chloramine
• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Arsenic
• Perchlorate

🚦 Efficiency Ratio & Performance

SpringWell Reverse Osmosis Drinking System

The SpringWell Reverse Osmosis Drinking System is a high-performing reverse osmosis system, combining a sediment pre-filter, a carbon filter, an RO membrane, and a post-filter to greatly reduce TDS.

According to the user manual, the efficiency ratio of the membrane in this RO filtration system is 23.16%, which equates to about 1 gallon of water produced for every ~4 gallons or so of water wasted.

Our water was filtered quickly with this system – it has a 75 gallon/day production capacity, which is more than you’ll ever need. Because the system stores water in a tank after it’s been filtered, we enjoyed filtered water on demand. Not all RO systems are as quick to deliver water as this one.

Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station

The Kinetico K5 is a fully-customizable under-sink RO water filter, with eight different filter cartridges to choose from. The standard filter options – i.e. the ones that are most likely to tick all the boxes for the average customer – are a high-capacity carbon/sediment filter, a reverse osmosis membrane, and a taste and odor postfilter.

The non-standard filters include a filter that’s specifically designed for chloramine removal, one for VOC removal, one for arsenic removal, one for perchlorate removal, and one that adds minerals back into water, and one that reduces viruses and bacteria. It’s handy to have all these extra water filters to choose from, although we question why they’re needed if the standard system design comes with a RO membrane, which should remove the majority of contaminants anyway.

The Kinetico K5 is a high-performing water filter unit, and we were pleased with the contaminants removed by the standard selection – and the option to add more filters to the system to remove a more targeted selection of contaminants, including microbiological impurities. However, we were confused about why extra filters would be needed, as RO usually removes the likes of arsenic, bacteria, and chloramine.

The system’s 51.0 GPD flow rate is decent, and you shouldn’t notice a major dip in water pressure in your home. The unit has an efficiency rating of 16.3% or in other terms, wastes ~6 gallons of water for every 1 gallons produced – so not quite as efficient as the SpringWell RO system.

💲 Models & Upfront Cost

SpringWell Reverse Osmosis Drinking System

Costing less than $500, the SpringWell Reverse Osmosis Drinking System is on the higher end of average for an under-sink RO filtration system. Still, we’d pay the price for a reliable product from a trusted brand.

Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station

Again, the price of the Kinetico KF Drinking Water Station isn’t available online. You’ll need to contact your local Kinetico dealer to find out the costs of buying and installing the system. Keep in mind that adding extra filters to the system will increase the total price.

📆 Filter Capacity & Replacement Costs

SpringWell Reverse Osmosis Drinking System

The SpringWell RO water filtration system combines three different filter stages:

• The sediment filter – 6-month lifespan, around $20
• The carbon block filters – 6-month lifespan, around $30 each
• The RO membrane – 2-year lifespan, around $100

Expect to pay $160-$260 per year to replace this system’s filters, depending on whether or not you need to replace the semi-permeable membrane that year.

Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station

There’s no exact information on the filter lifespans of the Kinetico K5, likely because different combinations of filters can be used in the system. When you buy this product, your Kinetico dealer will discuss maintenance plans for the system and let you know when the individual filters need to be changed.

💬 Customer Reviews & Complaints

SpringWell Reverse Osmosis Drinking System

Customer reviews for the SpringWell RO drinking system praise the system’s performance, and customers generally agree that their water taste improved after installing the unit. Most people were able to install the system themselves.

One reviewer had tap water with 250 PPM hardness before installing the SpringWell RO unit. The filtration system noticeably improved the taste and quality of their water. Customers also agreed that SpringWell’s customer service was good.

Not all customers agreed that the installation process was easy, and some said that the instructions in the user manual were confusing. Others complained about “gurgling” sounds coming from the system while it was in operation.

Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station

There are no customer reviews available for the Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station.

☑️ Pros and Cons

Your might also like: Our list of the best RO systems worth buying in 2022.

🥇 Springwell vs Kinetico: Who Wins?

SpringWell and Kintico are both considered good brands in the water filtration industry, and our investigation found that their water treatment systems were similarly performing.

However, SpringWell is still our top pick for one major reason: you have the freedom to shop around for SpringWell’s products online and compare prices, while you have to find a local Kinetico dealer to buy any of Kinetico’s products.

The problem with this is that you’re not aware of pricing before you buy. Somebody who’s trained in sales will use all their best techniques to make you pay as much money as possible for a system that sounds great, but might not actually be right for you. That’s not to say that Kinetico’s water treatment systems aren’t worth the money – but you may end up spending more than you need to.

We think SpringWell is the more customer-friendly manufacturer, allowing you to see exactly what their products cost upfront, read customer reviews, and make an informed purchase, knowing that you’re paying exactly the same as everybody else for your chosen product. Plus, it helps that SpringWell’s systems are incredibly reliable, and SpeingWell is one of the most trusted water filtration companies of today.