Essentia vs Fiji: Which of these brands gives you more bang for your buck? Or perhaps you want to know which brand is better for you? In this article, I’ll show you why these two bottled water brands are very different. By the end, you’ll know for sure which one is for you.
Essentia water has taken the sports world by storm after NBA players began talking about it with the media. Even NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard advised people to stay away from acidic water and stick with alkaline brands in an interview with GQ.
You’ve probably noticed that there are a lot of alkaline water brands popping up at the store. One thing I can assure you of is that alkaline water is not Vitamin Water. Unlike Vitamin Water, alkaline water is actually healthy and will be here to stay for years to come.
Are you ready for my Essentia vs Fiji comparison? As promised, I’ll show you the 5 main reasons these brands are different.
Let’s start with pH.
#1 pH Level
One of the things about the alkaline water craze that does upset me a bit is the alkaline misconception about pH. People think that the higher the pH of the water the healthier the water.
This is 100% untrue. There is an ideal pH range for alkaline water.
What is the pH of Essentia water? Essentia advertises a pH of 9.5 on its label.
Here’s an Essentia pH test video below:
What did you think? It looked like a pH of at least 9.0 to me.
Did you notice how he used the pH tester drops instead of pH test strips? The drops are a lot more accurate when testing the pH of alkaline water. If you prefer the strips, I suggest you check out my list of most accurate pH test strips.
Now for the Fiji pH test video:
#2 Water Source
Now let’s go over where these two brands source their water for the second round of my Essentia vs Fiji comparison.
Essentia filters its own water using reverse osmosis filtration. Since reverse osmosis filtration does such a thorough job of removing impurities, Essentia can start with plain tap water.
Fiji, on the other hand, doesn’t alter its water. Instead, the company extracts its water from an artesian aquifer in Fiji.
Fiji’s water starts as rain in the Fijian rain forest. The water then filters its way through volcanic rock and picks up minerals along the way that naturally raise the pH.
#3 Alkaline Ionized Water vs Alkaline Artesian Water
This is the most interesting part of the comparison. Did you know there’s a big difference between alkaline ionized water and artesian alkaline water?
Essentia Ionization Process
Let’s start with alkaline ionized water. Essentia water is alkaline ionized water.
Reverse osmosis filtration does such a good job of filtering water that it also removes nearly all the minerals from water. This is why reverse osmosis water has a slightly acidic pH.
How does Essentia raise the pH of its reverse osmosis water? First, they add their special alkaline mineral blend because for water to become ionized, there must be some minerals in the water.
Once they’ve added the minerals, the water undergoes the ionization process. This is when the real magic happens.
The electrolysis process creates alkaline ionized water with a negative ORP (oxidation-reduction potential). The higher the negative ORP, the stronger the antioxidant power of the water.
Essentia uses the same process as water ionizers to make alkaline ionized water.
Artesian Alkaline Water
Fiji water achieves its slightly alkaline pH by filtering through layers of volcanic rock. Alkaline minerals cling to Fiji water while it makes its descent through the rock.
By the time Fiji water reaches its final destination below the Earth’s surface, it has a slightly alkaline pH of 7.7.
#4 Mineral Content & TDS
Essentia and Fiji also have different mineral profiles and TDS (total dissolved solids) levels.
Here are the differences in mineral content between Essentia and Fiji:
- Fiji Water contains a tiny bit of fluoride (.23 mg/l) while Essentia is fluoride-free
- Fiji has a higher TDS of 224 vs Essentia’s 52
- Fiji contains beneficial silica while Essentia does not
Conclusions:
If you want more minerals in your water and are less concerned about alkaline pH, Fiji is a better choice for you.
If you want water that is fluoride-free with a higher pH, then Essentia water is a better choice for you.
If you want silica in your water, then Fiji is the better choice for you.
#5 Price
Finally, let’s talk about price.
A good place to buy Fiji and Essentia in bulk is online at Amazon.
Use either of the links below to check the prices for cases of Fiji and Essentia at Amazon:
Final Thoughts
I remember a time not so long ago when Evian and Fiji were the only two premium bottled water brands on the shelf at the supermarket (at least the only two I noticed).
Nowadays, there’s a ton of options for you, and new alkaline water brands continue to pop up. Believe it or not, Essentia water started all the way back in 1998 as the first alkaline ionized bottled water brand in the United States.
Fiji water started in 1996 and caught on a lot quicker than Essentia.
What did you think of my Essentia vs Fiji water comparison? I think by now you know all the major differences between these two brands.
Recap:
- Essentia water has a higher pH (9.5) than Fiji (7.7)
- Fiji water comes from an artesian aquifer in Fiji while Essentia starts as plain water
- Essentia is alkaline ionized water while Fiji is artesian alkaline water
- They have different mineral profiles
- Fiji is a better price than Essentia in bulk
Fiji is better for people who want more minerals in their water and prefer artesian water.
Both brands are of great quality, certainly better than tap water and conventional bottled water brands.
It all comes down to preference when you make your choice between Essentia and Fiji.
