Best Liquid IV Alternative (2026): Sugar-Free and Tested
Buy Redmond Re-Lyte instead of Liquid IV: more sodium (810 mg against 500 mg) with no sugar, for $0.77 a serving against $1.56, and it is on Informed Choice, a public testing list. It comes in a jar or in stick packs. Want the most sodium in one stick? Get LMNT.
By Erin Rose Updated October 27, 2026 How we score
Prices are each brand’s own list price, checked October 27, 2026 (Transparent Labs stick packs: October 26, 2026; Redmond stick packs: October 27, 2026).
Our pick to replace Liquid I.V.
- Sodium
- 810 mg a scoopLiquid I.V.: 500 mg a stick
- Sugar
- 0 gLiquid I.V.: 11 g carbs
- Price per scoop
- $0.77Liquid I.V.: $1.56 a stick
- Price per stick
- $1.3730 stick packs, $40.99 at Redmond
- Per 1,000 mg sodium
- $0.95Liquid I.V.: $3.12
- Testing list
- Informed Choice
Why we pick it It does what Liquid I.V. does without the sugar, and with more sodium: 810 mg against 500 mg, sweetened with stevia. It costs about half as much a serving. And it is on Informed Choice, an outside program that tests products for drugs banned in sport. The Liquid I.V. box we price is not on any testing list.
What you give up Our Amazon link is the 60-scoop jar. If you want sticks, Redmond sells 30 for $40.99 on its own site, $1.37 a stick. That is still less than a Liquid I.V. stick.
Which Liquid I.V. alternative is right for you?
Each one below fixes a different thing about Liquid I.V.: the sugar, the price, the sodium, or the lack of testing.
Want the same sodium as Liquid I.V., on NSF lists?
Transparent Labs Hydrate has the same 500 mg of sodium as Liquid I.V., with no sugar, for $0.75 a scoop. It is on NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice and NSF/ANSI 173. It is sweetened with stevia. Transparent Labs also sells 30 stick packs for $29.99 on its own site.
Transparent Labs Hydrate
500 mg sodium · 0 g sugar · $0.75 a scoop
Want the most sodium in one stick?
LMNT Recharge has 1,000 mg of sodium, twice Liquid I.V., with no sugar, for $1.50 a stick. It is sweetened with stevia. It is on Informed Choice. On a normal day, 1,000 mg is a lot: 43% of the 2,300 mg daily limit.
LMNT Recharge
1,000 mg sodium · 0 g sugar · $1.50 a stick
Want to stay with Liquid I.V., minus the sugar?
Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free has the same 500 mg of sodium as the original, with no sugar, and costs the same $1.56 a stick. It is sweetened with allulose and stevia. NSF Certified for Sport lists one flavor, Raspberry Lemonade. The Lemon Lime box we price is not listed.
Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free
500 mg sodium · 0 g sugar · $1.56 a stick
Want a tablet that drops in your bottle?
Nuun Sport costs $0.75 a tablet and is on Informed Choice. It has 300 mg of sodium and 1 g of sugar, less sodium than Liquid I.V., so it suits shorter, lighter workouts. It is sweetened with dextrose and stevia.
Nuun Sport
300 mg sodium · 1 g sugar · $0.75 a tablet
Want some sugar, in a smaller drink?
DripDrop has 330 mg of sodium and 7 g of sugar a stick, sweetened with sugar, fructose, dextrose and sucralose. Each stick makes 8 oz. For a 16 oz drink, like one Liquid I.V. stick, you need two sticks: $2.25. Per 1,000 mg of sodium it costs $3.41, more than Liquid I.V.’s $3.12. It is not on a public testing list.
DripDrop
330 mg sodium · 7 g sugar · $1.12 a stick
High blood pressure, heart or kidney disease?
Ask your doctor before a high-sodium drink, and ask first if you take a water pill (diuretic), an ACE inhibitor or an ARB. These drinks hold potassium as well as sodium.
Liquid I.V. and each alternative, one serving each
| Drink | Sodium (mg) | Sugar (g) | Price | On a testing list? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier (stick) | 500 | 11 carbs | $1.56 | No |
| Redmond Re-Lyte (scoop) | 810 | 0 | $0.77 | Yes, 1 |
| Transparent Labs Hydrate (scoop) | 500 | 0 | $0.75 | Yes, 3 |
| LMNT Recharge (stick) | 1,000 | 0 | $1.50 | Yes, 1 |
| Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free (stick) | 500 | 0 | $1.56 | No (1 other flavor is) |
| Nuun Sport (tablet) | 300 | 1 | $0.75 | Yes, 1 |
| DripDrop (stick) | 330 | 7 | $1.12 | No |
Questions people ask
Is LMNT better than Liquid I.V.?
Yes, if you sweat a lot and want no sugar. LMNT has 1,000 mg of sodium and no sugar a stick; Liquid I.V. has 500 mg and 11 g of carbs. Liquid I.V. makes sense in a long race where you also want sugar as fuel. The full comparison is in LMNT vs Liquid IV.
What is a cheaper alternative to Liquid I.V.?
Redmond Re-Lyte costs $0.77 a scoop and Nuun Sport $0.75 a tablet, against $1.56 for a Liquid I.V. stick. Nuun has less sodium, though: $2.50 per 1,000 mg of sodium, against $0.95 for Redmond Re-Lyte and $3.12 for Liquid I.V. Prices are each brand’s own list price.
Is the sugar in Liquid I.V. bad?
Not in a long, hard workout. There, carbs are useful fuel, and drinks with carbs and electrolytes can help more than water alone in some cases (Sawka 2007, the American College of Sports Medicine). On a normal day, it is sugar you don’t need.
Is Ultima Replenisher a good Liquid I.V. alternative?
Only if you want a light mineral drink with no sugar. It has far less sodium than Liquid I.V., so it does not replace what you lose in a sweaty workout. If that is what you want, Ultima Replenisher is on Amazon.
What should I drink when I am sick instead of Liquid I.V.?
These sticks are not a treatment for vomiting or diarrhea. Ask a doctor or pharmacist what to drink. If a child is sick or seems dehydrated, call the child’s pediatrician. Our Liquid IV vs Gatorade vs Pedialyte page compares the rehydration drinks.
Do I need Liquid I.V. or an alternative every day?
Usually not. On a normal day or a short workout, water and food cover it. Most Americans already eat about 3,400 mg of sodium a day, over the 2,300 mg limit (FDA). These drinks matter most in long or hot workouts and for heavy sweaters. An average athlete loses about 1,000 mg of sodium in an hour of hard sweating (Baker 2016, written by Gatorade staff).
Every electrolyte drink we score is in the best electrolyte powders; how much sodium you lose in an hour is in the dosage guide.
Sources
- Labels and ingredient lists: each brand’s own site, read October 26, 2026; Liquid I.V. from NIH’s label database and its brand label. Testing: each program’s own list. NSF Certified for Sport lists one Liquid I.V. Sugar-Free flavor (Raspberry Lemonade), not the Lemon Lime box priced here.
- FDA, sodium in your diet (2,300 mg daily limit; about 3,400 mg average).
- Baker LB, et al. J Sports Sci. 2016. PubMed 26070030 (sweat sodium).
- Sawka MN, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007. PubMed 17277604.