Health
Top 10 Bottled Waters Ranked Worst to Best
Although many of us typically opt for a reusable water bottle, nearly everyone has been in a situation where thirst takes over and nothing will refresh you like a chilly bottle of H2O. As citizens continue to transition to healthier diet regiments, the sales of plastic water bottles actually continue to rise as many are opting for water with their quick service meal in opposition to the sweetened and artificially flavored soda options. Although it seems that convenience store refrigerators have an endless number of options to choose between, there are some clear differences between the brands, not only in packaging and presentation, but also in their environmental impacts and the actual taste of the water itself! In the name of hydration, let’s examine a list of the Top 10 Bottled Waters Ranked Worst to Best.
10. Nestle Pure Life
Nestle is by far one of the most controversial water brands on this list. Despite many large controversies in the public eye, mainly to do with humanitarianism & environmentalism, Nestle Pure Life remains the world’s number one selling brand of water. It has reached dozens of nations across the world and is the preferred taste of millions. There is no doubt that the spring water that is utilized for the bottle of Nestle Pure Life has a flavor that can’t be beat. It is the closest brand to “flavorless” water as it uses no additional additives like minerals or enhancements. This water tastes extremely neutral and cleansing as many hope for when they reach for a bottle during a workout. Despite this, Nestle has had many issues related to their environmental protections. Nations have had disputes over water sourcing and although the water bottle currently used is extremely thin as to reduce plastic waste, there seem to be little future developments in terms of sustainable and reusable packaging. The best it seems Nestle is currently promising is to have all packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. In terms of the current environmental state, it would be fantastic if such a leader in the water bottle industry was the first to take major moves in transitioning the industry into one that works in a much more cohesive relationship with the environment. Here’s to hoping that Nestle unveils some exciting news soon so that consumers can continue to enjoy the great taste of Nestle Pure Life!
9. Dasani
While Dasani has recently been working towards introducing more sustainable packaging in a continuous promise to work towards sustainability, it falls towards the bottom of the list here as it is still one of the slowest working companies in terms of environmentalism and it also just happens to be one of the worst tasting water brands on the list. While most of the bottles of water on the list work towards a very plain flavor that is sure to please the masses. Dasani has one of the most distinctive flavor profiles of any type of bottle of water on the market. If one is a fan of Dasani this is exactly the flavor that they will strive for and will typically have no issue with purchasing Dasani brand water bottles. However for the majority of the population who may have grown up with the taste of tap or home filtered water, the extremely intense flavor profile of Dasani water may not be desired. One of Dasani’s best attributes has to be the design of their actual water bottle itself. While many companies have only recently begun to pursue alternative routes for packaging, Dasani has been using their PlantBottle since 2009. The bottle itself is 100% recyclable, and in addition to this it is also manufactured using a specialty designed plastic that is made out of up to 30% plant based material!
8. Smart Water
Although the water in Smart Water bottles is higher quality than many other brands due to its purification process, it is perhaps the system of purification as opposed to the water itself that makes this brand so smart. While many water bottle brands search for naturally occurring purification systems, Smart Water has created their own system of vaporization that has the ability to cleanse the water. Smart Water is actually just municipal water that is processed through a high intensity distillation process. Basically Smart Water recreates the water cycle inside the factory. The water is heated up and evaporated and then condensation droplets are collected for bottling. After the pH levels are sorted out and electrolytes are added for an additional nutrition hit to the body, smart water is ready to hit the bottle! Unfortunately for such a smart brand, it seems as though Smart Water is still well behind the rest of the market in terms of re-processing their product in order to focus on a more environmentally friendly package. Currently the only way to buy the several variations of Smart Water, including sparking and alkaline, are all through a regular plastic water bottle. Although the bottle itself has recently been changed by Coca Cola to promise that it is made out of 100% recyclable materials, it is still disappointing that a brand that boasts this much intelligence isn’t working on the smartest packaging yet. A company with a name like Smart Water needs to be putting out some of the smartest packaging that the world has to offer in addition to including high quality hydration. Let’s see something with some brains!
7. Fiji
In the world of misleading brand names and confusing advertising campaigns, Fiji water has been able to shine through by actually providing what customers would expect to receive. All of the water in Fiji water bottles is collected straight from a natural occurring water system in the heart of Fiji! The company is so confident in the quality of their water, that one commercial even goes as far to discuss how the water in a Fiji bottle starts as a cloud above Fiji, falls into the rainforest and is purified through natural volcanic rockways. That certainly is fairly impressive and anyone who has tasted Fiji water can advocate for its smooth and cleansing taste. The only downfall for this amazing product is the packaging and the price. Water from Fiji is imported and therefore is destined to have a slightly higher price than locally sourced water. If one loves the taste and is able to pay a premium, this is some of the best water that bottles can offer. However, while many of the listed companies have continued working towards sustainable packaging, Fiji has only announced plans to have their packaging be produced from 100% recycled materials by 2025. Although this is a fantastic step to be making, there are bigger moves to be made in terms of environmental protection, especially from a company as close to earth as Fiji water itself.
6. Aquafina
Despite this list revolving around water bottle brands, Aquafina is making some major game changing moves by redesigning themselves as a brand in terms of packaging and the brands image. In order to continually present a modern image to the world, Aquafina has started producing water cans using typical aluminum packaging, unlike the average plastic water bottle. Although currently both options are available for purchase, this move has come directly from parent company PepsiCo’s decision to have all products be made from compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable packaging. These steps are crucial in 2020 when people are growing continuously concerned about the negative impact that we collectively and individually will leave on this beautiful planet. It is crucial that PepsiCo works to ensure that the product waste is being strongly considered in terms of product development and future decision making. As a living creature the Earth cannot wait for change and it is fantastic to see these companies taking the first steps to align themselves with the planet that produces the beautiful water we all need!
5. Just Water
As many of the brands in this list have indicated, the last decade of the 21st century has focused heavily on a company’s impact on the human population and the environment itself. People want to support brands that support the collective as well as working in a symbiotic relationship with the planet that we humans call home. As this push has increased, brands like Just Water have emerged to push the envelope in terms of how people are choosing to drink bottled water. Most are willing to buy a bottle of water over a bottle of soda simply because of the health benefits, however rarely do consumers ask what they would have purchased if there was a better option. Just Water is a brand that has completely redesigned the water bottle to resemble something a little more familiar and much less destructive- the milk carton! That’s right! Just Water’s packaging is recyclable and made from plant based plastic and paper. This is the exact type of innovation that helps to put pressure on major water bottle brands to make changes themselves! Even more amazing to this story is the fact that at the age of only ten, Jaden Smith began working on the concept for Just Water, a brand that has now helped to remove over 4 million plastic bottles from the ecosystem. Pretty amazing for nothing but Just Water!
4. Icelandic Glacial
Although Icelandic Glacial water is slightly behind the curve in terms of their packaging, the company has worked well to establish themselves as environmentally friendly in many other aspects unrelated to their plastic use. This mixed with the incredible taste of their natural Icelandic water has given this water it’s high placement on this list of Top Water Bottle Brands. The water’s closeness to the earth has encouraged this brand to focus on their direct impact on the environment, and it is for this reason that they have implemented programs like sustainable plants and packaging centers, using renewable energy sources and ensuring that their extraction rates are sustainable with the ecosystem in which they collect. Icelandic Glacial is bottled from the Olfus spring in Iceland after water is purified through a multi thousand year long process from cloud through lava rock, into the spring and into the bottles that line store shelves and refrigerated vending machines. The water proudly boasts its natural alkalinity and low mineral content that is provided straight from the earth itself. There are no additives with this natural beverage. In 2021, Icelandic Glacial plans to launch new sustainable packaging focusing on aluminum so it will be exciting to see how this forward thinking company progresses the development of Iceland’s water across the world!
3. San Pellegrino
San Pellegrino is one of the oldest water bottle brands on this list and it also happens to be one of the most fancy. Since its founding in 1899, San. Pellegrino has been turning regular table water into an exciting and upscale experience. As their website states, the brand originally focused on the importance of the nutritional benefits of water, something much less well known at the start of the 20th century, as well as being an upscale dining beverage. There was no better way to entertain and to impress guests than with a bottle of San. Pellegrino with a beautiful meal! This bottled water varies slightly from the rest of the bottles on the list as it is a sparkling water as opposed to the flat waters listed otherwise. In addition to being the only sparkling water on this list, San. Pellegrino also offers a wide list of flavor options such as lemon, tangerine and pomegranate to entice even the most avid water haters! The best part of this brand is that their packaging focuses on the use of glass and metal and not plastic. Although PET bottles are available for purchase, the level of class that the glass bottle presents has aided this company in continuing to work with much more sustainable materials. San. Pellegrino has also recently branched into the aluminum can market meaning that it is getting easier and easier to make a beautiful meal anywhere!
2. Evian
While many of our listed bottles rely on additives and special filtration systems to enhance normal H2O, Evian is one of the brands of water that is probably the closest to its natural pure form. The water begins as snow falling in the French alps where it supposedly takes 14 years to make its way through mountain rock to the natural aquifer that Evian uses to collect the water for its bottles. While many brands use water that comes from many different sources and often utilize tap water, Evian only uses water from a specialty spring located in the Swiss Alps. Although the bottle for Evian has only recently begun focusing on redesigning itself as 100% recycled and recyclable, the Evian brand has been working towards a circular system of give and take with the economy and the environment that hopes to aid in the balance of nature preservation. Evian works with multiple avenues of environmentalism including protectionism, carbon neutrality, renewable energy sourcing, and environmental offsetting with avenues like tree planting that all aid in the protecting the planet in such a controversial industry. In addition to their environmental actions, Evian also works very closely with their local communities focusing on hiring from within and working with the area rather than bringing in employees from outsourced areas. Focusing on all aspects of the water bottling system, from the spring to the employees, is essential to a circular brand and it looks like Evian is taking some significant steps towards a much brighter future!
1. Voss
Voss water is easily one of the most classy bottles of water available on the market. While many of the items listed focus on 24 pack cases of plastic water bottles for their major sales, Voss water focuses more on the individual experience of one water bottle. The bottle itself is made from glass which gives the feeling of luxury before anyone even takes the first sip, in addition to being a much more environmentally friendly material source. The water itself is collected from a hidden aquifer in a rural location within northern Norway. It is naturally filtered deep within the Earth through layers of sand to not only give it an incredibly pure flavor profile, but also to help protect it from potential bacteria or debris from the earth’s surface. Some recent innovations from the Voss team include flavored water in cans as well as celebrity endorsements. Customers can also now purchase sparkling Voss water in flavors like raspberry rose, lemon cucumber and strawberry ginger. Absolutely delicious! A recent partnership with Dwayne Johnson encourages people to use Voss water to live #likeavoss by spreading acts of kindness around. The Rock wants you to drink Voss and be kind! Hydration and respect, not bad morals to work towards!