Are you trying to kick a soda addiction, but you just can't imagine life without something sweet to sip throughout the day? You should consider switching to seltzer (aka sparkling water), which has the fizz and the sweetness of your favorite cola without as much sugar and caffeine.
We had companies send us their low- to no-calorie sparkling waters. We sipped all 42 flavors and, after a few pee breaks, we ranked ‘em. Here are the 10 worst, and the 10 best ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, along with the first-taste reactions from MH staffers. Sorry to all you LaCroix fans out there — there's none on either list.
10. Voss Lime Mint (3.6 out of 10)
Voss
amazon.com
“Two fighting flavors.” “Satan’s mojito.”
9. Perrier Strawberry (3.3 out of 10)
Perrier
amazon.com
“Fake-tasting.” “I can tell they were shooting for strawberry but missed.”
8. Poland Spring Pomegranate Lemonade (2.9 out of 10)
poland spring
polandspring.com
“Yuck, fuzzy tongue.” “Windex collab?”
7. Schweppes Strawberry Mango (2.8 out of 10)
dpsgproductfacts.com
“This flavor should be amazing. It tastes like plain water with bubbles. Disappointed!” “Tastes more bitter than I would have thought.”
6. Bubly Strawberry (2.6 out of 10)
bubly
amazon.com
“Chemical aftertaste; metallic, too.” “This reminds me of those Powerade Zero sports drinks where the flavor is all watered down and you’re left feeling thirsty.” “Where’s the strawberry?”
5. Bubly Lime (2.6 out of 10)
bubly
amazon.com
“No flavor. Very subtle. Maybe lime?” “This tastes like Mountain Dew Ice. I hated Mountain Dew Ice.”
4. Zevia Blackberry (2.5 out of 10)
Zevia
amazon.com
“Taste seems manufactured, unnatural.” “A wannabe slush puppy without the slush, the puppy, or the taste.”
3. Zevia Cucumber Lemon (2.0 out of 10)
Zevia
amazon.com
“Tastes like I’m drinking a salad mixed with cough syrup.” “Not all fruits are meant to be mixed.”
2. Spindrift Cucumber (1.7 out of 10)
Spindrift
amazon.com
“Almost made me vomit. Tastes like fermented pickle juice sourced from a sewer.” “NOPE.”
1. Spindrift Orange Mango (1.6 out of 10)
amazon.com
“The mango isn’t working. It tastes like how mangoes kinda taste metallic if you get a bad one."
10. Bubly Mango (6.8 out of 10)
Bubly
amazon.com
“Strong mango scent. I like the extra carbonation. Dry flavor.” “Not a mango fan, but I’d take a glass if you offered it.”
9. Schweppes Pink Grapefruit (7.0 out of 10)
dpsgproductfacts.com
“Solid grapefruit backbone. Nice fizz.” “This doesn’t overwhelm. Grapefruit isn’t for everyone, but you’ll finish the whole can on a hot day.”
8. Dasani Sparkling Pomegranate Blueberry (7.2 out of 10)
DASANI
walmart.com
“Great blueberry scent and flavor. Artificial blueberry, but good.” “Perfect sweetness for a seltzer, with a pleasing aftertaste.” “Nice flavor, almost a cocktail!”
7. Schweppes Black Cherry (7.4 out of 10)
Schweppes
amazon.com
“Strong cherry scent but good flavor, not overpowering.” “Classic black-cherry taste with a nice bitter-y backbite.”
6. Spindrift Lemon (7.5 out of 10)
Spindrift
amazon.com
“Lemon works as a seltzer. The perfect faint touch of lemon, with slight sweetness.” “Unmistakably lemon.”
5. Canada Dry Lemon Lime (8.0 out of 10)
Canada Dry
amazon.com
“Light—a crisp, subtle flavor.” “Classic. Light flavor. Very refreshing.”
4. Dasani Sparkling Pear Kiwi (8.2 out of 10)
Dasani
target.com
“Subtle flavor. Nice carbonation. Refreshing taste with a kick!” “Very nice. Flavor is furry, not sharp.” “Unusual flavor combo—but it works!”
3. Poland Spring Lemon Lime (8.3 out of 10)
poland spring
polandspring.com
“Refreshing, would drink a whole can.” “A classic combo that quenches thirst.” “Really sweet and refreshing. Soda-replacement status.”
2. Mountain Valley Lime Twist (8.6 out of 10)
shop.mountainvalleyspring.com
“Great bubbles, a little sourness.” “Great tartness.” “Nice lime flavor.
1. Poland Spring Zesty Lime (8.7 out of 10)
Poland Spring
amazon.com
“Like Sprite, but healthier.” “What lime seltzer should be. Like squeezing a fresh one in a seltzer.”
