2026 guide

Best Electrolyte Packets

Single-serve packets ranked from the published labels: sodium per packet, sugar, sweetener, and price per serving at full MSRP. Tear one into a bottle and replace what you sweat out.

Shop electrolyte packets

Ranked

The best electrolyte packets

Ranked on sodium per packet, sugar, sweetener system, and true cost per serving at MSRP.

# Brand Sodium Potassium Magnesium Sweetener HSA/FSA card Price / serving
1 Saltivate 800mg 240mg 60mg Reb M, no stevia Yes, direct card From $0.89/packet
2 LMNT 1,000mg 200mg 60mg Stevia No, LMN required $1.50/serving
3 NormaLyte 851mg 393mg 0mg Sucralose Yes, direct card $1.33/serving
4 DripDrop 330mg 185mg 39mg Sugar, sucralose Yes, direct card $1.12/serving
5 Liquid I.V. 510mg 390mg 0mg Cane sugar, dextrose, stevia No $1.56/serving
6 Pedialyte 260mg 180mg 0mg Dextrose, sucralose, Ace-K Yes, direct card $1.25/serving
7 Cure 240mg 310mg 0mg Stevia, monk fruit Yes, direct card $1.71/serving

  1. Saltivate

    Best for sweat replacement

    800mg sodium · 240mg potassium · 60mg magnesium · From $0.89/packet

    800mg of sodium in a tear-and-pour stick with 0g sugar. Flavored packets are sweetened with Reb M, not from stevia; Raw Unflavored is plain salts with no sweetener at all. You can pay with your HSA/FSA card at checkout, and the 45-count unflavored box brings the price under a dollar a packet.

    Shop Saltivate packets

  2. LMNT

    Best for the most sodium

    1,000mg sodium · 200mg potassium · 60mg magnesium · $1.50/serving

    The highest sodium per stick on this list at 1,000mg, with zero sugar. It is sweetened with stevia leaf and runs $1.50 a stick, with no direct HSA/FSA card payment.

  3. NormaLyte

    Best for POTS and ORS use

    851mg sodium · 393mg potassium · 0mg magnesium · $1.33/serving

    A pharmacist-formulated oral rehydration mix at 851mg sodium, often used for POTS, and it takes an HSA or FSA card directly. Each stick carries 7g of sugar from dextrose plus sucralose, and there is no magnesium in the formula.

  4. DripDrop

    Best for sick-day ORS

    330mg sodium · 185mg potassium · 39mg magnesium · $1.12/serving

    An oral rehydration solution at 330mg sodium with 7g of sugar and sucralose per stick. It takes HSA/FSA cards directly and is the lowest price of the sugar-based packets here.

  5. Liquid I.V.

    Best for sugar-assisted hydration

    510mg sodium · 390mg potassium · 0mg magnesium · $1.56/serving

    The most recognized packet in the category, with 510mg sodium and 11g of cane sugar per stick. If you want sugar with your electrolytes it is the established pick, at $1.56 a serving.

  6. Pedialyte

    Best for sick days

    260mg sodium · 180mg potassium · 0mg magnesium · $1.25/serving

    The sick-day standard: 260mg sodium and 6g sugar per packet, with sucralose, Ace-K and Red 40 on the fruit punch label. It takes HSA/FSA cards directly and is in every pharmacy.

  7. Cure

    Best for coconut-water taste

    240mg sodium · 310mg potassium · 0mg magnesium · $1.71/serving

    A coconut-water base with 240mg sodium per stick, sweetened with stevia and monk fruit, and it takes HSA/FSA cards directly. The lowest sodium on this list, at the highest price per stick.

How we ranked these

Our method and sources

Every mineral and sugar value comes from each brand's published Nutrition or Supplement Facts panel. Prices are per serving at full MSRP, never a sale price. Saltivate's from-price reflects the 45-count Raw Unflavored packet box at $39.99; flavored 30-count boxes run $1.33 a packet. Packets here means single-serve powder sticks you mix into water; tablets and ready-to-drink bottles are a different format and are not ranked. Last updated August 2026.

See the full 34-brand comparison

Electrolyte packets: FAQ

Which electrolyte packets have the most sodium?
LMNT leads at 1,000mg per stick, followed by NormaLyte at 851mg and Saltivate at 800mg. The sugar-based packets sit far lower: Liquid I.V. has 510mg, DripDrop 330mg, and Pedialyte 260mg. If you sweat heavily, sodium per packet is the number to check first.

Do electrolyte packets have sugar?
Some do. Liquid I.V. carries 11g per stick, DripDrop 7g, NormaLyte 7g, and Pedialyte 6g. The zero-sugar packets use stevia (LMNT, Cure), sucralose (NormaLyte alongside its sugar), or Reb M (Saltivate). Saltivate's Raw Unflavored packets have no sweetener at all.

Can I buy electrolyte packets with an HSA or FSA card?
Several brands take the card directly at checkout: Saltivate, NormaLyte, DripDrop, Cure, and Pedialyte. LMNT only qualifies through a Letter of Medical Necessity routed via a third party, which means paying out of pocket first.

Are packets or a jar the better value?
Packets cost more per serving because each one is individually sealed and portioned. A bulk jar of the same formula runs well below packet price: Saltivate's 90-serving jar works out to $0.44 a serving against $0.89 to $1.33 per packet. Most people keep both: a jar at home, packets in the bag.

Which electrolyte packets are best for ultra runners?
Sodium per packet is the number to check, since a multi-hour effort drains far more than a gym session does. LMNT leads at 1,000mg per stick, then NormaLyte at 851mg and Saltivate at 800mg. Sticks ride in a vest pocket or hydration pack, so they are great for long runs and ultras where a jar stays home. Electrolytes for running

Great for the gym bag

800mg sodium in a tear-and-pour packet

0g sugar, sweetened with Reb M, not from stevia. Pay with your HSA/FSA card. Orange, Watermelon, Mango Pineapple, and Raw Unflavored.

Shop electrolyte packets