KinderLyte vs. Pedialyte vs. Gatorlyte vs. Liquid IV: Who Wins the Electrolyte Drink Brand Showdown?

4 Best Electrolyte Drinks for Quick Rehydration

Electrolyte drinks can help you rehydrate faster and replace lost electrolytes during or after exercise, or any time you need to rehydrate.

The following 4 electrolyte drinks are our top picks:

1. Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier Electrolyte Powder Packet Drink Mix

2. Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution

3. KinderLyte Fruit Punch Natural Oral Electrolyte Solution

4. Gatorade, Gatorlyte Rapid Rehydration Electrolyte Beverage

So which popular electrolyte drink is best for me?

KinderLyte vs. Pedialyte vs. Gatorlyte vs. Liquid IV: How are they different?

Here are many different options on the market suitable for different uses, from moderate to high exercise to everyday and sick day use.

They usually contain sodium and other electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, and some contain additional nutrients including carbohydrates, B vitamins, and zinc, among others.

In order to help you choose more comprehensively, we have made this comparison table:

	Liquid I.V.	KinderLyte	Pedialyte	Gatorlyte
Price	($24.99  FROM Liquid I.V.  - Get Up To 2% Cash Back) ($17.49 FROM  Liquid I.V. - Get Up To 2% Cash Back & Subscribe & Save 30%) ($23.99  FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back)	($4.88 FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back)	($5.44 FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back) ($5.44 FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back)	($12.28 FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back & Save $16.99)
Electrolytes (mg)	sodium: 500 potassium: 370 chloride: ❌ calcium: ❌ magnesium: ❌	sodium: 460  potassium: 300 chloride: 570 calcium: ❌ magnesium: ❌	sodium: 370 potassium: 280 chloride: 440 calcium: ❌ magnesium: ❌	sodium: 490 potassium: 350  chloride: 1040 calcium: 120 magnesium: 105
Vitamins	Vitamins C, B3, B5, B6, and B12	❌	❌	❌
Zinc (mg)	❌	3.1	2.8	❌
Sugars	Serving Size: 1 stick Calories: 50 Total Carbohydrate: 11g Added Sugars: 11g	Serving Size: 12 fl oz Calories: 35 Total Carbohydrate: 9g Added Sugars: 7g	Serving Size: 12 fl oz Calories: 45 Total Carbohydrate: 12g Added Sugars: 9g	Serving Size: 16.9fl oz Calories: 50 Total Carbohydrate: 14g Added Sugars: 12g
Hydrating effect	Better, faster
Taste experience	Slightly salty, overall tastes good	Very sweet and tastes good	Flavor versions: sweet, salty Unflavored version: light with a hint of sweetness	Very salty with an artificial aftertaste
Most suitable for	Daily hydration	Hydrate children	Hydrate a hangover	Hydrate for intense exercise
Value Rating	$1.60 per serving, best deal	Relieve diarrhea cheaply	Average value	Expensive

Editor's review: KinderLyte vs. Pedialyte vs. Gatorlyte vs. Liquid IV: Which one is best?

My number one choice is Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier!

($23.99  FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back)

My second choice is KinderLyte Natural Oral Electrolyte Solution!

($4.88 FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back)

Real Reviews of the Best Electrolyte Hydration Drinks

1. Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier Electrolyte Powder Packet Drink Mix

($24.99  FROM Liquid I.V.  - Get Up To 2% Cash Back)

($17.49 FROM  Liquid I.V. - Get Up To 2% Cash Back & Subscribe & Save 30%)

($23.99  FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back)

We love that Liquid I.V. is formulated with a technology called Cellular Transport Technology (CTT), which enhances the rapid absorption of water and other key nutrients into the bloodstream, helping us feel better, faster.

That means that using a Liquid I.V. item is like injecting water and nutrients straight into your bloodstream. Maybe that’s why they’ve included the term “IV” in their name.

We were also surprised by Liquid I.V.'s rapid hydration effects, as it's also based on the World Health Organization's guidelines for clinically proven Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) to prevent and treat dehydration.

It features a specific sodium, potassium, glucose, and water ratio, which can provide 2-3x the hydration of water alone.

It is a great option specifically for athletes and those who work out, and those who need a quick boost of hydration.

To quickly rehydrate, add one packet of Liquid I.V. to 16 ounces of cold water or any beverage of your choice. One serving is 50 calories and has 11g of sugar.

While we think Liquid IV is best used when traveling and pre-workout because it contains more vitamins C, B3, B5, B6, and B12 than other sports drinks, we also use it to focus, relieve hangovers, enhance energy, stress relief.

As for its downsides, it has a higher sodium content of 500 mg, which, while helpful for rehydration after high-intensity exercise, has a saltier taste that may not be suitable for most picky kids.

2. Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution

($5.44 FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back)

($5.44 FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back)

If you or your child are experiencing fluid loss, such as vomiting or diarrhea due to illness, Pedialyte may be a good electrolyte drink option.

We like that this is a trustworthy and convenient ready-to-drink product with plenty of sodium (370 mg), a moderate amount of glucose, and plenty of other key electrolytes and nutrients, including potassium, chloride, and zinc.

If you or your child are experiencing fluid loss, such as vomiting or diarrhea due to illness, Pedialyte may be a good electrolyte drink option.

We like that this is a trustworthy and convenient ready-to-drink product with plenty of sodium (370 mg), a moderate amount of glucose, and plenty of other key electrolytes and nutrients, including potassium, chloride, and zinc.

Compared with Liquid IV, Pedialyte contains one more electrolyte, chloride; Pedialyte also contains zinc, which is useful for diarrhea caused by illness in children and hangovers in adults - supplementing with zinc can reduce the duration of diarrhea episodes duration and severity, and the likelihood of subsequent infection within 2-3 months.

Although Pedialyte contains a total of 1,090 mg of electrolytes and Liquid IV contains a total of 870 mg of electrolytes, due to the higher sodium content of Liquid IV, the two are generally equally hydrating. It's also similar in terms of sugar and calories.

However, it's worth noting that the flavored version of Pedialyte contains artificial colors and flavors, while the healthier, cleaner Liquid IV does not. 

Of course, Pedialyte offers an unscented version, which is a great option and contains no artificial colors and dyes. What we're sure of is that the unflavored version still has flavor and is slightly sweet, but tastes much better if served cold.

3. KinderLyte Fruit Punch Natural Oral Electrolyte Solution

($4.88 FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back)

Although Pedialyte’s medical-grade oral rehydration solution (ORS), invented in 1964, is the earliest and most famous product, Kinderlyte, launched in 2019, quickly caught our attention.

Kinderlyte is a line of Oral Electrolyte Solutions (OES) that contain no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors and are Non-GMO Project certified, providing the first truly efficacious, natural hydration option.

In most cases, Kinderlyte is competitively priced and contains similar electrolytes and nutrients to Pedialyte.

Kinderlyte actually contains more sodium, potassium, and chloride per liter, which is very beneficial, especially if you need to rehydrate due to sweating after an intense workout.

Unlike Liquid IV, Kinderlyte also contains extra zinc and chloride, so it's suitable for adults and children with excessive vomiting or diarrhea, just like Pedialyte.

Kinderlyte contains 7 grams of sugar, which makes it slightly lower in sugar and calories than Pedialyte and Liquid IV. But it tastes the sweetest because it's sweetened with the natural sweetener stevia extract.

Eschewing the low electrolyte formulations of other natural product entrants, Kinderlyte surpasses the electrolyte levels of its conventional competitors by 20 percent or more. It also avoids the typical pitfalls of "natural" brands that use juice or fructose as a sweetener, which must be processed in the liver and actually slows the hydration process.

It is sold in 1 Liter (33.8 fl oz) BPA-free re-sealable bottles and comes in three kid-friendly flavors – Fruit Punch, Orange and Grape.

4. Gatorade, Gatorlyte Rapid Rehydration Electrolyte Beverage

($12.28 FROM Walmart - Get Up To 4% Cash Back & Save $16.99)

Almost everyone knows that Gatorade is the number one selling sports drink brand in the United States.

While the core Gatorade line also provides electrolytes, it contains more carbohydrates (36 grams per 20-ounce bottle) and sugar than Gatorlyte.

That’s why we recommend you use Gatorlyte, a product that isn’t meant to “fuel” for performance, but is suitable for occasions like shorter duration exercise or with individuals who sweat heavily.

Available in cherry lime, orange and strawberry kiwi flavors, Gatorlyte contains less sugar than regular Gatorade and features a five-electrolyte blend, including sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride and magnesium. 

Each 20-oz bottle contains 50 calories and 12 grams of added sugars, as opposed to 48 grams of added sugars in original Gatorade.

In terms of fast-hydrating electrolyte types, Gatorlyte does have the most owners of this article with 5, while Liquid I.V. has 2, and Pedialyte and KinderLyte have 3.

The total amount of electrolytes of sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride and magnesium is 2105 mg, which is almost twice or more than other products.

Gatorlyte's specialty blends demonstrate a fast, comprehensive approach to replenishing minerals lost after strenuous activity.

We don't think Gatorlyte is the real winner, though, as up to 1,040 milligrams of chloride can also cause a number of side effects during long-term consumption, such as kidney disease, heart failure, liver disease, and high blood pressure.

Calorie wise, Gatorlyte has more sugar per serving, and it doesn't contain zinc, which can help relieve diarrhea.

Secondly, Gatorlyte is more suitable for athletes than children because it tastes a bit salty and leaves an artificial aftertaste compared to Liquid IV.

While Gatorlyte can also be used for all-day hydration, the focus on replenishing electrolytes as quickly as possible can help athletes who are trying to cut back on sugar while also effectively recovering after a workout.

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