The 9 Best Water Testing Kits of 2020

If you’re concerned about the safety of your drinking water, a water testing kit is an easy way to find out if there are contaminants in the water. According to Rick Andrews of NSF International’s Global Water Program, the primary contaminants found in drinking water are lead, arsenic, bacteria (coliform), cysts and viruses, chlorine, chloramine, chromium, fluoride, nitrates and nitrites, PFOA and PFOS, Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

For one of the most comprehensive water testing kits on the market, consider the Ultimate kit from Safe Home. This mail-in water testing kit will screen your sample for over 200 contaminants and provide in-depth results. The kit tests for 6 in-organic substances, 12 physical properties, 32 toxic metals, 20 semi-volatile organic compounds, and 130 volatile organic compounds. It also includes an at-home test for coliform (bacteria) and instructions on how to complete it.

The parent company to Safe Home is Environmental Laboratories, which is one of the largest EPA-certified drinking water labs in North America. So when you mail your sample in, you can have confidence in the quality of analysis performed. And while everyone loves instant results, most people receive their results within 10 days of submission. This kit is pricey at over $300, but it provides the in-depth testing that you can rely on when making big decisions about the safety of your water supply and what type of home water filters to invest in. 

Lead is a contaminant that causes concern, especially in the wake of community-wide health scares related to lead contamination in drinking water. In addition, other heavy metals like mercury and copper raise additional health concerns. The Health Metrics Heavy Metals test is an informative way to rule out or confirm the presence of lead and other metals. 

This water testing kit for lead, mercury, copper, and iron takes under 15 minutes to complete. While there is one lead test included in the kit, you can test for the other three metals twice and receive quantified results for the presence of these metals. For lead, the test is of a pass/fail nature, which is the case for virtually all at-home lead water testing kits. The EPA has set a limit of 15 ppb for lead in municipal water supplies and this testing kit will indicate whether your water contains lead above or below the 15 ppb threshold. 

According to users, the test kit is easy to use and provides peace of mind if your lead is below the EPA limit. If not, it’s a small investment to make in order to know that you need to have a more in-depth analysis done and implement steps to improve your water quality and reduce exposure to lead.

Performing water testing on well water is particularly important, since the EPA doesn’t regulate private wells and bacteria along with nitrites, nitrates, and hydrogen sulfide can easily affect your water source. This well water testing kit covers all the bases to give you peace of mind regarding the quality of your well water. It provides insights into the presence of bacteria, nitrates and nitrites, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, and a guide to the total alkalinity, total hardness, and pH of your water. 

Reviewers say this test kit is simple, straightforward, and provides users with laboratory-grade results. It also takes less time to process the results when compared to other test kits on this list.

Another option that provides dependable results is the WaterSafe Well Water Test Kit. This easy-to-use kit gives you information on 10 different containments without having to send in water samples and wait for the results. It tests for copper, iron, lead, nitrates, nitrites, bacteria and also toxins from fertilizers or pesticides—a common concern for well water.

Using this kit is simple, as it comes with easy-to-read strips that provide ranges for each tested contaminant. Users did comment on the fact that since the results are provided within a range only, it is not as specific as laboratory testing. However, those who compared their test results to laboratory results found the values from the Watersafe kit to be in line with the lab’s findings, adding to the reliability of this kit.

Testing your water doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Testing strips provide an affordable option for water testing on a budget and can provide important insights into your water quality and safety.

For a more affordable option, the Crystal Water Filters 15 in 1 Drinking Water Test Kit Strips cost less than .25 cents each and check for some of the most common water contaminants. Common contaminants that this kit will check for include fluoride, total chlorine, total hardness, lead, iron, copper, pH, nitrite and nitrate, and ammonium.

The trick to using these budget water testing strips is to do your best to avoid letting the colors of each test on the strip bleed—the directions instruct you to hold the strip horizontal after immersing it in your sample water. Other suggestions that have helped users feel comfortable with the results of this water testing kit is to use two strips and average the results obtained and compare a new strip with the test strip to more accurately assess color changes. Remember that this type of water testing is not going to give you laboratory-like results, but it’s an easy and cheap way to assess your water quality at home, instantly.

If you’re looking for a water testing kit for your home, the Tap Score Activated Home Water Test is a pricey but informative option. This mail-in water testing kit will screen your sample for more than 100 different contaminants utilizing a network of EPA, ISO and ELAP laboratories. You receive results within about 10 days and contaminants are quantified so that you can have more insights into your home’s water quality. 

A major benefit of the Tap Score water testing kit is the fact that your analysis includes water treatment advice and the support of a team of water engineers and experts. The company states that it is not affiliated with any water treatment companies and provides objective advice on how to tackle troublesome contaminants or improve the general quality of your water for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry and more. Reviewers that have taken advantage of personalized recommendations from the Tap Score team have found the experts to be helpful and this service is what really sets apart this water testing kit for homes. 

Take charge of your pool chemistry with this water testing kit for pools. The Poolmaster 5-Way Swimming Pool Chemistry Test covers all the essentials you need for routine monitoring and maintenance of your pool. The kit tests for chlorine, bromine, pH, acid demand, and total alkalinity. It uses drop reagents versus paper strips; while both can be effective testing methods, some feel that drop reagents provide more accurate testing results.

Some people have critiqued the chlorine test for making it difficult to determine free chlorine versus total chlorine. But for less than $20, this kit contains the essentials you need to monitor your pool chemicals in between trips to the pool store for more in-depth testing. Reviewers point out that even if you’re a novice to pool testing, you shouldn’t be intimidated with the help of this kit that walks you through each step of the testing process.

If you have a salt water pool, you enjoy the silky, smooth water thanks to the power of a salt chlorine generator. While the generator will typically display a reading for the salt level of the system, if you suspect a problem, you may want to begin your troubleshooting by checking the salinity of your pool water and comparing to what the display on your salt chlorine generator states. 

Use AquaChek Salt Water Swimming Pool Test Strips to ensure that your system is functioning properly and your pool has the proper salinity. Just be sure that you follow the directions and only immerse the strip in 1 inch of water. Reviewers consistently find these strips to be super simple to use and a valuable detection tool for suspected problems with their salt chlorine generator.

Wondering whether your home has hard water or if it has gone ‘soft?’ Understanding this can help you assess whether or not your water softener is working properly or if you need to take other precautions to ensure a longer life for appliances like your dishwasher, hot water heater and more. These total hardness test strips from JNW Direct will help you understand your water hardness in moments.

While some reviewers had trouble reading the test results or failed to see any change in test strip color, the company has a track record for replacing defective products. Many other users have been very happy with the quick results from these testing strips and the affordable price. These water hardness test strips are best suited to giving you an approximate range of your water hardness.