smartwater vs Core Hydration: which water is healthier?
Updated · Scores from third-party lab reports · How we score
smartwater and Core Hydration tie at 50/100. The difference comes down to packaging and source: compare the rows below to pick the one that fits what you care about.
Side-by-side comparison
| smartwater | Core Hydration | |
|---|---|---|
| Purity score | 50/100 | 50/100 |
| Product compared | Glaceau Smartwater Plastic Bottle | Core Hydration Plastic Bottle |
| Type | Still | Still |
| Water source | Municipal Supply | Municipal Supply |
| Packaging | Polyester | Plastic |
| Microplastics risk | High | High |
| Lab tested | Yes | Yes |
| PFAS tested | No | No |
| Contaminants flagged | 1 | 2 |
| pH | 9.5 | 7.4 |
| TDS (minerals) | 28 ppm | 78 ppm |
| Fluoride | 0 mg/L | 0 mg/L |
Score breakdown
| Factor | smartwater | Core Hydration |
|---|---|---|
| Lab report indexed | 45/45 | 45/45 |
| Contaminants | 0/50 | 0/50 |
| Water source | 15/25 | 15/25 |
| Mineral preservation | 17/17 | 17/17 |
| Packaging material | 2/22 | 2/22 |
| Cap material | 7/7 | 7/7 |
| PFAS testing | 0/5 | 0/5 |
Each brand is represented by its most popular product. See all products from smartwater and Core Hydration.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, smartwater or Core Hydration?
smartwater and Core Hydration tie at 50/100. The difference comes down to packaging and source: compare the rows below to pick the one that fits what you care about.
Is smartwater or Core Hydration better for avoiding microplastics?
smartwater (polyester) has a high microplastics risk and Core Hydration (plastic) has a high risk, based on packaging material.
Which has more minerals, smartwater or Core Hydration?
Core Hydration has more dissolved minerals (78 ppm TDS vs 28 ppm).