Best Electrolytes for Kids
Kids are two separate shopping trips. When a child is ill and losing fluids, an oral rehydration formula is the job — Pedialyte is the benchmark, Kinderlyte is the clean-label alternative. On a normal day, kids' drinks are deliberately low-sodium flavour — fine for taste, not a substitute for rehydration when it matters. The table below is the full kids comparison from our study.
Pedialyte (Abbott)
330 mg (zero-sugar powder packet); 690 mg per litre (RTD) Na · 390 mg per litre (RTD) K · Not a feature Mg
Illness and children's rehydration — the clinical default with decades of use, plus freezer pops kids will actually take.
The full kids comparison
| Product | Sodium | Sugar | Sweetener | Price / serving | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedialyte Classic | 370 mg per 12 oz | 9 g per 12 oz | Flavoured versions use sucralose + acesulfame K and dyes; Unflavored is dye- and sweetener-free | ~$5.49 per litre; powder ~$1.19 per packet | The illness benchmark. Cheapest in ready-to-drink at big-box stores are the store brands beside it (around $3.94–$3.99 per litre in our study). |
| Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus | 650 mg per serving | See label | See label | ~$2.17 per packet | The higher-sodium step-up in the same family — check age guidance before using it for a small child. |
| Kinderlyte | 530 mg (regular); 830 mg (Advanced) | See label | Stevia; no artificial sweeteners, flavours or dyes in its positioning | ~$1.46–$1.50 per packet | The clean-label answer to Pedialyte for illness days, at roughly triple the per-serving price. |
| Cure Kids (ages 1+) | 240–250 mg | No added sugar positioning | Coconut-based, no added sugar | $1.83–$3.00 per packet by retailer | An everyday-style kids drink — deliberately lower sodium than illness formulas. Not a substitute for an oral rehydration solution when a child is ill. |
| Liquid I.V. for Kids (ages 1+) | 250 mg | 6 g | Sugar | ~$1.12 per stick at study prices | The cheapest branded kids stick in our study, with a moderate everyday dose and real sugar. |
| Hiya Kids | 85 mg | See label | See label | ~$1.93–$2.40 per serving (subscription) | A very low-sodium everyday drink — closer to flavoured water than to rehydration. Read the dose before paying the premium. |
| Redmond Re-Lyte Kids (ages 4+) | 340 mg | 0 g positioning | Stevia | ~$0.80 per serving | The value pick among branded kids options in our study, with a mid-range dose. |
| Goodlytes | See label | 9 g — on purpose | Sugar | ~$0.67 per serving | Sugar included deliberately, in the oral-rehydration logic that glucose helps sodium absorption. The budget pick. |
Label figures, checked Oct 2026 — see How we compare for what that means. Everyday kids drinks (Cure Kids, Hiya, Re-Lyte Kids) are deliberately low-dose. Illness is different: follow your pediatrician's guidance on oral rehydration.