Best LMNT Alternative (2026): Salty, Sugar-Free and Tested
Buy Redmond Re-Lyte instead of LMNT to replace the salt you sweat out: 810 mg of sodium, no sugar and twice the potassium, for $0.77 a serving against $1.50 for an LMNT stick. For 1,000 mg of sodium, one LMNT stick’s worth, you pay $0.95 instead of $1.50. Want the most testing lists? See Transparent Labs Hydrate below.
By Erin Rose Updated October 27, 2026 How we score
Prices: each brand’s own list price, checked October 27, 2026.
Our pick to replace LMNT
- Sodium
- 810 mg a scoopLMNT: 1,000 mg a stick
- Potassium
- 400 mgLMNT: 200 mg
- Sugar
- 0 gsweetened with stevia, like LMNT
- Price per scoop
- $0.7760-scoop jar, $45.99 at Redmond
- Per 1,000 mg sodium
- $0.95LMNT: $1.50, one stick
- Testing list
- Informed ChoiceLMNT: Informed Choice too
Why we pick it It is the closest match to LMNT: lots of sodium, no sugar, sweetened with stevia, and mixed in 16 to 32 oz of water. It costs about half as much a serving and has twice the potassium. Both are on Informed Choice, an outside program that tests for drugs banned in sport (Re-Lyte is listed as “Re-Lyte Hydration” under Redmond Re-Lyte).
What you give up About a fifth less sodium: 810 mg against 1,000 mg. Our Amazon link is the 60-scoop jar. For sticks, Redmond sells 30 for $40.99 on its own site, $1.37 a stick, still less than LMNT. Transparent Labs Hydrate is on more testing lists, 3 to Re-Lyte’s 1, but one scoop has 500 mg of sodium, half an LMNT stick. Re-Lyte is also our top pick of all the electrolyte drinks we score (see them all).
Which LMNT alternative is right for you?
Each one below fixes a different thing about LMNT: the price, the salt, or the format.
Want the drink on the most testing lists?
Transparent Labs Hydrate is on more testing lists than any other drink here: NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice and NSF/ANSI 173. One scoop has 500 mg of sodium and no sugar for $0.75. Two scoops match one LMNT stick for $1.50, the same as LMNT. Our Amazon link is the 40-scoop tub. Transparent Labs also sells 30 sticks for $29.99 on its own site, $1.00 a stick.
Transparent Labs Hydrate
500 mg sodium · 0 g sugar · $0.75 a scoop
Want less sodium, in a tested stick?
Thorne Daily Electrolytes has 480 mg of sodium and no sugar for $1.33 a stick. It is on NSF Certified for Sport and NSF/ANSI 173. With under half of LMNT’s sodium, it suits normal days and shorter workouts better than a 1,000 mg stick.
Thorne Daily Electrolytes
480 mg sodium · 0 g sugar · $1.33 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, under a third of LMNT’s sodium, so it suits shorter, lighter workouts. Per 1,000 mg of sodium it costs $2.50, more than LMNT.
Nuun Sport
300 mg sodium · 1 g sugar · $0.75 a tablet
Want to stay with LMNT?
LMNT Recharge has 1,000 mg of sodium, the most in one serving on this page, with no sugar, for $1.50 a stick. It suits heavy, salty sweaters in long or hot sessions. LMNT says an outside lab tests every batch for label amounts, germs and heavy metals, and it posts lab reports. It is also on Informed Choice, listed as “LMNT Drink Mix (Non Caffeinated)”.
LMNT Recharge
1,000 mg sodium · 0 g sugar · $1.50 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.
LMNT and each alternative, one serving each
| Drink | Sodium (mg) | Price | Per 1,000 mg sodium | Testing list? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LMNT Recharge (stick) | 1,000 | $1.50 | $1.50 | Yes, 1 |
| Redmond Re-Lyte (scoop) | 810 | $0.77 | $0.95 | Yes, 1 |
| Transparent Labs Hydrate (scoop) | 500 | $0.75 | $1.50 | Yes, 3 |
| Thorne Daily Electrolytes (stick) | 480 | $1.33 | $2.78 | Yes, 2 |
| Nuun Sport (tablet) | 300 | $0.75 | $2.50 | Yes, 1 |
Questions people ask
What is a cheaper alternative to LMNT?
Redmond Re-Lyte, in the 60-scoop jar: $0.77 a scoop against $1.50 for an LMNT stick. For the same amount of sodium, it costs the least of any drink on this page. Its stick packs cost $1.37 each on Redmond’s site, still less than an LMNT stick. Nuun Sport costs $0.75 a tablet, but it has only 300 mg of sodium, so you pay more for the same sodium. Prices are each brand’s own list price.
Which LMNT alternative has more potassium?
Redmond Re-Lyte: 400 mg a serving, twice LMNT’s 200 mg. It also has 50 mg of magnesium; LMNT has 60 mg. Transparent Labs Hydrate has 250 mg of potassium a scoop. If you take a water pill, an ACE inhibitor or an ARB, or have kidney disease, ask your doctor before a drink with added potassium.
Is 1,000 mg of sodium too much for every day?
On a normal day, it is more than most people need. One LMNT stick is 43% of the 2,300 mg daily limit, and most Americans already eat about 3,400 mg a day (FDA). An average athlete loses about 1,000 mg of sodium in an hour of hard sweating (Baker 2016, written by Gatorade staff). For every day, water and food usually cover it, or pick a lighter drink like Thorne Daily Electrolytes (480 mg) or Nuun Sport (300 mg).
Which LMNT alternative is best for drug-tested athletes?
Pick one on NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Choice. Both test for drugs banned in sport. Transparent Labs Hydrate is on NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Choice. Thorne Daily Electrolytes is on NSF Certified for Sport. LMNT Recharge is on Informed Choice. Redmond Re-Lyte is on Informed Choice. Nuun Sport is on Informed Choice.
Is Redmond Re-Lyte OK for keto or fasting?
Its label shows 0 calories, 0 g of carbs and 0 g of sugar. Redmond says it is keto- and fasting-friendly. The sodium still counts toward your daily total.
Is Ultima Replenisher a good LMNT alternative?
Only if you want a light mineral drink with no sugar. It has far less sodium than LMNT, so it does not replace what you lose in a sweaty workout. If that is what you want, Ultima Replenisher is on Amazon.
Every electrolyte drink we score is in the best electrolyte powders; LMNT against Liquid I.V. is in LMNT vs Liquid IV; how much sodium you lose in an hour is in the dosage guide.
Sources
- Redmond Re-Lyte: Supplement Facts and prices for the 60-scoop jar ($45.99) and the 30-stick pouch ($40.99), redmond.life, read October 27, 2026. Informed Choice certified products, listed as “Re-Lyte Hydration” under Redmond Re-Lyte, read the same day.
- LMNT Recharge: label and price ($45 for 30 sticks), drinklmnt.com; testing claim from LMNT’s Quality and Testing page (science.drinklmnt.com), both read October 27, 2026. Informed Choice certified products, listed as “LMNT Drink Mix (Non Caffeinated)” under LMNT, read October 27, 2026.
- Transparent Labs Hydrate ($29.99 for a 40-scoop tub or 30 sticks), Thorne Daily Electrolytes ($40 for 30 sticks) and Nuun Sport ($7.49 for 10 tablets): each brand’s own product page, prices read October 27, 2026. Testing: each program’s own list, linked where named above.
- 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).