Personally, I am very passionate when it comes to what kind of water is the best for consumption. There are so many factors to take into consideration such as the temperature of the water, the brand, whether it is purified or spring, or even if you would rather drink your water flavored. Here are some of the United States’ most popular water brands and types, ranked from best to worst according to my preference. 

1. Ice Mountain Spring Water

I’m not sure if it’s nature vs nurture when it comes to my love for spring water. My family has always preferred spring water, and I find that almost any variety of purified water doesn’t even come close to matching its quality. Some may also argue that because spring water is coming from a natural source, it carries healthy minerals that may get filtered out in purified water. 

2. Member’s Mark Purified Water

Sam’s Club is a staple store for most families. Sam’s has the essential items you need, and they are sold in bulk. Many families I know have memberships to Sam’s and purchase large quantities of water there, so over the years I have acquired a taste for Member’s Mark brand water. Although it is not my go-to spring water, I can still drink this comfortably and be satisfied. 

3. LIFEWTR

We all know LIFEWTR to be the one with the cool design on the bottle and the fancy cap. This water most definitely makes you feel bougie; however, it’s nothing more than mediocre. This is one of the water options our school provides in the “extras” lunch line, and I would much rather pay the extra money to drink it than to drink the school’s water.

4. Aquafina

Aquafina is commonly seen at gas stations, concession stands, or vending machines. If there is no other option, I’ll drink it. It doesn’t necessarily have a bad taste at the initial swig, but it definitely leaves a lingering plastic taste in your mouth. At this point, water is water and it essentially does its main purpose of hydrating, but Aquafina is still not that enjoyable. 

5. Dasani

My biggest question is, why is this water sold at every event? Who decided to make this accessible to everybody? I’m going to get straight to the point;  Dasani is terrible. Not only does this water start off tasting like straight up chemicals and plastic, it leaves you smacking your tongue against the roof of your mouth, trying to get the horrid taste out. If this water was my only option at an event, I would take a hard pass. Dasani leaves me feeling more parched than before. 

You may still be wondering why I have such a liking for spring water. So what is the difference between spring and purified? Purified water goes through several filtrations while spring water occurs naturally, like on the side of mountains or at the bottom of the valley. The reason these two taste so differently is because of the minerals that are either kept in the water, or extracted during the purification process. Another main factor that could alter water’s taste is the type of plastic the bottle is made out of. Extreme temperature changes could cause the plastic to leave the water tasting odd. 

Practically any spring water is superior to any other water. Purified water just has too high of a risk when it comes to the plasticy taste. In the end, it all comes down to what you are used to drinking and what is accessible in the moment.