Drinking plenty of water is the bedrock of good health. As a simple rule of thumb, we should drink eight glasses of water; every day. Water plays a key role in everything from absorption of vital nutrients to calorie intake control. To help you find simple ways to stay hydrated, Culligan have rounded up the most useful and top rated apps which track your water intake and are geared towards getting you to drink more throughout the day.
Daily Water
Available on iPhone only – rating 4.5. Free.
Daily water is the best app for tracking water intake as well as setting reminders to drink water at the right time. The app has many core features that help optimize hydration.
3 core features
- Set a daily goal of how many glasses of water to drink each day and at what intervals.
- Customise the unit of your water glass
- Track whether you manage to drink the whole glass or if you leave the glass half full!
What makes this app unique?
You can download daily data and email to anyone you choose, showing the office how you’re keeping up with this year’s resolution or challenging your colleagues to see who can stay the most hydrated!
Waterlogged
Available on iPhone (rating 4.3) and Android (rating 3.6). Free with in-app purchases.
Waterlogged contains all the in-app charts you need to stay topped up. If you need lots of reminders, make an in-app purchase to unlock the additional functionality. To get started, simply select the relevant photo of your chosen drinking vessel and log your first drink. Waterlogged has been featured by Dr. Oz, Lifehacker, and Apple as the App of choice for staying hydrated.
3 core features
Watch the bottle fill up as you get closer to your daily hydration goal.
Analyse graphs that illustrate how much water you have consumed per day, week or year.
Integrates with Apple and Android health apps, plus Fitbit.
What makes this app unique?
Simply upload a photo of each drink you consume during the day to keep a record of your hydration habits. Do you carry a glass with you? Or only drink 1/2-a-glass at a time? No problem – you can add custom photos and fills as wells.
My Water Balance
Available on iPhone (rating 4.5) and Android (rating 4.5). Free with in-app purchases.
A popular hydration checker available across iPhone and Android that sends you notifications to keep you on the H2O superhighway. Includes hints and tips about why we should drink more water, offers incentives to keep you motivated, plus, it has its own personalized water requirements calculator.
3 core features
In-app calculator that recommends how much fluid an individual should consume.
Supports Apple Watch and connects to Apple Health, meaning you can stay up-to-date across devices.
In-depth analysis of fluid consumption that covers more than just water intake.
What makes this app unique?
My water balance stores data of different drinks’ caffeine content, which users can export and review via the Apple Health App. A vital step in keeping exact tabs on your hydration levels.
Water Drink Reminder
Available on Android – rating 4.6. Free with in-app purchases.
One of the most popular hydration apps on Android, Water Drink Reminder focuses on weight to calculate your recommended daily water consumption. It continues to track your water intake and weight to refine recommendations.
The App has won several awards including Best App of 2016, Top Trending App and Best Self-Improvement App as selected by Google Play.
3 core features
Tracks water consumption based on your weight, tracking what you drink and reminding you when you need to top up.
Set a start and stop time for drinks reminders, so you only receive notifications when awake (giving you space for that weekend lie-in!).
Supports Google Fit, so you can share data between Apps.
What makes this app unique?
As well as keeping you full to the brim, the app takes your well-being into account as well. A relax reminder keeps you honest if you’ve been working too long. It’s great to get your head down, but in the same way that we all need adequate hydration, we also need a break every now and then.
Hydrate Now
Available on iPhone (no rating). $0.99.
The push notification-heavy Hydrate Now has one focus – to reduce the severity of your post-party headache. This App is for those who enjoy a tipple but would rather avoid the hangover. It promises to share witty one-liners to keep you drinking water throughout your night.
Despite the limited rating information, the app has caught the attention of several publishers including Cosmopolitan and Men’s Health.
3 core features
Set reminder frequency so that you know when to take a sip of H2O – from every 100 minutes down to every 20.
Humorous notifications that keep the levity in the message and avoid users becoming tired of a pushy phone.
Customize notification frequency based on weight, height, age and gender.
What makes this app unique?
Hydrate now is specifically for nights out; but, when it comes to getting your head down, all you need to do is tap the ‘in-bed’ button. The app will fall asleep with you, meaning no pushy notifications to keep you awake.
Hit Your Daily Hydration Target
We all know we should drink more water, but how many of us keep with the habit? As the proliferation of Apps shows, there is demand for regular reminders to have a glass. Whether you’re hoping to improve cognitive function or you just need moral support, scientists are looking to back up the efficacy of such apps. It seems we all need a nudge in the right direction when something as vital as hydration is concerned.
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