Non-Chemical Water Softeners

[Kristi]

Hi Everyone,
I've been MIA from the forums for a while, but my mother-in-law has a burning question. She needs a water softener because the hard water is damaging her fixtures. She'd prefer a chemical-free softener. It looks like there are several on the market.

Does anyone have experience with these? I'm not quite sure where to start in evaluating them.

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!