8 Best Water Ionizers of 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

Developed in Japan as integral support for the alkaline diet, water ionizers can turn the most boring and unpleasant tasting tap water into a source of delicious, health-supporting alkaline water.

Based on the idea that a highly acidic diet of processed meats, refined sugars, and high-fat dairy products imbalances the body, proponents of alkaline diets seek to balance their body’s natural nutrient productions with highly alkaline foods and drinks. While this generally takes the form of more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, purified and alkalinized water has become a popular and great-tasting supplement in these diets as well.

Whether you’re looking to install a water ionizer for its taste benefits or health benefits, choosing to invest in a system with robust purifying features will always pay great dividends. We’ve tested dozens of water purifiers and ionizers in our own homes to bring you this list of reviews for the best water ionizers around, so read on to discover everything you need to know about this latest trend in drinking water!

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (2023)

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Aqua Ionizer Deluxe AWL-7000 Water Ionizer	One-touch versatility Long-lasting ionizing plates Built-in 1-year filter	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Pure Hydration PH127 Alkaline Water Ionizer	Easy to install Excellent filtration system Simple one-touch dispensing operation	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Bawell 2195 Platinum Alkaline Water Ionizer	Full lifetime warranty Produces pH ranges from 3.0 to 12.0 Two-stage internal filter system	CHECK PRICE
		aQuasafe Home Water Ionizer	5 preset water dispensing options Built-in activated carbon filter lasts for a year or more Self-cleaning design	CHECK PRICE
		IntelGadgets IT-580 Alkaline Water Ionizer	Best in class self-cleaning features Remarkably accurate pH consistency Easy push-button controls	CHECK PRICE

The 8 Best Water Ionizers – Reviews 2023

1. Aqua Ionizer Deluxe AWL-7000 Water Ionizer – Best Overall

With a quick glance at any online marketplace, you’ll see that there’s no shortage of water ionizers available to choose from – but of all the ionization systems we’ve tested, only the Aqua Ionizer Deluxe AWL-7000 truly outperforms all the hype surrounding this category of products.

Featuring 7 water options, including 4 different degrees of ionized alkaline water, 1 non-ionized purified water, and 2 ionized acidic presets, the AWL-7000 offers a surprisingly easy-to-use interface with versatile flavor and health options. The platinum-coated titanium ionization plates are exceptionally durable and long-lasting, pairing nicely with the machine’s full 5-year warranty to make it a safe investment.

Each built-in water filter for the Aqua Ionizer Deluxe is rated to purify over 1,500 gallons of water, or about a year’s supply of drinking water. This is backed up by the machine’s self-cleaning cycle, making it an exceptionally low-maintenance option. Overall, it’s easily our favorite countertop water ionizer.

2. Pure Hydration PH127 Alkaline Water Ionizer – Best Value

There’s something so refreshing about a water dispensing system that does exactly what it needs to, without any additional fuss or distracting added features. If your life or kitchen trends towards minimalism, the Pure Hydration Alkaline Water Ionizer will surely suit you well. When all is said and done, we think it’s the best water ionizer for the money available today.

A built-in four cartridge system removes more than 99.9% of common water contaminants, as well as reinvigorating the water source with minerals and raising the pH before serving. It’s exceptionally quick and easy to install and includes a diverter valve that will adapt to any standard sink fitting.

Perhaps the only downside of the PH127 from Pure Hydration is the frequency with which you’ll need to change the included filter cartridges. Given its lower initial price, though, this is a flaw but far from a dealbreaker.

3. Bawell Platinum Alkaline Water Ionizer – Premium Choice

If you’re already a devotee of the benefits of alkaline water or the alkaline diet, investing in a more substantial filtration and ionization system may be the next step in improving your home. When that’s the case, we can easily recommend Bawell’s Platinum Alkaline Water Ionizer Machine. It’s a marvel of ionizing technology and a significant investment in the quality and health benefits of your drinking water.

Featuring an LCD screen that clearly displays the alkaline level, pH, and status of both of the machine’s integrated filters, you’ll never be left wondering exactly what you’re drinking. If we had one complaint about this ionization system, it would be that the filters require frequent changing – approximately every 6 to 9 months, on average.

The sting of the Bawell’s larger price tag is easily diminished by its full lifetime warranty. On the rare occasions where you have difficulties with this well-designed machine, it’s easy to get in touch with the company and work things out in no time – just another reason we recommend the Platinum machine so highly.

4. aQuasafe Home Water Ionizer

For a sleek and attractive countertop option that doesn’t sacrifice utility for its good looks, consider the aQuasafe Home Water Ionizer. Featuring a remarkably similar design as our top pick, it’s a well-made water ionizer with clear, intuitive controls.

With 5 options for water preferences, the aQuasafe makes it easy to customize your drinking habits. The integrated carbon filter is rated for an impressive 2,113 gallons of water filtration, lasting up to a year or more under average conditions.

Our only gripe is the infrequency with which the 1-year warranty can be honored, as the company is very hard to get in touch with when problems arise. Given the self-cleaning nature of the machine, however, we found it to be a reliable and worthwhile addition to our home.

5. IntelGadgets Alkaline Water Ionizer

Offering a simpler analog-style design than the many high-tech water ionizers we tested, IntelGadgets’ Alkaline Water Ionizer gave us some of the most consistent pH readings of any water ionizer in our reviews. A basic hard water filter combines with a carbon fiber filter to remove impurities like chlorine and pesticides, before passing through a final stage to become alkaline or acidified water.

Precise pH adjustments are easy with the soft push-button display on the IT-580, and these remain true to the display thanks to a vigorous self-cleaning cycle on the machine. Whereas other water ionizers perform regular cleanings, the IT-580 automatically engages a 10-second cleaning after each use as well as a longer two-minute cleaning cycle that you can activate whenever necessary.

All in all, IntelGadgets’ water ionizer is a fine choice for anyone who wants to really dial in exact and consistent water pHs, all in a conveniently compact countertop unit.

6. iRayer Alkaline Water Ionizer

Another excellent budget-friendly countertop option, the iRayer Alkaline Water Ionizer features many of the benefits we’ve come to expect from a compact ionizer. From multiple water dispensing modes to an active carbon water filter and self-cleaning function, it’s a well-designed piece of water treatment equipment that’s only held back by inconsistent manufacturing.

First, the benefits: A large and intuitive LCD display shows water pH, current dispensing mode, remaining filter life, and more, and is easy to adjust with the press of a button. The water filter is rated for 6,000 liters, or somewhere between 6 and 9 months of regular use. Round those out with a self-cleaning function to prevent scale buildup, and the iRayer requires little to no regular maintenance.

For the unit we tested, however, the claims to adjusting water pH did not hold out well against our independent testing. After speaking with others who had experience with this machine, opinions differed; while some machines produced consistent pH water, many did not.

If you’re willing to do a fair amount of troubleshooting, the 5-year warranty on the iRayer makes it a very reasonably priced option.

7. IonTech Compact Under Sink Alkaline Water Ionizer

One of the very few under sink ionizers to make our review list, we had high hopes for the IonTech since these models are especially well-suited for apartments with small kitchens. And while it works quite well once you get it set up, the process of installation and figuring out the controls was incredibly frustrating.

At a glance, the included faucet top and compact under sink unit would seem to be a space savers dream come true. Add in variable water dispensing options, automatic cleaning features, and a 2-year warranty, and it looks like a great option for kitchens where space is at a premium.

The catch? What little information you get with this machine is not nearly enough to set it up on your own unless you have significant plumbing installation experience. Between the hoses, clamps, T-connectors, and more hardware included, you’ll likely find it a daunting task, and hiring a professional installer is an expensive addition to an already too-expensive product.

8. Life Ionizer M9 Counter Top Water Ionizer

In an attempt to combine countertop and under sink features in one product, Life Ionizer’s M9 has taken on quite a task. And while this might be a fine option in theory, in practice we found it to be needlessly cumbersome and overly expensive, all without any unique benefits to differentiate it from other products.

While the lifetime warranty on parts and labor and powerful pre-filter system initially put this product in our good graces, contacting the company proved to be too difficult and fruitless to make these promises worthwhile.

In short: pass on this water ionizer in favor of our top pick or best value choice; we think you’ll be much happier with either.

Buyer’s Guide – Finding the Best Water Ionizers

Selecting and installing a water ionizer in your home requires a substantial investment of time, money, and energy. Learning about how to choose the best water ionizer for your home, however, is much simpler: just read through this handy guide to develop a useful base for comparing all of the products available today, then compare it to the products in our review.

How Does a Water Ionizer Work?

First and foremost, water ionizers will take your existing source of tap water and run it through a system of purifiers, preparing it for ionization processes. Most water ionizers feature multi-stage filtration systems similar to an in-home water filter, making them a very useful addition to any home that has problems with the quality of its tap water.

Next, the ionizer will utilize a precisely directed electrical current to engage electrolysis on a purified water source, separating it into acidic and alkaline components. Lastly, the alkaline component is collected in a reservoir and dispensed into your drinking glass!

What to Look for In a Water Ionizer

In testing and reviewing water ionizers, we found the five features listed below to be essential in determining which ones were worth the cost, and which were better left behind.

Potential Benefits of an Alkaline Diet

Spend even a little bit of time researching alkaline diets, and you’ll likely notice that the field is very divided over the science behind consuming more alkaline foods and drinks. Based on the idea of replacing acidic (or acid-forming) foods with more alkaline choices, proponents of the alkaline diet claim a wide range of potential benefits, such as:

And while all these benefits have been seen in people following an alkaline-heavy diet, the reasons why they are healthier are not as clear-cut.

Simply put, the rules of an alkaline diet encourage greater consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as less consumption of heavily processed foods as well as meat and dairy. Evidence strongly suggests that the health benefits mentioned above come not from changing the body’s pH balance, but from making the transition to a lower-fat and lower-sugar diet that is high in natural and organic foods.

Whether the science behind an alkaline diet is exactly correct in describing its effects or not, it’s clear from further scientific studies that an alkaline diet does correlate strongly with a wide variety of health benefits. In our minds, that’s enough reason to consider making changes towards a more alkaline diet, such as drinking purified and ionized water.

Conclusion

After careful consideration, we’re proud to endorse the Aqua Ionizer Deluxe Water Ionizer as the overall best water ionizer in our reviews. It consistently outperformed the competition in almost every measure and offers a versatile selection of features that make it suitable for anyone’s needs. Add responsive customer service and easy setup to that package, and it easily secures our top spot.

For a no-frills and budget-friendly alternative with impressive filter life, consider the Pure Hydration Alkaline Water Ionizer. It’s a compact and easy to use addition to your countertop, and features a complete filtration system that makes for some of the best-tasting water of any ionizer we tested.

Featured Image Credit: Food Impressions, Shutterstock