Kirkland Signature Alkaline Water Makes Buying Name Brands Hard To Justify

Sometimes, name-brand products make a big difference. Other times, you're simply paying for the label. When it comes to bottled water, often, it's the latter. Kirkland Signature Alkaline Water at Costco is no exception, and you can save some serious cash when you choose it over more expensive brands, like Smartwater.

We compared the cost of Costco's brand of bottled alkaline water to alkaline Smartwater at Target. At a Costco in Pennsylvania, an 18-pack of 33.8-ounce bottles of Kirkland Signature Alkaline Water costs $11.34, bringing the per-ounce cost to less than 2 cents. (If you don't care about the pH of your water and simply want to stick to the basics, you can't beat the price of Costco's Kirkland Signature standard bottled water — it comes in at less than a 10th of a penny per ounce.) At a nearby Target location, a six-pack of 1-liter alkaline Smartwater bottles costs $11.89, bringing the per-ounce cost to about 6 cents. Costco's Kirkland Signature alkaline water is clearly the more cost-effective choice. 

One important note: Costco's alkaline water is made with filtered water, while Smartwater is vapor distilled, so you'll want to keep that in mind if water purification methods are an important consideration for you. The Costco version also adds electrolytes for taste, while the Smartwater version has both electrolytes and selenium, an antioxidant.

If you're a bit of a water connoisseur (it's a thing), you've likely noticed that some water tastes better than others. Water usually has a neutral pH around 7, while both Kirkland Signature and Smartwater's alkaline waters are advertised as having a pH of around 9.5. Some say that alkaline water tastes sweeter and smoother than neutral pH water. Others drink alkaline water for supposed health benefits — one 2021 study published in the Journal of Menopausal Medicine found it may help increase bone density. However, the jury's still out on some people's claims of cancer and stroke prevention.

Meanwhile, reviews for Kirkland Signature Alkaline Water are mixed. Many say it has a nice crisp taste, but some claimed that at-home testing showed the water isn't actually as alkaline as the label claims. An at-home test of Smartwater alkaline water posted on Reddit showed that it does actually have the pH level it claims. If you decide that alkaline water is an important part of your health routine — or drinking it simply makes you feel great — there's no need to shell out for the name-brand stuff. You can grab a pack of the Kirkland Signature version next time you're at Costco and enjoy every uber-hydrating sip while patting yourself on the back for choosing the financially smart option.