Skyra Icelandic Spring Water is a clean, safe drinking water, but it offers no meaningful nutritional advantage over regular tap water. It contains essentially zero calcium, zero magnesium, zero sodium, and no measurable potassium. Its main selling point is a slightly alkaline pH, which has limited health relevance for most people.
What’s Actually in Skyra Water
Skyra is marketed as Icelandic spring water, which sounds impressive. Iceland’s volcanic geology does filter water through layers of lava rock, producing water with very few dissolved solids. But “few dissolved solids” is a double-edged sword. A 12-ounce serving of Skyra contains 0 mg of calcium, 0 mg of sodium, and no listed values for magnesium or potassium. Its total dissolved solids (TDS) measure around 48 parts per million, which is extremely low.
For comparison, many mineral waters contain 50 to 400 mg of calcium per liter and 10 to 100 mg of magnesium per liter. Even ordinary tap water in most U.S. cities delivers some minerals. Skyra is closer to distilled water in terms of mineral content, so if you’re hoping to supplement your mineral intake through water, this isn’t the product to do it with.
The Alkaline pH Claim
Skyra advertises a pH of 8.8, placing it in the alkaline range. Independent testing has measured it closer to pH 8, which is still mildly alkaline but not quite what the label suggests. Either way, both values sit above the neutral pH of 7 and above typical tap water, which usually falls between 6.5 and 8.5.
The Mayo Clinic’s position is straightforward: for most people, alkaline water is not better than plain water. Proponents claim that alkaline water neutralizes acid in the body and may help prevent diseases like cancer or stroke, but there is no strong clinical evidence supporting those claims. Your body tightly regulates its own blood pH regardless of what you drink, so the alkaline content of any water has minimal systemic effect.
One Possible Exception: Acid Reflux
There is one scenario where alkaline water may offer a small benefit. Pepsin, a digestive enzyme produced by your stomach, can get lodged in esophageal tissue during acid reflux episodes and continue causing irritation. Research highlighted by UCLA Health found that water with a pH of 8.8 can help neutralize pepsin’s effects in the esophagus.
This doesn’t mean Skyra water treats acid reflux. It means that if you already experience heartburn, sipping alkaline water could provide modest, temporary relief by deactivating pepsin outside the stomach. It’s a supplementary measure, not a replacement for other approaches to managing reflux.
How It Compares to Tap Water
Municipal tap water in most developed countries is rigorously tested and often contains beneficial trace minerals picked up from local geology. It also costs a fraction of a penny per glass. Skyra, like most premium bottled waters, costs significantly more while delivering less mineral content than what flows from many kitchen faucets.
The practical advantages of Skyra come down to taste preference and convenience. Its low TDS gives it a very clean, soft flavor that some people prefer. If you live somewhere with poor-tasting or poorly maintained tap water, bottled spring water can be a reasonable alternative. But the health benefits over filtered tap water are effectively zero for the average person.
Storage and Shelf Life
If you do buy Skyra, store it at room temperature or cooler, out of direct sunlight. The International Bottled Water Association recommends keeping bottled water away from household chemicals like cleaners, paint thinners, and gasoline, because plastic bottles can absorb fumes from nearby solvents over time. There’s no official expiration for bottled water in terms of safety, but keeping it stored properly preserves the taste and prevents any chemical leaching from the plastic.
The Bottom Line on Value
Skyra is pure, low-mineral water from a clean Icelandic source. It tastes smooth, and it’s perfectly safe. But “safe” and “good for you” are different things. It won’t deliver minerals your body needs, its alkaline pH won’t meaningfully change your health, and it costs far more than tap water that does the same job of keeping you hydrated. If you enjoy the taste and don’t mind the price, there’s nothing wrong with drinking it. Just don’t expect health benefits beyond basic hydration.