On the hunt for honest Velaqua Alkaline Water Machine reviews? Well, you’re in the right place. Our in-house water quality expert took a long look at the Velaqua to decide if it walks the walk or is just another overhyped water product that doesn’t deliver on its promises.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the Velaqua Alkaline Water Machine before you buy, our water expert’s review, and several final thoughts to consider.
Unlike most water ionizers, the Velaqua doesn’t use electricity to ionize your tap water. Instead, it relies on gravity.
Similar to an alkaline water pitcher, the Velaqua contains special minerals within its filter to ionize your water.
Velaqua Alkaline Water Machine Reviews
After doing some digging, I found enough information on the Velaqua filter to draw some conclusions:
- The filter must be flushed at least several times before drinking from it for the best taste & pH results
- It could be the upgrade you’re looking for if you’re currently using a standard home water filter
- pH results will most likely be more mixed than you’d find with a true water ionizer
- The machine looks good on most counters and doesn’t take up too much room
Next, let’s check out the features to see how the Velaqua stacks up against its electric competitors.
Features
- The 7-stage filter includes a ceramic pre-filter, colloidal silver-impregnated organic coconut fiber carbon, and minerals (tourmaline, zeolite, and bioactive far-infrared sun beads)
- Max pH: 9.5
- Negative ORP: -237 to -513 mV (Oxidation-reduction potential or ORP is a measure of beneficial antioxidants in your water. A higher negative ORP = more antioxidants)
- Total capacity: 4 gallons (Top tank: 1.5 gallons, and Reservoir tank: 2.5 gallons)
- Filter Life: 4-6 months for a family of 4, and 8-12 months for a single person
- Uses no electricity: the Velaqua mimics Earth’s natural filtration process
- Filter time: 2 to 3 hours each time you fill it
- Dimensions: 18.5″ Depth x 10.5″ Width x 19.5″ Height (The top tank can be removed after the water has finished filtering)
- The package includes the Velaqua unit, ceramic pre-filter disc, filter, and the Velaqua booster kit
Velaqua Replacement Filters
Once you receive your Velaqua unit, it’s best to follow the instructions provided by Velaqua. You must first soak the filter.
Plus, they recommend filling the unit a couple of times before drinking filtered water from it. Since it takes several hours for your water to completely filter down to the bottom tank, you’ll have to be patient the first day.
The good news is the filters have a long life.
Shipping is fast. This is a good thing because not all alkaline water companies ship filters quickly.
Velaqua recommends cleaning the tank once a week to ensure the filter lasts longer and operates at its best.
Demonstration Video
To get a visual idea of what to expect from the Velaqua and how it’ll look in your kitchen, check out the video below:
Pros and Cons
Now, let’s go over the pros and cons of owning the Velaqua instead of a traditional electric water ionizer:
- Requires no electricity
- It’s portable
- Costs a lot less than a premium water ionizer
- Adds healthy minerals to your water (good for people who don’t have hard water)
- Contains colloidal silver in its filter
- Very user-friendly
- Can’t control the pH level
- Less negative ORP than a premium water ionizer
- Takes hours to filter the water
- Made in China (premium ionizers are made in Japan or South Korea)
- No self-cleaning function
- Could be adding unnecessary minerals to your water (especially if you have hard water)
- Doesn’t make acidic water for household and cosmetic uses
- Larger footprint
My Velaqua Alkaline Water Machine Review
After reading everything about the Velaqua, seeing it in action, and studying its filter, I drew several conclusions.
First, the Velaqua is not in the same class as an electric water ionizer.
However, the Velaqua machine is definitely a better option than most alkaline water filter pitchers currently on the market.
In my opinion, the Velaqua is more of a really big alkaline water filter pitcher with a more powerful filter, as opposed to an actual alkaline water machine.
I think the term “alkaline water machine” gets tossed around a bit to market products.
Check out my list of Top 10 Water Ionizers to get a better idea of what an alkaline water machine is.
Having said all that, I do think the Velaqua is a legit product that produces alkaline ionized water through mineralization.
It’s more powerful and more convenient than most alkaline water filter pitchers and is certainly an upgrade over the common Brita pitcher.
The ORP reading of Velaqua water is the best I’ve seen for an alkaline water filter that doesn’t use electricity, but it certainly doesn’t match the power of the Tyent UCE-11 ionizer, for example.
One neat feature I like about the Velaqua is the addition of colloidal silver in its filter. I haven’t seen that before in other alkaline water products, and I think it’s a nice touch.
I’ve previously taken colloidal silver as a health supplement, and I do believe in its health benefits.
Lab tests have shown that colloidal silver is a powerful all-natural anti-bacterial that has the ability to kill over 650 types of bacteria, fungi, molds, and parasites.
Overall, I give the Velaqua Alkaline Water Machine a thumbs up. My only slight gripe is with the marketing since the Velaqua machine technically isn’t a water ionizer and can’t produce the same quality water as an ionizer.
Final Thoughts
To give you an idea of my final thoughts for this countertop alkaline water filter system, here’s how I think the Velaqua is best described.
The Velaqua is more powerful than a traditional alkaline water filter pitcher, but you can’t expect it to perform at the same level as a premium water ionizer.
Personally, I favor electric water ionizers that use medical-grade platinum-coated titanium plates to get the job done. I’m also more trusting of ionizers built in South Korea and Japan since those two countries have health organizations that certify water ionizers as medical devices.
As long as you go into buying the Velaqua with the proper mindset, you will undoubtedly get your money’s worth.
I think it’s a great introduction to the alkaline water lifestyle, and perhaps once you feel the health benefits from Velaqua water, you’ll decide to upgrade to a water ionizer later.