Water Ionizer Comparisons

These are a few of the water ionizers that Ronnie has tested

Once you have decided that you need an ionizer, you must choose one to purchase. For some, this may appear to be a challenging or daunting task. Ionized water is relatively unknown here in the USA, so finding a real expert and authority on this subject is like finding a needle in a haystack. Well, consider us your needle!

What to know about our industry: Unfortunately, as the water ionizer industry grows, there are companies selling water ionizers who do not understand or care to understand the health benefits of a water ionizer.  These companies seem to only be interested in making a sale. They are more than willing to sell you their most expensive machine, not because it is the best, but because it is the one that has the highest profit margin. To make matters worse, there are a number of false review sites and videos that claim to be unbiased sources for ionizer testing. Many of these sites claim to sell all brands but in reality, do not.  They usually are contracted with one or maybe two brands and try to steer your decision to a specific brand and model.

Here at Chanson Water, we do all the research so you don't have to. Our first concern is with the manufacturer.  It’s important to us that we work with OEM manufacturers (original equipment manufacturer), only. Many of the other brands are mere parts assemblers.  In those cases, the quality of the product cannot be verified as it can when working with the original manufacturer.  Only real manufacturing plants will have proper licensing and certifications to produce food grade equipment.

Our goal at Chanson Water is to educate the customer and tell the truth regarding the positives and negatives of each ionizer on the market.  We will help you decide on the ionizer that best fits your lifestyle and budget. We have personally tested every major brand of water ionizers using detailed testing equipment and the highest quality meters and sensors. Other companies perform their version of testing.  However, it usually consists of reagent drops that are nowhere near accurate nor a true indication of water alkalinity. We are aware that just quoting performance numbers does not convey the whole story. For example, when buying a computer, the memory and the speed are certainly important, but there are many other factors that determine which machine you will purchase. We believe the same thought process should be applied to a water ionizer purchase. We will share our detailed knowledge with you about the machines so that you will be very pleased with the ionizer you choose.  Please don't hesitate to call us if we don't adequately cover your question or concern.  We promise to not use sales pressure.  We will provide quick answers to your questions.

What are we looking for in general?

1. Build quality of the machine.
2. Number and type of plates/electrodes.
3. Ease of installation and daily use.
4. Look of the machine.
5. Cleaning cycle.
6. Warranty.
7. Max repair cost after warranty.
8. Filter replacement costs.
9. Strong pH and acid waters.
10. Waste water.

What are we testing for?

1. Alkalinity levels.
2. Acid levels.
3. ORP levels.
4. Chlorine levels.
5. Flow rates.
6. Taste.

Some competing websites have disguised themselves as “consumer review” websites for ionizers. If you look closely, you will notice how each of them ends up trying to steer you toward a certain brand.  Coincidentally, it is often the brand they sell, and the reviews are certainly biased. Even though we only sell one brand, we have worked with many of the water ionizer brands available.  In our opinion, the Chanson machine is the best value and quality on the market. We are devoted to showing you honestly how our Chanson water ionizers compare to other brands. We would love to sell you a Chanson water ionizer, simply because we believe they are the best.  However, we will never compromise our morals to make a sale.

It is very important to realize that despite all of the marketing strategies each manufacturer uses to sell their product — in the end, these machines are plumbing fixtures just like your dishwasher, faucets or showerheads. They process water and we all know what eventually happens to all of our plumbing fixtures…they succumb to scale and rust, get clogged up or cease to perform efficiently. You should shop for a water ionizer the same way you would other appliances.  The idea that the difference between a high-end appliance and a cheap one is that the high end brand will handle more abuse and usage over a longer period of time.  The same philosophy applies to water ionizers.

Your source water will play a large role in the performance and longevity of your ionizers. Those individuals with very hard water (high mineral content) will achieve the most impressive pH and acid numbers initially.  However, as scale builds up in the machine, the performance will drop just like your water heater does when lime scale builds up on the inside. Those with soft water (low mineral content) will achieve lower pH and acid numbers, but their machines will perform for longer periods with more consistency.

All the machines we’ve tested have good filters but none remove everything from the water. For those that require the absolute best in filtration, we sell under counter pre-filters that can address any and every water problem you may be experiencing. Call us for help on this issue. In most cases, the machine filters will provide you with clean, great tasting water, but all will greatly benefit from pre-filtration. Those on well sources may require additional filtering.

Always remember we are here to answer your questions and to help you. If our reviews don't answer all of your questions, please send us an email or give us a call.

Disclaimer:

The quoted numbers of performance are based on our tap water here in Laguna Niguel, California, which averages 8 - 8.3 pH and 19 grains of hardness or 325 ppm of total dissolved solids. Source water dramatically affects test results, so your water may produce different results. Water test equipment is notoriously inconsistent. We use the better meters and calibrate them often, but please use our numbers for comparison only.

Point criteria;

We judge some items and the overall score on a 1 - 10 scale. Since you won't ever see a machine under a 7 overall on our site here is our definition of 7 through 10:

7= Good
8= Great
9=Outstanding
10= Ultimate

What is waste water?
Waste water is simply how much water is going down the drain from the drain tube. We do a very simple test by holding an 8oz cup under the drain tube and the main spout.  We record the fill ratio of both.  Note: Some customers leave a bowl or a cup in the sink to collect the drain water which can be used for watering plants, etc.

What is flow rate?
Flow rate is how fast or slow the machine will fill a glass of water. We use a 16 oz. glass as our standard. A medium flow rate is one that fills a 16oz. glass in 10-14 seconds. A slow flow rate takes more than 15 seconds and a fast rate takes less than 9 seconds.

What is Super Water?
Super Water is any water over 11ph or under 3ph (high and low corresponding ORP numbers usually accompany the super pH and acid numbers.) For all machines except the Enagic®, the super water is achieved by slowing the water flow rate down to a trickle, if the machine has no manual flow control, (a knob or lever to control water flow) a flow valve can be added inexpensively (about $6.00). The Enagic® uses a sodium solution and reduced water flow. All the machines we have tested easily produce the optimal drinking water at 9 - 10 PH with a negative 200 - 300 ORP, the super waters have some additional uses like sterilizing (acid water 3.0 or below) and wax removal from vegetables (alkaline water 11.3 or above).  There are endless uses for the super water.

Comparison Chart

Read How do we compare with Enagic Kangen ®.