5 Best Pool Salts from Top Brands & Guide to Choose Suitable Salt Type
The popularity of saltwater pools has been growing steadily in recent years as pool owners try to bring their pool maintenance bills down. Also, saltwater pools do not dry out the skin and hair or even cause itchy eyes like chlorine.
However, before you make the switch, it is essential to note that you need to find the best pool salt to keep your pool clean and sanitized. A good pool salt ensures the water gets the correct dose of chlorine to kill contaminants.
The good news is that there are enough pool salt options out there, and here we help make it easy to decide what to buy with a review of top-rated products and buying guide.
5 Best Pool Salts – Review
1. Best Overall: AquaSalt Swimming Pool and Spa Salt for Chlorine Generator
The AquaSalt Swimming Pool and Spa Salt is our best overall pool salt thanks to the higher purity level, super-fast dissolution and ease of use.
With a 100% purity level, it is the purest option on our pool salt review. The high purity level ensures it will easily sanitize your water without using a lot of it. Also, high purity means there are no minerals in the salt that can lead to staining or scaling of your pool or chlorinator.
The fine granulation of the salt ensures it will dissolve super-fast. If you also distribute it over a wide area evenly, the salt should dissolve fully within a short time to ensure minimal pool downtime.
You can be sure this salt is of excellent quality as it is a certified USP-Grade salt. What’s more, when you buy it, you get a handy distribution guideline chart that makes it easier to use as you will know the right amount to use on your pool.
The only demerit with this pool is the price, as it is slightly higher. However, 100% pure salt, it will still give you an excellent deal.
Pros
- Highest purity level
- Dissolves super-fast
- High-grade certified salt
- Comes with a handy distribution guideline chart
Cons
- A bit pricey
2. Value for Money: Clorox 81040CLX Pool Salt
Clorox Pool Salt will give you the best value for money as it is a more affordable 40-pound pool salt. Besides the excellent value, it also does a good job sanitizing your pool water thanks to the up to 99% purity level.
The high purity level also eliminates other problems like staining of pool surfaces and scaling. Also, it will be gentler on your chlorinating system and ensure you do not need to clean it very often.
With this salt, you also get ultra-fine size granules that dissolve quickly without leaving any residue in your pool. Pool owners can also buy this salt with confidence as Chlorox is a top brand famous for making reliable and highly consistent products.
The packaging is the main drawback of this pool salt as the bags seem to rip easily, but they should be okay with a little extra caution when handling them.
Pros
- More affordable to ensure good value for money
- High enough purity
- Quick dissolving granules
- Reliable and consistent product from a top brand
Cons
- Packaging needs improvement
3. Morton Salt F134660000 Pro Pool Salt
With the Morton Salt F134660000 Pro Pool Salt, you get some of the most refined salt grains out there. These fine grains ensure the salt dissolves faster than most others and more evenly to eliminate the risk of staining or scaling.
Also, the salt has a high purity level to ensure it is effective enough at sanitizing your swimming pool. What’s more, the salt is all-natural with no additives or other foreign ingredients that can cause issues for your pool’s sanitization system.
This salt is specially designed for use on saltwater chlorinators, and so it will work well with most types.
This salt is not ideal for water softeners, which can be a drawback for some pool owners. However, this is still not a deal-breaker, given it serves its primary purpose of sanitizing pool water well.
Pros
- Dissolves fast enough
- Natural salt with no foreign ingredients
- Higher purity for increased effectiveness
- Works well with all saltwater chlorinators
Cons
- Does not work for pool water softeners
4. Natural Chemistry 7404 Pool Salt Water Maintenance Kit
If you prefer something that automates pool sanitization for you, the Natural Chemistry 7404 is an excellent option. With this pool salt water system, you will not need to measure, mix or dispense any salt manually as it does everything automatically.
With this salt cell system, you can be sure your inground pool will get complete sanitization as it will produce up to 200 pounds of chlorine in its service life.
Better still, it climates the annoying chlorine smells and reduces the cost of sanitizing your pool by up to 50%. Hence besides getting pool water that does not irritate the skin and eyes, you never have to spend a fortune on chlorine.
Although this salt cell system costs much more than a bag of pool salt, it is worth every buck thanks to its convenience. Also, it saves you money in the long run as you do not need to buy chlorine.
Pros
- Provides complete pool water sanitization
- No annoying chlorine smells
- Does not require any mixing or measuring
- Reduced sanitization costs
Cons
- Salt cells are more expensive
5. Morton Salt 3460 Pool Salt
Morton is a highly reputable pool salt manufacturer you can always trust to have an effective solution for sanitizing your pool. This particular pool salt is for those looking for something with ultra-fine granules that dissolve quickly to minimize pool downtimes.
Like most of their other salt types out there, this one has a high purity level. Hence, you can be sure it will not contain calcium and magnesium that can stain your pool or scale your chlorinator.
Besides the high purity levels, Morton does not use any additives on this salt as they are often more problematic than helpful. What’s more, this salt comes with clear directions on adding it to the pool, so using it should be hassle-free.
Price also seems to be the biggest concern with this particular pool salt. However, quality and convenience always come at some cost.
Pros
- Fine granules dissolve fast
- Pure enough salt
- Offers hassle-free use
- Does not contain any additives
Cons
- Relatively pricier
Guide to Buy the Best Pool Salt
1. Pool Salt Type
Pool salt comes in different types, and each has its positive and negative attributes. If you have a saltwater system, it is crucial to know what each type is all about, as this makes it easy to decide what to use.
Mined Salt
As the name suggests, this salt comes from the ground. Rock salt is the most common type of mined salt, and besides pools, it is often used on icy roads and as table salt. Mined salt is one of the purest as it will have a purity level of between 95% and 99%.
Solar Salt
Solar salt comes from spreading seawater in the ground and allowing water to evaporate, leaving behind the salt.
The salt that remains behind often has tiny organisms from the sea, such as shrimp and contains many other minerals, meaning it has a low purity level. Further refining is often necessary to increase the purity levels and make it better for use in pools.
Mechanically Evaporated Salt
Mechanically evaporated salt comes from seawater like solar salt. However, instead of relying on the sun for evaporation, the water is heated using mechanical means.
The high heat used kills most microorganisms and bacteria, but it still does not solve the mineral issue, meaning the salt will still not be as pure as mined salt.
2. Purity Level
Regardless of the salt type you choose for your pool, it is crucial to make sure that it is pure enough, as this is what makes it effective at cleaning the pool and ensures fast dissolution.
Try to go for something with at least 99% purity to ensure there is no significant amount of other minerals. Having other minerals in the salt will make your water hard, leading to staining and scaling.
Some salt types like the AquaSalt Swimming Pool and Spa Salt has a 100% purity level. The high purity makes it an even better buy as it will never stain your pool, and you will not need to clean your chlorine generator often.
3. Granulation and Coloring
The salt granulation and coloring also matter a lot. For granulation, pool salts that have food-grade granules that are more even are the best.
Even granulation ensures the salt dissolves fast without ever pooling at the bottom of the pool, which is what leads to staining.
When it comes to the color, look for something with a pure white shade that looks more like your regular table salt. A pure white color indicates high salt purity.
4. Additives and Other Ingredients
Some pool salts will include additives to prevent clumping or staining. While they might sound more beneficial for your pool, they are not. Instead, it is always best to go for a salt that does not include additives or other ingredients besides sodium chloride.
Pure salt with no additives like Morton Salt 3460 Pool Salt works better with your chlorine salt generator and will ensure you do not have difficulties balancing your pool’s chemistry.
Bottom Line
You need the best pool salt to keep your saltwater pool sanitized. Luckily there are more than enough salt brands for pools out there, and our review above narrows down the choices for you.
That said, the AquaSalt Swimming Pool and Spa Salt is our top recommendation as it has all the good features from 100% purity levels to fast dissolution and an additive-free formula.
However, if you are on a tight budget and prefer something that will give you the best value for money, the Clorox 81040CLX Pool Salt is our recommendation.
