Aquatabs Review: Are They Really Worth the Price?

Aquatabs are ultra-simple to use with very little work to be done aside from making sure your pill-to-water ratio is correct. The main task you'll have to perform is measuring out your water.

Marketing materials and labeling for these tablets indicate that they are effective in killing 99.99% of bacteria. In our opinion, that last .01% does not justify the Aquatabs receiving a reduced rating. They hit the mark for efficacy.

The active ingredient in Aquatabs is sodium dichloroisocyanurate, which is common for these types of products. There are other ingredients present in the tablets but, according to our research, the manufacturer does not list them all out specifically.

Our review team found that Aquatabs offer one of the best, most convenient and inexpensive ways to purify your water despite some minor concerns. Their greatest strength is their effectiveness, since they work very well to kill nearly all bacteria existing in water. However, we would like to see a prominent, complete ingredient list to increase our peace of mind in this regard. Overall, they are still a great product worth trying out.

Aquamira chlorine dioxide water purifier tablets are similar to Aquatabs in that they are intended to kill bacteria in your water and make it safe to drink. This is simply an alternative-brand item with a few key differences that make them unique. For starters, while each Aquatab purifies 0.75 liters of water, one Aquamaria tab is recommended to purify a full liter. This fact is offset, however, by the fact that you can simply alter water volume and use more Aquatabs when needed. Another key fact of note is that Aquatabs can purify water in 30 minutes while the Aquamira tablets take 4 hours for this process.

Aquamira purifier tablets provide all the same benefits as Aquatabs with the added perk that they make your water taste and smell better. We found that this is most likely due to some additional ingredients in the Aquamaria formula (which we discuss in more detail below). Also, these tabs come in packages of two different colors: blue and tactical green. The blue packaging is standard and essentially plain and utilitarian whereas the tactical green configuration fits well with other camouflage clothing and gear favored by campers and survivalists.

As with other, similar products, you can purify your water using these tablets by simply measuring out how many liters of water you have and using one tablet per liter of water.

These tablets are highly effective in killing bacteria, but the 4-hour sanitation time required can be a drawback in many situations. In contrast, Aquatabs are designed to purify your water in 30 minutes. What this may come down to is the fact that Aquamira tabs are said to make your water taste and smell better. It's possible that the long wait time could be part of the reason for this.

The active ingredients in Aquamira tabs are sodium chlorite and sodium dichloroisocyanurate. As is true for Aquatabs, there are also other ingredients that are not listed specifically or prominently.

These purification tablets are another great option for those who need a way to purify their water. They are super-effective but take a substantial time interval to kill all the bacteria. They come at a reasonable price, and if you aren't looking to have your water sanitized as rapidly as possible, you most likely won't have any complaints about them.

Purinize offers a water purification solution that is decidedly different from the previous two purifiers we've discussed so far. The most obvious distinguishing feature is that it comes in liquid form. As a result, instead of counting pills when making measurements, you must count drops as you add them to your water. Also, rather than coming in a zip-lock package, this solution is packaged in a bottle. Depending on your particular needs, this liquid form could come in very handy.

One of the greatest draws for those who use Purinize solution is that it is completely chemical- and gluten-free. It only uses mineral salts to purify the water, making this an excellent solution for those who seek out all-natural and organic products. The wait time needed to make your water safe for consumption is one hour, which is acceptable in most situations. Overall, Purinize solution offers some great benefits, but its price point is a bit higher than the Aquatabs and Aquamira tablets we checked out.

Purinize solution is not as easy to use as Aquatabs or Aquamira tablets to use due to how the liquid must be measured and added. For example, while one Aquamaria tab can clean a liter of water, that same process requires 20 drops of Purinize liquid by comparison. This can be cumbersome and inconvenient on its own, and if you want to measure out the drops in a measuring cup instead, that just means you'll have to carry these items and keep them on hand for when you wish to purify large quantities of water.

When using Purinize solution, you also have to worry about potential spills and waste whereas, with tablets, it's easy to pick up a pill if you drop one. Some may see this as a significant disadvantage.

Purinize solution is as effective as any other purifier despite its chemical-free formula. It can also kill bacteria in water moderately quickly, requiring only one hour to achieve full effectiveness.

Purinize solution contains purified water and sulfate mineral salts. According to the manufacturer, the mineral salts present in the formula are as follows: alum, calcium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, rubidium, scandium, selenium, silicon, strontium, sulfur, titanium, vanadium, and zinc.

PURINIZE isn't a perfect product, but it's effective and fulfills its purpose well. It does everything you would expect from a water purification product, but having to count droplets in order to measure it out is tedious. For the price, you get a great product with these minor imperfections.

Expedition Research is a company that, with their TACH-H2O product, essentially repackages and labels Aquatabs in order to appeal to fans of tactical gear. Standard Aquatabs come in a box of prepackaged tablets that look a lot like other products you can find on the shelf of any drug store. Expedition Research took actual Aquatab packages and repackaged them inside of a sturdy tactical package. The package is heat-sealed and designed to keep your Aquatabs safe from the elements. This is also said to extend the shelf life of the tablets, making them even more appealing to survivalists and preppers.

Again, our research indicates that these are simply Aquatab-brand tablets in a different package. Even the individual tablets' packaging is the same. However, the Expedition Research bundle is more expensive than just the standard tablets due to its strong outer packaging. Depending on what specific purpose and situations you think you may encounter, this price difference may not influence your choice, however.

Just like the standard Aquatabs, you will simply measure your water and add the appropriate number of tabs to achieve purification. One extra note about these is that the manufacturer does caution that once you break the seal on the package, it's advisable to keep them in a cool place and free of sunlight to help preserve their shelf life.

These are the strongest, fastest-acting tablets we found on the market.

The formula used in these is the same as the standard Aquatabs product we chose to feature in this study and review. Again, the maker is not fully transparent in regard to all ingredients included.

The stronger packaging that comes along with these may seem a little gimmicky to some savvy consumers. In reality, the average person does not encounter many situations where paying more for a stronger package is easy to justify. The Expedition Research TAC-H2O tablets will definitely attract those who like tactical gear, but fancy packaging is not essential.