What Is Hard Water?

Water high in calcium and magnesium — and why a shower filter isn't a water softener. Here's the honest take.
By Better Human Goods
1 min read

Hard water is water high in dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. It's extremely common, and on its own it's not a health hazard — but it does have everyday effects people notice: soap and shampoo lather less, a film or spots are left on glass and fixtures, and some people feel their skin and hair are drier or less smooth after washing.

It's worth being clear about what a standard shower filter does and doesn't do here: most shower filters target chlorine and sediment, not water hardness, so they're not the same as a water softener. If your main issue is true hardness (heavy scale, very poor lather), that's a job for a softening system, not a chlorine filter. Many people still prefer filtered shower water for the chlorine reduction regardless. For testing your hardness, your utility's report or a simple test kit helps. More in our shower filter guide.

Try the BHG Shower Filter Head.