8 Best Bottled Water And Why They’re ALL BAD For You!

The Best Bottled Water This Year

Which is the best bottled water? Most people don’t give a second thought to what bottled water tastes like. I mean it’s just water right?

However, if you take a closer look (or taste, as would be appropriate in this case), you will notice that not all bottled waters are made equally.

Some differences in bottle water taste (by brands) are subtle and others are quite distinct.

This article is loosely based on rigorous taste tests conducted by Dan Gentile over at Thrillist, which I read about several years ago. The testers consumed pretzels and coke to “mask” their palate before blindly tasting the biggest brands in an effort to name the best bottled water.

The Best Bottled Water Testing Kit

The best way to get accurate and detailed water test results is to get a laboratory test.

I have carefully studied reports and outcomes of testing on the top water bottle brands. After trying different brands, I have produced my own “best of the best” list.

MyTapScore Home Water TestThe results I’m sharing in this post are based on my personal experience when trying all of the brands.

That said, I didn’t included brands like lifewtr, blk water or hint water-brands I would consider premium-but I tried to include the major bottled water brands you can find in most supermarkets.

I also found some information about potential issues with specific brands.

For instance, some brands have more pH levels than others.MyTapScore InfographicAs a result, I have modified my version of the original list accordingly, while also peppering the article with related videos so that you can make a better informed decision when it comes time to drink water.

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One thing I learned from this whole process is that, for the most part, differentiating between multiple bottled waters only by taste is difficult. It is just as discerning as noticing the subtleties of different wine qualities.

On the other hand, the variation from one brand to another can be as pronounced as the difference between red and white wine.

All that said, I encourage you to sit back, relax and read on to uncover all the information you need to determine which bottle of water is the best on the market.

Best Water Brands

1. Mountain Valley Spring Water

2. Voss

3. Fiji Natural Artesian Water

4. Nestlé Pure Life

5. Evian Water

6. Dasani

7. Aquafina

8. Smartwater

8. Smartwater

Glaceau Smartwater, known as smartwater, is a bottled water brand owned by Glacéau (Energy Brands), a subsidiary of soft drink the giant The Coca-Cola Company.

The sales pitch for Smartwater is that it’s “vapor-distilled through a process inspired by the clouds” with electrolytes added for taste.

A notable aspect of their brand is the trash talking against ‘non-customers’. Specifically, people who like the taste of water sourced from the ground i.e. natural spring water, or mountain spring water like Ice Mountain.

What does it taste like? Tastes tart and tangy. Like water that has gone through your BRITA filter jug many times.

Score: 3.9

7. Aquafina

Aquafina is purified water that has gone through a lengthy filtration and purification process. The process includes reverse osmosis as well as other methods to remove substances that can affect the water’s taste.

They claim this thorough process results in “pure water and perfect taste.”

What does Aquafina taste like? The taste starts off good, but the after taste isn’t pleasant. However, it is very full-bodied.

A bit like the Cabernet of water.

Score: 4.4

Read: PepsiCo Finally Admits Aquafina Water Ingredients = Tap Water

6. Dasani

Dasani is another bottled water owned by Coca-Cola.

In addition, DASANI is made using “purified water”Dasani comes from purified publicly supplied water. Like tap water (yes, that’s right tap water). The tap water then goes through a complex filtration process that includes various methods like reverse osmosis, interim ultraviolet light disinfection, and re-mineralization with the addition of magnesium sulfate and potassium chloride.

What does Dasani taste like? It tastes very vibrant in your mouth, clean and slightly fruity.

Score: 5.1

5. Evian Water

Isn’t it interesting that “Evian” is “naive” spelled backwards? That aside, Evian is the name of a small town in the French Alps.

The company behind this brand claims their water is a geological “miracle”.

This is because it has passed through what should be an impossible amount of permeable layers. For more than 15 years the underground spring harvests water from snow and rain. While also adding minerals and electrolytes to the mix.

What does Evian Water taste like? You can actually taste the minerals. So much so that some of the participants of the original Thrillist study talked about “over-hydration” because it is so rich. Having tasted it myself, I can safely confirm that this is the case. It tastes very rich and full of minerals.

Score: 5.6

4. Nestlé Pure Life

Nestlé is a large and enduring brand that owns over 2,000 brands, from coffee and food to pet care. They also own several different water brands. Think everything from Poland Spring to Perrier.

However, one of the most popular bottled water brands in their portfolio is called “Pure Life”. It is categorised as “purified water”, which essentially means that it comes from a municipal source.

A source like the humble tap or a public well. But the water has been softened, carbon filtered, demineralized (i.e. minerals removed), re-mineralized (i.e. minerals put back into the water). Then finally disinfected with ultraviolet light. The most recent marketing campaigns for Nestle Pure Life focus on the fact that their resealable bottle is made with 100% recycled plastic, as opposed to the water itself.

What does Nestlé Pure Life taste like? After all that it must be of no surprise that the result is a clean, clear taste. It has a neutral flavour with no traces of minerals but it still quenches thirst in a direct and pleasant way.

Score: 6.3

3. Fiji Natural Artesian Water

This water apparently comes from tropical rain that falls on an island in Fiji (Viti Levu).

It’s filtered naturally through volcanic rock where it is also able to mix with minerals and electrolytes.

This is before welling up in an underground aquifer. The fact that it is NATURALLY purified makes it one of the safest bottled water available today.

What does Fiji Natural Artesian Water taste like? The first thing to note is that there is no after taste. It also tastes like it has been carefully curated by a small group of meticulous scientist working on an exotic island.

Score: 6.5

2. Voss

The water used by Voss comes from a small “artesian” well in Norway.

It is one of the most expensive bottled waters on the market today. It is what you might consider to be a designer brand of bottle water. Many experts attribute it’s taste and quality to low concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS).

Consequently you can expect to find this in luxury hotel rooms. Or perhaps in the first class cabin of an airplane.

What does Voss taste like? It tastes very impressive to be honest, lots of character, slightly rough round the edges. But you can feel the quality as it seems like it contains lots of minerals.

Score: 6.8

1. Mountain Valley Spring Water

The story behind Mountain Valley Spring Water is that it originally comes from a fresh spring in Arkansas US. It has been quenching thirsts since 1871.

Apart from this unique pedigree, it is reported to have been the favourite of celebrities. For instance, presidents like Eisenhower and legends like Elvis Presley.

It apparently takes 3,500 years for rain water to make it’s way to the aquifer, as a result, this water naturally has high a pH, which is supposed to help neutralize high acidity in the body.

It was by far the most favourite among the testers who took part in the original Thrillist experiment and having tasted it myself, I agree with them.

What does Mountain Valley Spring Water taste like? It does have a rich, luxurious feel with slight hints of sweetness and bursts full of minerals as you would expect from water that has been filtered through a geological treasure.

Score: 7.7

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Red CrossWhy Are ALL Plastic Water Bottles BAD For You?

Bottled waters are not always as pure as you might expect them to be and you should take some of the following points into consideration when you are deciding on which brand of bottled water you want:

  1. It is possible that dangerous toxins from some plastic water bottles can leak into your water. The most notable of this is BPA (bisphenol-a), which is used when creating plastic in the industrial process and can be very hazardous to health.
  2. There are lots of credible reports that say many bottled waters are just purified tap water and because they have gone through a further filtration process, they also lack essential minerals. For instance, it is reported that brands like Aquafina and Dasani are simply re-filtered tap water.
  3. The process of purifying, bottling and shipping water takes up a huge amount of resources and it is often impossible to recycle the bottles meaning that they simply fill up our landfill sites.

> Read: How To Check Plastic Bottles for BPA Poisoning <

Plastic Recycle Symbols Chart Check if SafeIf you choose to buy bottled water despite all of this try not to consume ultra purified municipal waters (i.e. re-filtered tap water) in favour of naturally clean sources like those that come from a spring or valley. The best are mentioned below.

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The Best Bottled Water – My Top Picks

Mr Water Geek ThinkingMy favourite? Mountain Valley Spring Water. It has the best taste, right ph level and completely natural.mrwatergeek winner badge

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Is taste most important to you? Then choose Fiji water. It is filtered naturally through volcanic rock by scientists.mrwatergeek winner badgeDashed Line

Are you looking for an all round good product that has the wow factor. Then I recommend VOSS water. The bottle design has a designer feel and the water itself has been curated with a lot of attention. mrwatergeek winner badge

Dashed LineIf you want to save money, the environment and avoid BPA contamination. Then you might want to consider AquaTru.AquaTru

It removes several contaminants (including, heavy metals, lead and viruses) within seconds. It comes with filters, which are easy to replace.

Using something like this will save thousands of bottles of water in a year.

The video below is a little hyped up but does a good job of describing how powerful this product is.

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Holds a maximum water capacity of 3-quarts.2.25 Gallons
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