22 Popular Bottled Water Brands, Ranked

These days, we rarely leave home without a water bottle. Staying hydrated has become a daily task, a goal we aspire to. And we're not without options. If you forget your trusty reusable water bottle at home, you can quickly grab a fresh bottle at the nearest store. Bottled water is a dime a dozen (well, not literally) and available in every big box retailer and local gas station convenience store. 

With buzzwords like alkaline, pH, and ionized, the water industry is in a constant state of flow, with trends evolving just like any other industry. But does an expensive brand-name alkaline water taste any better than a generic, store-brand, purified water? Is there really a difference between spring water or purified water? It's hard to know if brands' water claims stand up or if it's all just clever marketing and if it is worth splurging on a more expensive brand of water versus choosing the less expensive, generic brand. 

Just like everything else in the world, you have choices. One look at the bottled water aisle in your local grocery store will confirm that (and might even leave you feeling overwhelmed, too). We're here to simplify your next bottled water purchase by sharing 22 popular brands (including national top-selling brands like Aquafina, Dasani, and Glaceau Smartwater) and ranking them from worst to best. We're ranking these brands, which range from store brands to high-profile name brands, on taste, cost (prices may vary in local regions), and packaging.

While the availability and price made Niagara Purified Drinking Water a contender for the top of this list, the taste and poor product packaging didn't hold up. Niagara Purified Drinking Water is a nationwide brand available at grocery stores and home improvement stores, like Home Depot and Lowe's.

The water bottle was incredibly flimsy. It was crinkly and didn't hold its shape, and water squeezed out of the top when it was opened. The water had an unpleasant smell, and the taste wasn't any better. It had a harsh plastic and chemical taste. The Niagara bottled water was $4.19 for a case of 24 16.9 fluid-ounce bottles, making it the most affordable option in the group.

CVS's water brand, Gold Emblem Natural Spring Water, is low on this list due to its unnatural, synthetic flavor reminiscent of plastic. Ultimately, the best water should taste like water (no added plastic flavors, thank you very much). 

This brand did, indeed, taste like water, but it also tasted like it had been hanging out in its plastic bottle under a hot sun for a few days too many. I did appreciate the water spout for easy, mess-free drinking, but it wasn't enough to elevate this brand to a higher spot. This bottle of water was 24 fluid ounces and cost $1.89.

Another CVS brand, the Ice Canyon Natural Spring Water, didn't taste very natural or like it came from a spring. Spring water is essentially groundwater filtered through natural filters as it travels from its source to its final destination. 

As it travels along its path, it picks up extra minerals on the way. Many people prefer drinking spring water because of possible health benefits. The Ice Canyon water, however, tasted unpleasant and had an almost medicinal flavor. The label fell off right away, and the bottle was pretty boring. One 16.9 fluid-ounce bottle cost $1.49.

Available at Aldi, the PurAqua brand is one of the more affordable brands on the list. One case of 24 16.9 fluid-ounce bottles was just $3.65, making it about $.15 per bottle. Aldi is doing its part to keep costs down, that much is for sure. However, it didn't land further up this list due to its strong mineral-forward flavor. 

Purified water, such as this one, is treated to remove impurities so it's safe for human consumption. However, that doesn't mean it's entirely free of other ingredients. In this case, the remaining minerals came out in the water's flavor.

With its infinitely recyclable aluminum water bottle, Proud Source Spring Water looked like it might be a top 10 choice. Unfortunately, once opened, the lid wouldn't screw back on properly, rendering this bottled unusable to travel with as it had no lid. 

The water tasted slightly metallic, but the real travesty here was the easy-to-break lid. This water is readily available at retailers across the country and the pretty aluminum bottle was the perfect size. With a more reliable closing mechanism, this water would have placed much higher on the list. It was a little pricey, costing $2.99 for 25.3 fluid-ounce bottle.

Gatorade is renowned for its colorful drinks in various flavors loaded with electrolytes. This Gatorade Water, released in 2024, also claims electrolytes, but the "unflavored" description is misleading. This water tastes like vitamins, which detracts from what could otherwise be a refreshing drink. The bottle is pretty, high-quality, and stands out from the crowd with the orange pop of color on the Gatorade logo. 

Gatorade Water might be a good option if you're looking to replace lost electrolytes and stay hydrated on a hot day. You'll get the electrolytes without the unnatural colors and flavors from the traditional Gatorade drinks. However, if you're looking for some water to sip, the taste might put you off. This bottle was 33.8 fluid ounces and cost $2.59.

Sam's Club is known for providing its members with quality products at affordable prices. A case included 28 bottles that were 20 fluid ounces each for just $4.97. Sam's Purified Drinking Water is in line with affordability, but the water had a slight aftertaste that kept it from placing higher on this list. 

While the water falls a little flat, the Sam's Club Purified Drinking Water bottles are great. They are sturdy and come in a nice size (perfect for tossing in your bag, ready for your next adventure). Plus, you can buy these in large quantities from Sam's Club.

Pure Life distilled bottled water is easy to find and is available in many sizes. A 12-pack of 8 fluid-ounce bottles was $2.62. While the flavor is neutral and not at all overbearing, this water does have a mildly sweet taste to it.

Distilled water is perfectly fine to drink, but it lacks minerals and other health benefits that you can get from other types of water, like spring water or even purified water. The bottle was on the flimsy side, but the small size was appreciated and would be handy for passing out at large events or if you have smaller children at home.

Aquafina is a solid choice if you're looking for water with a straightforward taste. The company uses a reverse osmosis process to remove salts and chlorides, the latter of which is a common ingredient in water and not thought to be harmful. 

However, if chloride levels are too high, the water will taste salty. Aquafina, a popular brand around the globe, keeps its water tasting like water (no salty taste here). A 1-liter bottle was just $1.78.  Plus, the bottle is made of study plastic, easy to open, and it fits perfectly in a car cup holder.

ZEN WTR is certified plastic-negative and claims to be the only bottle made from 100% Recycled Certified Ocean-Bound Plastic, which gives it a huge boost as a top contender on this list. The lovely blue shade also makes it one of the prettier bottles in the group. However, it had some typical water bottle "flavor," with a mild plastic taste. And, the cost was a little on the high side, being $1.99 for a 23.7 fluid-ounce bottle.

The real bummer was the spout, though. It was super tiny, making it hard to take more than a few small sips at a time, so it became unpleasant to drink from.

As far as alkaline waters go, Great Value Hydrate Alkaline Water gets points for its mild flavor. It's packaged in a tall, sleek, pretty bottle and with a pH level of 9.5, had one of the higher pHs of the waters we tried. For some context, the EPA requires the pH of public drinking water to fall between 6.5 and 8.5. Brands use the term alkaline water for water with a pH above 7. Higher alkaline water has more hydrogen.

Great Value is Walmart's private label brand, which has been providing customers with affordable options since 1993. The Great Value Alkaline Water is no exception, being a smart choice for someone wanting an alkaline water who also wants to keep costs down. This bottle was 33.8 fluid ounces and cost just $1.18.

Among the alkalinized waters in this group, the Perfect Hydration (pH) brand fell in the middle. Like many of its alkaline counterparts, it had some strong mineral undertones, but lacked the sharp, unpleasant flavor of the lower-ranking brands. It also comes in a cute bottle that is easy to carry around.

This is another water brand with a high pH level of 9.5. The verdict is still out on the health benefits of alkalinized water, but if you want to give it a try, this is a solid brand. And it's reasonable priced with a 1-liter bottle costing $2.99.

Dasani water is enhanced with minerals, but unlike some of the other brands on this list, the flavor isn't overwhelming. It maintains a mellow flavor with just a hint of mineral goodness. Some people prefer the taste of water enhanced with minerals; if that's the case, this might be your best option.

Another thing to love about Dasani is that you can now buy it in bottles made from 100% recycled materials. Between its appealing flavor, recycled bottles, and nationwide distribution, Dasani is a consistent favorite. The cost of this 20 fluid=ounce bottle was $2.18.

The Essentia ionized alkaline water is infused with electrolytes and doesn't include fluoride or chlorine. Chlorine isn't a common ingredient in bottled water, but it can be present. The same goes for fluoride.

The flavor of Essentia water is slightly sweet, but only just so. The bottle is tall and pretty. While its selling point is that it's ionized alkaline water (ionizing is the process used to turn water alkaline), the real beauty of this water is its simple flavor. It's available in six different bottle sizes and this 1-liter bottle cost $1.98.

Crystal Geyser Natural Alpine Spring Water is readily available across the nation. The water has a straightforward taste and is available in many sizes, including 1-liter. This brand uses 50% recycled materials for their bottles. 

This water brand is popular and easy to drink, with a soft texture and little to no flavor. Between the cost, flavor, and effort the brand puts into using recycled materials for packaging, this one is a winner. And, you can't beat the price. This one-gallon bottle was just $1.38, making this one of the least expensive bottles in the group.

One sip of Eternal Natural Alkaline Spring Water, and it was clear this would be in the top 10. While nothing special jumped out about it, nothing weird did, either. This water tasted like water and avoided the chemical flavors that were so prevalent in many of the other brands. 

This brand also has some of the sleeker packaging among the brands we tried, with an aesthetically pleasing, curvy bottle that is easy to drink from. You can buy Eternal Natural Alkaline Spring Water at any major retailer. The cost was reasonable, too at $2.99 for a 50.7 fluid-ounce bottle.

Smartwater has been on the market for decades and was made a household name by Jennifer Aniston when she partnered with the brand in 2007. It's no surprise it's still around under the same name. 

It lives up to the hype and has a crisp, refreshing taste — that is, it tastes like water and not much else (despite having added electrolytes). Smartwater has branched out to include canned water, giving us a more eco-friendly option to drink from. This 1.5-liter bottle was $2.48.

You can't go wrong with Ozarka Brand 100% Natural Spring Water. Ozarka has a clean and pure taste, lacking some of the artificial undertones the other bottles of water brought to the table. 

Many brands have water that falls under the "natural spring water" category, but in this case, it's believable that this water comes from a natural spring (the water is sourced from a spring in East Texas). In addition, Ozarka is one of the least expensive brands to make the top of this list with a package of six 23.7 fluid-ounce bottles costing $3.79.

Just Water is the only brand in this list that comes in a paper carton, and it gets bonus points for this eco-friendly design. 88% of the packaging is derived from plants. That and the water bottle's efficient rectangle shape pushed it to the top of the list (thanks to the shape, they don't roll away if they fall over, and you can store more bottles in a small space). 

The water doesn't disappoint, either. It's fresh and clean. Occasionally, there was a certain papery undertone, almost like licking the sticky side of a stamp, but it wasn't necessarily unpleasant. This was one of the pricier bottles, costing $2.29 for a 16.9 fluid-ounce carton.

The Core Hydration Perfectly Balanced pH Purified Water brings a beautiful bottle design into the mix. Easy to open, easy to drink from, and easy to hold, the bottle is a selling point (there's just something about that big lid). 

But the water itself is fresh and clean-tasting, making it a top contender for more than one reason. Although this water has added electrolytes and minerals, as do many of the brands, it maintains a fresh, crisp taste. The Core water was $1.68 for 20 fluid ounces.

When bottled water tastes like water and nothing else, you know it is a quality product. Evian Natural Spring Water, bottled in the French Alps, is often served in restaurants as an upgrade to tap water. The iconic bottle is easily recognized.

Don't take everyone else's word for it, though. One sip, and you'll understand. This water is smooth and silky to drink and doesn't leave you wondering what ingredients might be hiding inside. A one-litre bottle was $2.99.

Out of 22 water brands, Fiji Natural Artesian Water takes the top spot. Fiji water collects minerals and electrolytes naturally as it's filtered through volcanic rock in Fiji. The result is water that tastes pristine and has a smooth, soft texture due, in part, to an unexpected amount of silica in the bottle. 

The 500 mL and 330 mL bottles are made with 100% recycled materials, and the brand is committed to sustainability alongside its quest to provide customers with the perfect bottle of water. If you want fresh, crisp water from a brand with a sustainable vision, Fiji Water is the one. This bottle was 50.7 fluid ounces and cost $2.88, making it a great deal for a water this tasty.