Kangen Water Ionizers

Kangen water ionizers are made by Enagic, a well-established brand in the industry. They trade heavily on being one of the first companies to bring water ionizer technology to the wider world, several decades ago.

Their relative longevity poses a question: is Enagic trading on past glories or do they still live up to their self-proclaimed accolade of being ‘a pioneer and innovator in alkaline water ionization technologies’? Let’s find out!

Plastic Fantastic?

Kangen water ionizers have avoided upgrading to the sleeker, contemporary styling of other water ionizer companies, and stuck with – for the most part – tried-and-tested white plastic casing. Granted, this is a practical option. You can wipe it down quickly, it won’t clash with most color schemes and it’s functional looking, in a dated way. No matter how good the machine is, white plastic casing isn’t going to add aspirational style to anyone’s kitchen.

Are 8 Plates Great?

But looks aren’t everything. How good is the performance of Kangen water ionizers? The K8 is Enagic’s flagship model, its ‘most powerful antioxidant machine – featuring 8 platinum-dipped titanium plates.’ A machine with 8 plates – and solid ones at that – does not come close to being among the most powerful water ionizers on the market.

As a result, the molecular hydrogen levels with The K8 are significantly lower than those produced by rival water ionizer machines. That lack of muscular plate-power also means that Kangen machines require chemical assistance – Sodium Hypochlorite to be specific – an added bleach and salt solution, to artificially boost the rate of electrolysis.

Overall, the lack of cutting-edge technology is carried through to the Transformer Power Supply with no adjustable/customizable power settings.

Multi-Level Money Mountain

There is a possible explanation for all of this in the Enagic/Kangen business model, which follows the somewhat-tarnished MLM (Multi Level Marketing) way of doing things. A quick calculation points to an astonishing amount of money – up to $2700 – from each water ionizer sale being divided to meet up to 8 separate layers of commission. In other words, there’s not much left to invest in cutting-edge technology and next-generation engineering.

Does Kangen Still Cut It?

Here’s the thing. Other water ionizer companies are producing astonishingly powerful machines, with far more advanced features, brushed-steel chic and brilliant performance, all with a cheaper price tag than Kangen.

Enagic might well have been a trailblazer 30 years ago, but there are other water ionizer companies out there now that have been setting the industry alight for several years. There are signs that the Kangen business model and failure to keep step with competitors might finally begin to undermine and erode their reputation.

Your Thoughts!

Do you think Enagic/Kangen needs to rethink and relaunch? Does buying from an MLM company put you off making a purchase, knowing that you’re paying over the odds to recompense salespeople? We’d love to know your views!