Best Drinking Water Test Kits – Reviews & Comparison
Are you worried about the quality of your water? Whether you’re using water for laundry, cleaning, cooking or drinking, you want to make sure that your water is free of contaminants.
There’s no need to pay for expensive laboratory testing when you can test your water in the comfort of your home. Interested? You’ve come to the right place.
Luckily, with the help of the best water test kit, you can test the quality of water at home. This is how you make sure that it’s free of parasites, bacteria, hard metals, and microparticles.
These kits can be used to test the water from your faucet, as well as your pool or spa water so you can guarantee that you and your family are always safe.
Reviews of the Best Water Test Kits on the Market
No matter where you live, the water you’re using might be contaminated. People in rural areas usually have access to water that might be filled with herbicides and pesticides, while water in industrial areas might contain traces of petroleum, gasoline, and other chemicals.
At the same time, water might contain lots of parasites and waterborne bacteria. In the long run, these contaminants harm your health. This is why it’s important that you buy a water test kit that is easy to use and delivers reliable results. Here are our top picks.
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Last update on 2024-04-23 at 17:25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1. Drinking-Water Test Kit For Municipal Tap and Well Water
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If you’re looking for a potent and practical way to screen your water, then you should check this one out. It detects small amounts of lead, iron, and copper in addition to bacteria, chlorine, nitrates, nitrites, hardness, and pH level.
This comprehensive kit allows you to test water any time you like without going through the hassle of lab testing. Each kit contains one test for lead, copper, and bacteria, in addition to two tests for pH level, nitrates, nitrites, chlorine, and hardness. The results appear within 2 minutes, but bacteria testing results take more time to appear.
Using this kit, you can test tap and well water for home use. However, you’ll buy a new kit every time you want to test the water. Reading the heavy metals chart is a bit difficult, but the test results are reliable.
Pros:
- Comprehensive testing kit.
- Can be used to test hard metals, bacteria, chlorine, hardness, and pH level.
- Fast and reliable results within minutes.
Cons:
- Reading the heavy metals chart is a bit confusing.
2. HoneForest Water Quality Tester, Accurate and Reliable
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This affordable kit is used to test drinking water as well as water in your aquarium, pool or water purification applications. The titanium alloy probe withstands several temperatures so it can be used in any weather condition with reliable results. It comes in a case so you can take it wherever you want.
The kit features a backlit LCD for easy reading. It’s quite easy to use, even for a first-timer. The pen design is portable and combines a TDS meter with an EC meter for accurate readings. The auto-lock feature delivers accurate results and the kit automatically shuts off after 2 minutes to save the battery.
Using this test, you’ll be able to know if your reverse osmosis filter is working or not. If the display is red, then your TDS measure more than 40 and your water is unhealthy to use. If the display is green, then your water is safe.
This kit measures the total number of dissolved solids but doesn’t determine the type of solids. It can’t test the pH level of water. It comes ready for use but can’t be calibrated.
Pros:
- Affordable and portable unit.
- Withstands several temperatures.
- Easy to use.
- LCD reading for fast and reliable readings.
Cons:
- Can’t test bacteria, hardness or the pH level of water.
- The unit can’t be calibrated.
3. Lead Iron Copper and Mercury – Home Water Test Kit for Well Tap and Drinking Water
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This is a sensitive testing kit that detects four types of heavy metals in your drinking water. It shows results within 15 minutes and is very easy to use, saving you the hassle of lab testing while delivering reliable results.
The strips show results in very small increments so it will detect the slightest change in your water after a change in the weather, a natural or man-made disaster. It works to test tap, well, and spring water for all your household needs.
Unlike other tests, it will tell you which metals are present and in what percentage. It detects lead, copper, iron, and mercury so you can take the appropriate action. The test strips are easy to use and come with detailed instructions.
Nevertheless, there are only 2 tests for mercury, copper, and iron, in addition to one test for lead. The kit doesn’t detect the presence of bacteria or any other contaminants.
Pros:
- Excellent kit to detect the presence of heavy metals and their percentage.
- Highly sensitive strips to detect the slightest change in your water.
- Easy to use strips.
Cons:
- Limited number of strips.
- Strips don’t detect the presence of any other contaminants.
4. HM Digital TDS-EZ Water Quality TDS Tester
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This testing device is accurate and efficient so you can use it to test any water source to guarantee the well-being of your family. It saves reading and the battery provides up to 1000 hours of operation. After 10 minutes, the tester will shut off to save power. You can easily replace the batteries when they stop working.
It features durable housing and an LCD for fast and accurate readings. It measures TDS from zero up to 9990 ppm. There’s a chart at the back that explains TDS values and the device can be easily calibrated. It shows sensitive increments of 1 ppm from zero to 999 ppm and 10 ppm from 999 up to 9990 ppm.
You can’t detect the type of organic and inorganic impurities in your tap water, well water, hydroponics, fish tank, pool or bathtub. If you’re using a water filtration system, this affordable testing device will tell you if it’s working or not. However, the results are subject to change if the temperature change.
Pros:
- Practical testing device to test for TDS.
- Up to 1000 hours of operation with automatic shut off feature.
- LCD for fast and accurate readings.
- Device can be calibrated and the batteries can be replaced.
Cons:
- Doesn’t determine the type or amount of several impurities.
- The temperature affects the results.
5. AFWFilters TST-BACT PurTest Bacteria Water Test Kit
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If you’re concerned about the bacteria that might affect the health of your family, then this test kit will provide you with the right answer. It’s very simple to use as you simply insert a strip in the water to indicate the presence of coliform bacteria and E. Coli.
These types of bacteria are tasteless, colorless, and odorless but can cause lots of health issues. This kit also comes ready to check for the presence of Nitrates and Nitrites which may be the result of animal or human waste and fertilizers.
It’s an affordable alternative to expensive laboratory testing that you can use at home. The result is delivered within minutes, compared to weeks that should be spent waiting for lab results. If the strip changes color, then your water is contaminated and not safe for use.
The test kit is portable and easy to use, so you can take it wherever you go to make sure that you and your family have access to clean water. However, a strip isn’t reusable and the kit can be only used once.
Results don’t specify the type or amount of bacteria present in your water; it shows a positive result if both or one type of bacteria is present. However, it’s a potent screening method and can be used to determine whether you need to run more expensive tests or not.
Pros:
- Portable and affordable test kit.
- Easy to use.
- Detects the presence of harmful bacteria, Nitrates, and Nitrites in water.
- Result is detected if the strip changes color.
Cons:
- Doesn’t determine the type or amount of bacteria.
- Each strip is used once.
What are the Benefits of Using a Water Test Kit?
Water test kits are essential, especially if you’re not sure that you have access to healthy water. Here are some of the benefits of buying and using one.
- You can use the kit in the comfort of your home. You don’t have to be an expert or hire one as the kit shows you if your water is free of impurities or not.
- Based on the results, you can take measures to make sure that you’re using clean water.
- Results are immediate. Professional lab testing takes time but using a kit at home will show you the results on the spot.
- A kit will show you if you need to buy or fix devices. It will help you decide on a specific filtration system based on the contaminants present in your water or whether you need to buy a shower head with specific disinfectant qualities.
How to Choose the Best Water Test Kit?
Home water testing kits represent an affordable and practical alternative to professional testing. While you can always ship samples from your drinking water for professional testing, doing this every few months isn’t easy or affordable.
This is why you should make sure that you’re choosing the right kit for testing. Here are a few factors to look out for.
Type of Test
There are several types of tests available. Some are more complicated than others. Color disk tests are multiple-step kits where you can put a sample of water in a test tube and add a special testing agent. The water changes color and the color is checked against a chart.
These tests usually take time to show results. Test strips are more affordable and easier to use. You simply dip the strip into the water and check how it changes color to detect the presence of a certain chemical or type of contaminants.
Digital instruments are also easy to use. They operate using batteries and might need regular calibration. Most of these devices detect the presence of a certain type of contaminants but won’t detect the severity of contamination.
Testing Procedure
Water test kits are designed to be easy to use. However, some of them are easier than others. When you’re shopping for a test kit, make sure that yours comes with easy instructions.
You should be able to follow the testing procedures properly to reach the right results. Avoid kits that involve multiple-step procedures because you’re likely to make mistakes, especially if you’re not a professional.
Contaminants
What is your kit designed to detect? Based on the nature of your water source and the contaminants that you’re concerned about, you can find a variety of tests to use.
Some kits are designed to detect a single type of contaminants like hard metals or bacteria. Versatile tests can be used to detect several types of impurities in a single sample.
Choose the kit depending on the type of contaminants you’re concerned about. If you want to detect the overall level of purity, you can choose a versatile test that detects several impurities.
Reusable Tests
Think of how many times you can use the kit, in addition to the types of contaminants tested and accuracy of results. Some testing kits can be used multiple times or come with several testing strips. These are more practical to use.
Conclusion
The best water test kit should be able to detect the type of contaminants that you’re concerned about so you can take preventive measures to increase the quality of water. If you’re looking for a potent and versatile kit, then we recommend the Drinking Water Test Kit For Municipal Tap and Well Water. It’s designed to measure the hardness and pH level of your water and detect hard metals, bacteria, and chlorine.
Testing your water frequently is important so you can make sure that you always have access to clean and healthy water. These testing kits represent a great investment because most of them are cheap but deliver great benefits.
