For chlorine and water balance, choose the Taylor K-2006C, a drop kit that measures free and combined chlorine by FAS-DPD titration along with pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness and cyanuric acid (CYA). If you run a salt chlorine generator, the Taylor K-2006-SALT adds a salt drop test to the same panel. The AquaChek Salt System Test Kit does a similar job with strips. Keep AquaChek Select Connect strips for quick checks between full tests.

If you only need the salt reading, the three salt-only tests further down still apply: Taylor K-1766 for drops, AquaChek White Salt Titrators for a disposable titrator, and LaMotte 2998 for a quick color strip. A salt result alone never shows that a pool is safe to use.

Chlorine and balance kits compared

Kit Method (maker) What it tests Reading steps the maker publishes
Taylor K-2006C FAS-DPD titration, drop kits; 2 oz bottles Free and combined chlorine, pH with acid/base demand, alkalinity, calcium hardness, CYA Chlorine 0.2 or 0.5 ppm per drop; alkalinity and hardness 10 ppm per drop; pH 7.0–8.0
Taylor K-2006-SALT Same panel plus argentometric salt test; 0.75 oz bottles (K-2006C-SALT is the 2 oz version) All of the above plus sodium chloride Salt 200 ppm per drop; CYA 30–100 ppm in 10 ppm steps
AquaChek Select Connect 7-in-1 test strips with photo-scanning app Free and total chlorine, total bromine, pH, alkalinity, total hardness, CYA Free chlorine 0–10 ppm; pH 6.2–8.4; alkalinity 0–240 ppm; CYA 0–300 ppm
AquaChek Salt System Test Kit Yellow 4-in-1 strips plus White Salt Titrators Free chlorine, pH, alkalinity, CYA, salt Salt 400–7,000 ppm; free chlorine 0–10 ppm; CYA 0–300 ppm

These are the makers’ published specifications, not results from our own comparison testing.

Drops or strips: what CDC says

CDC’s home pool guidance says to test chlorine and pH at least twice a day, and more often when many people use the pool. For the most accurate results, it recommends a DPD test kit. CDC says strips “are less accurate than the DPD test kit,” and that chlorine above 10 ppm can bleach a DPD test and give a falsely low or zero reading. Whatever you use, CDC says to follow the manufacturer’s directions.

That makes a practical split. Use a drop kit when a reading will decide how much chemical to add. Use strips for the twice-daily checks in between, and confirm a strip result that surprises you with the kit before treating.

Taylor K-2006C: best drop kit for chlorine and balance

Taylor’s K-2006 page offers the kit in 0.75-ounce bottles (K-2006) or 2-ounce bottles (K-2006C). Taylor says to “select 2 oz bottle size if you have increased testing needs.” The panel covers free and combined chlorine, pH, acid demand, base demand, total alkalinity, calcium hardness and cyanuric acid. Free and combined chlorine use FAS-DPD titration at 0.2 or 0.5 ppm per drop, so you count drops to a color change instead of matching shades of pink.

It does not include a salt test. Our Taylor K-2006C review covers bottle size, reagent turnover and technique.

Taylor K-2006-SALT: best single case for a salt pool

Taylor describes the K-2006-SALT as testing “free and combined chlorine, pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, and salt” for saltwater pools. The salt test is argentometric at 1 drop = 200 ppm NaCl, the same step as the standalone K-1766 below. Taylor sells it in 0.75-ounce bottles, and a 2-ounce K-2006C-SALT is listed on the same product page.

Choose it over buying a K-2006C plus a K-1766 when you want one case and one set of instructions. Check that the box says K-2006-SALT or K-2006C-SALT, because the plain K-2006 and K-2006C have no salt test.

AquaChek Select Connect: best strips for quick checks

AquaChek calls Select Connect its “most comprehensive test for checking water quality.” The 7-in-1 strips read total hardness, total chlorine, total bromine, free chlorine, pH, total alkalinity and stabilizer (CYA). The free app scans the strip with your phone camera and gives a treatment recommendation. Refill strips are sold separately once you own the kit.

Use it for the frequent checks CDC recommends. For dosing decisions, confirm with a drop kit, since CDC rates strips as less accurate.

AquaChek Salt System Test Kit: best strip kit for a salt pool

AquaChek packages its Yellow 4-in-1 strips with the White Salt Titrators. The kit tests free chlorine (0–10 ppm), pH (6.2–8.4), total alkalinity (0–240 ppm), CYA (0–300 ppm) and salt (400–7,000 ppm). Together they cover the readings a generator owner checks most often without drop bottles. It does not test calcium hardness, so add that test if your pool surface or generator manual calls for it.

Salt-only tests

Choose Taylor K-1766 if you want a drop-count salt test, AquaChek White Salt Titrators if you prefer a disposable titrator, or LaMotte 2998 if its discrete color scale suits a quick check. These are different measurement formats.

Product Manufacturer’s stated format What to check before buying
Taylor K-1766 Argentometric drop test; 1 drop represents 200 ppm under its specified procedure Ability to follow the sample volume and endpoint instructions; replacement reagent availability
AquaChek White Salt Titrators Disposable titrator, 400–7,000 ppm; results take minutes Generator range, current package instructions and development time
LaMotte Insta-TEST Sodium Chloride 2998 Visual color comparison at 1,500, 2,000, 2,500, 3,000, 3,500, 4,000 and 5,000 ppm; manufacturer states 20 seconds Whether these steps distinguish the values relevant to your generator

These are published specifications, not results from our own comparison testing. AquaChek White is not an ordinary instant color-pad strip, so we do not rank it as less precise merely because it is disposable. None of these products comes with a demonstrated accuracy advantage from our own testing.

Read resolution without inventing precision

With the K-1766 procedure that specifies 200 ppm per drop, 16 drops represents 3,200 ppm. That arithmetic does not mean the true concentration is known to the nearest single ppm: sample handling, reagents and judging the endpoint still matter. Use the instructions supplied with the kit, including its sample size.

Likewise, a LaMotte result matching 3,000 ppm and a Taylor result of 3,200 ppm are not automatically contradictory. The methods report in different steps. Do not add salt just to force two displays to match. Repeat an unexpected result with the correct procedure and compare it with the operating range of the exact cell and controller.

For AquaChek, use the chart and instructions supplied with the current product. Do not substitute the timing or reading method from a general pool strip. Plan enough time for the titrator to develop; “minutes” is a different workflow from LaMotte’s stated 20-second test.

What to buy alongside a salt test

A salt chlorine generator produces chlorine. It does not make free-chlorine and pH testing optional. You also need the balance tests required by your pool surface and equipment, including cyanuric acid where applicable. That is why the K-2006-SALT and the AquaChek Salt System Test Kit lead this page for salt pools: each pairs the salt test with chlorine and balance tests.

Record the independent salt reading, generator display, water temperature, recent drain/refill history and any controller warning together. This helps distinguish a water change from a cell or configuration problem. Before ordering a replacement cell, use the AquaRite compatibility map to check the controller revision and cell type.

When the result should delay a purchase or addition

Stop if the generator’s required range is outside the test’s stated range, the reagents or strips are out of date, or the procedure cannot be completed as written. A second brand is not a substitute for correct sampling. Salt is primarily removed when pool water leaves, so an unnecessary addition can require water replacement to correct.

The affiliate offers on this page are exact-product searches. Confirm the kit number, contents and expiry information on the actual listing before buying; merchant availability does not establish suitability.

Sources and limits

Manufacturer information checked October 9, 2026: Taylor K-2006 and K-2006C , Taylor K-2006-SALT , AquaChek Select Connect Kit , AquaChek Select Connect Refill and AquaChek Salt System Test Kit . Checked September 23, 2026: Taylor K-1766 , AquaChek White Salt Titrators , and LaMotte 2998 . For testing frequency and DPD versus strips, see CDC home pool guidance . This comparison evaluates stated methods and reading usefulness; it does not report laboratory accuracy testing.

Other compared buying options

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If you prefer a reusable electronic salt instrument, the LaMotte 1749 review adds a mode-factor worksheet and calibration budget. Compare that maintenance routine with the manual formats here before paying for a digital display. If you use trichlor tablets, the 3-inch tablet comparison explains why the CYA test matters more each month.

Once you have a salt reading, the salt chart guide shows how much each generator maker says to add.