Water. It’s the one thing we’re told we don’t get enough of, and yet we pass by rows of it every time we go to the supermarket like it’s background noise. But not all H₂O is created equal, and in the land of premium hydration, two names rise above: Evian and alkalife.
Now, if you’re the kind of person who reads ingredient labels on granola and knows what a pH test strip looks like (guilty), you might have wondered: what’s the difference between French Alps glacial melt and Aussie alkaline aquifer?
The answer isn’t just about pH or marketing polish but about how long your water’s been sitting around, what it’s absorbed along the way, and whether your hydration habit is working for you or just, you know, existing.
Let’s start with the origin stories. They’re both good—but one is a little closer to home (and your fridge).
Evian, in true European style, comes with a certain “je ne sais quoi”. Born from glacial runoff high in the French Alps, it flows through alpine sands before being bottled in France and sent off on a multi-month, multi-thousand kilometre journey to land on your shelf here in Australia. It’s like the world’s fanciest detour.
Now meet alkalife - Australia’s first-to-market alkaline water brand, born in 2002 before “alkaline” was even trending on Instagram. Its origin? A natural limestone cavern in the Blue Mountains, part of the same ancient Jenolan Caves karst system that’s been filtering water through rock and time for millennia.
This isn’t just water. It’s untouched, naturally alkaline straight from the source. It flows through layers of limestone before surfacing with a pH of ~8.0 and a softly mineralised profile. Then it’s bottled daily and delivered within days - fresh enough to match your greens from the farmer’s market.
And because it’s not shipped across oceans and borders, it doesn’t spend 3–6 months marinating in a container port. It’s water that actually remembers where it came from.
There’s something a little unsettling about your hydration having frequent flyer miles. Evian’s journey from the bottling facility in France to your Australian kitchen can take months, including time spent in shipping containers, warehouses, and under the hot sun.
Science (and common sense) tells us that prolonged storage, especially in plastic, can impact water’s quality. Temperature fluctuations and exposure to light over time may affect its taste, mineral profile, and even result in low-level chemical leaching. A study found storing PET bottled water at higher temperatures for 200 days caused antimony levels to rise from 0.02 µg/L at 25 °C to 2.14 µg/L at 60 °C, exceeding Japan’s safety limit of 2 µg/L.
alkalife, on the other hand, gets to you in a matter of weeks, not seasons. It’s packaged in 100% recycled plastic, unaltered from the source, and doesn’t spend its youth loitering in cargo holds. Think of it as fresh-pressed juice, not long-life milk.
Let’s talk numbers. Evian’s pH sits around 7.2, which is considered neutral. alkalife’s pH is ~8.0, and that natural alkalinity isn’t manufactured, ionised, or engineered. It just is.
Why care? A slightly higher pH can help buffer excess acidity in the body (hello, reflux), support hydration efficiency, and give your cells a better environment to do their thing. A 2012 study even showed that alkaline water (pH 8.8) helped deactivate pepsin, the enzyme linked to acid reflux.
Another study suggests that drinking alkaline mineral water provides better protection against toxic effects of mercury.
| Feature | Evian | alkalife |
|---|---|---|
| pH Level | ~7.2 | ~8.0 |
| Bicarbonate | 360 mg/L | 205-250 mg/L |
| Key Minerals | Calcium, Magnesium | Calcium, Magnesium, Silica |
While Evian boasts a higher bicarbonate level (good on them), alkalife leans into its naturally alkaline profile instead. No additives, no clever lab enhancements - just water the way nature filtered it.
Taste is subjective, but we’ll say this: Evian has a soft, slightly heavy mineral tang. alkalife? It's soft and smooth, with a lighter mouthfeel that doesn’t shout for attention. It plays well with food, workouts, or your morning lemon slice.
Both Evian and alkalife use 100% recycled plastic (rPET) which is a big thumbs up for the environment. But Evian’s supply chain involves over 16,000 kilometres of freight, while alkalife is bottled and distributed within Australia. The emissions difference isn’t just a footnote, it’s the whole story.
Choosing local water with a shorter distribution chain reduces carbon output and supports sustainability where it counts.
| Feature | Evian | alkalife |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Premium (imported) | Competitive (locally sourced) |
| Availability | Supermarkets, hotels | Independent supermarket, petrol stations, online subscription |
| Subscription | No | Yes - bundles & discounts available |
Here’s the punchline: if you’re buying water for the prestige of a French postcode, Evian is lovely. But if you want fresher, local hydration with naturally higher pH and less mileage on the bottle, alkalife is your go-to.
Water that flows from ancient Australian caverns and gets to you quickly, softly, and sustainably? We’ll drink to that.
Click here to view our products and try our naturally alkaline water. Use Code DETOX10 for $10 off your first order. Your cells (and your carbon footprint) will thank you.
