Home & Kitchen · Head-to-head
Fleck 5600 SXT Metered Water Softener vs Waterdrop WHR01 Water Softener System
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Water Softeners: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The 5600 SXT meters actual water use and regenerates only when it needs to, which is what separates a softener that costs a little salt from one that wastes a lot, and it is sized across a genuinely useful range. The Waterdrop WHR01 costs less, installs more easily and uses an up-flow cycle that Waterdrop says needs less salt again.
Fleck 5600 SXT Metered Water Softener
Buy itThe metered control valve that has been the default recommendation for years, in four honest sizes.
- Metered regeneration, so the system counts gallons and regenerates on demand rather than on a timer.
- Four sizes with both figures published: 7 GPM and 26,000 grains, 10 and 35,000, 15 and 53,000, 20 and 70,000.
- Multiple regeneration modes and a control head common enough that parts, manuals and help are easy to find.
- It is the most expensive option here at every size.
- It is a two-tank installation with a brine tank, so it needs floor space and a drain.
- The SXT head is capable but its interface is dated compared with the LED and app-driven controls elsewhere.
Waterdrop WHR01 Water Softener System
Buy itUp-flow regeneration and a pre-assembled install, in three grain capacities.
- Three sizes covering 32,000, 48,000 and 64,000 grains, which brackets most household hardness levels.
- Waterdrop states its up-flow regeneration uses less salt to deliver the same softening than a conventional down-flow cycle.
- Core components arrive pre-assembled, which is the difference between an afternoon and a weekend on a DIY install.
- Waterdrop does not publish a service flow rate in gallons per minute for any size.
- There is no published regeneration mode detail, so whether it meters or times is not stated on the page.
- It is a newer product than the Fleck, without the same decade of field documentation behind it.
Side by side
| Fleck 5600 SXT Metered Water Softener | Waterdrop WHR01 Water Softener System | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone sizing a softener properly for a household with genuinely hard water, who wants a system that is serviceable for a decade. | A household that wants real softening with the least installation effort and the lowest salt bill. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Fleck 5600 SXT Metered Water Softener - The metered control valve that has been the default recommendation for years, in four honest sizes. Choose the Waterdrop WHR01 Water Softener System instead if a household that wants real softening with the least installation effort and the lowest salt bill.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Water Softeners: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).