Monarch Water Softener Review (Midi HE)
Water softeners having been steadily growing in popularity for the last 15 years. That coincides with a couple of things:
- Water softener technology improving to the point where they’re highly effective in the vast majority of cases
- Word of mouth spreading ever further, likely due to the internet, about hard water (and the fact that water softeners can successfully abate the problems).
Here’s how searches on Google have increased since 2009, until mid-2024:
Data source: Google Trends (https://www.google.com/trends).
As your resident water filter experts, geeks if you will, we’ve perhaps played a tiny part in this expansion.
This is our Monarch Water Softener review. Specifically, we put the Monarch Midi HE through its paces.
Check out the full specs and price on Amazon right here.
Below are the basic details; have a gander and then read on for the full review.
Monarch Midi HE Water Softener
- Capacity: 300L
- Weight: 20.0kg
- Dimensions: 48.5 x 27 x 55.5cm (LxWxH)
- Size of connection hoses: 15mm
- Suitable for household of size: Up to 6 people
What was the basis for our Monarch Midi HE review?
We put it under the microscope for the following categories:
- Effectiveness of its water softening – the real bread and butter – can it actually consistently soften your water in the long-term.
- Variability ie. how well can the operation of this water softener be adjusted to the hardness of your particular water
- Ease of use – how well does it run itself without needing your intervention
- Ease of salt replacement – every water softener needs salt (the real ones, that is! Such a thing as a non-salt water softener does technically exist, but it doesn’t actually soften your water. Go figure.)
Rating the Monarch Water Softener
Let’s get down to brass tacks of our review. What are the best and worst things about the Midi HE?
Monarch Water Softener
The plus points of this model:
It’s highly effective at softening your water
We canvassed both end users and plumbers (who’ve installed them for their customers) and this Monarch water softener gets consistently high praise for successfully reducing the water hardness. Their notes are, well, the usual things softener benefits we hear from people who use a good quality water softener: washing up is easier because the dishwashing liquid lathers up much easier, taps and other kitchen and bathroom surfaces are now free of limescale and much easier to clean; we’re spending less money on soaps, shampoos and cleaning products, the water now feels silkier and smoother; and noticeable differences, from using the softened water, to hair and skin. Are you still wondering if a water softener is worth it?
7 year parts warranty and 2 year labour warranty
There’s a 7 year parts warranty, which matches their major competitor, Water2Buy; but they’re out in front by matching it with a 2 year labour warranty as well.
This 2 year parts warranty is matched by the other major competitor, BWT, but they only offer a 5 year parts warranty.
It’s really easy to install and use
High marks for the simple installation; you don’t *need* a plumber, you can do it yourself; though some people will prefer having someone do it, just in case. And then after installation, the Monarch Midi HE runs itself really well. The regeneration (when the hard water minerals are flushed out by the system) can be programmed to take place during the night, so it won’t affect your water usage during the day at all. Apart from that, the only thing you’ll ever need to do is replace the salt every now and again – for the average household, it’ll be every couple of months.
Better for households with very water usage than other softeners
Why? Because the daily capacity of water than the system can handle is 2280L, whereas a top competitor, the Water2Buy W2B200 allows for a daily capacity of only around 1250L. Note that this is probably only an issue of significance if you have a particularly large household or particularly high water usage, for whatever reason. FYI, the average household water usage is 350L per day.
Cons and why the Midi HE may not fit your needs:
More expensive than its competitors
It costs a bit more than its main rivals, BWT and Water2Buy, almost £100 more, in fact. You’ll have to decide if the increased parts and labour warranty and fast installation are worth it. Wondering about the average price of a water softener in the UK in 2024?
It’s not tiny
Nor is it massive, but in our experience, people have sometimes said it’s ended up being bigger than they had expected in person, so to speak. In any case, that’s true of every water softener on the UK market. Just make sure to check the space in your cupboard properly before you buy it!
Where to see it?
Monarch Water Softener Review Summary
That’s it for our review of the Monarch Midi HE Water Softener.
A really solid and impressive piece of kit all round, and, all told, it has a high likelihood of successfully solving your hard water issues, and without much inconvenience, with even a pretty simple initial installation.
Our reservations, if any? Only that’s a bit more expensive than a couple of other products that are themselves good quality. And more of a heads up than a reservation: to make sure you check you have enough space for it.
Check it out on Amazon.
Good luck with your decision on whether this one is right for you.