Why We Like It

DripDrop Electrolyte Powder Packets top our list because they not only scored full points for taste but also mixed incredibly well with water, creating a completely smooth beverage within seconds of mixing. We loved the watermelon flavor, which was reminiscent of a watermelon jolly rancher. It tasted so good that we actually wanted to keep drinking it, which isn’t always the case with electrolyte drinks.

With 330 mg of sodium and 185 mg of potassium, these packets are highly concentrated with electrolytes and will help you meet the International Society for Sports Nutrition’s (ISSN) recommendations of 300 to 600 mg of sodium per hour of exercise. It also contains nine grams of carbohydrates, which the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends can help increase sodium absorption and hydration.

We also appreciate that they come in individual packets, making them convenient for travel, packing in your gym bag, or taking with you to races. They’re available in nine flavors ranging from citrus fruits to berries and tropical flavors.  

It’s Worth Noting

It’s recommended that you mix these with eight ounces of water, which is only about half the recommended amount of fluid per hour of exercise, so you may need to supplement with additional water. We did find these packets to be very sweet, which is likely due to the combination of sucralose and sugar, so you could also dilute them with more water. 

Our tester, who has a very sensitive stomach, did note a little stomach upset after she drank this, so we recommend testing it out before you head out for a run to make sure it sits well with you.

If you exercise for a longer period of time (greater than one hour), you may need additional carbohydrates or electrolytes.

Product Details:

• Form: Powder packet
• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, magnesium
• Sodium per Serving: 330 mg
• Carbohydrates: 9 grams
• Added Sugar: 7 grams 

Best Unflavored

Buoy Electrolyte Drops

Why We Like It

Buoy Hydration Drops are our favorite unflavored way to get electrolytes. We could not detect any added flavor whether we mixed this in water or other flavored beverages like juice. Because it’s liquid, it mixed well with fluids and was completely undetectable. This product is also third-party tested, which isn’t common for electrolytes. 

With only 50 mg of sodium per serving, it’s a good option for non-exercising, where you don’t need to replace a significant amount of electrolytes. If needed, you could add more than one dose to your water to boost the electrolyte content. Since the electrolyte amount is low, this could be a good option if you want to test out an electrolyte and see how you like it. We also appreciate how small the bottles are because they’re easy to keep in a gym bag and are travel-friendly. 

It’s Worth Noting

The amount of sodium provided per serving is not significant enough to support exercise or other needs to replace higher amounts of electrolytes, and the amount of other electrolytes provided per serving is negligible. These also contain additional nutrients, including trace minerals, B vitamins, and antioxidants.

Product Details:

• Form: Drops
• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium
• Sodium per Serving: 50 mg
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Added Sugar: 0 grams 

Best for Travel

Cure Hydrating Electrolyte Mix

Why We Like It

Whether you’re traveling to a race or you’re just always on the go, the Cure Hydrating Electrolyte mix is a great option to keep in your bag. The packets are convenient since they are portable single servings, but they are especially helpful for air travel; this is because air travel can cause dehydration due to very low humidity in plane cabins.

It comes in eight flavors (we personally tried the lime), and each packet contains 240 mg of sodium and 300 mg of potassium. While this is more potassium than you need to support most workouts, it may be a helpful way to meet your total potassium needs if you’re not getting enough through diet. This can be especially helpful during travel when access to fresh fruits and vegetables is limited. 

They taste like the flavor with just a little salt added, and when mixed with just eight ounces of water, it wasn’t too sweet or salty. While there was a bit of an aftertaste, we didn’t find it unpleasant, and it went away within a few minutes. 

They are also FSA/HSA approved (Flexible Spending Account/Health Savings Account), meaning you can pay for this with your FSA or HSA card. 

It’s Worth Noting

It doesn’t completely dissolve in eight ounces of water, and there was a bit of a grainy texture. This may be better mixed with more water. In addition, it’s sweetened with stevia and monk fruit, which some people may not prefer, but makes this a product with no added sugar. It’s lower in carbohydrates, so it’s probably not enough to rely on to renew muscle carbohydrates after exercise.

Product Details:

• Form: Powder packet
• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium
• Sodium per Serving: 240 mg
• Carbohydrates: 6 grams
• Added Sugar: 0 grams 

Best with Antioxidants

Kaged Hydra Charge

Why We Like It

Kaged Hydra Charge combines electrolytes and antioxidants in one. In addition to 115 mg of sodium and 107 mg of potassium per serving, it also contains a small amount of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus, along with an extensive antioxidant blend from 29 different fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants can protect cells from free radicals, which are byproducts of energy production, and form from exercise, smoking, pollution, and more. 

This electrolyte powder also includes taurine, an amino acid that some research shows can improve performance with high-intensity exercise and decrease muscle fatigue. However, more research is needed. 

We love the pink lemonade flavor—it tastes exactly as you’d expect a glass of pink lemonade to and leaves no unpleasant aftertaste. And if pink lemonade isn’t your flavor of choice, there are seven other flavors to choose from. It’s thirst-quenching, and we found it to be very hydrating on and after a run. It’s recommended you mix the powder with 10 to 14 ounces of water, and we found that it dissolves easily in 10 ounces with no grainy texture. 

It’s Worth Noting

This option is best for non-exercise or paired with another carbohydrate source since it only has one gram of carbohydrates. It’s sweetened with stevia and sucralose, which not everyone likes the taste of. The antioxidant blend contains ingredients, such as coffee and green tea extract, garlic, and turmeric, that could interact with certain medications; always check with your healthcare provider before taking this if you are taking any medications.

Product Details:

• Form: Powder
• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium
• Sodium per Serving: 115 mg
• Carbohydrates: 1 gram
• Added Sugar: 0 grams 

Best Tablet

NOW Sports Effervescent Effer-Hydrate

Why We Like It

For a simple, effective, and tasty electrolyte tablet, we recommend NOW Sports Nutrition Effervescent Effer-Hydrate. It has a nice balance of sweet and sour flavor, with no overpowering sweetness that can come with some sports drinks or powders. We also like the slight effervescent taste and texture, which stands out from other options on the market. 

The tablets take a little longer to dissolve in water (around one minute) than some powders, but they dissolve fully without needing to shake or stir. With 360 mg of sodium, it offers more sodium than many of the powders on this list, making it a good option for endurance athletes or anyone working out in a hot climate where they may lose a lot of sodium through sweat. 

It’s Worth Noting

It’s sweetened with stevia, and the smell was much stronger than the taste. While the sodium level is a good option for endurance exercise, note that you may need to pair it with another carbohydrate source after exercise.

Product Details:

• Form: Tablet
• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium
• Sodium per Serving: 360 mg
• Carbohydrates: 1 grams
• Added Sugar: 0 grams 

Best Subtle Flavor

Nectar Daily Hydration

Why We Like It

For those who like or can only stomach just a hint of flavor, we recommend Nectar Daily Hydration. The pomegranate cherry flavor had just enough tartness to hide any salt, but it’s not overpowering or too sweet, which can be appealing during a workout. It also didn’t have any significant smell, so if powerful smells are off-putting to you, this may be a great option. 

Nectar was developed with natural ingredients, which is why it is flavored with organic fruits instead of artificial flavors. With a blend of sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, and calcium, Nectar Daily Hydration provides a variety of electrolytes. The combination of a variety of electrolytes and subtly of flavor makes this a good option if you are experiencing digestive issues and find yourself vomiting or having diarrhea. Each serving has 100 mg of sodium (4% DV), 15% DV of magnesium, and 6% DV of calcium, potassium, and chloride.

It’s Worth Noting

It’s sweetened with stevia and doesn’t have enough sodium per serving to support most prolonged ultra-sweaty exercise sessions. This option is best for no-to-light exercise or if you just need a boost in hydration after a night out. 

We also found that there were a few remaining clumps of powder after shaking the drink.

Product Details:

• Form: Powder packet
• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride
• Sodium per Serving: 100 mg
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Added Sugar: 0 grams 
• Third-Party Tested: No

Best Taste

Primal Harvest Primal Hydration

Why We Like It

Primal Harvest’s Primal Hydration is the perfect blend of sweet, sour, and salty. The berry lemon flavor reminded us of strawberry lemonade, and much to our surprise, there was no aftertaste. We also like that it dissolves easily in water with no residue. 

The high sodium content of these packets (400 mg) makes them a good option for anyone who loses a lot of salt in sweat generally or from longer workouts, high-intensity workouts or workouts under the sun. According to Katie Schimmelpfenning, RD, Founder of Eat Swim Win, you’ll know you lose a lot of salt if you finish a workout with a crust of salt on your skin or shirt. 

These packets also contain vitamin C and several B vitamins, which won’t necessarily help with hydration but could help you meet your total vitamin needs if you don’t get enough through diet. Vitamin C is another antioxidant that is protective against free radicals, while B vitamins support energy production, among other things. 

It’s Worth Noting

These packets are higher in sodium and may be too much for some people. They’re also sweetened with stevia, which some may not appreciate the taste.

If you are taking a multivitamin with vitamin C and B vitamins, you may want to avoid this pick since the amounts per serving in this electrolyte drink are beyond the daily needs of most people. 

Product Details:

• Form: Powder Packet
• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium
• Sodium per Serving: 400 mg
• Carbohydrates: 2 grams
• Added Sugar: 0 grams 

Best for Exercise

Skratch Labs Sport Hydration Drink Mix

Why We Like It

We love Skratch Labs Sport Hydration Drink Mix for exercise because it contains an adequate amount of sodium (400 mg) to support anything you lose in sweat as well as 20 grams of carbohydrates to fuel your workout. While many of the other options we picked are significantly lower in calories, the 80 calories of this electrolyte drink are well worth it. Carbohydrates are the optimal energy source for exercise, meaning this option can provide more energy without feeling full before a workout. 

We appreciated the subtle taste with little-to-no aftertaste. It comes in seven flavors and is available in bulk bags or single-serve packs, which would be convenient for travel or if you’re often on the go.

If you aren’t a fan of the stevia used in many of the other picks, Scratch Labs uses cane sugar and dextrose as sweeteners. 

It’s Worth Noting

Even after stirring for 30 seconds, there was some undissolved powder at the bottom of the glass.

Note that while the carbohydrates from added sugar (19 grams) are great for exercise, it may not be the best choice if you are watching your sugar intake or not exercising. 

Product Details:

• Form: Powder Packet
• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium
• Sodium per Serving: 380 mg
• Carbohydrates: 20 grams
• Added Sugar: 19 grams 

Best with Caffeine

Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel

Why We Like It

If you want a little boost of caffeine with your electrolytes before or during your workout, Tailwind Nutrition Caffeinated Endurance Fuel is a good option. Caffeine has been shown to improve exercise performance, particularly speed when consumed before exercise. With 35 milligrams of caffeine per serving—about the amount in a cup of green tea—it won’t give you a big buzz but may make your workout feel a tad easier. In addition to caffeine and electrolytes, it has 25 grams of carbohydrates per serving, which will help fuel your workout and replace energy used during exercise, which is especially important for those exercising for more than an hour. This combination of carbohydrates and caffeine can be a good choice for endurance athletes. 

We loved both the taste of this drink—not too sweet or salty—and it mixed well with water, leaving the texture very smooth. Because it comes in bulk bags, you can also adjust the serving size to fit your individual workout needs, adding more or less. 

It’s Worth Noting

This drink had a slight aftertaste that lingered for a bit, but it wasn’t overly unpleasant.

The 25 grams of carbohydrates come from dextrose and cane sugar, which some may prefer the taste of, but also be mindful if you are watching your sugar intake. 

The bulk bag might not be a good option if you plan on taking this on the go, but Tailwind’s product is also available in single-serve packets.

Product Details:

• Form: Powder in bulk bag
• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium
• Sodium per Serving: 310 mg
• Carbohydrates: 25 grams
• Added Sugar: 25 grams 

Best for Non-Exercise

Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Hydration Powder

Why We Like It

If you’re looking to increase your electrolyte intake throughout the day, Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Hydration Powder is a good option. But with only 55 milligrams of sodium, this is a better option for rest days or light exercise days rather than to support high-sweat workouts. 

The blend of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and chloride gives you a variety of electrolytes, including 25 percent of your daily magnesium needs. Since it’s estimated that nearly half of American adults don’t get enough magnesium through diet, this may be helpful to meet your magnesium needs.

When we tried this out in the lab, we found that it mixes easily with water, leaving little residue, and we enjoyed the peach Bellini flavor. It wasn’t too sweet or salty, though it was definitely a more diluted flavor than the cocktail. 

It’s Worth Noting

This mix did have a pretty strong aftertaste, and it’s sweetened with stevia. In addition, it contains magnesium citrate, which can act as a laxative. Luckily, the amount per serving of this drink isn’t enough for that effect, but keep this in mind if you are taking other magnesium supplements. 

Product Details:

• Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, chloride
• Sodium per Serving: 55 mg
• Carbohydrates: 25 grams
• Added Sugar: 25 grams