The 10 Best Electrolyte Powders (We Tested Nearly 20)

The best electrolyte powder or supplement will vary from person to person and situation to situation. Suppose you're running a marathon in a hot, humid climate. In that case, you might want to reach for an electrolyte drink mix with a higher sodium content than, say, a severely dehydrated, hungover person just trying to get their headache to go away (in which case, a lower sodium content will be fine). I spoke with experts and tasted powders galore to narrow down your hydration options to options worth sipping, like my top pick, Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier.

Overall, you want to find something with a good balance of electrolytes, sugar, and carbohydrates. And make sure you're drinking water on a daily basis—no magic powder is going to help if you're just plain thirsty.

The Best Electrolyte Powders and Supplements

Liquid I.V. has been a staple in my household for years. I love using it at music festivals—it helps my ragged throat feel better, my dry nostrils feel better, and my pounding head feel better. And when I inevitably run out of ice on day three, it helps my water taste better, too. They're sweet but not too sweet, and the packets are easy to open. This powder has a solid mix of ingredients in concentrations that aren't too strong, making it a reliable option to reach for in day-to-day life. It also comes in a huge array of flavors, so you're bound to find at least one that you like. In fact, I have yet to try a flavor that I dislike.

| Nutrition | Calories: 50. Sodium: 500 mg. Total carbohydrates: 13 g. Total sugars: 11 g. Added sugars: 11 g. 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. | | Sweetness Level | Medium to high | | Available Flavors | 20+ (watermelon is my favorite, golden cherry is my least favorite) | | Free From | Artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners. |

This hydration mix may as well be candy. But it's delicious in a very juicy way. It's way higher calorie-, carb-, and sugar-wise than other hydration powders on this list. But despite those higher concentration levels, it doesn't bother my stomach, and drinking a lot of it is easy. On the contrary, some of the other powders make the process of drinking kind of a slog after the first few gulps. As mentioned, it's high in carbohydrates, which translated to a boost in energy while working out that I noticed after just a few minutes, and it's also a bit higher in sugar content than some others I tried. This is a good powder for athletes who are quickly running through their body's energy stores. It's also available in a caffeinated variety, which I haven't tried yet.

| Nutrition | Calories: 80. Sodium: 400 mg. Total carbohydrates: 20 g. Total sugars: 19 g. Added sugars: 19 g. Calcium: 50 mg. Iron: 0.2 mg. Potassium: 50 mg. Vitamin C: 18 mg. Magnesium: 50 mg. | | Sweetness Level | High | | Available Flavors | 7 (pineapple is my favorite, but all I've tried are good) | | Free From | Artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors. |

If you need electrolytes fast or you simply don't want to guzzle down a bottle of water, these tablets are for you. SaltStick electrolyte chews taste really good. They're sweet, salty, and candylike, immediately making you produce a bunch of saliva. (Which is good, since the company recommends letting the chews melt in your mouth for optimal electrolyte absorption.) They're available in large pill bottles as well as small five-serving packets, making them ideal for when you truly need electrolytes on the go. The balanced sodium and carbohydrate content makes these a good option for when you're working out intensely and need to re-up your electrolytes every 30 minutes.

| Nutrition | Calories: 10. Sodium: 100 mg. Total carbohydrates: 2 g. Total sugars: 2 g. Added sugars: 2g. Potassium: 30 mg. Calcium: 10 mg. Magnesium: 6 mg. | | Sweetness Level | Low to medium | | Available Flavors | 9 (watermelon is my favorite, pink lemonade is my least favorite) | | Free From | Artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors. |

Buoy electrolyte drops come in several unflavored variations. You can get the Hydration Drops, which are just straight-up unflavored electrolytes, or opt for one of the other varieties: Rescue Drops (extra-strength electrolytes); Energy Drops (electrolytes and caffeine); Immunity Drops (electrolytes, vitamin C, zinc, and antioxidants); Digestion Drops (electrolytes, carminatives, and papaya); or Brain Health Drops (electrolytes, ginkgo biloba, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and ginseng). All of them are flavor-free, with no sugar, sweeteners, or calories. Serving sizes are a little tricky—the manufacturer suggests one “squeeze” per 12-ounce glass of fluid.

I just winged it, and most of the time they were indeed flavorless, but one time I added too much, which led to an unpleasant salty, earthy, body-fluid–esque taste. So my advice is to start with less than you think (the manufacturer recommends this too). Since the drops are unflavored and convenient, you can add them to basically any drink. And since the drops are free from so many ingredients, they might be a good choice if you want to keep things really simple, especially factoring in that the ingredient concentrations are lower than some other supplements in this guide.

The drops are also third-party tested to be free from microplastics, molds and pathogens, heavy metals, and GMO ingredients. Though I tried them all, I didn't notice a particular uptick in focus or instantly improved digestion, but I did feel noticeably more hydrated on a particularly dry day, and I'll keep testing them for long-term efficacy.

| Nutrition | Hydration Drops: Calories: 0. Thiamine HCL: 0.5 mg. Vitamin B6: 0.5 mg. Pantothenic acid: 1.5 mg. Calcium: 0.5 mg. Magnesium: 0.5 mg. Chloride: 80 mg. Sodium: 50 mg. Potassium: 10 mg. | | Sweetness Level | None | | Available Flavors | 6 varieties (none flavored) | | Free From | Sugar, sweeteners, flavors, additives, animal byproducts, GMO ingredients. |

Electrolit has nursed me through many a hangover, and I like every flavor I've tried. I wish it didn't have artificial coloring, but otherwise it's great (and editor Kat Merck agrees with that sentiment, having tried it as well). The packets are on the larger side, and a $12 box only contains eight servings. But darn if I don't like it anyway. It does have a balanced mix of sodium, carbohydrates, and sugars, making it a good option for rehydration outside of intensive exercise. I find that the pleasant flavor and higher sodium and carb content help my hangovers go away quickly in comparison to just drinking plain water (or something with an even higher sodium content, which can taste a bit abrasive when my head is spinning).

| Nutrition | Calories: 40. Sodium: 330 mg. Total carbohydrates: 10 g. Total sugars: 10 g. Added sugars: 10 g. Potassium: 370 mg. Calcium: 40 mg. Chloride: 370 mg. | | Sweetness Level | Medium |