Enagic Water Ionizers – the company that makes Kangen machines - has been around for a while, but is the company still at the cutting edge of water ionizer technology? More importantly, are Kangen water ionizers worth the money?
Looking Good?
Let’s start with what’s obvious: do Kangen machines make a splash in your kitchen? In truth, it depends on your preferred style. Kangen machines tend towards a ‘utility’ look and haven’t moved on in any meaningful sense from the slightly dated-looking white plastic casing of many models in the range.
Has it Got the Power?
But hey. Looks aren’t everything. What’s inside, and is it worth investing your hard-earned dollars in? We’re going to look at the K8 model, as it’s promoted as ‘Enagic’s most powerful antioxidant machine.’ The K8 boasts 8 solid titanium plates. Sounds impressive, but an 8 plate-model isn't particularly powerful compared with rival machines, and solid plates lack the surface area to maximize the electrolysis potential.
Is the lack of power an inherent problem though? Arguably, yes. Producing that ‘strong’ acidic water that Enagic likes to promote takes power. If the plate power is lacking, then a fix is needed. In Kangen’s case, that fix comes in the form of sodium hypochlorite, also known as bleach, which is used as an ‘Electrolysis Enhancer.’ Not great.
FIlters: Facts Matter
Filtration is a big deal for most people. How well does a Kangen machine clean up your source water? Enagic fit out their water ionizers with one standard filter – not a problem if it’s doing its job well. Is it? We’d love to tell you, but a veil is drawn over the specific contaminants that Kangen machines remove. Enagic says that its water ionizers eliminate ‘95% or greater’ of chlorine. The silence about what other key toxins their filters remove is baffling – it's a major reason that people buy a water ionizer, after all.
Customer Care
Moving on to customer service-related matters, and Kangen once again, run the risk of looking dated. Customer care and satisfaction are everything in the internet age. Offering a measly 3-day trial period for a major purchase seems mean. And the guarantee period isn’t much better – the Enagic flagship model, the Super501, only comes with a three-year warranty.
When rivals like Tyent are offering a no quibble, lifetime guarantee, the difference in customer-focused policies is stark.
Price Points
Let’s do the nitty-gritty now and look at price. The Enagic Super501 is listed at $5,980.00. That’s a lot of anyone’s money, and certainly pushing the upper end of the industry price bracket. However, you need to remember that Enagic is a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) business. The Kangen water ionizer distributors will take a commission from sales, and there will be several layers of administration to fund from that price tag as well.
Buying direct from a company, rather than propping up an MLM business is almost always better for the customer.
Is Kangen Still Worth It?
To summarize, Kangen is still a contender in the water ionizer business, but the company is running the risk of losing ground to companies with better looking, more advanced, more powerful machines and infinitely better customer benefits.
Worth it? Put it like this – Enagic/Kangen is still ‘a name’ in the industry but shopping around never hurt anyone.
What’s your view on this? What are your deal-breaker, non-negotiable issues when it comes to making a purchase like a water ionizer?