Not Prime, Not Vitamin Water: The Best Hydration Drink On Store Shelves In 2026

For a long time, the best way to hydrate yourself was with water. Then, in the 1960s, hydration products took a big leap forward. Two solutions were developed to assist in hydration, each marketed to uniquely dehydrated markets. The first, Gatorade, was designed by scientists at the University of Florida for people playing sports — specifically football. The second, Pedialyte, was originally dispensed like medicine and given to children who were sick with illnesses like the flu. Before long, both these companies determined that there were many other thirsty, sweaty consumers out there and they began selling their products to the public at large. 

Today, as more people realize how important staying hydrated is for your health, hydration products are an entire business unto themselves. These days, there are plenty of items on the market designed to help replenish your bodily fluids. But which one is the best? When it comes to our favorite hydration drink, it's not one of these two original innovators, nor is it other popular choices like Prime or Vitamin Water. No, our absolute fave has got to be Liquid I.V.

Our reviewer ranked nine popular hydration drinks and the winner was clear: Liquid I.V. is the preferred liquid replenisher. This powdered hydration product, available in a wide variety of flavors, came onto the market relatively recently, in 2012. But it's already become a power player with over $1 billion in sales. 

So why is Liquid I.V. our top pick? "Aside from the convenience, reasonable price (about $1.50 a stick), and quality of flavors, the key difference that puts Liquid I.V. in first place for me is the quantity of vitamins," said our reviewer. A packet includes more than enough B6 and B12 to meet the FDA's daily value, as well as 70% of the daily value of vitamin C. It's these elements that help Liquid I.V. take the lead: "The ingredients are trustworthy, the price is reasonable, the packaging is convenient, and there are fun flavors that all taste great."

By the way, another positive aspect for Liquid I.V. is that it has relatively low amounts of sugar. While some sports drinks are pretty unhealthy, Liquid I.V. only contains 11 grams of sugar per serving (a serving of Gatorade, for comparison, contains 34 grams of sugar). Some sugar can be beneficial: it helps to speed up the hydration process and give you energy during a workout, but too much can just add unnecessary calories. Liquid I.V. strikes a good balance (while also packing in other nutrients), which makes it our gold standard for hydration.