5 Best Electrolyte Powders of 2025, Ranked by a Dietitian

As a registered dietitian, I know that staying adequately hydrated is important on so many biological levels. And though I’m a bit skeptical about whether everyone needs an electrolyte powder, it’s all about how you use it and what it’s made of. Sodium levels, essential minerals, and sweeteners all play a critical role in what and who the product is best suited for. 

In this article, I’m discussing the 5 best electrolyte powders based on ingredients, quality, taste, cost, and ability to hydrate. Though Live it Up Vital Minerals is my favorite, I’m confident you’ll find the right hydration mix for your individual needs. 

A Quick Look at My Favorite Hydration Powders

What Are Electrolyte Drinks?

Electrolyte powders are built to help maintain hydration. They are a concentrated blend of essential minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium designed to replenish electrolytes lost during exercise, heat, or illness. 

But electrolytes themselves serve an even bigger purpose in the body. These minerals not only move water in and out of our cells, but also nutrients and waste. Additionally, they’re critical for transmitting signals throughout the body and supporting nerve and muscle function. 

What are the benefits of electrolyte powders? Depending on the ingredients, electrolyte drinks can help with hydration, which, in turn, may support performance, muscle cramps, energy metabolism, wellness, cognitive support, headaches, and thermoregulation.

Why try an electrolyte supplement? Electrolyte powders provide a quick, easy, and tasty way to replenish essential minerals and help make sure you’re drinking enough water.

Top 5 Electrolyte Powders

The electrolyte supplement market is booming, with dozens of choices at your fingertips. But with so many options, how do you know which is right for you? For example, athletes’ needs are quite different from the everyday person simply looking to optimize their hydration.

I’ve compiled a list of the 5 best electrolyte mixes based on ingredients, nutrition, price, and taste so that you can walk away feeling confident about your hydration purchase.

1. Live it Up Vital Minerals: Best Electrolyte Powder

What I love most about Vital Minerals is that the product’s base is coconut water powder, a well-known champion of hydration. So not only are you getting essential minerals from the coconut water, but also from the electrolyte powder itself. For an added bonus, Vital Minerals contains vitamin C, which plays a critical role in heat tolerance, an important aspect of our ability to maintain hydration. 

Price: 

• $1.49 per serving (30 servings)
• $0.99 per serving subscription price

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 10
• Added sugar: 0 grams
• Sodium: 510 mg
• Potassium: 300 mg
• Calcium: 40 mg
• Vitamin C: 68 mg

Sweetener: Stevia extract (Reb A and Reb M) 

Taste: While flavor is a personal preference, I found Vital Minerals to be the best tasting electrolyte supplement, with light, refreshing notes - and many of the customers feel the same way. It isn’t cloyingly sweet, nor does it have that awful artificial flavor that other hydration supplements have and it dissolves easily without any sandy texture. It comes in two flavors:

1. Lemon Lime
2. Pomegranate Mango

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a hydration product that tastes great and meets your daily hydration needs, while also being a clean choice without any added sugar or artificial sweeteners or flavors, Vital Minerals should be your go-to. 

2. Instant Hydration: Good for Magnesium

Instant Hydration’s biggest selling point is Sel Gris, a French gray salt which is said to contain an additional 83 minerals. And even though the sodium to potassium ratio is off (roughly 1:1 and high in potassium), I like that, similar to Vital Minerals, the formula is straightforward and avoids anything artificial.

Additionally, I appreciate that this company aims to give back, pledging to remove 11,000 pounds of plastic from the ocean in its first year.

Check out our Instant Hydration review for more details.

Price: 

• $1.83 / serving (30 servings)
• $1.65 per serving subscription price

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 10
• Added sugar: 0 grams
• Sodium: 500 mg
• Potassium: 470 mg
• Magnesium: 100 mg
• Calcium: 170 mg

Sweeteners: Organic stevia leaf extract and Organic monk fruit extract

Taste: While most customers report enjoying the flavors and level of sweetness, I found it to be a bit too salty with a hint of “fake fruit,” which was echoed by a few other reviews. Their 9 flavors include:

1. Lemon Lime
2. Raspberry
3. Mango Pineapple
4. Watermelon
5. Orange
6. Paloma
7. Cotton Candy
8. Cherry Limeade
9. Sea Water

Bottom Line: Instant Hydration hits a lot of the key factors when it comes to a quality hydration supplement, including moderate sodium and no ingredients we don’t need. I’m a little hesitant about the amount of potassium, though for most people this may not be a concern. Overall, it's a good option for daily hydration that comes at a higher price.

3. LMNT: Good for Athletes

Bottom Line: If you’re an endurance athlete or work for long periods of time in the heat, LMNT is an excellent choice to help provide electrolytes for hydration. Though if you’re looking for daily hydration support, this one may not be the best choice.

4. Liquid I.V.: Good for Added Energy

Liquid I.V. is considered an Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), which were originally developed to help treat fluid loss from acute diarrhea. ORS drinks include specific amounts of sugar, sodium, and citrate for optimal absorption. 

The good news is that Liquid I.V. can double as a daily hydration drink as the sodium isn’t exceedingly high. And for those looking for additional essential nutrients, this product comes with C and B vitamins. Though the added sugars may positively impact fluid absorption when it comes to severe dehydration, it may not be something most consumers are looking for in a daily drink. 

Check out our Liquid I.V. review for more details.

Price: 

• $1.56 / serving (16 or 32 servings)
• $1.09 per serving subscription price

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 50
• Added sugar: 11 grams
• Sodium: 500 mg
• Potassium: 370 mg
• Vitamin C: 62 mg
• Niacin: 19.3 mg
• Vitamin B6: 1.93 mg
• Vitamin B12: 5.79 mcg
• Pantothenic Acid: 9.6 mg

Sweeteners: Cane sugar, dextrose, and stevia leaf extract

Taste: With both sugar and dextrose as the first two ingredients, it’s no wonder Liquid I.V. comes off as a bit overly sweet for many customers. While most reviewers quite enjoy this hydration drink, some of the fruit flavors come off as a bit artificial-tasting.

The brand’s 19 flavors include: Acai berry, arctic berry, concord grape, cotton candy, golden cherry, grapefruit, guava, lemon lime, mango, orange, passion fruit, pear, pina colada, popsicle firecracker, seaberry, strawberry, strawberry lemonade, tropical punch, watermelon

Bottom Line: Liquid I.V. meets international standards as an ORS and also doubles as a solution for everyday hydration. I’m a little disappointed it contains food additives and added sugar, but it’s a solid solution with lots of flavors to choose from.

5. DripDrop: Good for on a Budget

DripDrop was created almost two decades ago by Dr. Eduardo Dulhun as an Oral Hydration Solution to help combat diarrhea-related dehydration in developing countries. As such, this product is used by high intensity professionals such as firefighters, elite athletes, and the military as a dehydration aid. 

I like that this ORS is slightly lower in added sugar and sodium than Liquid I.V., making it more ideal for daily hydration for the general public. It also delves a little further, providing both vitamin C and zinc for immune support. With that said, the artificial sweetener and food additives bring this one a bit lower than Liquid I.V. 

Check out our DripDrop review for more details.

Price: 

• $1.12 / serving (32 servings)
• $0.84 per serving subscription price

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 35
• Added sugar: 7 grams
• Sodium: 330 mg
• Potassium: 180 mg
• Magnesium: 40 mg
• Vitamin C: 70 mg
• Zinc: 1.5 mg

Sweeteners: Sugar, fructose, and sucralose

Taste: I like that DripDrop is only faintly salty, but with the addition of sucralose, it comes off as a bit artificial tasting. Most people find the flavor to be a bit too light, with flavor coming through only if mixed with 8 oz. of water and not more. 

Flavors include:

What to Look for in the Best Electrolyte Powder

Not all electrolyte powders will meet your needs, and with so many on the market, it’s important to understand how to choose a great product that can be used every day. Here are seven key criteria to look at when deciding on the right electrolyte supplement for you.

Sodium Content

This is the most important benchmark. While sodium is the electrolyte we use (and lose) the most, we already get so much from the diet. In fact, research shows that in most people, too much sodium can lead to poor health outcomes.

For this reason, for daily hydration you want to choose an electrolyte powder with around 200-500mg of sodium per serving. And should you consume more than one per day, consider looking for one with even less. This will help prevent over-supplementing.

Consider an electrolyte powder with more than 500mg if you’rere an endurance athlete or someone who works in hot environments.

Expert Tip: Remember to add up all your sodium throughout the day, from processed snacks (chips, crackers, pretzels, and even sugary cereals), to prepared meals, canned soups, deli meat, pizza, burritos, tacos, burgers, pasta, and, yes, that electrolyte powder as well. 

Daily sodium recommendation: 2,300 mg per day or less

Electrolyte Profile

While sodium is important, a mix of several electrolytes will help ensure optimal fluid absorption, along with other critical functions.

• Sodium and potassium: Fluid balance
• Calcium and magnesium: Muscle contractions

A hydration drink with only one to two electrolytes may not work as well as a drink that contains at least three or more.

Some electrolyte supplements include additional micronutrients, such as vitamin C to help heat tolerance or B vitamins for natural energy.

Expert Tip: Look at the ratio of sodium to potassium. The ideal ratio of these two electrolytes should be between 2:1 to 3:1. This ratio has been studied to improve fluid absorption and retention compared to unbalanced formulas or plain water alone. 

Sugar Content

Although athletes and people undergoing Oral Rehydration Therapy often need sugar as part of their electrolyte supplement, the everyday person does not. In fact, Americans consume an average of 17 teaspoons of sugar per day, which is about 170 calories (10 teaspoons) more than what the American Heart Association recommends.

The best practice for daily hydration is to look for an electrolyte supplement with little to no added sugar. 

Expert Tip: While some hydration drinks include artificial sweeteners, some research points to these sugar substitutes potentially impacting our gut health. Consider looking for a product that uses either monk fruit or stevia extracts.

Formulation

Ultimately, our goal for consuming supplements is to add to our health, not detract from it. For this reason, it may be important to take into account all ingredients in a hydration drink, not just the electrolyte and sugar content. 

Consider looking for an electrolyte powder with the following:

• Natural flavors and colors
• Natural sugar substitutes, such as monk fruit or stevia extract
• No food additives, such as silicon dioxide or maltodextrin

Expert Tip: While natural flavors sound nefarious, these must follow strict US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines and must also meet specific safety standards. 

Bioavailability 

Some products include minerals that are highly absorbable, which may help with rapid hydration. For example, some may include magnesium glycinate or bisglycinate, which are chelated and considered more bioavailable than most other forms.

However, it’s also important to recognize that bioavailability is sometimes used as a marketing strategy. Often there are multiple forms of a mineral that are highly absorbable and able to be used efficiently by the body. I suggest not putting all your eggs in this basket. 

Cost

For many people, cost is the biggest limiter when it comes to which supplements they decide are worthwhile. Does cost matter when it comes to quality? That depends.

While it might seem that a higher priced supplement may be best, this is not necessarily true. Sometimes a higher priced supplement simply has more expensive ingredients (like fancy imported salt), but these aren’t necessarily better for us or have more nutritive value. 

At the same time, a supplement that is the least expensive may not have the ingredient profile that fits your needs. These often contain more food additives and sometimes other lower quality ingredients. 

Certifications & Transparency

For some, ensuring products they consume daily are clean and free from heavy metals and other contaminants is paramount. If this is an important criteria for you, then looking at the product’s certifications is a must. 

Third-party testing and Good Manufacturing Practices certification are both there to help make sure the product does not contain contaminants (like metals, allergens or microbes), verifies the product's ingredients and labeling, and helps ensure safety and quality. 

You may also decide that other factors are important for you, such as being non-GMO or vegan. 

How to Use Hydration Drinks

Most hydration drinks were developed for simplicity: Open the electrolyte packet, add to water, and walk out the door. But because each has a slightly different flavor personality, you may need a few adjustments here and there. 

For example, you may find that the super salty-tasting ones are better watered down or mixed with water and a splash of juice. Others have a light flavor and may need less water for the taste to shine through.

While most come in easily dissolvable powder sticks, some may leave a gritty texture behind and electrolyte tablets take longer to dissolve. I recommend leaving at least 5 minutes for those to incorporate into your beverage fully.

When to consume: The best times to consume electrolyte supplements are during intense exercise, when you are exposed to prolonged heat and/or humidity, when traveling, or during an illness when you may not be drinking much or if you are losing a lot of fluids via diarrhea and vomiting.

Always chat with your primary care physician if you are sick to ensure that taking an electrolyte drink is appropriate, and which type will best meet your needs.

Alternatives to water: While most people choose water as their preferred mixing liquid, others mix it with juice or greens powder, and some combine it with their post-workout recovery drink for better rehydration. 

Why I Recommend Live it Up Vital Minerals

As a dietitian, my biggest recommendation is to think about hydration drinks as a way to fill key electrolyte gaps in your diet, using them as a supplement in every sense of the word. Which electrolytes are you already getting enough of? Where do you fall short? 

Some electrolyte supplements are simply too high in sodium or may have food additives that many people want to minimize. This is why I love Live it Up Vital Minerals.

It doesn’t go overboard on added sugar or sodium, which is a micronutrient many of us already get enough of. At the same time, it has a great ratio of sodium to potassium, making for better hydration. Plus, potassium and calcium are short-fall nutrients that many of us could use more of, and Vital Minerals contains both (plus vitamin C!).

Additionally, I trust this vegan electrolyte powder because it’s third-party tested and produced in a GMP-certified facility. This makes me feel confident about including it in my supplement routine. With a subscription, Vital Minerals is one of the more affordable hydration powders on the market, it dissolves easily, and it doesn’t hurt that I truly enjoy the flavors!

Frequently Asked Questions about Electrolyte Powders

Even with all the hydration products on the market, it’s still a relatively new category. You may still have lots of questions about electrolytes, so here are a few to use as a guide.

What do electrolytes do?

Electrolytes are minerals that have a positive or negative charge when dissolved in water and help our body with muscle contractions, fluid balance, thermoregulation, and helping maintain acid-base balance. Electrolyte minerals include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and bicarbonate, and are found in almost every fluid in the body. 

Can I drink electrolyte water every day?

Whether you can drink electrolyte water every day depends on the amount of minerals in the supplement. For example, a supplement with less than around 500mg of sodium can usually be taken daily, but one with more may add too much to our total sodium intake.

The most important times to stay hydrated with an electrolyte supplement are during intense exercise, when out in the heat for extended periods, and when recovering from an illness. Always check with your primary care provider before taking any new supplements, especially in response to illness.

Do electrolytes help with dizziness?

Depending on the source of your dizziness, electrolytes may help. If your dizziness stems from not drinking enough fluids, then adding an electrolyte supplement to your water may be helpful. Electrolytes can help rehydrate you more efficiently than water alone, allowing you to rehydrate quickly. But know that electrolyte supplements can’t work as intended unless you are also drinking enough fluids along with them. 

Who should not take electrolytes?

While electrolyte supplements are safe for most people, there are some who should be cautious.

• If your doctor has told you to limit sodium or potassium, then adding electrolyte powders may not be right for you, as most of them contain these minerals.
• If your doctor has told you to limit sugar, then it’s important to choose an electrolyte drink that does not contain added sugars or extra carbohydrates.
• And as always, pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as children, should always speak with their healthcare provider before taking any new supplements.

Are electrolytes good for diarrhea?

If you are losing a lot of fluids due to diarrhea, you are also losing electrolytes. In this case, your doctor may recommend taking an electrolyte drink to help maintain hydration and to replenish lost electrolytes.

Are electrolyte drinks good for athletes?

Yes, electrolyte drinks can help athletes maintain electrolyte levels, especially during intense workouts. Athletes who experience heavy sweating and prolonged exercise may benefit from adding sugars to their hydration beverage, such as those found in a sports drink. This carb intake, combined with getting enough electrolytes, will help with muscle glycogen stores, performance, and muscle recovery.

References

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956/
• https://medlineplus.gov/fluidandelectrolytebalance.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/salt/about/index.html 
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-water-benefits 
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236216/ 
• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/ 
• https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2109794 
• https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/salt-and-sodium/ 
• https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00391.2022
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9464461/ 
• https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/sodium-sources 
• https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/salt-and-sodium/ 
• https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/sodium-your-diet 
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541123/ 
• https://catalog.nlm.nih.gov/permalink/01NLM_INST/vdtut1/alma9917148603406676 
• https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/FPED/tables_1-4_FPED_1718.pdf 
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10144565/ 
• https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-B/section-101.22 
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24152889/ 
• https://www.ama-assn.org/public-health/prevention-wellness/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-sodium-consumption 
• https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/micronutrient-inadequacies/overview#toc-micronutrient-deficiencies-and-inadequacies- 
• https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/3/585