Kangen is an ionized water brand manufactured and sold by a company called Enagic. The brand is expensive, with many of their products costing over $3,000.

But what is ionized water and does it have health benefits? Are Kangen devices really better than cheaper water filters? How do real users describe the taste and effects of Kangen-treated water? And is Kangen water ideal for cleaning?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we review clinical studies on ionized and alkaline water to give an overview of how the Kangen water machine works, and give our take on whether or not it's worth the money.

We’ll also feature real Kangen customer reviews, and explain why Kangen water may be ideal for cleaning around the house.

What is Ionized Water and Is It Healthy?

Ionized water can be formed several ways.

The natural way that ionized water is formed is by passing through mountains and sediment after rainfall, due to the force of gravity, and picking up mineral ions like calcium and magnesium along the way.

This type of water is often branded as “mineral water” by companies like San Pellegrino.

Ionized water can also be created using a process called electrolysis, which is what Kangen water devices use.

This process uses electrical currents to separate water by pH levels, creating a stream of acidic and a stream of alkaline water.

It’s unclear to us which specific mineral ions are contained in Kangen water, and if they’re added back during the water processing, because this information isn’t very clearly presented on the brand’s website.

Kangen advertises that after processing, their water is rich in hydrogen, and there is some clinical evidence that hydrogen-rich water may benefit human health.

A clinical trial published in the Scientific Reports journal compared the effects of hydrogen-rich water and regular water in healthy adults.

The researchers found that those consuming hydrogen-rich water had a reduced inflammatory response and decreased DNA damage.

A 2020 clinical trial studied the effects of hydrogen-rich water consumption in older adults over the course of six months.

The effects were profound. Individuals consuming hydrogen-rich water experienced increased telomere length while individuals consuming regular water experienced decreased telomere length.

This suggests an anti-aging effect, because telomere length is used as a marker of biological aging. The study authors even claimed that “this simple biomedical gas could be recognized as a possible anti-aging agent that tackles several hallmarks of aging, including loss of function and telomere length shortening.”

Aside from the potential health benefits of hydrogen-rich water, there is clinical evidence of health benefits from drinking alkaline water.

As we documented in our blk Water review article on another alkaline water brand, early research suggests that alkaline water consumption may improve gastrointestinal health and sleep quality.

Overall, we consider Kangen water to have promising potential benefits to human health.

We would like to see more clinical trials on the long-term safety and effectiveness of hydrogen-rich, alkaline water, but all of the early research trials we have reviewed on this technology are promising.

Is Kangen Water a Scam?

A YouTube creator called “Anna’s Analysis” does a deep dive into Kangen water and the business model behind its manufacturer Enagic. The video has over 250,000 views:

Real People Try Kangen Water

A YouTube creator named “Clime Life” had 23 different people taste test Kangen water to compare it to tap:

A TikTok creator named "HydrationStation" showed how a Kangen device works:

@watersteezybreeeazzy I could not have said it better than my mentor & friend, Chris COB⚡️💦💫 #kangen #water #healthhack #healing #natural #antioxidants ♬ original sound - HydrationStation

Is Kangen Water Ideal for Cleaning?

As we stated in the first section of this article, the Kangen water machine creates alkaline and acidic water.

The acidic water should not be consumed, but it may be ideal for cleaning. It appears to have greater disinfectant properties than regular water.

A 2014 clinical trial reported that electrolyzed water was highly effective at reducing bacterial counts on surfaces in a hospital setting.

A medical review published in the Molecules journal describes electrolyzed water as a “disinfecting agent,” and found acidic electrolyzed water to be especially effective.

Using acidic water for cleaning of food and surfaces in the house also reduces waste, and provides an application for that water which can't be used for consumption.

Canada Agriculture and Food Museum published a YouTube video that describes some of the food safety benefits of electrolyzed water:

Our Clean Water Picks

Brita Water Filter is our top value water filter pick.

It's been shown in studies conducted by ConsumerLab (an independent research firm) to significantly reduce heavy metal levels and entirely eliminate microplastics.

Sans Water Purifier is our top premium water filter pick.

The product is NSF-Certified, and is clinically shown to not only remove common contaminants like heavy metals, but also toxins like nitrate and PFOAs ("forever chemicals").

Pique Daily Radiance is our top water flavoring pick.

These packets are naturally flavored with nutritious ingredients like organic elderberry juice concentrate (which is clinically shown to support the immune system) and organic lemon juice concentrate.

Where to Buy Kangen Devices

Kangen water ionizers are sold by a number of online distributors, however we only recommend purchasing directly from the manufacturer.

Especially for a hardware device as expensive as Kangen, it seems prudent to buy directly from the manufacturer because such purchases typically come with a warranty.

This may reduce the risk of receiving a counterfeit product, and also typically provides the consumer with more legal recourse if the product fails and a return or refund is required.

For consumers planning to purchase a Kangen water filter, we recommend doing so on the manufacturer’s official website.

We do not recommend purchasing Kangen through third-party distributors.

Kangen Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of Kangen in our opinion:

Pros:

• May have anti-aging effect
• May have anti-inflammatory effect
• Rich in hydrogen
• Acidic water created by Kangen is great for cleaning

Cons:

• Highly expensive
• Kangen water devices don't appear to be clinically tested
• Less convenient than faster-operating filters

Conclusion

Kangen is an interesting brand and we believe their ionized water technology is promising.

There exist some clinical studies suggesting that hydrogen-rich water and alkaline water may benefit human health to a greater degree than regular water.

We don’t currently recommend the Kangen water system because we would like to see more long-term safety studies with human trial participants on the use of alkaline water and hydrogen-rich water.

That being said, we haven’t come across any clinical evidence that either technology is harmful or causes side effects.

For consumers who plan to purchase a Kangen device, we recommend doing so directly on the manufacturer’s website (which is linked in this article for convenience), rather than purchasing from a third-party distributor.