Best pool test kit
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Short answer: for a chlorine pool, the Taylor K-2006 is the kit to beat on paper. It measures free and combined chlorine by counting drops, down to 0.2 ppm per drop, and covers pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness and stabilizer in one case. Salt pool owners should look at the K-2006-SALT. If you'd rather not count drops, a digital reader like the LaMotte ColorQ 2x does the reading for you, and strips are fine for quick checks between proper tests.
How we compared them: we haven't tested these kits. This guide compares what Taylor, LaMotte and AquaChek publish about each one (what it measures, the method, the range, how many tests it holds) and the prices we could find on November 10, 2026. Prices change often, so check before you buy.
What a good kit needs to measure
For a chlorine or salt pool, these are the readings that matter week to week:
- Free chlorine, the chlorine that's actually killing germs. This is the one that matters most, and the one cheap kits can't separate out.
- Combined chlorine (total minus free). When it climbs, chloramines are building up and it's time to shock.
- pH, which affects how well chlorine works and how the water feels.
- Total alkalinity, which keeps pH from swinging.
- Calcium hardness, to protect plaster and equipment.
- Cyanuric acid (stabilizer) for outdoor chlorine pools, and salt if you have a salt system.
The kits compared
| Kit | Type | Measures | Price seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor K-2006 | Drops, FAS-DPD | FC and CC by drop count, bromine, pH, TA, CH, CYA | $124.99 (INYOPools); from $149.49 (Taylor) |
| Taylor K-2006-SALT | Drops, FAS-DPD | As K-2006, plus salt | From $221.86 (Taylor) |
| Taylor K-2005 | Drops, DPD color match | FC and total chlorine 0.5–5 ppm, bromine, pH 7.0–8.0, TA, CH, CYA | $88.99 (INYOPools); from $119.91 (Taylor) |
| Taylor K-1004 | Drops, DPD | FC, total chlorine, bromine, pH, acid demand, TA | $37.93 (Taylor) |
| LaMotte ColorQ 2x Home Pool 7 | Digital photometer, tablets | FC and total chlorine 0–10, bromine, pH 6.5–8.5, TA, CH, CYA | Not listed on LaMotte's site |
| LaMotte Insta-TEST 6 Plus | Strips (50) | FC and total chlorine, bromine, pH, TA, total hardness, CYA | Not listed on LaMotte's site |
| AquaChek Silver 7-in-1 | Strips | FC, total chlorine, bromine, pH, TA, total hardness, CYA | Not listed on AquaChek's site |
The kits one by one
Taylor K-2006: the most complete drop kit for chlorine pools
Taylor's FAQ describes the K-2006 as using a FAS-DPD drop test for free, combined and total chlorine. You add drops until the pink sample turns clear and count them, so there's no squinting at shades of pink. Taylor gives the resolution as 0.2 ppm per drop with a 25 mL sample, or 0.5 ppm per drop with a 10 mL sample.
A retailer's listing gives the rest of the box: bromine, pH 7.0–8.0, acid and base demand, total alkalinity, calcium hardness and cyanuric acid, with a comparator, a Watergram and a 64-page guide. There's no salt test; that's the K-2006-SALT.
- Suits: chlorine pools where you want exact free chlorine numbers.
- Trade-off: slower than strips, and more bottles to keep in date.
Check current price of the Taylor K-2006: retailer link coming soon
Taylor K-2006-SALT: the same kit for salt pools
Taylor lists a salt version of the K-2006 on its own site, from $221.86 when we looked. If you have a salt chlorine generator, this saves buying a separate salt test, and you'll want a trustworthy salt reading before using the salt calculator.
Check current price of the Taylor K-2006-SALT: retailer link coming soon
Taylor K-2005: cheaper, with color matching
The K-2005 measures the same things as the K-2006 but reads chlorine by matching the pink color against a comparator, from 0.5 to 5 ppm. That's less precise than counting drops, especially at higher levels, and color matching is harder in poor light or if you don't see reds well. In exchange it was about $36 cheaper than the K-2006 at INYOPools.
Check current price of the Taylor K-2005: retailer link coming soon
Taylor K-1004: a basic DPD kit
Free chlorine, total chlorine, bromine, pH, acid demand and alkalinity, for $37.93 on Taylor's site. It leaves out calcium hardness and stabilizer, so you'd need to have those checked elsewhere a few times a season. It's a reasonable spare kit or starter for a hot tub.
Check current price of the Taylor K-1004: retailer link coming soon
LaMotte ColorQ 2x Home Pool 7: a digital reader
The ColorQ 2x reads the sample's color for you and shows a number, which takes the guesswork out of color matching. LaMotte lists seven tests: free and total chlorine (0–10 ppm), bromine (0–22), pH (6.5–8.5), alkalinity (0–300), calcium hardness (0–600) and cyanuric acid (0–150), with 20 TesTabs tablets per test. LaMotte calls it waterproof and Bluetooth. It doesn't publish a price on its site.
- Suits: owners who want numbers without counting drops or judging color.
- Trade-off: LaMotte doesn't give a resolution figure on the product page, so we can't compare its precision with the K-2006's drop count.
Check current price of the LaMotte ColorQ 2x Home Pool 7: retailer link coming soon
LaMotte Insta-TEST 6 Plus and AquaChek Silver 7-in-1: strips for quick checks
Both measure free and total chlorine, bromine, pH, alkalinity, hardness and stabilizer on a single strip. The Insta-TEST free chlorine pad reads in steps of 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5 and 10 ppm, and comes 50 strips to a bottle. AquaChek's Silver reads free chlorine from 0 to 20 ppm and cyanuric acid up to 300.
Strips are quick and need no bottles, which is why plenty of owners use them for a midweek check and a drop kit at the weekend. LaMotte warns that a simple dip and remove gives low readings and recommends swirling the strip. AquaChek says expired strips will likely give inaccurate results and should be stored at room temperature in low humidity with the cap tight.
Check current price of the LaMotte Insta-TEST 6 Plus: retailer link coming soon Check current price of the AquaChek Silver 7-in-1: retailer link coming soon
What to skip
Avoid relying on a kit that only does OTO (the yellow chlorine test). Taylor's own FAQ explains that OTO measures total chlorine, while DPD measures free and total. Without free chlorine you can't see chloramines building up. Taylor's 3-way OTO kit is $18.03, and it's fine as a backup, but it shouldn't be your main test.
One more catch: if you use a non-chlorine shock (potassium monopersulfate), Taylor notes it reacts with DPD Reagent #3 and gives false total and combined chlorine readings. Wait the time the shock's label says before testing.
Keeping a kit accurate
- Replace reagents at the start of each season, as Taylor suggests, or whenever they pass the date on the label.
- Store kits between 36 and 85°F, out of direct sunlight. Don't leave them in a hot pool shed all summer.
- If reagents froze, Taylor says thaw them at room temperature and throw away any bottle that's cracked or has particles in it.
- Rinse sample tubes in pool water, not tap water, before each test.
Reagents are chemicals too. Keep kits away from children, don't mix leftover samples back into reagent bottles, and follow the instructions that come in the box.
Common questions
Are test strips accurate enough?
For a quick check between proper tests, yes. Strips read in steps rather than exact numbers: LaMotte's Insta-TEST free chlorine pad, for example, reads 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5 and 10 ppm. That tells you whether you're roughly in range, but not whether you're at 2 or 3 ppm. How you use them matters too. LaMotte says a quick dip-and-remove gives low readings and recommends swirling the strip.
What's the difference between DPD and FAS-DPD?
Both use DPD, which turns pink in chlorinated water. A DPD kit like the Taylor K-2005 has you match that pink against a color scale. A FAS-DPD kit like the K-2006 has you add a second reagent drop by drop until the pink disappears, then count the drops. Taylor says the switch from pink to clear removes the need to match colors.
Why is OTO not enough on its own?
OTO measures total chlorine only. Taylor's FAQ says the OT method measures total chlorine while DPD measures both free and total. Free chlorine is the part that's actually sanitizing, so a kit that can't separate it can't tell you when chloramines are building up.
How long do test reagents last?
Taylor says its reagents are made to stay effective for at least a year and suggests replacing them at the start of each season. LaMotte quotes up to three years for its TesTabs tablets and about 30 months for most strips. Check the date on the bottle, and store reagents between 36 and 85°F out of direct sun.
Do I need a salt test?
Only if you have a salt chlorine generator. Taylor sells salt versions of its K-2006 and K-2005 kits. Many salt systems also show a salt reading, but it's worth checking it against a test now and then.
Sources
- Taylor Technologies, Technical FAQs (K-2006 method, OT vs DPD, monopersulfate interference), checked November 10, 2026.
- Taylor Technologies, How and when to use dilutions (0.2 and 0.5 ppm per drop), checked November 10, 2026.
- Taylor Technologies, How FAS-DPD tests free and combined chlorine, checked November 10, 2026.
- Taylor Technologies, Reagent care, storage and shelf life, checked November 10, 2026.
- Taylor Technologies, product listings (K-2006, K-2006-SALT, K-2005, K-1004, K-1000 prices), seen November 10, 2026.
- INYOPools, Taylor K-2006 and Taylor K-2005 listings (tests, contents, prices), seen November 10, 2026.
- LaMotte, ColorQ 2x Home Pool 7, Insta-TEST 6 Plus, Insta-TEST strip shelf life, strip tips and TesTabs, checked November 10, 2026.
- AquaChek, AquaChek Silver and Water Testing 101, checked November 10, 2026.