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Water Ionizer Comparisons
My effort is to provide you with water ionizer comparisons, information and answers to every imaginable question about alkaline water machines in a compact, easy-to-use format so that you can find the information you need readily and in one location. There are two types of water ionizers: electric water ionizers and alkaline water filters. This page mostly focuses on electric water ionizer comparisons and what you should know about purchasing the best water ionizer for you.
I purchased my first water ionizer 20 years ago, and it was so life-changing for myself and my family that, after retiring as teacher/principal in '07, I decided to build an online store (Alkaline Water Plus); sell water ionizers; and educate the public about them. Accurate information about different water ionizer machines was difficult to find back then, and this is still true today.
Honest water ionizer comparisons are even more difficult to find. Many sites boast of water ionizer machine reviews, but on closer inspection, they are secretly owned by the brand they say is "best". This goes so far as having that same site (owned by them, secretly of course) give themselves their own awards, i.e., "Best of 2016" or "Water Ionizer of the Year". I have yet to find an honest award in 10 years of searching. My water ionizer reviews page exposes many of these covert review sites. It does a great job exposing the tricks. With anything you buy today, you have to learn how to watch out for sales tricks, and so it goes with alkaline water ionizers reviews.
I specialize in water ionizers compared and study them in every way, right on down to specific details, such as flow-rate and quality of filtration. My hope is that this will help you with the decision to find a water ionizer machine that is right for you. No one should be denied the tremendous benefits of alkaline water simply because they couldn't find the information they needed to make an informed decision.
For more information about alkaline water filters and portable water ionizer comparisons, visit this page. Portable Water Ionizers and Filters
Pull and drag the chart left to right [left-click & hold the mouse- button while dragging] to see all of the water ionizer information.
A Quick Video Tour of Our New Water Ionizers Comparisons chart & Page
What is a water ionizer and how does it work?
A water ionizer is an electric-powered appliance that is usually attached to a standard faucet. The device first filters the water, then ionizes the water by passing it through charged electrodes.
Alkaline water and acidic water are both produced at the same time by the water ionizer. More can be learned about the ionization process, which is also known as electrolysis, on this page: Benefits of Ionized Water.
While acidic water has many valuable uses, it is the alkaline water that we want to consume for better health and longevity.
What is pH and what does it measure?
The term “pH” stands for the “power of hydrogen.” The “H” is capitalized in the standard abbreviation, as it represents the chemical symbol for the hydrogen element.
PH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The scale ranges from 1 (very acidic) to
14 (very alkaline.) The pH scale is a logarithmic scale, meaning that water with a pH of 8 is 10 times more alkaline than 7 pH, neutral, water. Water measuring pH 9 is 100 times more alkaline than neutral water, etc.
PH is easy to measure with test strips, and I offer free pH test kits so that you can easily measure the pH of anything from the soda you drink to your own saliva. Request a free pH kit now.
What is ORP and why does it matter?
“ORP” stands for “Oxidation Reduction Potential,” and in simple terms means "antioxidants". The most basic and powerful antioxidant there is is a negatively-charged electron. There are millions of these in every sip of ionized water. ORP is a measurement of whether a solution (in this case, water) has a tendency to either donate or take electrons from other solutions.
For our purposes, a negative ORP is very good, because it has lots of extra, negatively-charged electrons to fight free-radicals. Alkaline Water Ionizers can produce water with high negative ORP. Thest high levels of natural antioxidants in alkaline ionized water have important health considerations.
You can see the ORP-comparisons at point #18 in the chart, above.
How is this Water Ionizer Comparison Chart different than the reviews on other water ionizer sites?
You can count on the details of my water ionizer comparisons as well as my reviews to be accurate, with no hype or deception. I encourage you to read this entire water ionizer comparisons page, rather than just skim it. The 5 minutes it takes you to do that may save you hours of time later. And keep in mind it took me years to compile.
In this modern age, over 80% of consumers research a product online before making a purchase. Some unscrupulous vendors of water ionizer machines have taken advantage of this fact by posting fake reviews that have either been written by themselves or by others who have been paid to write favorable reviews. Some have even gone so far as to issue themselves made-up awards and certifications. While I have no issue with someone posting their opinions about the products they sell, I feel the practice of doing so under a false name or hiding one's identity can be misleading and is disingenuous.
Some other sites focus on certain physical features of their water ionizers, such as the number of electrode plates each contain. Focusing on physical aspects is another way of misleading customers. The "bigger is better" theory has been dis-proven with respect to electronics many years ago. Bigger and more does not equate to being better when it comes to water alkalizers. While it is true that frequently, those water ionizers with more plates do process the water faster, this doesn’t necessarily make for a better product. My testing demonstrates this.
I believe that real, hands-on testing and analysis of the various features of each water ionizer is vital. I’ve taken the time to perform the testing myself, and am not afraid to publish the results, even if it means that the machines I sell don’t come out on top for a particular test.
All of the components of a water ionizer work together. In many cases, I’ve found that certain five-plate water ionizers get better results than a 7, 9, 11 or even 13-plate one. I have found this through years of comparison testing of the whole design, including the water cell, filtration, internal cleaning, and flow-rate. The water ionizers on the above chart are rated for overall performance on point # 15.
At Alkaline Water Plus,we give you the straight facts about the best and/or most popular alkaline water machines [water ionizers]. We sell a wide range of hand-picked exceptional alkaline water machines. We’ve compared the most popular and the best water ionizers in every conceivable way on this comprehensive water ionizer comparison page and also on our alkaline water ionizer reviews page. Alkaline Water Plus has taken the time to effectively and completely compare alkaline water machines and report the information we’ve discovered about the following water ionizers: Jupiter Melody, Athena, Delphi, and Venus water ionizers; Vesta GL water ionizer: Tyent 7070 Turbo, 9090 Turbo Extreme, and UCE 9000 water ionizers; Nexus water ionizers [The Nexus X-Blue, U-Blue and Smart], Chanson Miracle, Miracle Max and VS70 water ionizers, the KYK Generation II, the Real Spirit Aqua Ionizer Deluxe, the Bawell Fountain, and the Lifeionizer M7 and the Enagic Kangen Water Ionizer.
Which water ionizer is best?
I suggest you read this entire page as well as my water ionizer reviews page, and then make up your mind as to which water ionizer is best for you. I’ve tested and studied most of the water ionizers myself, and my reviews and data are based on first-hand observation and testing. Decide which water ionizer features are most important to you, then use the above chart to make your comparisons and final decision. The Alkaline Water Plus water ionizer comparison chart will help you compare the important water ionizer features at a glance, and is more accurate and detailed than any other review site you will find.
To see the actual testing [videos] referred to in the chart, go to my blog or YouTube channel. You can search my blog either through the search boxes or blog tags to narrow down which articles you want to read.
If you have any questions about the water ionizer comparison chart or need assistance in any way with your water ionizer purchase or questions, you are always welcome to email us or call my expert staff directly at 1-888-MY-ALKALINE [1-888-692-5525]. You can request that we email you direct links to help you narrow-down your research if you want.
How are Alkaline Water Machines Compared?
Anyone doing water ionizer comparisons should compare only “apples-to-apples”! When looking at water ionizer comparison videos, it’s important to compare only those water ionizers tested at the same location and time. And remember that although a water ionizer may compare favorably for one set of tests, you should attempt to view several tests measuring numerous qualities of the machine before making a final decision.
I understand that not everyone has the time and patience to individually test every single water ionizer on the market. This chart is my effort to leverage my 2 decades of experience with water ionizers to provide consumers with a simple comparison chart to find the machine that best matches their criteria. Short of testing every single feature, there is a good rule of thumb regarding the quality of water alkalizers - the higher quality machines have the better cleaning systems. I describe my findings regarding automatic cleaning systems below.
Finding a Superior Water Ionizer
The most important factor to consider when comparing water ionizers is the healthiness of the ionized drinking water. In the chart above, points #15 & 18, I have placed greater emphasis on the water ionizer in each set of tests that was able to produce the highest ORP per unit of pH and declared that water ionizer the best for that series of tests. I did this comparison using level 3 [or that water ionizer’s 9.5 pH level] to demonstrate the ORP results for the most popular and common drinking level of ionized water. The strong acid and alkaline by-products of the water ionization are non-drinkable, and though they are great features, only you can decide if these should be the determining factors in your final purchase, or whether factors such as price and ORP level take precedence.
Testing and Comparing pH and ORP
The most important factor to consider when comparing water ionizers is the pH and ORP [antioxidant] levels for each machine at the appropriate settings for frequent drinking. It is both through testing and looking at the whole design of the water ionizer that will help make this comparison. You can find this in the chart at point #18. The ionizer with the best overall design will allow that water ionizer to get better pH and ORP in comparison tests. The only way to do this is through side-by-side comparisons,
First consider how strongly the water ionizer can ionize [#16-17]. Keep in mind that one only needs the pH to range from about 3 to 11 for all purposes, and from about 8.5 to 9.5 for drinking purposes. Then look at the ORP per unit of pH the water ionizer is able to produce — the more negative ORP the better [#18]. Focus on the drinking-levels of pH for your ORP [antioxidant] readings.
Plate Cleaning - A Measure of Quality
After comparing the pH and ORP capabilities, compare the water ionizers’ automatic internal plate-cleaning systems. You can find this at #13 in the chart, "Cleaning Type & Quality". Why do I say you should compare the water ionizers’ cleaning systems? A good cleaning system is the only way your machine will continue to produce the best ionized water in years to come. The electrodes are the heart of the water ionizer, and the machine will cease to work properly if the plates aren’t clean. If the water ionizer isn’t kept internally cleaned, then the electrodes will develop a calcium film that will reduce the water ionizer’s capacity to ionize water [pH & ORP] over time. However, if the electrodes are kept pristine, then your water ionizer will continue to be able to produce the best high-pH, low-ORP [high antioxidant], water as if it was brand-new out of the box
Another reason to examine the water ionizer’s plate cleaning process is convenience. Intermittent automatic cleaning, otherwise known as acid washes, requires that you have to wait for the acid wash to finish. Sometimes this can occur at the beginning of every use and at other times it happens periodically throughout the day. Acid washes result in wasted water and reduced filter life. Enagic/Kangen, Tyent, Venus, Chanson, Nexus X-Blue, Lifeionizers, Bawell, Alive/Aqua Ionizer Deluxe, Ayana Vitality and most other water ionizers use intermittent acid washes.
Water ionizers which have automatic, continual cleaning not only clean your water ionizer plates 50-75% more thoroughly, but they also have NO inconvenience or wasted water. Melody, Athena, Delphi, Nexus Smart and Vesta GL all use an automatic continual-cleaning process inside the water cell.
Filtration
Each water ionizer has at least one filter in it, sometimes two. Some companies have gone through the process of having their filters lab-tested, and some just report the filter media used. We have analyzed these filter systems and have reported their features in the chart, above, # 34, #35 and #36.
If you live in a municipality where your water is treated, then I would recommend using filters which remove Chloramine and Fluoride, which is added to your tap water. Because Fluoride is an acidic mineral, it is discharged by all water ionizers in the process of creating alkaline water.
Using a low flow rate and a filtration system is key to removing all Fluoride if this is important to you. As a side-note about Fluoride, all water ionizers will remove about 50-75% of Fluoride as part of the water ionization process. Because Fluoride is acidic, it will tend to be diverted to the acidic-water stream during ionization.
Changing your filter properly at recommended intervals is an important part of getting good filtration. A filter counter can help remind you when it’s time to change filters. The only ionizer in the chart above that doesn’t have a filter counter is the Enagic SD501. The quality of water source can drastically impact filter life. For this reason, most water ionizer companies report the filter life conservatively.
I offer a free report on water quality for your area, which you can access by visiting my Free Water Quality Report page.
Well Water Filters
The best water filter for a well owner is a .01 filter, which filters lead, chlorine, bacteria and many other undesirable substances. Additionally, if you use well-water, I recommend using a small prefilter, called the Primary Well-Water Filter. When you do this, you protect your water ionizer from the potential, periodic, large influx of sediment, common to wells, which can ruin your more expensive filters.
Which Water Filters are Best?
All of the water ionizers I sell have good water filters, but the Jupiter alkaline water machines have the best water filter selection. I encourage you to keep the quality of the drinking water in mind when comparing water ionizers. However I offer all of the best water filters to add externally to your water ionizer to clean your water perfectly, customized to your source water needs, no matter which water ionizer you buy.
Plating Process and Types of Plates
The plating process [#28 in the chart, above] and the type of plates [#27] are very important features to look at when comparing water ionizers. There are various techniques used for creating the plates that function as electrodes in a water ionizer. These techniques are described below, along with their benefits or drawbacks.
Solid Plates that are Electroplated: Electroplating uses electricity to coat the electrode plates with platinum. Generally this process is more thorough than other methods, and produces a greater surface area for better electrolysis, which improves ORP. The Jupiter and Nexus alkaline water machine manufacturers use similar patented electroplating techniques to coat their plates for better platinum bonding, which results in less likelihood of air or dust to become trapped in the coating, and an irregular surface area composed of micro-peaks and valleys for more efficient electrolysis. This allows for a greater surface area that uses less power to generate electrolysis. Nexus describes their plating process in this plate comparison.
The Mesh Plate Design: Similar to the electroplating process, mesh plating is applied to a solid plate and then the entire plate is electroplated. This is an even more efficient design to boost electrolysis by way of increasing the surface area of the electrode without significantly increasing the mass, but I only advocate the use of mesh plates with water ionizers that also have continuous-cleaning internal plate-cleaning systems as part of their design. The Athena,
Delphi and Nexus Smart water ionizers use mesh plates. Provided the plating and cleaning of the mesh plates is done correctly, using mesh plates to enhance electroplating is a great innovation in water ionizer design. It allows for greater electrolysis without drastically increasing wattage. High wattage will wear the ionizer out more quickly than lower wattage. In water ionizer comparison testing I have found that water ionizers using the combination of mesh plates along with continuous-plate cleaning get the best ORP per unit of pH at the drinking levels of ionized water.
Dipped Plates: When “dipping” is used, the surface area for electrolysis will be small unless the company uses large plates. Using large plates is necessary in this case if the machine would compete with manufacturers who use electroplating or mesh. However, large plates require much more energy to generate electrolysis. Larger plates with more watts is not a better plate design. The power requirements also make it more likely that the plates will become damaged over time. Platinum, like any metal, will melt if it reaches a certain temperature, which will damage the machine. Large plate ionizers require a fast flow rate to keep them cool, which means that the filtration with the large plate ionizers will not be as thorough as their competitors’ ionizers. Large, dipped plates are used by Enagic, Tyent, and Life water ionizer companies.
Customer Service Considerations when Purchasing a Water Ionizer
Several points in the chart [#2-14] are related to customer servicing considerations and assurances. Each of these points are quite important in and of themselves, but together as a whole they paint a picture of longevity, reliability and excellence or not [or somewhere in-between]. Does the water ionizer company you’re considering have a repair depot in the U.S. and does it offer a 60-day satisfaction guarantee? Free shipping? Good warranty? Is the importer a BBB member? Do they give an accurate location for themselves? Also, I have indicated if the satisfaction guarantee has any strings attached, such as a re-stocking fee. The Jupiter, Vesta, Nexus and Tyent water ionizer companies all offer lifetime warranties. Chanson, KYK, and Ayana offer 10-year warranties, and the Enagic Kangen water company offers a 5-year warranty. There are variations in these warranties and I have included additional columns to clearly show how each company’s warranty will affect you.
Water Ionizer Power Requirements
More amperage & watts going through the plates is not necessarily better. Most manufacturers keep the wattage to 150w or less, but some water ionizers are capable of using over 250 watts. I believe that the more long-lasting water ionizers will prove to be the ones using the lower watts.
Water Ionizer Price Considerations
Does a high price mean that particular water ionizer is better? No,in my experience I have found that price does not necessarily equate to better quality in a water ionizer. Choose the water ionizer features that are important to you, then use the comparison chart above to find the right machine for your needs. While some water ionizer companies may make claims to sell “The Only Real Water Ionizer,” or “The Cadillac of Water Ionizers,” these are simply sales slogans.
I object to sales people making false claims and using scare tactics and I consider this to be a very poor business practice. Look at the things listed above with any water ionizer you’re considering, and you’ll find the best ionizer for you. I encourage potential water ionizer buyers to get the real facts from an objective and knowledgeable source.
I’ve been drinking ionized water for over 20 years now, and I’m convinced that water ionizers DO work to help people with their health. Years ago my first water ionizer helped me enormously. The biggest problem I had was allergies, and with my water ionizer, they all disappeared. This was with a far inferior water ionizer than the ones above. [It only got about -250 ORP per pH level of 9.5, whereas the good ionizers I sell today get up around -300 to -600 ORP at that 9.5 pH level.] With that same inferior water ionizer my health and the health of my five children changed drastically. Prior to drinking alkaline water, we all made regular doctor visits for the usual complaints - sore throats, ear infections, and allergies galore, but after regular alkaline water use, we were able to reduce these visits to simple annual well child check ups.
The water ionizers I sell on my site are all there because they’re good ones. I refuse to sell a water ionizer that is poorly designed. Each are comparable with the rest. While some may outperform the others in certain areas, they probably are the underdog in other categories. Buying a water ionizer boils down to personal choice and budget. I have tested the highest-priced water ionizers with great expectations, but found them to be comparable with the others, and often not even better in the most important categories.
Do not be fooled by a sales person’s hype if they attempt to imply their water ionizer is the only one that has health benefits or performs certain functions. It just wouldn’t be true. The Japanese Health Department recognized that ionized alkaline water from water ionizers had proven health benefits and described water ionizers as health devices. This recognition was given with no regard to a particular brand. The origin of the development of water ionizers was Korea and Japan, which built off of the knowledge of the other. Korea recognizes water ionizers made in Korea as medical devices [provided they are good enough] and Japan recognizes the water ionizers made in Japan.. that’s how it works. Each country examines its own manufacturers’
devices. Jupiter, KYK and Tyent are all approved by Korea to make medical devices, and in Korea their water ionizers are recognized as medical devices.
I have first-hand knowledge of people who many years ago [when I bought my first water ionizer] experienced unbelievable health benefits from ionized water. Most of the water ionizer companies today didn’t exist at that time. As a matter of fact, back in the 70’s Michael Moon [the founder of Jupiter water ionizers] was a very wealthy manufacturer with failing health. He was introduced to water ionizers by a friend, and after regaining his youthful health with a primitive crude water ionizer of the time he decided to develop the superior quality Jupiter water ionizers we have today.
Life Water Ionizers
You may also notice that Life Ionizers [Life 7600, Life 8100, Life 9200, etc.] are not compared on this page. Read these articles to find out why we do not trust or compare most Life Ionizers.
We don’t deal with the Lifeionizer company and have only tested one of their ionizers for this chart. I don’t advocate Lifeionizers and you can read more about it here.
Enagic Kangen Water Ionizers and Impart Excel Water Ionizers
You may have noticed that I don't sell the Enagic Kangen Water Ionizers. The reason for this is not that they're bad water ionizers at all. You can see on the chart that they rate among the better water ionizers. I don't sell them due to an exclusivity clause in their marketing contract, which would make me sign that I wouldn't sell other brands. Of course I couldn't do that. I do sell the Impart Group's Excel water ionizers, though, which are designed by the same engineers. Impart claims that their IE-900 is better in every way than the Enagic SD501, but I haven't verified that yet, one way or the other.
One problem I have with the Excel is that the warranty period for Excel water ionizers is less than most, 1 year full parts/labor and then 5 years for the electrolysis chamber if you buy their $39.00 cleaning cartridge and use it yearly. However I think they’re made good enough to last 20 years if you take care of them properly.
Fake Water Ionizer Comparisons Come in Many Forms
Beware “water ionizer comparisons” that show only the highest or strongest pH/ORP for that water ionizer and/or doesn’t show you their testing. This practice can be misleading because:
1) You don’t drink at the highest alkaline level, so the ORP for that level is irrelevant. What you should really be interested in is the ORP for the pH level you will be drinking.
2) Unless the water ionizers are being compared side-by-side in the same location, at the same time, using an ORP meter that is cleaned and calibrated prior to each test, the comparisons are potentially false readings.
I am one of the only people who actually shows the extensive testing among water ionizers on YouTube. When I do this it adds to the general knowledge about various water ionizers and also shows that water ionizers perform differently in different water sources.
Another fake water ionizer comparison trick is to make claims based on saying their ionizer is the only medical device available. No water ionizers are considered medical devices in the US. The KFDA [the Korean equivalent of FDA] and the Ministry of Health of Japan both recognize all the water ionizers I sell as medically useful devices.
One, more recent trick is to make claims that ionized water is not natural, because it’s not found in nature. The claims are being made by people who want you to buy their products [usually filtering-only devices] instead. But, the idea that ionized water is somehow not natural is simply misguided. It can be tested and found to be water [two hydrogens to every oxygen]. There are normal, healthy minerals in ionized water, such as calcium. There will also be an abundance of extra electrons, which are nature’s most natural anti-oxidants. If you go and stand next to the ocean, 5 feet away, and breath the air you may feel energized by it. What is different about that air? It has an abundance of extra electrons. Electrons are negatively charged and are able to be donated to active oxygen [also called free-radicals] in the body. This instantly makes the oxygen able to be used properly by the cells of the body and prevents free-radical damage to the cells.
You will find nothing more in this water.
I don’t have anything bad to say about filtering-only alkaline water ionizer devices. I sell a few. The most popular one is my new Alkaline Plus Pitcher which can bring the pH up slightly [about 1 point higher than the source water pH, i.e. from 8.5 to 9.5 or from 7.5 to 8.5] and it delivers about -200 to -400 ORP [antioxidants] on average. I think it’s a great product, and I think everyone should buy one, even if they have a regular water ionizer, because they will be traveling sometimes and will need it. However, I don’t believe anyone can experience the full health benefits of using alkaline water when they only use a filtering-only water ionizer [also called portable water ionizer]. I use them only when I travel. The portable water ionizers work, but the electrical water ionizers work better and faster. I have tested them all and the health benefits are better with a regular [electrical] water ionizer.
I look upon a water ionizer as a tool that can be used to adjust the buffers we all need up or down as desired. After 20 years of using water ionizers for myself and my whole family, I can say that they are the single best thing I’ve ever purchased to improve my health. I am very health conscious about the products I buy, but have never found a better product to recommend to others than an alkaline water ionizer.
Ionized Water, Kangen Water, Alkaline Water and the Best Water Filters: Is
Water Ionization the Same for All Alkaline Water Machines?
Not all alkaline water machines are the same. Some ionized water has a higher pH with a lower ORP, which is not good. Some water ionizers can provide lower, drinking levels, of pH with very high [negative] ORP. That is very good. Some alkaline water machines require more watts to get a higher/lower range of pH [for cleaning purposes. It’s debatable whether this is good or not.]
Some water ionizers have a mineral port, and I personally appreciate this option. The Enagic Company, of course, says Kangen Water is singularly the best alkaline water machine ever. But the Enagic Kangen Water ionizer is a water ionizer, just like the other alkaline water machines. The Enagic company attempts to persuade you that Kangen Water is different than other ionized water simply because they use a different name. Kangen water is chemically the same as other alkaline water, and can be tested for pH and ORP like any other. According to my testing, Enagic Kangen Water is better than many water ionizers, but not better than the Vesta water ionizer, the Jupiter water ionizers, or the Chanson Miracle-Max and VS 70 water ionizers for getting a high ORP per unit of pH. The new Vesta water ionizer beats Enagic in every conceivable way.
The Enagic company warns their customers about the potential plate damage that could be caused by utilizing their strong-acidic-water setting too frequently or improperly. However, I don’t know of too many Enagic dealers that make mention of this fact. When the strong-acidicwater setting button is pushed, a saline solution [which also contains bleach] is released into the water. This is a caustic solution. It’s also potentially caustic to the water ionizer to use 235 watts of power. See Enagic’s warning page here.
* Because we are so sure the water ionizers we sell are the very best you can buy, we stand behind every sale. Alkaline Water Plus charges only 5% re-stocking fees to the customer (and we pay the rest of the manufacturer's restocking fees) in the event of a return within the 60-day trial period.
