Looking for a Hydrogen Water Ionizer: Why the Hydrofix Is Not One
If you searched for a hydrogen water ionizer, the first thing to know is that the Lourdes Hydrofix is not an ionizer. A water ionizer uses electrolysis to split water into alkaline and acidic streams and raise the pH of what you drink. The Hydrofix uses electrolysis for a different job: dissolving molecular hydrogen gas into your water while leaving its pH where it started. Our hydrogen system for home does this with separate-chamber electrolysis, so the water you drink never directly contacts the electrodes, and nothing about its pH or mineral content is changed.
Separate-Chamber Electrolysis Technology
Most water ionizers run electrolysis in the same water you drink, which is how they shift pH. Our hydrogen water system works differently. Electrolysis happens in a separate chamber, and the hydrogen it produces is dissolved into the pitcher water in very fine bubbles. Your drinking water never directly touches the electrodes. The result is hydrogen-rich water that stays within ±0.1 pH of the water you poured in. It tastes like water, not alkaline water with a mineral aftertaste.
Measuring Dissolved Hydrogen Concentration
Every Hydrofix is individually tested at the factory in Japan before it ships, and each unit comes with its own hydrogen concentration certificate tied to that machine. The Hydrofix dissolves up to approximately 1.6 ppm of molecular hydrogen (±0.05 ppm), which our product page calls full saturation. The number on your certificate was measured on your machine, not averaged from a brochure.
Why Material Purity Matters in Any Electrolysis Machine
A hydrogen water ionizer and a hydrogen water machine differ in what they do to pH, but both run electrodes in water under electrical current for years. If those materials degrade, the question is where the particles go. The Hydrofix uses solid, high-purity titanium-platinum electrodes: 99.928% pure titanium, mill-certified to JIS TP270C, with the platinum catalyst bonded at the molecular level through high-temperature processing. There is no coating and no plating to wear off. The membrane is a Japanese-made multi-layer fiber-reinforced polymer membrane. And because electrolysis happens in a separate chamber, your drinking water never directly contacts the electrodes in the first place.
Electrode Composition and Longevity
Electrode construction varies widely across machines, and most sellers don't publish it. We can't test other brands' electrodes, so we'll only speak to ours. The Hydrofix electrodes are solid titanium with a mill certificate (JIS TP270C, February 28, 2018) documenting 99.928% purity, and the platinum catalyst is bonded through high-temperature processing. That construction is why our product page says the machine is built to last: there is no plating to flake off into the chamber over years of daily cycles.
Cartridge and Water Requirements
The Hydrofix ships with a pre-installed cartridge, and you replace it every 12 months. That is the only scheduled consumable, and replacements are available on our site. The machine runs on tap, well, filtered, mineral, spring, alkaline, reverse osmosis or distilled water. The one thing to keep out of it is saltwater or seawater. If you're comparing it against the top-rated hydrogen water systems on the market, ask every seller the same two questions: what is the replacement schedule, and what water can it take?
Hydrogen Water Ionizer vs the Hydrofix
Alkaline water ionizers and the Hydrofix both use electrolysis, but they're built for different outcomes. An alkaline water ionizer is designed to raise pH. Any hydrogen it produces is incidental to that goal. The Hydrofix is designed around dissolved hydrogen: up to approximately 1.6 ppm, with pH held within ±0.1 of your source water. If what you want is molecular hydrogen in your water, you want a machine designed for that, not an ionizer. We explain the difference in more depth in hydrogen water vs alkaline water.
pH Levels in Hydrogen Water
The Hydrofix produces water within ±0.1 pH of whatever you pour in. It doesn't alter mineral content, so the water tastes clean, without the slick mouthfeel some people notice in alkaline water. Our certifications page also shows improved ORP (oxidation-reduction potential) readings, which describe the water itself.
Hydrogen Gas Delivery Methods
You can use molecular hydrogen two ways: dissolved in water or inhaled as gas. The Hydrofix does both. Fill the 1.5 L pitcher for hydrogen-rich drinking water, or attach the included inhalation lid and 2 m cannula to breathe hydrogen gas. The product spec is 120 mL/min of hydrogen gas, and Masa International Corp. independently measured 134.2 mL/min (Test No. MM03-6024-01, May 2025). Molecular hydrogen is being studied in a growing number of published studies; see our research library.
What to Look for in a Hydrogen Water Machine (Not an Ionizer)
Not every machine sold as a hydrogen water ionizer is actually built for hydrogen; many are alkaline machines that make some hydrogen as a byproduct. Look for independent lab testing that verifies dissolved hydrogen, not just a manufacturer's claim. Check what the electrodes are made of, and whether the seller will show a certificate. Ask what the warranty covers and for how long. Ask whether the system produces hydrogen through electrolysis or through a chemical reaction, and what consumables it needs. For the Hydrofix, the answers are on the certifications page: a JFRL purity certificate, a Masa International gas-output test, a titanium mill certificate, UL/CSA and Japan PSE safety compliance, and a 12-month warranty.
Countertop, Not Under-Sink and Not Portable
The Hydrofix is a countertop machine. It sits next to your sink and plugs into a standard outlet through a universal AC/DC adapter (100–240V input). It has no battery, so it is not portable in the travel sense, and it is not a bottle. You fill the 1.5 L pitcher, press start, and pour when the cycle completes. There's no plumbing and no installation beyond finding counter space: it measures 276 mm × 289 mm × 147 mm (10.87" × 11.38" × 5.79") and weighs 1.75 kg (3.86 lb). If you move, it moves with you like any small appliance.
Capacity and Daily Use
Each cycle fills a 1.5 L pitcher. The suggested use is one to two pitchers of hydrogen water a day, plus a 30-minute inhalation session if you use the inhalation kit. If you're buying for a household, count how many pitchers you'd drink in a day and plan to run the machine that many times.
Warranty Coverage and Replacement Parts
Every Hydrofix comes with a 12-month warranty. The cartridge is a consumable you replace once a year, and replacements are available on our site. If something in the machine fails within the warranty period, contact us.
Understanding Molecular Hydrogen Research
Molecular hydrogen is being studied in a growing number of published studies; see our research library. We share that research for educational purposes, not as proof of any outcome, and we don't make claims about what hydrogen water does for you. Our role is narrower: build a machine that produces a verified concentration of hydrogen in clean water, test every unit, and show you the paperwork.
Hydrogen Concentration You Can Verify
The Hydrofix dissolves up to approximately 1.6 ppm (±0.05 ppm) of hydrogen, and each unit's certificate shows what that specific machine measured at the factory. We'd rather give you one measured number per machine than a range pulled from a brochure. If another seller quotes a higher figure, ask how it was measured and whether the number came from their machine or from a meter reading someone posted online.
Common Questions About Hydrogen Water
People ask whether hydrogen water tastes different. It doesn't. Molecular hydrogen is odorless and flavorless, and because the Hydrofix doesn't change pH or minerals, the water tastes like the water you started with. We can't predict what you'll notice, and we won't guess. We can verify that the machine delivers the hydrogen concentration you're paying for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Ionized Hydrogen Water?
"Ionized hydrogen water" usually means water that went through an alkaline ionizer and picked up some hydrogen along the way. The Hydrofix makes something different: your own water with dissolved molecular hydrogen gas, produced by electrolysis in a separate chamber, with the pH left within ±0.1 of the source. The hydrogen is dissolved as very fine bubbles and gradually escapes over time, so drink it fresh.
What Is Actually in Hydrogen Water?
Hydrogen water from the Hydrofix is your own water with molecular hydrogen dissolved in it; nothing is added to the mineral content and the pH stays within ±0.1. We sell a machine, not medical advice, so we don't make claims about effects either way. If you have a health question, ask your doctor before adding anything new to your routine.
Is a Water Ionizer Different From a Hydrogen Water Machine?
Some alkaline water ionizers produce hydrogen as a byproduct, but the concentration is secondary to their main job of shifting pH. That's the difference between an ionizer and the Hydrofix: the Hydrofix is built around dissolved hydrogen (up to approximately 1.6 ppm) and leaves pH alone. If your goal is molecular hydrogen, choose a machine designed for it and ask for a per-unit concentration certificate.
What's in the Box?
The Lourdes Hydrofix Premium Edition, an inhalation lid with a 2 m premium H₂ cannula (a free inhalation kit, a $99 value), a universal AC/DC adapter, a pre-installed cartridge, a measuring cup, a Certificate of Authenticity and an English user's manual. Everything you need for the first cycle is in the box. It ships directly to the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Ready for hydrogen-rich water you can verify? Get the Hydrofix, hand-built and factory-tested in Japan with a 12-month warranty, and see the lab reports on our certifications page.
Holy Hydrogen products, including the Lourdes Hydrofix Premium Edition, are not medical devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.