After a hard day at work, or a good workout at the gym, our bodies tend to get a little bit sluggish and fatigued. We’ll be too tired to do anything the rest of the day, which eventually just leads to sleep. Unfortunately, that would mean using the precious hours you have left for the day.
Fortunately, on the other hand, the world has blessed those who are tired with electrolyte supplements. These products give the consumer more energy to move before going to bed, allowing the consumer to continue with their day with a little bit of boost.
Today, we’ll be focusing on three brands that sells electrolyte supplements: Liquid IV, Nuun, and Hydrant. All three companies were founded in the 2000’s. Liquid IV was founded in 2012, Nuun was founded in 2004, and Hydrant was founded in 2017, making them the youngest of the three and Nuun as the oldest.
Though they are young compared to other companies that produce electrolyte supplements, they’re still making strides in the supplement market. But which is the best of the three? Let’s find out.
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How Much Electrolyte Do You Need?
To get a better understanding of which brand is the best, we first need to understand why we need electrolyte and how much do you need to consume in a day.
Electrolytes are minerals found in your body, specifically your blood, that regulates and control the balance of fluids in the body. These minerals help in regulating blood pressure, muscle contraction and keeps your body working in a functional manner.
The mineral is essentially helping you function throughout the day without any problems. But eventually, you will need more electrolytes to continue as the day keeps going as your body will get too tired that the electrolytes in your body won’t be able to keep up.
To maintain normal levels of electrolyte to keep your body going, you will need to consume a minimum of approximately 1,600 to 2,000 mg. That’s essentially two bottles of Gatorade 500ml.
Table Comparison – Liquid IV vs Nuun vs Hydrant
When thinking of purchasing electrolyte supplements, you need to think about four key factors: hydration, energy, immunity and sleep. These four will help you determine which brand of electrolyte supplement you should go for.
To make it easier, here’s a table comparison of the three brands and if they offer supplements for the four factors:
| Liquid IV VS Nuun VS Hydrant: Electrolyte Supplementation |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Types Of Supplements | Hydration, Energy, Immunity, Sleep | Hydration, Energy, Immunity, Sleep, Endurance, Recovery | Hydration, Energy, Immunity, Sleep |
| Servings Per Box | 16 packets | 10 servings per container | 30 packets |
| Subscription OR One-Time Purchase? | Both | Both | Both |
| Value | Alright Value – 3/5 | Amazing Value – 5/5 | Good Value – 4/5 |
| Website: |
As you can see, all three brands offer different types of electrolyte supplements for different needs. But to get a better understanding on what each brand offers, we will have to review them individually.
Nuun Review
Starting with the eldest of the trio, Nuun has been around to know the ins and outs of the supplement industry. Nuun offers different supplements for different needs, such as Nuun Sport for the athletic, Nuun Immunity to boost your immunity, Nuun Instant for a quick boost.
It’s no surprise that Nuun offers a lot, considering they’ve been competing with other brands for a while now and have innovated their products to cater to a growing market.
Nuun’s electrolyte tablets are really the company’s golden goose. Their electrolyte tablets are often what most people talk about when talking about different supplements to try, and for good reason.
The Nuun Sport tablets are great for, well, sports. These tablets can be plopped into your water container and can be drank for maximum energy. The ingredients for their sports tablets are Citric Acid, Dextrose, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Bicarbonate, Sodium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Malic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Oxide, Calcium Carbonate, Stevia Leaf Extract, Avocado Oil, Beet Powder Color, Riboflavin (for color).
Nuun’s tablets are all good for vegans, kosher diets, and people who are gluten free. It’s also non-GMO certified.
Nuun also offers a deal where you can subscribe to them and they will deliver your product of choice every month for 15% off, making it a great value deal.
However, there are some downsides. According to the reviews on the Nuun Sport review section, the tablet has caused stomach cramps to some consumers. Others have reported that the flavor they ordered tastes like a different flavor entirely, and that the tablets don’t fully dissolve, leaving a chunky piece of the tablet at the bottom of the water container.
Although it can be easily dismissed as just the tablets not being good for them, keep it in mind.
PROS
- Offers variety of supplements and tablets for different needs
- Great for vegans, kosher diets, gluten free diets etc.
CONS
- Tablets can have different effects on people
- The flavors don’t taste as advertised
- Some tablets don’t fully dissolve
Liquid IV Review
Moving on to the middle child of the trio, Liquid IV has made waves in industry with their innovative technology. While creating their product, Liquid IV was able to create a scientific method of having the liquid in their products.
According to their website, the Cellular Transport Technology, or CTT, is the breakthrough delivery system, used in all of their products, designed to enhance rapid absorption of water and other key ingredients into the bloodstream.
In layman’s terms, the electrolyte in the water is delivered faster throughout your body, allowing you to feel better in a much faster rate.
With this incredible technology under their belt, Liquid IV was able to climb their way up the ranks at a faster rate, making them a known name in the industry. But what about their products?
Well, one such product we will be focusing on is the Hydration Multiplier. This all-in-one product can be used for everyday activities, as well as for exercise. Powered by the Cellular Transport Technology, this product can be used to help you feel better in a matter of seconds.
Unlike Nuun, Liquid IV sells all of their products in packets, as their products are not tablets, but powder, allowing for faster dissolving and mixing. The Hydration Multiplier grants a result of sports drinks, but 3x the effectiveness. Not only is the process of mixing your drink faster, it is also stronger.
Liquid IV is also non-GMO, gluten free, soy free, and dairy free thanks to their ingredients of Citric Acid, Dipotassium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide, Stevia Leaf Extract, Natural Flavors, Pure Cane Sugar, Mined Salt, Sodium Citrate, Dextrose, Vitamin C, Vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12, and Potassium Citrate.If you want great value as well, Liquid IV offers a discount if you subscribe to Liquid IV, similar to Nuun.
The great thing about Liquid IV is that they want to make the world a better place with their products, as well as giving back to the world. Liquid IV would often donate their products to countries who are in need. Not only that, they keep all of their products environment friendly.
Reviews for their product are a little less negative, as they only report that the product seems to be too sweet for their taste.
PROS
- Cellular Transport Technology
- Hydration Multiplier is an all-in-one product
- Powdered instead of tablets, allowing for faster dissolving
- Donates worldwide with every purchase
- Environment friendly
CONS
- Too sweet for some customers
Hydrant Review
Last of the trio is the youngest, Hydrant. While they may be young in the industry, having been only founded 5 years ago in 2017, this company is still able to keep up with veterans such as Nuun and Liquid IV.
Hydrant combines the best of both ideas from Nuun and Liquid IV, selling powdered packets and capsules. Yes, Nuun sells tablets, not capsules, but capsules are still a fine idea, as it’s more direct.
One thing Hydrant has that the others do not, is that they sell tubs of their supplement powder, giving consumers better value for their purchase than having to buy one big bag of packets.
Hydrant is fairly new, which means they have a sort of an advantage. They’re young, fresh in the scene, which means their ideas are unique.
For starters, their energy supplement Hydrant Energy, contains Caffeine and L-theanine for performance. Real fruit juice powder and cane sugar for taste. Companies like Nuun and Liquid IV all have their products share one recipe, but Hydrant tries to differentiate themselves by putting in different recipes for each product.
There’s always a surprise with every purchase of different products, allowing for a new experience each time.
However, like Nuun and Liquid IV, sometimes the products just doesn’t have the desired effect on people. Some just don’t like the taste, some powders don’t dissolve, and some don’t even arrive to customers.
Nevertheless, Hydrant is in second place for us.
PROS
- Different recipes for different products
- New to the scene, fresh and unique ideas
- Sells capsules and tubs of their products
CONS
- Some customers report not receiving deliveries
Head-To-Head Comparisons
If you’re still not sure which brand is more ideal to you, that’s totally normal. We’ve only reviewed each brand one by one, so there’s not much comparison. To remedy that, we’ll have to compare each brand with one another.
Liquid IV VS Nuun – Which One Is Better?
While Nuun is a veteran in the industry, Liquid IV seems to be doing things a lot better by innovating with their technology. Case in point, the Cellular Transport Technology, allowing for faster distribution of minerals throughout the body, whereas Nuun relies on the normal method.
Though that doesn’t mean Nuun is not good. Nuun is on a level of their own, having become a known name in the industry they share. Liquid IV is just close on their heels, and they need to do better if they want to stay on top.
Liquid IV VS Hydrant – The Best Of The Two
The middle child and the youngest child. These two are different from each other in certain ways, but one thing they have in common that helps these two create a big name for themselves is that they innovate, allowing for more ideas to come to fruition all so they can compete with other brands.
Competition should never be frowned upon, as competition helps brands improve themselves and their products. If there was no competition, products will remain the same. Stagnant, if you will.
Liquid IV and Hydrant are exhibit A and exhibit B. Both climbed the ladders just with their unique and innovative technologies allowing for a more efficient mineral absorption.
Nuun VS Hydrant – Underdogs
We still believe that Hydrant is the better overall deal between these two. Mind you, this is our opinion. But the reason for it is because it’s almost the same value deal as Nuun but the supplements are better. Again, our opinion.
That thing about tablets not dissolving and not as good absorption technologies as the other two are the reason why it isn’t in the first place in this matchup.
The Verdict: Supplement Brands & Frequently Asked Questions
People around the world always search for something new, something that will work better to keep them energized and strong to continue the day. Sometimes, the brands such as Nuun work better for them. Other times, brands such as Liquid IV or Hydrant work even better. Everyone’s body is different, so it’s only natural that the end result will not be the same.
That’s why different supplement brands exist, because one thing is not going to work for everyone. Same thing can be said for phone brands or car brands. Everyone has different preferences, and that’s simply it.
Nevertheless, we do believe some are better than others. In this matchup, from these three, we feel as though Liquid IV and Hydrant are the two brands to go with. While Nuun is slightly behind.
How To Use Electrolyte Supplement?
It all depends on which brand you go with. Liquid IV and Hydrant both come in packets, and you usually pour the packet in a glass with water and stir it up. – 16 oz of water.
Nuun is similar with the only difference being that it comes in tablets. Just drop the tablet in a glass of water and it will dissolve. Nevertheless, whichever brand of supplements you go with, we strongly recommend reading the instructions on how to use the electrolyte supplements!
How Many Times Do I Have To Consume The Electrolyte Supplement?
This question is no different as well. It depends on the brand.
Some offer much more concentrated solutions and some don’t. So, depending on how strong the supplement is, you have to take it accordingly. This is usually indicated on the packet. So, it’s best just to follow the instructions from the manufacturer.
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