Kangen Water Filter: Should You Buy One Or Not?

Kangen Water Filter

While the Kangen water filter adds alkalinity to water, it has some significant problems. Find out the details in this article.

Few things are more necessary for maintaining a healthy lifestyle than clean water. For that reason, there are hundreds of water filters on the market. Some remove unwanted contaminants from a tap or well water.

Others change the makeup of drinking water in an attempt to boost its healthfulness. These types of filters are often called ionizers.

Because we know finding the right water filter for your household needs can be challenging, we have done the research for you. In this article, we take an in-depth look at the Kangen water filter.

Continue reading for answers to some common questions about this filter.

What Is a Kangen Water Filter?

The Kangen water filter isn’t a conventional filter. Instead, it is an ionizer. As such, the Kangen filter raises the pH of water entering your home.

When used properly, the filter separates water into two streams. One of these is acidic, while the other is alkaline. The alkaline water passes through to your tap, allowing you to drink water with a higher pH level.

Why would you want to drink alkaline water? Some studies show that consuming alkaline water has health benefits. Most physicians, however, disagree that drinking ionized water leads to a healthier lifestyle.

In fact, the medical community is virtually united in its suspicion of these systems. Accordingly, ionizers have been slow to catch on in the Western world. While they are popular in Japan and other parts of Asia, ionizers have only recently begun to gain popularity in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

You should know that ionizers aren’t really ionizers at all. Instead, these water filters use electrolysis to separate acidic and alkaline water.

Still, most manufacturers, including Kangen, have marketing materials that refer to their products as ionizers. As such, we use the term throughout our review. You should know, though, that ionizer is a misnomer.

Like other ionizers, the Kangen water filter uses an electrochemical process to separate acidic and alkaline elements from water. The process requires splitting oxygen and hydrogen with an electric current.

During the process, acidic and alkaline components naturally congregate to different spaces. The Kangen system easily siphons off alkaline water, while turning its acidic counterpart into wastewater.

There is much debate about whether the Kangen system works at all. The electrochemical process required to make the hydroxide and segregate alkaline and acidic water takes a significant amount of time and energy. Most scientists think home ionizers simply cannot produce alkaline water without slowing tap water to a virtual drip.

Accordingly, any ionization that occurs with the Kangen system is likely to deliver only water with only a marginal change to its pH. If you are okay with that, the Kangen system is probably about as good as any other ionizer on the market today.

Kangen Water Filter Specifications

The company that makes Kangen systems, Enagic, has eight different ionizers for sale. These are the following:

  • LeveLuk 8K, which is marketed as a basic home ionizer
  • LeveLuk SD501 Platinum, which is sold as the ultimate home-use model
  • LeveLuk SD501, which functions the same as the LEVELUK SD501 Platinum, without the flashy finishes
  • LeveLuk SD501 Super, which is the high-capacity version of the LEVELUK SD501
  • LeveLuk SD501U, which fits under the counter
  • LeveLuk JRII, which is a compact and comparatively affordable machine
  • LeveLuk R, which is the starter-model ionizer
  • AneSpa DX, which is for bathroom use

While we want to provide you with honest, reliable, and useful information, we don’t have the space to give you the specifications of all these products. Suffice it to say that each has some specific features that others like. All systems, however, do the same thing. As such, we focus the specifications section of this review on the original model, the LeveLuk SD501.

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Here is the specification of the LeveLuk SD501 Kangen water filter.

Electrode Plates: 7

Plate Size: 5.31 inches by 2.95 inches (135mm by 75mm)

Negative ORV: -800

pH Range: 2.5 to 11.5

Output: 5 water types

Wattage: 230

Weight: 11.02 pounds (5 kg)

Dimensions: 10.39 inches by 13.31 inches by 6.73 inches (264mm by 338mm by 171mm)

Production Rate: Kangen Water: 4.5 to 7.6 liters per minute; Acidic water: 1.5 to 2.6 liters per minute; Strong Acidic water: 0.6 to 1.1 liters per minute

Warranty: 5-year limited

The LeveLuk SD501 has a built-in electrolysis chamber. This allows the system to produce alkaline and acidic water. The SD501 doesn’t stop there, though. In fact, the filter’s manufacturer advertises that it can produce streams of five distinct types of water. For marketing purposes, the company calls these water types Strong Kangen Water, Kangen Water, neutral water, beauty water, and strong acidic water.

If ease of use is important to you, you will likely appreciate the large LCD display on the LeveLuk SD501. The menu is simple to read and easy to navigate. If you prefer voice-activated functionality, the LeveLuk SD501 has you covered. You can toggle through the menu with just your voice. Some users, though, experience difficulty with using the voice feature. You may need to speak slowly to activate it.

The plates on the LeveLuk SD501 are made from titanium. As such, they resist corrosion and wear well. Because it has seven electrolysis plates, you may think the LeveLuk SD501 is large. That isn’t the case. With a compact design, the device fits easily inside kitchen cabinets or under your sink.

Kangen Water Filter Pricing

If you have decided to purchase a Kangen water filter, you are likely in for some sticker shock.

Model type and features are the primary determinants of the overall cost. Most Kangen water filters come with a 5-year limited warranty. While this seems impressive, the warranty has some significant problems. We discuss these in greater detail in the Pros and Cons section of this review.

Kangen water filters are available for purchase at authorized dealers. You can purchase them either in stores or online. Enagic also uses multi-level marketing to sell its products. This sales strategy has led to customer complaints around the globe. It has also led to product price increases.

How the Kangen Water Filter Compares to Other Ionizers

To make an informed purchase, you must know what other ionizers are on the market. In this section, we compare two other ionizers using a four-part rubric.

Competitor #1: Life Ionizers Next Generation MXL-7

The Life Ionizers Next Generation MXL-7 is a popular home ionizer. The manufacturer has developed a reputation for providing excellent customer service.

While the MXL-7 does essentially the same thing as the Kangen SD501, you don’t have to worry about multi-level marketing. You also get a better warranty.

ProsCons
Alkaline water tastes better and food cooked in alkaline water also seems to taste better as wellA review said that the water tasted horrible after replacing their filter

Competitor #2: Air Water Life Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 7.0


An affordable ionizer, the Air Water Life Aqua filter offers a basic way to add alkalinity to your water supply. This device produces water with pH levels between 4.0 and 10.5. 

It also has seven healthy water settings. We like the warranty and money-back guarantee offered by the manufacturer. If you aren’t sure whether you want to invest in a high-end ionizer, the Air Water Life Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 7.0 is a good starter.

ProsCons
The water filter included is very powerful and can purify water fairly well.Since this machine has way too many features in it already, it will take time to understand, especially for those who are just starting to use it

Kangen Water Filter Pros and Cons


Our favorite feature of the Kangen water filter is its cool design. Whether you choose the LeveLuk SD501 or a different model, you can’t miss the excellent styling of these machines. Perhaps the best part of the Kangen’s style is its LCD display.

Most models have a large screen that is easy to read. The menu on the Kangen system is intuitive. Even better, most Kangen filters have voice-command capabilities. Simply put, these filters seem futuristic. 

We also like the compact size of the Kangen filter. Because these devices use electrolysis to create alkalized water, we figured they would be large and bulky. They aren’t. Most models fit easily inside kitchen cupboards. 

You can also choose a Kangen model that fits under the counter. As such, you can produce alkaline water without worrying about hiding an oversized filter. 

Finally, we think the ionizing technology of the Kangen system is excellent.

The manufacturer has performed a significant number of studies, with each showing that the filter produces alkaline water. Further, the system produces other types of water that may be useful to you. Few other ionizers are more complete than the Kangen system. 

Our biggest beef with the Kangen water filter is general in nature. There is no empirical evidence that consuming alkalinized water has health benefits. 

The Kangen system is marketed as being a health product. Advertising materials suggest it may help slow aging, cure disease, boost energy and otherwise improve the quality of life for those who use it. We find this to be misleading. 

That is, drinking ionized water does not change the pH of the human body. In fact, the body has acid-base homeostasis. Outside of life-threatening situations, the body maintains acid and alkaline levels in much the same way as it keeps the internal temperature consistent. We would like to see the Kangen system have clear labeling that refutes its claims. It doesn’t, though. 

If you are on board with the alkaline movement, you may want a system that delivers alkaline water to your home. The Kangen water filter does that. 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t do a great job of filtering contaminants from your well water or municipal water supply.

If you want to remove fluoride, chlorine odors, heavy metals, and sediment from your water, the Kangen system isn’t a good option. Instead, you should consider looking for a filter that uses a carbon block. Those products are capable of removing virtually all unwanted contaminants from your drinking water. 

For alkaline enthusiasts, achieving high pH levels is essential. While the Kangen system may raise pH, it probably won’t raise it enough to make a noticeable difference. As such, you may have to add chemicals to your water to further increase alkalinity. This, of course, requires you to treat your already treated water. 

You must be careful, though, as drinking water with high levels of pH can be toxic. You should always consult a licensed healthcare professional before adding any chemicals to your drinking water. It isn’t a bad idea to check with your doctor before using an ionizer to change the pH of your water either. 

The Kangen water filter comes with a 5-year limited warranty. On its face, the warranty seems impressive. After all, five years is a long time. In practice, however, the warranty is barely adequate. 

With hundreds of restrictions and other requirements, avoiding voiding a Kangen warranty is virtually impossible. Therefore, you are basically out of luck if something goes wrong with your Kangen system. Given the cost of the LeveLuk SD501 and other systems, this disappoints us greatly.

ProsCons
LCD display Compact size Ionizing technologyIonizing technology Filtration issues Chemical additives Warranty

verdict hamilton beach water dispenser

The Verdict: We Can’t Recommend the Kangen Water Filter

We don’t subscribe to the theory that alkaline water improves health. On the contrary, we see significant evidence that consuming water with high levels of pH has no effect on overall well-being. In fact, it may ultimately be toxic. For that reason, we don’t recommend the Kangen water filter. 

Looking past our bias, though, we refuse to recommend the Kangen water filter for a variety of reasons. First, it is extremely expensive. We think you could likely better use your resources to purchase a good carbon-block filter.

Also, we hate the multi-level marketing that sells the Kangen system. This process unnecessarily drives up the cost of the product. Finally, we find the warranty to be worthless. 

We hate when companies take advantage of customers. Unfortunately, we think that is what Enagic does with its Kangen water filter. 

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