The Best Electrolyte Powders

If you need electrolytes fast or you simply don't want to guzzle down a bottle of water, these electrolyte tablets are what you're looking for. 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.

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 has only eight of them. 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 higher sodium content, which can taste a bit abrasive when my head is spinning).

Celsius is known for its (frankly delicious) energy drinks, but the manufacturer makes caffeine-free hydration packets too. The packets were frustrating to open sometimes, but upon mixing with 16.9 ounces of water, they're tasty. This formula is distinctly saltier than others I tried. It's sugar-free, and I appreciate the low price. It does contain artificial sweeteners, and it's on the lower end of the sodium and carbohydrate scale. It'll give your water a little bit of a boost, but if you want to really replenish lost electrolytes, something else might be a better option.

Bodyarmor has a few different caffeinated flavors, with 95 milligrams of caffeine per serving. There are caffeine-free options, too. The resulting color is basically neon, and the flavors are concentrated enough that I found them most palatable when mixed with nearly 30 ounces of water. They're also quite salty—this powder made me thirsty long after it was gone, which could be a blessing or a curse depending on how you look at it. I don't love the mix of ingredients—it has a high sodium and potassium content, but it's very low in carbohydrates, so pair this drink with a snack if you can.

Thorne Daily Electrolytes are darn easy to drink. They're super sweet, thanks to the inclusion of stevia, but the flavors are pleasant and dissipate quickly. My favorite was the watermelon flavor, which I could happily guzzle all day long. I found the sweetness to be refreshing rather than overly sticky, and the colors were pleasant too. The manufacturer recommends using at least 12 ounces of water per stick, but it tasted the best to me if I dissolved it in around 18 to 20 ounces. I also liked that the calories were negligible—I don't have to worry about meeting my deficit as much as I do with some other packets.

I quite liked the light blood-orange flavor I tested of these caffeine-free electrolyte packets, as well as the fact there are no artificial colors or off-tasting chemical notes. (There’s also a raspberry melon flavor, but I can’t vouch for that one.) They’re 20 calories each, sweetened with cane sugar, and have added potassium nitrate and beet powder for cognitive function. The science is actually decent on this, but subjectively, the jury is still out. I drank a packet while writing this and some other guide updates, and while I did feel sufficiently hydrated, I don't think I'll be winning a Pulitzer anytime soon. One packet is enough for 8 ounces of water, though more often than not I used 16 ounces and could still taste enough of the flavor. In fact, the only thing I don’t like about these is that Shaklee is an multilevel marketer. One of the oldest, in fact—around since the 1950s. If that doesn’t bother you, you can buy directly online without a rep, and your purchase is FSA and HSA eligible. —Kat Merck

My favorite part about DryWater's electrolyte powders is how nuanced the flavors are. They're not overly sweet or flavorful—they're still a bit sweet, but they taste more like enhanced water and less like an entirely different beverage altogether. They're quite fruity, but in a “real fruit” way—probably because they're made with real fruit. If you want assisted hydration without the zip and tang of typical sports beverages, this is what you're looking for. It doesn't have a remarkable carbohydrate or sugar content, but there are added vitamins and minerals that make this fine to drink on a daily basis if you just want a bit of a hydration boost when you're not exercising intensely.

Sure, Klar’s got electrolytes, adaptogens, and additives like B-vitamins and ginseng, but this is a powdered energy drink, plain and simple. One packet mixes with 16 ounces of water and contains 150 mg of caffeine—more than the average cup of coffee and more than twice Bodyarmor's packet—and you will definitely feel it. The taste won't win any awards, as it’s sweetened with stevia, and that’s definitely the predominant flavor of all the varieties (blood orange, cactus pear, pineapple ginger, “tidal wave”), but if you’re used to energy drinks, this is a cheaper, more multifaceted way to get your fix at just under $2 per packet. —Kat Merck

Plink's simple electrolyte tablets are fun to use. Fill up a glass with water and plop—er, plink—in a tablet, and your beverage will transform into a fizzy, frothy hydration drink. The flavors are very subtle and light—more like a seltzer water than a syrupy-sweet juice. That said, they're still refreshing. I like the convenience of a tablet format. Sometimes powders, whether in pouches or sticks, can get dusty or messy. I can keep these tablets in my bag or camp kitchen and plop them into water without getting my hands sticky or needing to carefully align the packaging with my water bottle spout.

One thing to note: Since Plink is slightly carbonated, it doesn't play well with water bottles. It's best to drink Plink in an unsealed glass, or to leave your water bottle lid slightly open so the gasses can escape.

IQBAR is known for its protein bars, but I tried its electrolyte powders and I was very into them. The Peach Mango flavor is my favorite, but Blueberry Pomegranate was good too (and I'm on the hunt to get my hands on Piña Colada). Each stick has a blend of electrolytes, but they also contain lion's mane mushroom (which can support brain health) and magnesium L-threonate (which is a form of magnesium that can cross the blood-brain barrier). The electrolyte drink doesn't taste like mushrooms, but it does have a very slight earthiness to it that I found pleasant. The flavors aren't over the top. I do wish this mix contained some sugar, per my conversation with dietitians (below), but otherwise the nutritional profile is solid, and I really like knowing that I can actually absorb the ingredients.

LMNT has several flavors. Some are pretty approachable, like Watermelon or Citrus, and some are a little wild, like Chocolate and Mango Chili. (Someone on Bluesky told me that they like drinking the Chocolate flavor warmed up while hiking or camping, almost like a hydrating hot chocolate. I haven't tried this yet but I've been curious ever since.) You can even get them unflavored. One thing I think is really cool is that LMNT has recipes for its electrolyte salts, so you can make your own if you want to. LMNT is all about the salt—in fact, it says that the World Health Organization's recommendation to cap sodium at 2,000 mg a day is incorrect.

Dietitians say that, usually, very high-sodium electrolyte powders are only necessary if you're sweating out a ton of it through intense exercise. I can't tell you whether or not you should be consuming this much sodium. Only your doctor can confirm that. But in any case, these salty electrolytes are still sweet (thanks to stevia), with a definite salty tang that makes me crave water as I'm drinking them. The flavors are palatable, and I did notice that I felt more hydrated. They're high in sodium by design, and if that's something you're after, it's hard to find a saltier brand of electrolytes. But they're also low in carbs and sugars, and if you need more of either of those ingredients, another brand (or pairing the drink with a snack) may be ideal.