What is the best hydration testing system for workplace safety?

For most workplaces, there is no single best hydration testing system, but rather 3 strong options that suit different environments, behaviors and data needs. Here we explore Intake Health’s InFlow, Epicore Connected Hydration and MX3 Diagnostics, looking at specific features and nuances which will be helpful for those entering the market for their workers. 

The right choice depends on whether you want continuous monitoring, spot checks, or “in the flow” behavioral nudges built into existing routines.

InFlow by Intake Health 

Intake Health’s InFlow builds hydration testing into a behavior workers already do every day by installing a smart sensor in urinals (toilet version coming soon). It uses urine spectral analysis to provide instant red, yellow or green feedback that maps to urine color and specific gravity, with green for well hydrated, yellow for borderline and red for dehydrated ranges.​

InFlow’s strengths for workplace safety are:

• Effortless testing: Installs in seconds, runs an automatic hydration test during normal bathroom visits and delivers unlimited tests across the season or year.​
• Culture and engagement: Bright results light up the urinal, encouraging gamified “hydration streaks” and making hydration a visible part of daily culture.​
• Minimal admin: No data collection by default, so it supports behavior change and accountability without adding to staff workload or raising data privacy concerns.​

InFlow works best where you want to improve hydration habits across a large workforce with minimal friction and where urinal access is common, such as stadiums, depots or large industrial facilities.​

Epicore Connected Hydration

Epicore’s Connected Hydration is a wearable platform designed for “industrial athletes” working in increasingly hot and demanding conditions. Workers wear a smart arm mounted sensor that measures sweat loss, electrolyte loss, skin temperature and motion, with real time feedback and haptic alerts when it is time to rehydrate.​

Key safety features include:

• Continuous data: Real time measurement of sweat and environmental factors, rather than occasional checks.​
• Real time guidance: Fluid and electrolyte suggestions delivered to workers and supervisors via a mobile app and secure cloud, supporting proactive interventions.​
• Industrial readiness: Certified for Class I Div 2 and similar hazardous classifications, and supported by SOC 2 Type 2 data security.​

Epicore is a strong fit for high risk, heat exposed roles in construction, energy, heavy industry and similar environments where continuous monitoring and alerts can prevent heat stress and related incidents.​

MX3 Diagnostics 

MX3 is the market leader in saliva hydration testing, using a handheld MX3 LAB device to measure salivary osmolarity through simple saliva tests. It delivers lab accurate hydration status with testing that can be done anytime, anywhere, and supports both spot checks and group screening.

MX3 stands out for:

• Portability and speed: Handheld device and disposable strips allow on site testing in the field, at depots or on remote sites without lab infrastructure.
• Tracking and reporting: The MX3 app and online portal allow you to track hydration over time for individuals or large groups, with reporting to support policy and program improvements.
• Cross sector use: MX3 offers multiple testing options and is already used across worker safety, sports, military and other sectors.

MX3 is ideal if you want structured, objective hydration screening before or after shifts, toolbox talks or heat waves and need data to feed into broader safety and compliance programs, including OSHA heat stress initiatives.

FAQs: selecting the right hydration solution for your workplace