Ranking Bottled Water: The Best And Worst Brands Revealed

If you've ever stood in front of a large display of bottled waters and wondered which one to buy, I don't blame you. There are countless bottled water brands on the market, and you may think, hey, it's just water, but not all bottled waters are made alike. Some come straight from a spring and contain naturally occurring minerals and electrolytes. Others are labeled vapor-distilled or purified water, which, as it turns out, are often just processed tap water.

Knowing the different classifications of bottled water will take you far when it comes to selecting the ideal brand, but it still doesn't tell you which company sells the best product. That's where I come in. I recently bought and tasted popular bottled waters. Then, I ranked them based on their source, taste, and packaging, so you know exactly which bottle to grab the next time you're faced with the decision. Spoiler alert: The bottled water brands that source their water from a natural spring, prioritize ecological packaging, and taste great came out on top. Brands that just bottle up tap water didn't fare so well.

Everyone has heard of Aquafina water. It's a Pepsi product, after all, so it's sold just about everywhere. Don't let its prevalence fool you, though. Aquafina is nothing more than purified tap water from public water sources. Yup, that's right: It's bottled tap water. Sure, it's purified and filtered, but that's the only thing Aquafina has going for it. Hence, it's last-place ranking.

Aside from utilizing a subpar source, Aquafina doesn't come in a recycled bottle. It can be recycled with the cap on, which is nice, but it leaves something to be desired. Finally, and probably most importantly, I detected a slight plasticky flavor when I cracked open my bottle and had a sip. Obviously, that's far from ideal when it comes to the taste of water.

Dasani water has a lot in common with Aquafina. It's a Coca-Cola product, so another soda company, and it's purified water primarily sourced from municipal water systems. The rest comes from protected groundwater sources, but you get the point: It's bottled tap water. Still, Dasani managed to score a slightly higher spot in my ranking because it comes in a 100% recycled bottle. It is also recyclable, minus the cap and label.

Another reason Dasani ranked slightly higher than last place is that it lacked the plasticky flavor I got with Aquafina. My guess is this is because Dasani's purified water is enhanced with minerals for taste. Honestly, though, I wouldn't say it has a taste. No, thanks.

When you hear the word Gatorade, colorful, electrolyte-infused sports drinks are the first thing that comes to mind. However, the brand recently added a new drink to its line of hydrating beverages, and it just so happens to be plain water. Well, I guess it isn't exactly plain, because true to the brand, it is also infused with electrolytes. It may be a game-changer for the company, but I say it's better left on the shelf.

For starters, Gatorade is another company serving up purified water. We can do so much better. After all, lots of spring water sources contain naturally occurring electrolytes, so why bother with enhanced tap water? The flavor of this water wasn't bad, but it did have a slight plastic aftertaste. One redeeming quality, however, is that Gatorade water comes in 100% recycled plastic bottles.

According to the label, Essentia is the "#1 ionized alkaline water." It has a relatively high pH of 9.5, which is undoubtedly appealing to some. However, after tasting and examining the source, I'm not really sure why Essentia is a top pick. Unfortunately, it's purified water sourced from municipal water supplies. It goes through Essentia's proprietary ionization process and is enhanced with electrolytes, but no matter how you dress it up, it starts with regular tap water.

As for taste, Essentia Ionized Drinking Water is nice, and it's certainly better than Gatorade and the other lower-ranking brands. It didn't wow me, though. In addition, it doesn't come in a recycled bottle, something that definitely docked a few points off its final ranking.

Another product of Coca-Cola, Smartwater is kind of like Dasani's upscale counterpart. Similar to Dasani, it is purified water primarily sourced from municipal water supplies. However, unlike Dasani, Smartwater is vapor-distilled and infused with electrolytes for taste. While these details can often go unnoticed, they actually make a difference here. Smartwater absolutely tastes much better than Dasani, and every other lower-ranking pick, for that matter.

If you are going to opt for a purified bottled water, Smartwater isn't a bad choice. The eco-conscious may want to hesitate, though, because it doesn't come in a recycled bottle. Not to be overly dramatic about packaging or anything, but the two upcoming purified water brands come in recycled bottles. Enough said.

LIFEWTR is Pepsi's version of Smartwater. It may have a pretty label with modern appeal, but in reality, it's just enhanced, purified water sourced from public water systems. There's no denying it looks trendier than a bottle of Aquafina (Pepsi's other water product). The slim bottle is sleek and the label is colorful, but is it actually any better? Kind of.

According to the label, LIFEWTR differs from Aquafina because it's enhanced with electrolytes for taste and perfectly pH balanced. It also comes in a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic. Nice. I also liked the flavor. It was fresh and clean, so no complaints. Still, for my money, I'd much rather snag a bottle of natural spring water. Moving on.

Next up is Core Hydration. Again, it is purified water, but it tastes pretty good, and the bottle it comes in is made from 100% recycled plastic (minus cap and label). So, you could do worse. Oh, yeah, it comes with a convenient flip-top lid, too.

According to the label, Core Hydration water goes through a seven-stage purification process. It is also infused with minerals and electrolytes to improve the taste. By the time it gets to you, the brand claims it has been perfectly balanced to reflect your body's natural pH (7.4). This sounds really fancy, but it just tasted like water to me. Even so, I thought it was the tastiest purified water I tried.

Thankfully, we've finally reached a turning point in my ranking, and purified water is no longer on the menu. Yay! Crystal Geyser is the first brand that sources its water from a spring, a natural alpine spring to be exact, and I couldn't be happier. After all, if I'm paying for bottled water, I want it to come from a delicious source that doesn't require extensive purification to remove impurities. Crystal Geyser is the first brand on my list to meet this requirement. Finally, Crystal Geyser water is bottled at the source, in Arizona, so what comes out of the spring is what you get.

Even without any interference or additives, it tastes great. As an added bonus, 50% of the packaging is made from recycled plastic, too.

Coming in 12th place is none other than Evian. A reputable, well-recognized product by any account, it's one of the bottled water brands you can feel good about buying. First of all, it's natural spring water — my favorite — stemming from snow in the French Alps. Ooh la la. It also features natural electrolytes and minerals, so there's no need to add anything extra.

Evian water tastes fresh and clean, and I could almost imagine the snowy peaks of the French Alps while drinking it. Even so, I liked the flavor of the upcoming picks more. My only qualms with Evian are that it travels a long way to get to us (something that guarantees a larger carbon footprint), and it comes in a plastic bottle. It may be made from 100% recycled plastic, minus the cap and label, but an aluminum or glass container is preferable.

Acqua Panna natural spring water is undeniably tasty. So much so that it almost made it into the top 10. It is proudly bottled at the source in Tuscany after slowly being filtered through the hills the region is known for. As a result, it is naturally alkaline, and you know what? The flavor was, in fact, unique in a really good way.

My main complaints about Acqua Panna bottled water are the same ones I had for Evian: It comes in a plastic bottle, and it has to travel pretty far to reach the U.S. market. The bottle is made from 100% recycled plastic, minus the cap and label, but I'd still reach for a glass jar or aluminum can when given the choice.

Heading back stateside, Arrowhead bottled water is the first brand to breach the top 10. Rightfully so, too. It's just about got it all. Arrowhead is 100% mountain spring water primarily sourced from California. It also gets some water from Canada and Colorado, but California is the main event. As a Colorado girl, I may appreciate good mountain spring water more than most, but I struggle to see how anyone could describe this water as anything less than delicious. It's refreshing and clean by any standards.

Unfortunately, Arrowhead spring water is packaged in a plastic bottle, albeit one that's made from 100% recycled materials. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but aluminum cans and glass bottles are simply a better ecological choice, so 10th place is where Arrowhead stays.

El Dorado natural spring water is named for the canyon where it is sourced, and it just so happens to be in my home state: Colorado. As such, I might be somewhat biased, but I'm a firm believer that some of the best water in the world comes from right here in the Rocky Mountains. El Dorado bottled water is proof of that.

El Dorado natural spring water tastes like mountain air, which, I'm sure you can imagine, is clean and refreshing. It doesn't come with an elevated price tag or a lot of hype, either (I'm looking at you, Fiji and Voss). It's a straightforward, quality bottled water brand, and it doesn't need any bells and whistles to win you over.

Fiji bottled water is a well-known premium brand, instantly recognizable by the blue bottle and tropical flower on the label. As such, it'll cost you a bit more than your typical bottled water, but is this the result of great marketing or actual quality? Well, I'll be the first to tell you that it definitely lives up to the hype.

Fiji natural artesian water tastes freaking fantastic. As the name suggests, it's sourced from the islands of Fiji. It's also bottled right at the source using a sealed delivery system, something the brand prides itself on. Regardless, the flavor is second to none. The only reason it didn't take a higher spot on my list is that it comes from far away, and it's packaged in a plastic bottle.

Voss natural spring water is somewhat of a status symbol. It comes in a tall, cylindrical glass bottle that can only be described as chic. Obviously, it's recyclable as well, so not only does it look super sleek, but it's eco-conscious, too. Woo-hoo.

Voss's natural spring water source is located in New York. This means, unlike some of the lower-ranking spring water brands, it doesn't have to go far to get to us. To top it all off, the water is pretty tasty, too. I'm not going to exclaim out loud like the hype would have you believe, but it's refreshing and clean. I like the flavor of Fiji a bit more, but the glass bottle and Voss's homegrown source earned it a higher place on my list.

Sourced from the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas, The Mountain Valley bottled water features a unique taste. First and foremost, it's fresh and clean. However, it also has a distinct earthiness to it, probably because the spring flows through rich mineral deposits. As a tasty, natural spring water hailing from the United States, awarding The Mountain Valley with my sixth place spot was a no-brainer.

The Mountain Valley spring water comes in glass bottles and resealable cans, so you can forget about plastic water bottles releasing chemicals or further polluting the planet. All around, it's a winning bottled water pick, and the company has been pumping out water since 1871, so you know it's doing something right.

Just Water is the only bottled product on this list that comes in a carton. One look at it and you can tell it's a more sustainable option than a single-use plastic bottle. It's more than meets the eye, though. The carton is made from 54% paper and 34% plant-based plastic, and according to the label, this results in 74% less carbon emissions. Impressive.

In addition to the eco-conscious packaging, Just Water tastes fresh and clean, just as it should. The water itself comes from the Glens Falls Watershed in upstate New York. The company purchases excess spring water from the community, so it also focuses on improving the local economy. What's not to love?

Saratoga bottled water is another East Coast favorite that blew much of the competition away, as is evident by its number four ranking. Similar to The Mountain Valley, it's been around for over a century, 1872 to be exact, and its long-standing success is quite the flex.

Saratoga sources its water from natural springs in New York, Maine, and Pennsylvania — it tastes pretty darn good, too. On the bottle, it says it "effortlessly complements fine meals and spirits," and I don't know what that's all about, but the fresh, crisp taste was nothing to scoff at. Saratoga water also comes in a beautiful, tall blue glass bottle, so you know you're doing your part for the environment as well. Score.

The name Proud Source kind of says it all with this bottled water brand. The company uses sustainable sourcing methods, including bottling at the source, and it's proud to get its water from natural springs in Idaho and Florida — all things I love. In addition, it contains lots of naturally occurring minerals and electrolytes.

Proud Source water tastes super crisp and fresh. The fact that it comes in a metal can helps it stay cool as well. Plus, the packaging is infinitely recyclable, meaning even the most eco-conscious consumer can rest easy. Best of all, the can is resealable, so you can toss it in a bag and take it anywhere you venture without a care.

Richard's Still Rainwater is an outlier because, unlike every other brand on this list, it is sourced from rainwater in Austin, Texas. Cool, right? As such, I wasn't sure how it would measure up, but it's fair to say I was pretty blown away. One sip was all it took, too. I almost gave Richard's my number one spot. The only reason it didn't lock it down is that it isn't as widely available as the one that took gold. Just so you know, I got my can from Whole Foods.

According to the brand, Richard's Still Rainwater surpasses the highest water purity standards, and I believe it. The flavor is exceptional — fresh, clean, and crisp, it's got it all. The canned packaging makes my environmentally-minded heart happy as well. In the end, Richard's proves that canned water is not only good for emergency prep, but it's also some of the best around.

Drumroll please... the winner of the number one best bottled water brand is Liquid Death. I'll be honest, I thought Liquid Death was all hype. Can you blame me, though? Everything from the can to the name to the cheeky story about murdering your thirst on the label screams clever marketing. However, I'll be the first to admit: I was wrong. Dead wrong. One taste and I knew it was nothing short of spectacular.

Liquid Death sources its mountain water from Idaho and Virginia, and it is everything. Clean, crisp, and fresh, it's the best water around. Taste is paramount, but Liquid Death also sells its yummy water in cans made from 70% recycled material. The can also reads, "recycle or die," so you know ecological concerns are a priority for the brand. All in all, it's a premium pick that tastes fantastic, and we can all feel great about buying it. Winning.

I'm one of those people who rarely leaves home without my "emotional support water bottle." It sounds silly to say, but I often profess my love for water out loud while drinking it, something my partner makes fun of me for. I can't help it, though. Nothing hits the spot like a crisp glass of refreshing water when I'm thirsty. It has to be good water, though, so I was thrilled to taste and rank these bottled water brands. Plus, with all the talk of hazardous chemicals in tap water, knowing the best bottled brands is valuable information.

The majority of bottled waters I tasted fall into two categories: purified water and natural spring water (Richard's Still Rainwater is an outlier). For me, water that comes from a natural spring far surpasses purified water (aka ground or tap water), so these brands populate the top of my ranking. Purified and vapor-distilled water round out the lower-ranking spots. After this initial separation, I focused on taste and packaging. I'm not talking about a pretty label, either. Basically, if water came in a glass bottle, can, or recycled plastic bottle, and it didn't have to travel super far, it earned bonus points.