Re-Lyte vs Waterboy: Sodium, Electrolytes, Sugar and Hydration Compared

Both are sugar-free electrolyte powders in stick packs, but they’re built differently. Re-Lyte (by Redmond) is a simple mineral mix. Waterboy, founded in 2021 and based in Austin, makes situation-specific formulas with extra ingredients. partner

Quick verdict

Choose Waterboy if you want more sodium per stick and add-ins like ginger and L-theanine, and you don’t mind a salty taste.
Choose Re-Lyte if you want a simpler mineral blend, a tub option, or an unflavoured version.

Side-by-side

	Re-Lyte (stick)	Waterboy Weekend Recovery	Waterboy Workout
Sodium per stick	810 mg	1,120 mg	1,000 mg
Potassium	Brand states 2:1 sodium to potassium	350 mg	400 mg
Calcium	Included	0 mg	0 mg
Extras	60+ trace minerals	Ginger, L-theanine, vitamins C and B12	400 mg L-glutamine, vitamins C and B12 Redmond, Re-Lyte® Hydration, Lemon Lime, 15 Stick Packs, 0.24 oz (6.8 g) Each +11

Re-Lyte’s sodium figure comes from a Lemon Lime stick listing, and other flavours may differ slightly.

The number most comparisons get wrong

Waterboy’s headline claim is 3,205 mg of electrolytes, but that counts more than sodium. The Weekend Recovery label also lists 1,690 mg of chloride, 350 mg of potassium and 50 mg of magnesium. Add those to the 1,120 mg of sodium and you get about 3,210 mg, which matches the headline. Re-Lyte’s listing shows sodium on its own. vitacost iherb

To compare fairly, use sodium against sodium. By that measure, Weekend Recovery has about 38% more sodium per stick than Re-Lyte, and Workout about 23% more (my arithmetic). Waterboy also says one stick equals four sticks of the competition, but that claim depends on which minerals are counted, so check the label before trusting any “4x” number. walmart

Sodium-to-potassium ratio

Re-Lyte states a 2:1 ratio. Working from the labels, Waterboy comes out at roughly 3.2:1 for Weekend Recovery and 2.5:1 for Workout. Waterboy leans more sodium-heavy. Which is better depends on how much you sweat and what the rest of your diet looks like, so there’s no single right answer.

Price per serving

Waterboy Weekend Recovery: $9.97 for a 5-pack at HEB, about $1.99 a stick. One retailer lists an 8-pack at $13.59 on sale, down from $16.99, which works out to about $1.70 to $2.12 a stick. heb vitacost
Re-Lyte: One Australian retailer lists 30 sticks for $59.95, about $2.00 each. A 60-serving tub is $74.95, about $1.25 a serving. yoketo yoketo

Sticks cost roughly the same either way, but the tub makes Re-Lyte cheaper per serving. Prices vary by country and change often, so compare in your own currency.

Taste and reviews

Waterboy’s flagship Weekend Recovery has 4.7 stars across 10,228 reviews, with 94% recommending it. Reviewers on ThingTesting call the taste polarizing, often very salty or chalky for some. Re-Lyte describes its own flavour as subtly salty-sweet, and one Substack writer picked it as a lower-sugar alternative to Liquid IV. The DTCetc Face-Off CPG · Wellness Updated July 2026 +2

[Add your own taste test here: flavour tried, how much water, and a photo of both sticks.]

Which should you pick?

Long, sweaty sessions: Waterboy Workout has more sodium per stick than Re-Lyte.
A night out: Weekend Recovery is the one built for it. Its listing says it’s not a miracle cure, so water and rest still matter. Re-Lyte makes no hangover pitch. walmart
Everyday use and dose control: Re-Lyte’s tub lets you scoop one scoop into 500 to 750 ml of water. yoketo
Keto, vegan or sugar-free: Both position themselves this way, so it comes down to taste and extras.

Health note: Both are high in sodium. People on low-sodium diets, or with kidney or blood pressure concerns, should talk to a doctor first. Re-Lyte’s own listing carries a similar caution for low-sodium diets. iherb

Final verdict

Waterboy gives you more sodium and targeted add-ins. Re-Lyte gives you a simpler mineral profile and cheaper tubs. If you’re unsure, buy a small pack of each and see which taste you’ll actually keep drinking.