How can you tell if a water ionizer is superior? The two most important ways to compare water ionizers are: 

• Compare the pH and ORP [Oxygen Reduction Potential...or antioxidant potential] that the water ionizers can produce. Plate size and number of plates is not the best way to compare. It is the whole design of the water ionizer that ultimately one should look at. As a matter of fact plate size can hurt a water ionizer's performance if the design isn't right. The ionizer with the best overall design will allow that water ionizer to do better pH and ORP in comparison tests. The only way to do this is through side-by-side comparisons, First consider how strongly the water ionizer can ionize. Then look at the ORP per unit of pH the water ionizer is able to produce -- the higher ORP the better.
• After comparing the pH and ORP capabilities, compare the water ionizers' internal cleaning systems. Why do I say you should compare the water ionizers' cleaning systems? A good cleaning system is the only way your water will be able to continue to produce the best ionized water in years to come. It's very important to keep the electrodes clean [not just clean them periodically]. The electrodes are the "heart" of the water ionizer. If the electrodes can be kept squeaky clean, then your water ionizer will continue to be able to produce the best, high pH, low ORP [high antioxidant], water as if it was brand new out of the box! If the water ionizer isn't kept internally cleaned well enough, then the electrodes will develop a calcium film[or scale build up] on them. This will reduce the water ionizer's capacity to ionize water [pH & ORP] over the months and years. Ideally, one should set up all the water ionizers in one location, and use them equally, and test them periodically to then see which water ionizer continues to be the best -- over time. But, short of that, we can predict this pretty well by looking at the cleaning systems to see which are the best. If your water ionizer only uses "reverse polarity -- Acid Washes", then consider getting an EOS [Elimination of Scaling] device to eliminate this scale build-up that will occur between acid washes. The EOS needs to be replaced every 2-3 years and can be used with any water ionizer.

Other Things to Consider When Deciding on the Best Water Ionizer for You:

• Convenience: Does the water ionizer have to wait for acid washes, and also waist your filtered water? [Enagic, Tyent, KYK, Venus] Or, does the water ionizer  have the acid washes happen after you're done pouring, with no waiting by you but still wasting your filtered water? [Chanson] Or, does the water ionizer  have automatic continual cleaning with no inconvenience or wasted water? [Melody, Orion & Athena water ionizers]
• What techniques were used for the electroplating [coating the electrodes with platinum] and the design of the plates? The Chanson and Jupiter Venus and Melody manufacturers use computerized techniques to coat the plates with an irregular surface [peaks and valleys]. This allows for a greater surface area for better electrolysis without needing to increase the wattage. The mesh plate design [used by the Athena, Orion, Delphi, Life and Tyent] also provides a greater surface area and better electrolysis. Provided the plating and cleaning of the mesh plates is done correctly, the using of mesh plates and electroplating is a great innovation in water ionizer design. It allows for greater electrolysis without having to use too high of a wattage. High wattage will wear the ionizer out more quickly than lower wattage. If the design does not use electroplating or mesh, and the company dips their plates, then the surface area for electrolysis will be very small unless the company uses large plates. Using large plates is necessary in this case, but the design is not superior to the water ionizers that use the newer techniques for increasing the surface area of electroplating and/or mesh and requires the use of extra wattage . The KYK uses large slotted plates which are designed to be a cross between solid and mesh plates.The Tyent's plates are mesh. With Life water ionizers you can choose between solid or mesh. If you choose mesh, the 2 outside plates will be mesh and the inner ones will all be solid. The Enagic, Life, KYK and Tyent companies dip their plates. As stated before, the true test of the superiority of the water ionizer's plate design is in that water ionizer's ability to get a good pH and ORP.
• Filtration: The better filters for you if you live in a municipality where your water is treated...will state that they filter out Chloramine and Fluoride, which the municipalities all put into your treated water. A better filter for a well owner would be a .01 filter, which would filter out many of the thiings that water treatment companies do for municipalities. The Jupiter Biostone filters out Chloramine and Fluoride. The Chanson, Jupiter, Life, Tyent, Enagic and KYK all will filter out chlorine!
• Also, see if that water ionizer has a filter counter [which is better than not having one]. With a filter counter you can more accurately see when it's time to change your filter.
• Company User-Friendliness! [i.e., Does it have a 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee & Free Shipping?]
• Warranty: The Jupiter, Chanson, and Life companies all offer lifetime warranties. The Tyent offers a lifetime warranty for its Turbo model and 10 years for its MMP 7070 water ionizer. The KYK and Enagic companies offer 5 year warranties.
• How long has the company [US wholesaler] been around? What's its BBB Rating? How long has the manufacturer been in existence? What is their world-wide reputation?
• Power: More amperage & watts going through the plates is not necessarily better. Most manufacturers keep the wattage down to about 150w or less, but some water ionizers are capable of up over 250 watts. I believe that the more long-lasting water ionizers will prove out to be the ones using the lower watts. But, only time will tell on this prediction, and if that company offers that water ionizer a lifetime warranty, then you'll be covered for this.

Does a high price mean that particular water ionizer is better? 

No, in my experience I have found that price does not necessarily equate to better quality in a water ionizer.  The ways to find out the better water ionizer are all specified above. Do not allow a company to tell you that it's the "only real water ionizer" or that it's "the Cadilac and all others are Fords" ... these are the kinds of statements that sales people use to try to get you to buy a more expensive product. I object to sales people making false claims and using scare tactics. I consider this to be very dirty selling tactics.Look at the things listed above with any water ionizer you're considering, and you'll find the truly best [no hype] one for you. I encourage potential water ionizer buyers to get the real facts from someone more objective and knowledgeable I like every one of the water ionizers, above.

I've been drinking ionized water for almost 18 years now, and if there's one thing I do know, it's that water ionizers DO work to help people with their health. Years ago my first water ionizer helped me enormously! The biggest problem I had was allergies, and they all went away! This was with a far inferior water ionizer than the ones above. 

The water ionizers on the chart above are all there because they're good ones. I refuse to sell a water ionizer that is inferiorly designed. They're all fairly comparable with each other. Even though one is best in one area...it may not be best in another. It really does boil down to personal choice and budget. I have tested the highest priced water ionizer with great expectations, but found it to be simply comparable with the others, and not even better. It was clearly not better in the quality of the drinking level of ionized water, but the high cost is necessary with any MLM money-making program.  MLM is one way to spread the word about new products, and so I don't knock them...as long as there aren't any dirty selling tactics used. The main point of saying this is: you should not be fooled by a sales person's hype if someone is trying to imply their water ionizer is the only one that can cure people, or something. It just wouldn't be true.

The Japanese Health Department recognized that ionized alkaline water from water ionizers had proven health benefits and described water ionizers as health devices. This recognition was given with no regard to a particular brand. The origin of the invention of water ionizers was actually in Korea. Korea recognizes water ionizers made in Korea as medical devices [provided they are good enough] and Japan recognizes the water ionizers made in Japan...that's how it works. Each country examines its own manufacturers' devices. Jupiter, KYK and Tyent are all approved by Korea to make medical devices, and in Korea their water ionizers are recognized as medical devices. In Taiwan the Chanson is a recognized medical devise.

I have first-hand knowledge that people 18 years ago [when I bought my first water ionizer] were experiencing unbelievable health benefits from ionized water. Most of the water ionizer companies today weren't even born yet. As a matter of fact back in the 70's Michael Moon [the founder of Jupiter water ionizers] was a very wealthy manufacturer with failing health. He was introduced to water ionizers by a friend, and after regaining his youthful health with a primitive & crude water ionizer of the time he decided to develop the superior quality Jupiter water ionizers we have today.   

Water ionizers are awesome for your health, and you will be so much healthier than you are now [& save so much money in the long run] by drinking fresh ionized water with any of the water ionizers shown above!

Every water ionizer listed above produces the same type of alkaline and acidic water in that their machines contain a filter and ionizing chamber just like all other alkaline water ionizers. With some you need to use a slower water flow than with others. All of these water ionizers split the water into acid and alkaline streams. All of the water ionizers in the above comparison chart will produce an ORP of greater than the standard used to determine if it's a medical device [greater than -300] and even better!  

Please Note: All of my water ionizers above have UL certification except Tyent and Chanson (which have pending UL certifications).

All of my water ionizers have ISO certification. Jupiter, Tyent and Enagic have both, and Chanson, Life and KYK have ISO 9001.