Our Verdict
HOIST's powder sticks deliver rapid rehydration via a sugar-forward formula (24g sugar, 100 calories) with 300mg sodium, backed by US Department of Defense approval for military rations. It's effective for acute dehydration scenarios but not suitable for daily use or anyone watching sugar intake. At $1.83/serving with only 12 sticks per pack, it's expensive for what you get. The magnesium amount is conspicuously absent from the label despite Magnesium Lactate being listed in ingredients.
Evident Ratings
HOIST HOIST IV-Level Hydration Powder Sticks
Scored across 5 dimensions on a 5-point scale
About HOIST
HOIST was founded in 2009 in Cincinnati, OH and is the only electrolyte drink approved for US military field rations. The product was originally developed as a hangover cure before pivoting to military/athletic hydration.
Product specifications
- Form
- powder
- Serving Size
- 1 stick (28g) in 16-20oz water
- Calories
- 100
- Sugar
- 24g
- Made In
- USA
How we scored this
Every data point below is tagged as Verified (independently confirmed) or Claimed (brand-stated).
Material Safety
- No Artificial Sweeteners
- Yes — Uses sugar + stevia, no artificial sweetenersVerified
- No Artificial Flavors
- Yes — Uses natural flavorsVerified
- No Artificial Colors
- Yes — No dyes per brand claimsVerified
- No Natural Flavors
- No — Contains 'Natural Flavors'Verified
- No Fillers
- Yes — No binders, fillers, or HFCSVerified
- Transparent Label
- No — Magnesium amount not listed despite Magnesium Lactate in ingredientsVerified
- No Proprietary Blends
- YesVerified
- Clean Mineral Sources
- Yes — Uses citrate, lactate, and gluconate formsVerified
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar, Dextrose, Rebaudioside A (Stevia Extract)Verified
- Full Ingredients
- Sugar, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Trisodium Citrate, Natural Flavors, Potassium Phosphate, Calcium Lactate Gluconate, Magnesium Lactate, Salt, Rebaudioside A (Stevia Extract)Verified
Testing & Trust
- Third-Party Tested
- Yes — Clinically proven hydration claims; US DoD approved for military rationsClaimed
- COA Available
- Unknown
- Heavy Metals Tested
- Unknown
- Certifications
- vegan, gluten freeVerified
Value & Policy
- Price Per Serving
- $1.83Verified
- Package Price
- $21.99 (12 servings)Verified
- Subscription Discount
- 10%Claimed
- Sample Packs
- AvailableVerified
Product Features
- Sodium
- 300mgVerified
- Potassium
- 90mgVerified
- Calcium
- 40mgVerified
- Sodium Source
- Trisodium Citrate, SaltVerified
- Magnesium Source
- Magnesium LactateVerified
- Amazon Rating
- 4.4 stars (2,000 reviews)Verified
- Red Flags
- High sugar content (24g per serving); Magnesium amount not disclosed on labelVerified
See how HOIST stacks up against every electrolytes we tested
Our full electrolytes comparison ranks every brand across the same scoring dimensions you saw above — formulation, testing, trust, value, and sourcing.
See Best Electrolytes →Other top electrolytes we tested
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