WaterTechReview

How We Test

Every product on WaterTechReview goes through the same multi-week testing process. Here's exactly what we measure, how we measure it, and how we turn raw data into scores.

1. PPB / Hydrogen Concentration Testing

This is the most important metric for any hydrogen water product. If it doesn't produce hydrogen reliably, nothing else matters.

We use a professional-grade Sensorex SLF-A dissolved hydrogen meter, calibrated before every testing session. Every product is tested with the same water: filtered tap water at room temperature (68°F / 20°C). No distilled water, no reverse osmosis, no lab-perfect conditions. We test with what most people actually use at home.

Each product runs through at least 10 full cycles (most get 20-30+). We measure three data points per cycle:

  • Peak PPB: Measured immediately after the generation cycle finishes. This is the maximum hydrogen concentration the product delivers under normal conditions.
  • 5-minute post-generation PPB: How much hydrogen remains after sitting for five minutes. Tells you whether the product holds hydrogen or off-gasses quickly.
  • 30-minute retention: The practical window. If you fill a pitcher and come back in half an hour, how much hydrogen is still there? This number matters more than peak PPB for daily use.

We also test 60-minute retention for pitchers, since some people batch-generate and drink over the course of an hour.

PPB Scoring Scale

  • 9.0 – 10.0: 1,400+ PPB peak. Consistently above the therapeutic threshold with strong retention. Only the best pitchers and premium devices reach this tier.
  • 7.0 – 8.9: 1,000 – 1,400 PPB. Clears the therapeutic threshold reliably. Most good portable bottles land here.
  • 5.0 – 6.9: 600 – 1,000 PPB. Below the threshold used in most studies. Measurable hydrogen, but therapeutic benefit is less certain.
  • Below 5.0: Under 600 PPB. We wouldn't recommend products in this range.

2. Build Quality and Materials

We inspect every component for safety, durability, and material quality. We prioritize products using borosilicate glass and food-grade stainless steel over plastics, but we score fairly across material types.

  • Materials assessment: What touches the water? Glass, plastic type (Tritan, polycarbonate, etc.), metal grade. We note whether any plastic contacts the water during generation.
  • Seal and leak testing: We fill, invert, and shake every product at least 100 times over the testing period. Any leak or seal degradation is documented.
  • Drop testing: For portable bottles, we drop from 3 feet onto tile flooring. We record the number of drops before any visible damage or functional failure.
  • 30-day durability check: We use every product daily for at least two weeks (often four). Any wear, discoloration, odor buildup, or mechanical issues get noted and scored.

3. Ease of Use

A product that works in a lab but fails in a kitchen isn't useful. We evaluate the full ownership experience.

  • Unboxing to first use: How long does setup take? Do you need to read a manual, or is it obvious? We time this with every product.
  • Daily operation: How many steps from "I want hydrogen water" to "I'm drinking it"? Fewer is better.
  • Cleaning difficulty: Can you rinse it under the tap, or do you need a special process? Does the electrode chamber accumulate buildup? How often do you need to descale?
  • Filter/component replacement: How often? How expensive? How easy is the swap? We walk through every maintenance task and time it.

4. Value Analysis

We calculate total cost of ownership over 3 years, not just sticker price. A cheap bottle with expensive replacement parts can cost more long-term than a premium product with zero ongoing costs.

  • Purchase price vs. category average: How does it compare to similar products?
  • Cost per liter over product lifetime: We estimate daily use over 3 years, factoring in filters, replacement parts, and electricity.
  • Warranty coverage and terms: Length, what's covered, and how responsive the manufacturer is to claims.
  • Replacement part availability: Can you actually buy filters and cartridges a year from now? Some brands make this harder than it should be.

5. Overall Score Calculation

Our overall score is a weighted average, not a simple mean. PPB output carries the most weight because it's the core function of a hydrogen water product.

  • PPB Output: 30%
  • Build Quality: 20%
  • Ease of Use: 20%
  • Value: 20%
  • Warranty: 10%

We weight PPB heaviest because if a product doesn't produce enough hydrogen, it's not doing its job. Everything else is secondary to core function. Warranty gets the lowest weight because while it matters, it's insurance against failure rather than a measure of daily performance.

Individual category scores are on a 1-10 scale. The overall score is rounded to one decimal place. We don't award half points or use .25 increments. A product either earned the number or it didn't.

What We Don't Do

We don't accept manufacturer-provided test data as a substitute for our own measurements. If a brand claims 5,000 PPB, we test it ourselves. In our experience, manufacturer claims are often 2-3x higher than what we measure with real-world water and conditions.

We don't factor in packaging quality, brand reputation, or influencer endorsements when scoring. A product from a no-name brand that produces 1,400 PPB will outscore a celebrity-endorsed bottle that produces 900 PPB. The data decides.

We don't test with distilled water unless specifically noted. Most people use filtered tap water, so that's what we test with. Distilled water can inflate PPB readings, which is why some brands use it for their marketing numbers.

Transparency Note

We buy every product with our own funds. No manufacturer has paid for or influenced a review. We earn money through affiliate links, which means if you buy a product through our links, we receive a commission. This never affects our scores or recommendations. We've given low scores to products with generous affiliate programs, and high scores to products with minimal commissions. You can verify this by comparing our rankings to our affiliate relationships. The math doesn't lie.

If you spot an error in our data, disagree with a score, or want to see our raw test logs, contact us. We're happy to show our work.