Meta Title: Best Water Testing Kits 2024 | Water Defense
Meta Description: Check out our list of the best water testing kits for 2024. We reviewed lab test kits and DIY kits so you can find out all you need to know!
Whether you’re concerned about the contaminant levels of your home’s drinking water or want to know if the clear spring water is as pure as it looks, you need a water testing kit. This is the quickest and easiest way to test water for hundreds of contaminants, and some kits can give you results in just one minute!
We tested all of the best water testing kits on the market and laid out our in-depth reviews below.
The best overall is the Safe Home Ultimate Water Quality Test Kit because, incredibly, it can test for 200 contaminants. It also comes with a bacteria testing kit and has a turnaround time of 7 to 10 business days, which is quick for such a comprehensive kit.
The best DIY kit is the Health Metric Drinking Water Test, which tests for 9 different categories and has a turnaround time of just 10 minutes. If you’re looking for the fastest test currently available, then you’ll love the JNW Direct Water Hardness Test Strips, as it takes just one minute to deliver its results.
Best Professional Water Testing Kits
Professional water testing kits require you to collect a sample from your water supply and send it to a professional lab. In return, you’ll receive a detailed analysis of your water.
In this section, we’ll share and review the best professional water testing kits for both city and well water.
- The number of tested analytes: 200
- Turn-around time: 7-10 business days
- The number of tested analytes: 109
- Turn-around time: 5 business days
- The number of tested analytes: 115
- Turn-around time: 10-12 business days
- The number of tested analytes: 182
- Turn-around time: 12 business days
- The number of tested analytes: 53
- Turn-around time: 1-3 business days
Safe Home Ultimate Water Quality Test Kit
- The number of tested analytes: 200
- Turn-around time: 7-10 business days
PROS
- Tests water for 200 contaminants, which is more than any kit we’ve tested
- Applicable to both city and well water, offering unparalleled versatility
- Features a DIY bacteria kit, which is a nice bonus
- 7-10 days of turnaround time, defying the usual wait time for such extensive testing
- Results come in color codes, making them easy to read and interpret
CONS
- Little to no explanation concerning pollutants, so you have to do your own research
- Expensive compared to many of the other options on our list
If you’re getting your water tested by professionals, you want a detailed and inclusive report breaking down all the contaminants present in it. The Safe Home Ultimate Water Quality Kit is our uncontested favorite since, with this kit, the water is tested for 200 contaminants, the highest number out of all the products on our list and on the market in general.
Tests For 200 Contaminants
Those 200 contaminants include the most prominent city and well water impurities. More specifically, the kit gives detailed information regarding:
- Metals: The category includes heavy metals (lead, chromium, arsenic, copper, mercury, and so on) and minerals (calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and sodium).
- Physical properties: It informs you on your water’s alkalinity/acidity levels and common well water nuisances, such as tannins and water hardness.
- Inorganic contaminants: This category covers common tap water impurities like fluoride and well water problems like nitrates.
- Pesticides, herbicides, plasticizers, and carcinogens.
- Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs): It checks all the possible variations of disinfection byproducts common in city water due to the use of chlorine and chloramines by municipal authorities.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): This category includes 78 volatile organic compounds and 47 volatile tentative identifiable compounds.
DIY Bacteria Test Kit
The package also features one of the best DIY bacteria test kits that well owners can use to check their supply for bacteria without paying extra. We were impressed with this bonus as it’s not too common among testing kits. Usually, you need to pay an additional fee or buy a separate kit to test for bacteria in your water, so this is a nice perk.
Fast Turnaround Times and Color-Coded Results
Compared to other water-testing labs, Safe Home is speedy when it comes to turn-around. Once your water sample reaches their labs, you can expect to receive results through email in seven to ten business days.
The results come in color codes, too, which allows you to easily decipher whether a specific pollutant is present in your water at an alarming level. That said, some customers complain that the results are hard to read and there’s little explanation regarding contaminants.
My Tap Score Advanced City Water Test Kit
- The number of tested analytes: 109
- Turn-around time: 5 business days
PROS
- Tests for 109 analytes, offering a broad scope of detection tailor-made for tap water
- Detailed analyses, providing insight into the common health concerns associated with each detected contaminants
- Excellent online support to assist you if you have any issues
- 5-day turnaround time, which is faster than the Safe Home Ultimate Water Quality Test Kit
CONS
- The number of tested pollutants is much humbler than the Safe Home kit
- Unsuitable for well water, as it’s specialized for municipal water sources only
The contaminant range of the My Tap Score kit isn’t as comprehensive as the Safe Home one since it only tests for 109 analytes. However, it still tests for all the most prominent contaminants in tap water, and the lab shares detailed information about all the analytes. Because of this, it’s our second favorite water testing kit.
Comprehensive Testing
The pollutant categories the My Tap Score test examines include the following:
- Properties, referring to alkalinity/acidity, pH, and total dissolved solids (TDS)
- Disinfection byproducts, namely variations of TTHMs
- Nitrites and nitrates
- Heavy metals, including lead, aluminum, arsenic, iron, uranium, and titanium
- Inorganic non-metals, such as fluoride, sulfates, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium
- Potentially carcinogenic oils and gasses, like benzene
- 46 different VOCs
- Calculated parameters, meaning water hardness and sodium adsorption ratio
- Chlorine, including both free chlorine and total chlorine levels, allowing you to figure chloramine presence on your own
In-Depth Analysis
Besides the accuracy of the tests, what we like most about the My Tap Score analyses is that they provide detailed information about the contaminants. The test reports the health risks associated with the identified impurities and recommends methods for eliminating them. Should there be a genuine concern, they also provide online support and guidance.
Very Fast Turnaround Time
Additionally, you’ll receive the test results in just five business days – the fastest turnaround time on our list and, indeed, in the industry. This might make you wonder if the testing is rushed and if the results are reliable. Well, the fact that all of the testing is conducted in an EPA-certified lab should remove these concerns.
National Testing Laboratories CityCheck Deluxe
- The number of tested analytes: 115
- Turn-around time: 10-12 business days
PROS
- Tests for a high number of tap water contaminants, leaving no stone unturned in ensuring your water’s safety
- Tests for 115 analytes in total, which is slightly more than the My Tap Score Advanced City Water Test Kit
- The only tap water test that covers haloacetic acids, ensuring an even more rigorous water quality evaluation
- Provides comparisons to EPA standards, so you can determine if the contaminant levels in your water are safe
CONS
- No solution suggestions, so you’ll have to spend time researching this
- Takes longer to receive results than the top 2 kits on our list
- It’s more expensive than the My Tap Score Advanced City Water Test Kit but it does test for more analytes
City water, also referred to as tap water or municipal water, is under strict regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and municipal authorities. However, it doesn’t mean it’s completely safe at all times.
On the contrary, the presence of lead, chlorine, or fluoride in city water may make some people apprehensive. If you’re one of them, the National Testing Laboratories CityCheck Deluxe testing package will lay your fears to rest.
Key Features:
Comprehensive testing: The kit looks at 115 potential contaminants, including heavy metals, mineral compounds, fluoride, nitrates, alkalinity, acidity, pH, water hardness, TDS, disinfectants, chlorine, chloramine, TTHMs, and haloacetic acids, which aren’t tested by most kits. It also covers 47 VOCs and 20 herbicides and pesticides. You can find the complete list of contaminants covered by the National Testing Labs in their comprehensive report sheet.
Very detailed reports: Like the My Tap Score kit we reviewed earlier, the National Testing Labs sends you a detailed report. They also compare the results with the National Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Regulations set by the EPA under the Safe Water Drinking Act. So, if the tests show a certain impurity exceeding EPA standards, you can immediately start working on a solution.
Easy to use: To test our water, all we had to do was fill up the bottles included with the kit and complete the enclosed form. Then, we used the company’s guaranteed next-day delivery to return the samples to the lab. Within 10 business days, we had our detailed report.
My Tap Score Extended Well Water Test
- The number of tested analytes: 182
- Turn-around time: 12 business days
PROS
- The most detailed well water test on the market, which is why it takes the first spot in this category
- Ideal for testing newly dug wells
- Tests for 182 different impurities, which is more than the second and third-ranked kits on our list
- The report comes with recommended solutions, so you don’t need to waste time researching
CONS
- Very expensive – even more so than the National Testing Laboratories CityCheck Deluxe
- Results take up to twelve days, which is more than twice as long as the My Tap Score Advanced City Water Test Kit
If you just dug a new private well, you need to evaluate your water with the most comprehensive water test. In that situation, even if you break the bank for a water test, it’ll pay dividends, considering it’s a decision that directly affects your and your family’s well-being. And the My Tap Score Extended Well Water kit is your best choice for that task.
Key Features:
182 analytes: The number of analytes (182) this test covers comes in second when compared to Safe Home. But let us assure you, these 182 contaminants include all the possible well water problems that oil leaks, septic runoffs, improper agricultural or industrial waste, or radon risk zones could cause.
Covers all necessary categories: The categories of the My Tap Score Extended Well Water Test analytes include properties, bacteria, disinfection byproducts, fertilizers, heavy metals, herbicides, inorganic non-metals, VOCs, industrial compounds, pesticides, tannins, and water hardness. It also tests for hydrogen sulfide, which is a common problem in well water that gives it a rotten eggs smell.
Offers solutions: One thing we really liked about this kit is that it doesn’t just analyze the compounds present in your water supply, but it also tells you how you can deal with them.
SpringWell ETR Laboratories Water Test Kit + Tannins
- The number of tested analytes: 53
- Turn-around time: 1-3 business days
PROS
- Much more affordable than the My Tap Score Extended Well Water Test and the National Testing Laboratories CityCheck Deluxe, making it suitable for most budgets
- Covers the most prominent and dangerous impurities, including bacteria and heavy metals
- Ideal for routine checks, especially because of the lower cost and rapid turnaround time
- Results feature comparisons to EPA standards, so you know which contaminants need to be addressed urgently
- One of the quickest professional water tests with a turnaround time of 1-3 business days
CONS
- It doesn’t cover VOCs, unlike the National Testing Laboratories CityCheck Deluxe
- No info on chlorine, chloramine, or disinfection byproducts
As you may have noticed, almost all professional water testing kits are pricey. But if you have a specific contaminant in mind or want a routine private well check, you don’t need to overburden your budget by picking the priciest option.
The SpringWell ETR Laboratories Water Test Kit + Tannins is what you’re looking for in those situations.
SpringWell is one of the most popular and trusted brands in the well water treatment niche for iron filtration, whole house units, and water softening. So, there’s no reason not to trust their water testing kit.
Key Features:
Tests for the most common compounds: This specific test kit covers only 53 impurities. Despite that low number, especially compared to the other kits we reviewed above, the testing includes all the most prominent well and tap water contaminants, including bacteria, heavy metals, minerals, nitrates, alkalinity, sediment, silica, tannins, TDS, and turbidity.
Detailed results: The results are presented as a data sheet listing the impurities in your water. This list also provides descriptions of the pollutants and comparisons to EPA standards, which helps you understand whether you need to implement a water treatment solution or not.
Rapid turnaround time: What we liked most about this SpringWell kit is that it’s one of the quickest tests on the market. After the lab receives your sample, they send the results in one to three business days, which is remarkably fast.
The Best DIY Water Testing Kits
Professional test results take some time, but if you’re worried about a leak in your private well or the effects of a natural disaster occurring in your area, you’ll probably want a quicker turnaround. Having DIY water testing strips ready at home is helpful in such cases.
Although these kits, which mostly come in strips with a color scale, aren’t as accurate or as comprehensive as professional tests, they’ll still inform you whether your water is safe to drink.
These are the best DIY water testing kits we found.
- The number of tested analytes: 9
- Turn-around time: 10 minutes
- The number of tested analytes: 16
- Turn-around time: 10 minutes
- The number of tested analytes: 1
- Turn-around time: 10 minutes
- The number of tested analytes: 1
- Turn-around time: 24 hours
- Contaminants tested: 1
- Turn-around time: 1 minute
Health Metric Drinking Water Test
- The number of tested analytes: 9
- Turn-around time: 10 minutes
PROS
- Tests for the nine most prominent parameters
- Features an excellent guide, making the process smooth and hassle-free
- Results in about ten minutes, which is super fast for DIY kits
CONS
- Prone to inaccurate results, so you may need to perform more than one test
The affordable and easy-to-use Health Metric kit provides information regarding nine parameters. However modest, these nine parameters are the most important ones for drinking water, and that’s why we think it’s a must-have for anyone.
Important Parameters and User-Friendly
The parameters include pH, alkalinity, copper, water hardness, total chlorine, nitrites, nitrates, lead, and bacteria. Dipping the strips into a glass of water will show you whether these contaminants are present in your water.
Of course, the strips won’t give exact numbers, unlike lab results. Instead, they come in color codes. The package also features a guide on the color codes and EPA standards, so you can easily compare what’s inside your water with EPA guidelines.
Very Fast Turnaround Time
Getting results from the test takes about ten minutes. So, if you’re thirsty and testing an unregistered spring, you won’t need to wait too long to get a reasonable estimation of the safety of your water. If you’re out on a hike and need to test spring water quickly, you’ll be really happy you packed one of these kits!
Tespert Water Testing Kits
- The number of tested analytes: 16
- Turn-around time: 10 minutes
- Price: $17.99
PROS
- Tests for sixteen contaminants, which is a high number for a DIY kit
- Provides results on microplastics, one of the most common contaminants found in drinking water
- Easy to read results, so you don’t have to spend too much time interpreting them
- Gives you results in just 10 minutes, like the Health Metric Drinking Water Test
CONS
- Less accurate than the Health Metric test, so you might need to make more than one test
Tespert has been producing test strips for more than thirty years. Although its products are not as accurate as the Health Metric ones, they’re still popular. If you’re in a hurry to measure the safety of your water, they’re a worthy alternative to professional tests.
16 Parameters
The Tespert Kits test water for 16 different parameters: heavy metals (lead, copper, iron, nickel), free chlorine and total chlorine, microplastics, chemicals (bromine, cyanuric acid), sulfite, carbonate, pH, total alkalinity, and total water hardness. This is by far the highest number of parameters of any DIY kit on our list, as the majority of them only test for a single parameter.
Similarly to the Health Metric kit, the results come in color codes. The package also includes indicators of EPA standards, so it’s easy to read and compare.
Rapid Turnaround Time
The manufacturer specifies that you’ll be able to see results in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. As a general guide, you’ll have to wait around 10 minutes, but it gave us results in less than 5 minutes when we used it. This makes it another great kit to take with you when you’re exploring the great outdoors. If you come across a natural spring, you can use it to determine if the water’s safe to drink within a matter of minutes.
Safe Home DIY Lead in Water Test
- The number of tested analytes: 1
- Turn-around time: 10 minutes
PROS
- The most accurate DIY lead test on the market, making it your best bet if lead is your only concern
- Provides results in 10 minutes, so it’s just as fast as the Health Metric Drinking Water Test and the Tespert Water Testing Kits
CONS
- Features just one strip, so you have to buy a whole new kit after each use
Lead is quite a common problem in the United States since most houses built before 1986 (meaning before the EPA started regulating lead strictly) have lead in their piping systems.
The lead is dissolved and mixed into the water supply as water passes through these systems. That’s why even the cities with the cleanest and safest water, like Portland, Oregon, suffer from lead in the water.
So, if lead is a common concern in your area, or if you have a private well dug in a lead-rich area, you should always have a lead test nearby. And the best DIY lead test on the market is the Safe Home one.
Key Features:
Detailed lead-testing results: This kit doesn’t just tell you if lead is present in the water. It uses patented technology to indicate whether the levels of dissolved lead are below or above the USEPA Action Level of 0.015PPM (15 ppb). So, you’ll quickly know if the water is safe to drink.
Industry awards: This brand of testing kits has been awarded the Good Housekeeping Seal. This means the product has been rigorously tested to performance and environmental standards and has been approved by the Good Housekeeping Institute. As a result, you can be confident that the kit’s testing ability has been independently tested and verified.
Speedy turnaround time: Like the two kits above, it has a really quick turnaround time of 10 minutes. This means there’s no waiting around for results from a lab.
Safe Home DIY Bacteria in Water Test
- The number of tested analytes: 1
- Turn-around time: 24 hours
- Price: $12.99
PROS
- The most accurate bacteria test on the market, so it’s your best option if bacteria is your only concern
- The second-cheapest DIY kit on our list at just $12.99, making it suitable for most budgets
CONS
- It takes 24 hours to produce results, which is much slower than all the other DIY kits on our list
Coliform bacteria is another contaminant that, like lead, has health implications and yet is fairly common. Having a bacteria test ready can definitely put your concerns to rest regarding this contaminant, and the answer is, once again, Safe Home.
Key Features:
Accurate bacteria testing: Coliform bacteria are widespread, but most of them rarely present a health risk. However, the presence of coliform also indicates the possible presence of its pathogenic strains, such as E. coli, which are very dangerous. You should immediately address any suspicion regarding coliform presence. The Safe Home bacteria test just does that. It’s able to recognize 50 different coliform species and inform you of their presence in 24 hours with excellent accuracy.
Very affordable: At just $12.99, this is one of the most cost-effective DIY testing kits we’ve ever come across. It means it’s affordable to buy multiple kits in one go so that you can test your water fairly regularly or take several with you when you’re hiking.
JNW Direct Water Hardness Test Strips
- Contaminants tested: 1
- Turn-around time: 1 minute
- Price: $10.99
PROS
- Allows you to keep an eye on water hardness, so you can prevent limescale buildups
- Features 150 strips, which is remarkable considering how cheap it is
- Comes with an ebook on water hardness to get you fully up to speed
- Results in under a minute, giving it the fastest turnaround time of any kit on our list
CONS
- Results are not always reliable, so we’re glad it comes with so many strips
Water hardness is a real concern for those who depend on well water for household chores like dishwashing, laundry, and cleaning. The JNW Direct Water Hardness Test Strips help monitor water hardness levels so that you can take the necessary steps to soften your water and prevent issues like limescale buildups.
Key Features:
- User-friendly: These strips are mostly accurate, easy to use, and come in color codes that are extremely easy to read. So, you don’t need to waste any time trying to interpret complex data.
- Plenty of strips: The package features 150 strips, so you can test how hard your water is for years with just one package. We were really happy with this as the tests aren’t always accurate, which means you’ll probably need to re-test your water quite regularly.
- Work well with water softeners: These strips prove extra handy for houses with water-softening systems, as they allow you to quickly identify whether your device is working as it should.
- Solutions provided: The package also includes an ebook on hard water that details what water hardness is, what its adverse effects are, and what you can do to eliminate it. We found this to be a really helpful resource that offers solutions to hardness rather than just pointing out that the issue exists.
- Super fast turnaround time: Lastly, the strips provide results in under a minute, which means the turnaround time is as fast as it could possibly be!
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section, we’ll answer the most frequently asked questions regarding water testing.
Whether you rely on well or tap water, you should test the water in your household at least once a year. For well owners, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends annual testing for coliform bacteria, pH, nitrites and nitrates, and volatile organic compounds.
Additionally, if you’re reviving an old well or digging a new well, you should conduct a comprehensive test, and the best kit for this is the My Tap Score Extended Well Water Test.
Those relying on tap water have fewer things to worry about — the EPA obligates water suppliers to send citizens annual consumer confidence reports. Yet, these reports show the water quality before the water is distributed to citizen households.
As mentioned, lead and similar heavy metals might sneak into the water supply from old piping systems. To ensure such contaminants present no problems, those who use tap water should also conduct their tests yearly.
Water testing labs usually check whether your water quality complies with EPA standards and let you know. Or, even better, they can also send results in color codes, accompanied with guidelines, so it’s easy for you to understand whether a contaminant is present at an alarming level.
However, if there are no such indicators, you could compare the numbers of your test results against EPA guidelines.
The EPA has two different policies when it comes to drinking water:
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations include health hazards like lead, arsenic, and volatile organic compounds.
National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations pertain to potential aesthetic nuisances, such as chlorine, that might change the water’s color, odor, and taste.
If a particular element in your water exceeds the limits set by the EPA, you may start working on a solution.
Water testing labs, like My Tap Score, advise on eliminating specific problems from your water supply. But if the lab you picked doesn’t do that, you may check out our contaminant guides, where we offer different solutions depending on the contaminant type.
Additionally, we have product guides that list the water filtration devices most suitable for removing:
Fluoride
Iron
PFAS
Acidity
Calcium and lime
Bacteria and viruses
TTHMs
Chlorine
Chloramines
Arsenic
Hexavalent chromium
Sulfur
Coliform bacteria
Sediment
The Safe Home Ultimate Water Quality Test Kit tests for the highest number of contaminants at 200.
However, if you want a test kit specific to well water, we recommend the My Tap Score Extended Well Water Test. Its analytes range covers 182 well water contaminants.
My Tap Score kits, the Advanced City Water Kit, or the Extended Well Water Kit give the most thorough analyses. The lab informs you about the levels of impurities in your water, provides detailed descriptions, lists associated health risks, and offers solutions.
Depending on the contaminants you want to test for, the number of overall contaminants tested, and the thoroughness of the analysis, you can expect to pay anywhere between $25 to $800 for a water test.
For instance, demanding a test only for one impurity, say chromium, costs only $30. However, if you want a comprehensive well water test, like the My Tap Score one, you should expect to spill at least $500.
DIY testing strips, on the other hand, are much more budget-friendly. But, again, depending on what you want to test, you might pay between $10 and $35.
Conclusion
Having your water tested by a professional lab or testing it yourself with DIY kits is crucial to ensure your drinking water is safe for consumption.
The Safe Home Pro test is the best option overall, thanks to the 200 analytes it looks at. The My Tap Score Advanced City Water kit is a worthy alternative.
While the National Testing Laboratories CityCheck Deluxe is the best item for testing tap water, the My Tap Score Extended Well Water Test is the most comprehensive kit for testing well water. If you’re on a budget, the SpringWell ETR Labs kit is a great way to ascertain what’s inside your water.
The Health Metric strips are the apparent choice for DIYers, and the Tespert kit presents a decent, albeit less accurate, substitute for them. However, Safe Home has the best DIY kits if you’re only interested in testing for lead or bacteria.
Lastly, if you want to track the hardness levels of your water supply, the JNW Direct Water Hardness Strips are the best choice.
