Alkaline ionized water is the talk of the town because of the superior freshness, deliciousness, and hydration it might offer. Although research is limited, some scientists vouch for its ability to treat gastrointestinal diseases and make you feel healthier in the long run.
What if instead of buying bottled alkaline water, which is expensive and wasteful, you could make alkaline water at home?
A water ionizer is a magic device that makes alkaline water by splitting tap water into alkaline and acidic components using electrolysis. The alkaline water, which is full of antioxidants, is collected for consumption, while the acidic water is typically discarded or used for other purposes.
I’ve researched and analyzed the top ionizing machines based on these essential factors:
- pH
- ORP
- Hydrogen levels
- Electrode quality
- Cleaning efficiency
- Ionization efficiency
- Cost
Here’s what I found.
1. AlkaViva Vesta H2 Water Ionizer: 9.70/10
- Robust electrodes and continuous self-cleaning function
- $2,395
AlkaViva’s Vesta H2 is the best ionizer because of its high-quality electroplated electrodes, strong ultrafilter that removes a number of pollutants, automatic continuous cleaning, and auto-adjusting power supply to keep the machine from burning out.
Pros
There’s a lot to like about AlkaViva Vesta H2.
This ionizing machine uses nine smart titanium electrodes electroplated with platinum, which is the best method there is to coat electrodes. This strong water cell, coupled with H2 membranes, produces water with pH between 2.5–11.4, oxidation reduction potential (ORP) up to -840mV, and free hydrogen levels up to 1.3 PPM.
I like that this machine gives you control over the pH level you want in your ionized water. It has eight presets, five of which produce varying levels of alkaline water. Two are for acidic water and the last is for purified neutral water.
You can further customize the pH levels and change the flow rate of the water from 1 L/min to 3.5 L/min.
FYI: The slower the water flow, the higher the antioxidant properties in water.
All water ionizers are point-of-use appliances that are either installed over the counter or under the sink to treat tap water. One of the things that make an ionizer best is its ability to remove pollutants in your kitchen tap water before ionizing it. Vesta H2 uses high-grade certified dual filtration, including an ultrafilter of 0.01 microns and a pre-carbon filter (or a fluoride filter) to remove dirt, chlorine, heavy metals, herbicides, and pesticides in water.
Each filter is rated for 1,000 gallons, and you’ll be notified by the machine when they’re due for a change, usually after a year. One set of replacement filters costs $189.
Vesta H2 uses the most advanced DARC II continuous cleaning technology, which is more efficient and convenient than the intermittent acid wash system in both the Aqua Ionizer and the AquaGreen, reviewed below.
Another feature that makes Vesta H2 stand out is the AutoAdjust power system that regulates the input voltage for optimal performance and longer life of the electrodes. It also has a self-diagnosis system that alerts you of any abnormality within the system.
Using the installation guide, you can install it under your sink or over the counter in 15 minutes or less.
AlkaViva Vesta H2 is certified by several organizations, including EPA, NSF, FDA, and CE. Plus, it is approved as a medical device in Korea.
Lastly, you’ll get a limited lifetime warranty and a 5-year labor warranty on this machine.
Cons
One downside is this ionizer doesn’t feature a mineral port where calcium, magnesium, and himalayan salt can be added to boost the intensity of ionization. Similarly, it doesn’t have a sodium injection port like Ionia S12 that allows for adding salt water to produce hypochlorous acid.
Some users may find its flow rate a tad slower. But you should know that the best water ionizers tend to have a slower flow rate because it results in better ionization and deeper filtration.
Overall
The AlkaViva is reasonably priced and offers many features, including DARC II continuous cleaning, auto-adjusting power supply, dual filtration, a self-diagnosis system, and electroplated electrodes that last long.
You can choose your desired pH levels from eight presets and adjust the flow rate as well.
If you need a water ionizer that requires minimal maintenance and is made to last for years, get yourself AlkaViva Vesta H2.
2. Ionia Super S12: 8.60/10
- Features a sodium injection port
- $2,395
The Ionia Super S12 is a sturdy unit that uses 12 plates in two sets of water cells and can produce water with a wide range of pH. The unique feature is its ability to make hypochlorous acid that you can use as a sanitizer and disinfectant to clean surfaces or wounds.
Pros
The Ionia Super S12 is a beast of an ionizer because of its design. It has a total of 12 titanium plates electroplated with platinum, arranged in two separate water cells in the machine. This allows for more efficient ionization than a design where all 12 plates are placed in one water cell, like the Tyent.
This powerful unit can produce water with a pH as low as 2.5 and as high as 11.5. You can achieve up to -820 ORP and up to 1.6 PPM free hydrogen in water.
What makes it worthy of the second spot on my list is its ability to produce electrochemically activated water (ECA) with 250 PPM hypochlorous acid. You just have to fill saline water in the sodium injection port inside and push the “super acidic” button.
The machine electrolyzes the chlorine ions in saline water to make hypochlorous acid, which is also a surface disinfectant, sanitizer, and antiseptic. This acid has no expiration date—you can store it for cleaning surfaces, washing laundry, cleaning fruits and vegetables, and watering plants to kill germs. This feature also strengthens the overall ionization process in the unit.
The machine has an automatic cleaning system that works silently without interruption, though not as strong as AlkaViva’s DARC II.
Ionia Super S12 has dual filtration like Vesta H2. One is a fine ultrafilter (0.01 microns) and the other is a pre-carbon filter. The filters last a year, tops, and costs around $210.
Ionia Sper S12 has certifications from many organizations, including WQA, FDA, CE, NSF, and KFDA. It is also approved as a medical device in Japan and Korea. On top of it all, you’ll get a five-year warranty on the machine components.
Cons
The Ionia Super S12 is bigger in size (17 inches wide) than Vesta H2 (14.4 inches wide) and takes up a lot of space on the counter. Plus, it cannot be installed under the sink.
Although it uses dual filtration, the overall filtration efficiency is not as strong as Vesta H2.
Another slight downside is that Ionia consumes 400 watts to power up two water cells inside it. High wattage requires a high water flow rate to cool down the plates inside, reducing the overall ionization efficiency. Moreover, high wattages can decrease the electrode life in the long run.
While AlkaViva’s 250-watt machine is guaranteed to last 15+ years, the Ionia machine might give up before that.
Overall
The Ionia Super S12 is excellent at producing a wide range of pH levels with high ORP and a perfect amount of free hydrogen in water. What makes it stand out is its ability to make hypochlorous acid that can be used for various purposes. It’s a strong machine that uses the power of two water cells to ionize your water.
If you have enough space on your kitchen counter to place this seven-inch-wide machine, buy one for yourself here.
3. Tyent UCE-13: 7.00/10
- Under-the-counter design
- $3995
The Tyent UCE-13 uses 13 platinum-dipped titanium plates to produce water with pH between 1.7 to 12.5, ORP levels as negative as -1150mV, and free hydrogen levels up to 1.8 PPM, but it’s more expensive and less efficient because of high wattage consumption.
Pros
Tyent is a renowned name in the water ionizer industry because of its high quality and sturdy build. Its UCE-13 model is equipped with 13 platinum-dipped plates in one water cell that consumes a high wattage to perform the ionization process.
Tyent ionizer is placed under the sink and features a sleek dispenser with a smart touch screen installed over the counter. You can choose between three alkaline presets, three acidic presets, one turbo, and a neutral mode.
Like Vesta H2 and Super S12, Tyent also features dual filtration comprising a carbon filter and 0.01-micron ultrafilter that removes chlorine, dirt, and other common pollutants in tap water. The only difference is you’d need to replace Tyent filters every six months while Vesta H2 and Ionia filters can last a year.
Unlike Tyent’s older models that use acid washes, UCE-13 is equipped with an automatic, continuous cleaning system. Additional unique features include a flood prevention sensor (an automatic shutoff system that activates when the machine is left unattended) and a power-adjusting system.
I appreciate that Tyent gives its users 75 days to test and try out its unit, along with a lifetime warranty.
Cons
Tyent may be very popular among users, but there are a few things that you should know before buying it.
It claims to use 13 plates in one water cell and proudly boasts the consumption of high amperage to make -1150 ORP water. What Tyent doesn’t tell you is that the high wattage heats up the plates and ultimately reduces the ionization efficiency.
Its 13 solid/mesh electrodes are coated with platinum through the dipping and baking process, which is inefficient compared to advanced electroplating used in AlkaViva and Ionia.
Moreover, Tyent is almost $1,000 more expensive than the Vesta H2 and Ionia and offers fewer features than both.
Tyent claims to have won the “Ionizer of the Year” award, but no such award or certification exists. It’s just a deceptive sales slogan that raises many suspicions. Plus, if you go to the website, you’ll always find a clock ticking and banners displaying that the sale is running out. This is another form of deceit.
Overall
The Tyent UCE 13 can produce water with a wide range of pH levels, highly negative ORP, and excellent free-hydrogen concentration.
If you don’t mind the high wattage consumption and the deceitful claim that they are the best on the market, you can Tyent under sink water ionizer here.
4. Jupiter Athena
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly yet efficient and space-saving solution, the Jupiter Athena water ionizer might be what you want. Priced at $1,795, Jupiter Athena uses five mesh electrodes that consume up to 80 watts of power. Due to the small amperage, it has a slow flow rate of 1.5–2 L/min.
It’s a compact and well-built unit that offers a pH range of 2.5 to 11, infuses up to 9 PPM of free hydrogen, and produces water with ORP as negative as -700 mV.
I like that it has an efficient DARC automatic cleaning system that works silently without your input. One catch though: you can’t customize the presets installed in this unit.
Jupiter is a decent unit, but you can’t expect it to filter tricky pollutants in your tap water. It uses two filter cartridges made of activated carbon, silver-embedded carbon, fiber, tourmaline, and coral calcium, but the pore size is not smaller than 0.1 microns. It cleans out chlorine, chlorine by-products, and sediment but is incomparable to ultrafiltration in Vesta H2.
Although it has only five plates, the Jupiter is still stronger and more efficient than most ionizers because of its high-quality components.
5. Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 9.5
Priced at $2,195, the Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 9.5 uses nine titanium plates coated with platinum through the dipping and baking process. The machine produces highly negative ORP water, with pH levels between 3.5 to 11.5 and hydrogen concentrations up to 1.6 PPM. It’s a small unit that can fit in tight spaces.
At a price point of over $2,000, you expect some kind of electrical protection built into the system so the machine can survive power surges. This device consumes 400 watts and has no power regulatory technology.
Another major issue is its cleaning process. Unlike the top contenders, the Aqua Ionizer uses intermittent acid washes. First, this method leads to scale build-up and requires thorough manual cleaning once a month. And second, the machine stops for 15 seconds after ionization to clean itself before you can pour your water. So inconvenient.
It doesn’t have dual filtration and uses only one carbon filter to trap chlorine in the water. Without a pre-filter, filtration is not as good.
It has seven presets, out of which one is called “cleaning,” and produces pH levels of 3.5–4. The manufacturers claim this pH is suitable for disinfection and has antiseptic properties.
Although it produces highly antioxidant water with varying pH levels, it’s too expensive for its mediocre features.
You could get the Ionia Super S12, which produces even more acidic water and offers better features, for around the same price.
6. AquaGreen Alkaline Water Ionizer
The AquaGreen uses five platinum-coated titanium plates to produce 3.5–11 pH levels, ORP up to -500mV, and an unsatisfactory amount of free-hydrogen concentration. It has a single coconut-shell activated-carbon filter that reduces the chlorine smell in water and needs changing every six months.
AquaGreen is a small and sleek unit that takes only 10 minutes to set up. One caveat is that if you fail to install it properly, it will leak all over your countertop.
The unit costs $479 and uses the intermittent acid wash process to clean its plates after every ionization cycle. You’ll have seven presets to choose from. Like Aqua Ionizer, this also features a “cleaning/disinfectant” preset that produces mildly acidic water of 3.5 pH.
Its cheap price point might interest some people but know that you can’t find a high-quality, durable water ionizer that lasts 10+ years for less than $1,000.
7. Life Ionizer MXL-15
Priced at a whopping $3,497, Life Ionizer’s MXL-15 uses 15 plates, dipped and baked with platinum, to produce ionized water, as well as consuming 800 watts. Like I mentioned before, a high number of plates does not mean better ionization. Instead, this arrangement deteriorates the machine and significantly reduces its efficiency.
The manufacturer claims that this machine produces water with ORP as negative as -1000mV, but my test results painted a different picture. This unit was able to produce -600 ORP levels. At such a high price point, this performance is a disappointment.
This machine uses intermittent acid washes to clean the electrodes, which is an ineffective method. To make things worse, the Life Ionizer uses meshed plates, which is a bad idea because calcium gets trapped in easily without a proper cleaning system.
Lastly, you’d need to install pre-filters separately in your kitchen sink water supply because the filters of this ionizer are substandard.
I suggest you go with the AlkaViva or Ionia instead.
The Bottom Line
After eight months of researching and analyzing water ionizers on the market, I have chosen AlkaViva Vesta H2 as the best alkaline water ionizer machine because of its unique features, high electrode quality, ultrafiltration, and strong cleaning ability.
Vesta H2 uses nine Japanese electrodes that are electroplated to achieve the highest ionization efficiency. The machine is capable of regulating the input power using the AutoAdjust feature, which increases the life of electrodes and prevents overheating.
I absolutely love its DARC II cleaning system, which cleans the electrodes automatically without any inconvenience and prevents the scale buildup that hinders the ionization process.
You can choose the pH levels you want in your drinking water out of the eight presets on the machine. All these features are hard to find in one machine.
At just $2,395, you can get a certified ionization machine with a lifetime warranty. If you’re ready to ionize your water with the best machine out there, you can get the AlkaViva Vesta H2 here.
Methodology
You must be curious about how I tested and analyzed the leading water ionizers on the market. Here’s a peek at how I did it:
Step 1: A big list of popular water ionizers/alkaline water machines
To begin my research, I made a big list of popular water ionizing machines from Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Target. I made sure the products I selected had the highest sales and ratings.
After scouring the internet and exhausting this avenue, I messaged my family and friends and asked them to pour in their recommendations. It turns out every family has a member who is an alkaline water enthusiast.
By the end of the day, I had 15 water ionizers on my list.
Step 2: Product analysis
There were many questions in my mind regarding ionizing machines, for example, how do they work? What’s the point? What defines the quality of an alkaline water machine? What technology is the best?
To satisfy my curiosity, I took to my keyboard and started typing away my queries. Here are some interesting details that helped me judge these water ionizers better.
- Water ionizers are compact, point-of-use devices that ionize water (split it into alkaline and acidic water) through a process called electrolysis. The resulting alkaline water is full of antioxidants that can benefit your health in many ways.
- The optimum pH level for drinking water is 8.5 to 9.5. But most ionizers can produce water with pH as low as 2.5 and as high as 11, which can be used for many other purposes.
- Low ORP water is highly antioxidant and capable of fighting free radicals in the body. Look for a water ionizer that produces highly negative ORP water.
- A higher number of plates is not always better. The optimum number of plates is between five and nine, consuming about 100 to 250 watts to operate. Anything higher is unsafe and inefficient unless the plates are divided into two water cells like in the Ionia S12.
- Brands with a higher number of plates claim they ionize better but fail to explain how this can deteriorate the machine and decrease overall efficiency. More plates require a higher water flow so the components inside don’t overheat, and as a result, water does not ionize properly.
- The type of plates used (grid, flat, mesh, slotted) and the process of coating these plates with titanium (dipping, electroplating) also defines the ionization efficiency. Dipping and baking is an inefficient process resulting in many defects, whereas electroplating is an advanced and expensive technique that only a few brands can afford.
There are typically two types of cleaning processes inside an ionizer: Periodic acid washes or continuous automatic cleaning processes. Periodic acid washes are less efficient and inconvenient compared to advanced automatic washes. Machines with acid-wash cleaning systems tend to develop calcium scale on plates and deteriorate faster with time as opposed to automatic cleaning systems that clean better without wasting water or reducing filter life.
- Molecular hydrogen in ionized water has healing properties as it neutralizes free radicals in the body. It enhances the health benefits by many folds. Free hydrogen can only be retained in water for a limited time.
- The best alkaline water machines feature advanced water filtration (typically ultrafiltration) and long filter life.
Step 3: Online reviews
Now that I had enough knowledge, I started reading the online reviews and testimonials left by hundreds of customers on websites like Consumer Reports, Trustpilot, Angie’s List, and Amazon. This took me three days, but I was able to identify fake claims, poor efficiency, and low durability of some of the machines just through reading about people’s experiences online.
Step 4: Interviews with real customers
I came across many fake comments and incentivized testimonials during the previous step. To make sure I didn’t fall for fake praise, I decided to hold real-time interviews with some of the customers who were willing to help me with my research.
Some were even willing to send me pH, ORP, and H2 test reports after using their ionizers for a few months.
Step 5: Interviews with companies
After listening to what customers had to say, I reached out to the brands and asked them a few questions about their plates’ quality, certifications, and product durability. To my surprise, almost all the brands except two responded quickly and followed up a few weeks later.
I removed the brands from my list that didn’t respond within 72 hours.
Step 6: Test drives
Before I could rank the products, I needed my own test results for pH levels, ORP and molecular hydrogen produced by each water ionizer. For this, I bought a few ionizers and rented others. I got myself a pH at-home testing kit to test the water, Trustlex hydrogen tester, and an ORP meter.
I spent two months testing ionized alkaline water and judging ORP and hydrogen levels at each pH level produced by the machine. My analysis also included testing the cleaning process, installation, and overall performance.
Step 7: Ratings
I gave a final ranking to the products left on my list based on the following factors:
- pH/ORP levels
- Free hydrogen levels
- Plates quality
- Cleaning process
- Ease of maintenance
- Installation
- User interface
- Warranty
- Cost
The Best Water Ionizer Machine
After months of testing and analyzing, I can safely conclude that the AlkaViva Vesta H2 Ionizer offers the best value for your money. It is number one on my list because of several reasons:
- pH levels between 2.5–11.4
- ORP as negative as -840
- 1.3 PPM free-hydrogen
- Nine high-quality plates made in Japan
- DARC II automatic cleaning system
- AutoAdjust system
- Self-diagnosis system
- Eight presets
- Certifications
- Lifetime warranty
It’s time to take charge of your health. Investing in a Vesta H2 means you can enjoy drinking alkaline water with high molecular hydrogen concentration and antioxidant properties for the longest period of time. Here’s to staying hydrated.
