AQUAhydrate vs Essentia: which bottled alkaline water brand gives you more bang for your buck? I’ll tell you up front that I’ve reviewed a long list of bottled water brands, and these two have a lot in common.
In this article, you’ll find out what sets them apart. By the end, you’ll know for sure which brand is better for you.
I’ll also compare pH, ingredients, price and several other factors. Are you ready to see who wins? Let’s go!
AQUAhydrate vs Essentia: Ingredients
First, let’s check out what’s inside the bottle.
AQUAhydrate ingredients:
- Reverse osmosis purified water
- ConcenTrace® trace mineral blend containing 72 different minerals (magnesium, iodine, iron, calcium, chromium, selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum)
- Other ingredients: sodium chloride
Essentia Ingredients:
- Reverse osmosis purified water
- Other ingredients: sodium bicarbonate, dipotassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, and calcium chloride
The main difference between the two is the wider range of minerals offered in AQUAhydrate.
The FDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends an upper limit of 2,300 mg per day, which equals about 1 tsp of salt.
While the sodium level in AQUAhydrate is low, it’s still something to be aware of, especially if you’re closely monitoring your daily salt intake.
Since most of our minerals come from food, it’s up to you to decide if the extra minerals in AQUAhydrate are important to you.
Personally, I prefer to drink water with fewer minerals because I like my water to be as light as possible.
How do they raise the pH?
Both companies use electrolysis (the same process used in home ionizers) to raise the pH of their water. This process is what creates alkaline ionized water.
I drink alkaline ionized water every day and believe it’s the best water a person can drink along with alkaline artesian water.
pH Comparison
- AQUAhydrate advertises a pH of 9 with a shelf life of 2 years
- Essentia advertises a pH of 9.5 with a shelf life of 2 years
Below are pH tests for each brand.
Essentia
AQUAhydrate
Both companies are delivering on their pH promises.
Price Comparison and Where to Buy in Bulk
So far, we’ve learned that both water brands are about the same when it comes to ingredients and pH.
Now, let’s check out the price and where to buy these brands in bulk for the best price.
Both brands are available at Amazon in bulk. Below, I list the case sizes with links to each size.
Essentia
AQUAhydrate
Filtration Methods and TDS
As I mentioned earlier, both brands use electrolysis to make alkaline ionized water. Plus, they both use reverse osmosis filtration.
However, there are a couple of slight differences between their processes.
Essentia Water filtration, purification, and TDS
- Essentia starts with potable tap water.
- The water first goes through carbon filtration.
- Next, it undergoes reverse osmosis filtration.
- Essentia then infuses the water with its blend of alkaline minerals.
- Finally, the mineral-infused water goes through Essentia’s “proprietary ionization process” to raise the pH of the water to 9.5.
- Essentia advertises a TDS under 100, and the water quality report posted on their website shows a TDS reading of 52.
- Essentia Water is fluoride and chlorine-free.
AQUAhydrate Water filtration, purification, and TDS
- AQUAhydrate starts with “regionally sourced” reverse osmosis water.
- Next, the water undergoes ultraviolet (UV) purification to remove any remaining impurities and dissolved solids.
- AQUAhydrate then infuses its water with its ConcenTrace® mineral blend that contains 72 trace minerals.
- Finally, the water undergoes electrolysis to make alkaline ionized water with a pH of 9.
- AQUAhydrate doesn’t post a water quality report on its website.
- The two TDS readings I could find (unverified) ranged between 115 and 130. This explains why AQUAhydrate has a sodium reading on its label while Essentia doesn’t.
Aha! Now, we know what makes these two brands different.
List of Differences Between Essentia and AQUAhydrate
Now for the fun part. Here’s a list of the differences between the two water brands:
- AQUAhydrate has more minerals and a higher TDS (total dissolved solids) reading.
- AQUAhydrate has a pH of 9 while Essentia has a pH of 9.5.
- Essentia posts its water quality report while AQUAhydrate doesn’t.
- Essentia filters its water in-house using carbon and reverse osmosis filtration systems. AQUAhydrate souces reverse osmosis water locally before using UV filtration.
- Essentia Water shows that its water is fluoride-free in its water report. I can only assume AQUAhydrate is fluoride-free since reverse osmosis filtration removes fluoride.
Taste Test
I give the slight edge to Essentia in the taste department.
My Thoughts
I’ve reviewed a long list of bottled water brands over the past month, and I know a lot about both AQUAhydrate and Essentia.
I’m pretty sure I’ve read every word on both of their websites.
What makes them different?
- I like that Essentia Water filters its own water using carbon and reverse osmosis. I assume AQUAhydrate buys its reverse osmosis water from third-party vendors since they describe it as “regionally sourced.”
- Essentia Water has fewer minerals and electrolytes. AQUAhydrate’s selling point is their water has more minerals and electrolytes than Essentia Water. While this may seem like a great selling point, it’s not for me. I prefer water with nothing added to it, which is one of my gripes with both brands. A home water ionizer uses the minerals that are already in your water to make alkaline ionized water. I prefer this method.
- The sodium in AQUAhydrate detracts from the quality of its product. Yes, there are more minerals in AQUAhydrate, but do you really need them? That’s the question you should ask yourself before choosing which brand is best for you.
- Essentia has a slightly higher pH. This factor is unimportant and shouldn’t be a key factor in your decision. Water with a pH greater than 9.5 is unnecessary. The upper limit for the ideal pH range of alkaline water is 9.5.
- I think, overall, Essentia has a higher level of professionalism, and I really like that they post their water quality report. AQUAhydrate shouldn’t have anything to hide, and it would be nice to see them post a water quality report as well.
Final Decision
In the battle of AQUAhydrate vs Essentia, I give the nod to Essentia.
Why?
- They post their water quality report
- They filter their water in-house
- Their water has a lower TDS reading and 0mg of sodium per serving
- No P. Diddy and Mark Wahlberg (I don’t need to see a rerun of 50 Cent selling Vitamin Water)
The bottom line is that both brands are better than tap water and conventional bottled water brands, especially for athletes and people who sweat a lot during exercise.
I’m a fan of alkaline ionized water; it’s what I drink every day. These two brands are two of the only bottled water brands that offer true ionized water, and I like that.
It’s up to you to decide if the slight differences between their practices and the mineral content are important to you. The best way to know for sure is to try both brands and see which one you like more.
