The best water testing kits for safe hydration in 2022

By Andrew Lloyd

Published: Saturday, 30 April 2022 at 12:00 am

It can be easy to take the flowing water in our homes for granted as we use it on a daily basis to cook our food, wash our laundry and bathe in, but it’s important to check on the quality of what’s coming out of our taps to make sure there are no damaging components.

Fortunately there are a variety of home water testing kits you can invest in that will help you gain a full understanding of what’s moving through the pipes in your home to make sure what comes out is safe to use.

What is water testing?

Water testing is essentially the procedure of making sure the water you’re ingesting or swimming in is healthy, and doesn’t contain anything nasty or harmful. This could range from hardwater which carries an excess of minerals and can dry out skin and do damage to the plumbing, to bacteria which can form in some sources of drinking water.

Types of water testing kits

Whether you want to test the water coming straight out of your kitchen tap, an outdoor well which you routinely use for yourself or animals, or even a swimming pool or spa, there are a range of tests available that will give you an insight into the different parameters you should be cautious of.

Best water testing kits in 2022

Safe Home Ultimate Water Quality Test Kit

Keen to get you testing instead of completely guessing the contents of your water, Safe Home® provide a home kit which they will then run through their very own laboratory. There they will check the sample for 200 types of parameters to reveal the iron, nitrate, pH and total hardness of the water.

The pack contains everything you’ll need to test your taps at home including instructions on how to do so and a return shipping box so it can be sent to their lab. They’ll then aim to swiftly return the results so you’re fully aware of what’s going on in your pipes.

BOSIKE Water Hardness & pH Test Strips Kit

Designed to test your swimming pool and spa water, these strips from BOSIKE specifically look at six parameters in the water. These include checking for total hardness of the water, free chlorine, bromine, total chlorine, alkalinity and pH levels.

The instructions are made to be very clear, simply dip the strip into the water for two seconds and hold it horizontally for 30 seconds and you’ll be able to compare the colour you’re seeing with the chart that comes included.

This pack has 125 strips in total so you’ll have plenty of scope to check more than one area, or the same location over a period of time.

SimplexHealth Total Hardness Water Test Strips

Super speedy, this 10 pack of testing strips promises to take just three seconds to set up and one minute to deliver your reading. This means you can check the hardness of your water sample and be alerted in no time at all of any issues you need to look out for.

With no chemicals to mix or complicated process involved, these should be quick and easy to use, with a resealable bag included so you can protect your test strips and keep them as a reference.

Health Metric Coliform Bacteria Test Kit

Made to test drinking water for any harmful bacteria, this two pack from Health Metric takes 48 hours to get a comprehensive reading, but could save you from an unsavoury drinking experience and risk of illness.

You won’t have to send this off to the lab either which would incur further costs, simply set it up at home and follow the instructions included to find out if your well water or tap water contains any coliform bacteria.

JNW Direct Water Total Hardness Test Strips

If you’ve invested in a water softener device to help tackle hard water and you want to make sure it’s actually working, this pack of 150 strips should give you a clear reading and some proper insight.

Promising fast and accurate results, this sizeable pack has so many strips you’ll be able to test every corner of your home if you wish to do so, from prominent taps to outdoor water sources and even any pools or spas you may have.

To read the results simply follow the steps provided in the package and compare the colour of the strip to the chart included.

Watersafe All-In-One Well Water Test Kit

If you have access to a well that’s supplying you, your family or your pets and livestock with water, it’s vital to have an understanding of what’s in the water so you’re not accidentally ingesting anything harmful.

This kit will pick up on any bacteria while simultaneously testing for lead, hardness and any pesticides, as well as giving an insight into any dangerous levels of chlorine present.

Poolmaster Smart Test Strips

Make sure your water is safe and sound to swim in with this smart test from Poolmaster. Specifically made to check six elements of your spa or pool, it will give you an insight into the free chlorine and total chlorine levels.

It will also give you a speedy understanding of the total hardness and pH levels of the water, so you can stay aware of anything that might cause any issues for your plumbing or guests.

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