Flavored drinking water has become increasingly popular in recent years as a healthy alternative to sugary sodas and juices. But does adding fruit essences and other natural flavorings to water provide the same hydration and health benefits as plain water? The answer is a resounding yes. Flavored water keeps you just as hydrated as regular water while offering additional vitamins, minerals, antioxidants depending on the fruits, herbs or vegetables used for flavoring. For example, adding lemon provides immune-boosting vitamin C while mint soothes digestion. As long as no sugar or artificial ingredients are added, flavored H20 gives you all the same benefits as unflavored water plus a tasty, refreshing twist. Just be sure to check the label for any unhealthy additives. Overall, jazzing up your water with natural flavor is a tasty way to meet your daily fluid needs while giving your health an added boost.
Our Top Picks For 2025
Hint Blackberry Flavored Water
Hint Blackberry is a line of unsweetened, zero calorie flavored water made with purified water and natural blackberry flavor. It contains no sugar, sweeteners, or artificial ingredients.
Hint Blackberry flavored water offers a delicious, fruit-infused drinking experience without extra calories or sweeteners. This beverage features:
- Purified water infused with juicy blackberry flavor using only natural essences to capture the luscious, tangy taste of fresh blackberries
- Zero calories, zero sugar, and zero sweeteners for guilt-free hydration
- Vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free and kosher certified
- Convenient single-serve bottles and multi-packs for enjoying flavored water at home or on-the-go
Enjoy the wonderfully fruity taste of blackberries with zero compromise on nutrition or ingredients. Hint Blackberry water is a flavorful way to stay refreshed and hydrated throughout your day.
Propel Black Cherry Fitness Water
Propel Black Cherry is a zero-calorie, sugar-free fitness water made with purified water, natural flavors, antioxidants, electrolytes, and B vitamins. It offers a delicious, guilt-free way to hydrate during and after exercise.
Quench your thirst with the sweet cherry goodness of Propel Black Cherry fitness water. This beverage features:
- Refreshing black cherry flavor from natural essences, without any artificial sweeteners
- Zero calories and zero sugar for guilt-free hydration
- Electrolytes including sodium to help replace what’s lost in sweat
- Antioxidant Vitamins C and E to support exercise recovery
- B Vitamins B3, B5, and B6 to help convert food into energy
Propel Black Cherry is the ultimate workout partner, with a light cherry taste that will keep you hydrated workout after workout. Stay refreshed before, during, and after your fitness routine with this deliciously fruity, nutritious fitness water.
Propel Berry Fitness Water 1 Liter
Propel Berry is a 1 liter bottle of zero-calorie, sugar-free berry-flavored fitness water. It contains electrolytes, antioxidants, and B vitamins to help hydrate active lifestyles.
Quench your thirst with a burst of sweet, juicy berry flavor in every sip of Propel Berry fitness water. This refreshing beverage features:
- One liter bottle for extra hydration on the go
- Invigorating and tangy berry flavor from natural essences
- Zero calories and zero sugar for guilt-free hydration
- Electrolytes including sodium to help replace what’s lost in sweat
- Antioxidant Vitamins C and E to support exercise recovery
- B Vitamins B3, B5, and B6 to help convert food into energy
With a light, fruity taste and essential nutrients, Propel Berry fitness water is the ultimate companion before, during, and after your workouts. Stay optimally hydrated with the superior electrolyte profile and delicious berry flavor.
Bai Antioxidant Infused Flavored Water Beverages (12 pack)
Bai offers a variety of delicious, antioxidant-infused flavored water beverages with light fruit flavors and only 1 gram of sugar per bottle. This 12 pack features Bai’s Brasilia Blueberry flavor.
Bai’s antioxidant infused flavored waters deliver refreshing, fruity taste with added health benefits. The Brasilia Blueberry variety features the sweet flavor of blueberries, along with an infusion of antioxidants from tea and fruit extracts. Enjoy the tasty refreshment of flavored water with less sugar and calories.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Lightly flavored with blueberry juice concentrate for refreshing fruit taste
- Infused with antioxidants from tea and fruit juices
- Naturally sweetened with erythritol and stevia leaf extract
- Vegan, kosher, gluten free, and low glycemic
- Only 10 calories and 1 gram of sugar per bottle
With delicious fruit flavor and added antioxidants, Bai Brasilia Blueberry water makes healthy hydration more enjoyable. It’s a refreshing, feel-good way to get your daily fluid intake.
Bai Antioxidant Infused Flavored Water Variety Pack (12 pack)
Bai offers a delicious variety pack of their antioxidant-infused flavored waters, featuring 4 refreshing fruit flavors in each 12-pack. These flavored waters deliver light fruit taste with only 1 gram of sugar per bottle.
The Bai Safari Variety Pack provides exotic fruit flavors and added health benefits in one convenient package. This pack includes 3 bottles each of Bai’s top selling Brasilia Blueberry, Costa Rica Clementine, Malawi Mango, and Zambia Bing Cherry flavors. Each bottle is infused with antioxidants and lightly sweetened with natural ingredients.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Four delicious fruit flavors: Blueberry, Mango, Cherry, and Clementine
- Made with fruit juice concentrates for refreshing, natural taste
- Infused with antioxidants from tea and fruit extracts
- Naturally sweetened with erythritol and stevia
- Vegan, kosher, gluten free
- Just 10 calories and 1 gram of sugar per bottle
With a variety of flavors and healthy ingredients, the Bai Safari Variety Pack offers lightly flavored, antioxidant-rich refreshment in one pack. It makes staying hydrated more delicious.
Propel Zero Calorie Flavored Water Variety Pack (12 pack)
Propel offers a delicious variety pack of their zero calorie flavored waters, featuring 3 refreshing fruit flavors in each 12-pack. These electrolyte waters have no sugar but deliver hydration, antioxidants, and B vitamins.
The Propel 3-Flavor Variety Pack provides a tasty assortment of fruit-flavored fitness waters in one convenient package. This pack includes 4 bottles each of Propel’s Berry, Strawberry Lemonade, and Grape flavors. Each bottle is enhanced with electrolytes, antioxidants, and B vitamins to replenish what’s lost in sweat.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Three delicious fruit flavors: Berry, Strawberry Lemonade, and Grape
- Zero calories and zero sugar
- Formulated with electrolytes to rehydrate
- Infused with antioxidant Vitamins C and E
- Includes B vitamins for energy metabolism
- Sweetened with sucralose and Ace-K
With a boost of electrolytes and vitamins, the Propel Variety Pack offers both hydrating and healthy refreshment. It’s a guilt-free way to keep your water intake exciting.
Propel Zero Calorie Fitness Water (12 pack)
Propel offers zero calorie fitness waters in delicious fruit flavors, infused with electrolytes, antioxidants, and vitamins to refuel active lifestyles. This 12 pack features Propel’s classic Grape flavor.
Propel is the go-to fitness water for active hydration. Their Grape flavored water provides the same refreshing taste you love, now with the added benefits of electrolytes, antioxidants, and B vitamins to help replace what’s lost in sweat.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Zero calories and zero sugar
- Infused with electrolytes to stimulate thirst and support hydration
- Includes antioxidants Vitamins C and E
- Added B vitamins niacin, pantothenic acid, B6 and B12
- Refreshing grape flavor
- No artificial sweeteners or flavors
Propel Grape Fitness Water makes staying hydrated during and after exercise more delicious. Its thirst-quenching taste and essential nutrients offer the ultimate rehydration experience.
Bai Boost Antioxidant Infused Flavored Waters (12 pack)
Bai Boost offers lightly caffeinated, antioxidant-infused flavored waters in delicious fruit flavors. This 12 pack features the refreshing Pineapple Passionfruit flavor with 110mg of natural caffeine per bottle.
Bai Boost provides a delicious, feel-good boost of plant-based energy. The Pineapple Passionfruit flavored water is infused with white tea extract, delivering 110mg of natural caffeine along with antioxidant benefits. Enjoy the bright, tropical flavor with a boost of caffeine from nature.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Pineapple and passionfruit flavor from fruit juice concentrates
- Infused with white tea extract for 110mg natural caffeine
- Added antioxidants from tea and fruit extracts
- Lightly sweetened with erythritol and stevia
- Vegan, kosher, gluten free
- 10 calories and 1 gram of sugar per bottle
With a boost of natural energy from tea and delicious pineapple passionfruit taste, Bai Boost offers feel-good refreshment. It’s a tasty way to hydrate with a little extra pep in your step.
Splash Blast Fruit Flavored Water Beverages (24 pack)
Splash Blast offers a variety of delicious, fruit flavored water beverages in refreshing flavors like Wild Berry, Pineapple Mango, and more. These flavored waters have zero calories and zero sugar.
Splash Blast is a line of fruit flavored water beverages that provide flavorful hydration without extra calories or sugar. This 24 pack features the vibrant Wild Berry flavor, packed with a tasty fusion of mixed berry flavors.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Refreshing wild berry flavor from a blend of berries
- Sweet fruit taste but zero sugar and zero calories
- Purified water with added electrolytes
- Convenient 24 pack of 16.9oz bottles
- Available in a variety of fun fruit flavors
With refreshing fruit flavors and essential electrolytes, Splash Blast Wild Berry water makes healthy hydration more delicious. Enjoy the burst of berry refreshment guilt-free!
Hint Watermelon Flavored Water (12 pack)
Hint offers delicious, fruit-flavored water with no sugar, no calories, and no artificial sweeteners. This pack includes 12 bottles of Hint’s refreshing Watermelon flavor.
Hint flavored waters liven up your hydration with the crisp, sweet taste of fruit, without any added sugar. The Watermelon variety features a light, juicy watermelon flavor that makes drinking water a treat. Each bottle is sweetened only with natural fruit essences.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Lightly flavored with natural watermelon essence
- No sugar, no calories, no sweeteners
- Crisp and refreshing fruit taste
- Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, kosher
- No preservatives or artificial flavors
- Convenient 12-pack format
With a refreshing splash of fruit flavor, Hint Watermelon water is a delicious way to stay hydrated. It adds a touch of sweetness without the calories or guilt.
Sipping Beyond Bland: The Hydration Revolution of Flavored Water
Unveiling the World of Flavored Water
Flavored water has exploded in popularity in recent years as a refreshing and hydrating drink option. Unlike regular bottled water, flavored waters have added natural or artificial flavors that give them a more appealing taste profile without added sugars or calories. Flavors can range from subtle fruit essences like lemon, lime, and berry to bolder options like coconut, cucumber, and even flavors like watermelon or peach.
The flavored water category encompasses sparkling and non-sparkling varieties. Sparkling options provide light effervescence from added carbonation, while non-sparkling flavored waters maintain a still, smooth mouthfeel. Popular brands of flavored water include giants like La Croix, Bubly, and Hint as well as smaller artisanal brands offering unique flavor combinations. Flavored waters are widely available in grocery stores, convenience stores, and online in canned, bottled, and even powdered mix formats.
The growth of the flavored water market reflects increasing consumer demand for healthier hydration and a movement away from sugar-laden sodas and juices. Flavored waters provide refreshed taste with zero or very few calories, making them an appealing option for health-conscious consumers looking to cut back on sugars and artificial ingredients.
Variety and Popularity Surge of Flavored Water
The flavored water category has absolutely exploded with variety in recent years. What started as a niche offering from a handful of brands has turned into an entire beverage sector flooding store shelves and e-commerce sites. Consumers can now choose from a seemingly endless range of flavors, from common fruits like lemon, lime, and berry to more exotic ingredients like coconut, cucumber, ginger, and guava.
Sparkling waters now come in every flavor imaginable, with some brands offering as many as 35 distinct varieties. The flavor diversity caters to a range of consumer palates while keeping sugars and calories negligible. Even big soda giants like Pepsi and Coca-Cola have jumped into the growing category with their own flavored sparkling water products like Bubly and Aha.
This surge in flavored water popularity stems from a larger consumer shift away from unhealthy sugary beverages. Flavored waters provide a flavorful, fizzy drink alternative that keeps consumers hydrated without unhealthy additives. According to Allied Market Research, the global flavored water market size was valued at $21.3 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $36.8 billion by 2031, expanding at a healthy 6.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
Scientific Perspectives on Water’s Health Benefits
Scientifically speaking, water is absolutely vital for nearly all functions within the human body. As an essential nutrient, water makes up 50-70% of body weight in adults and serves a number of crucial roles.
According to sources like the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), water regulates body temperature, lubricates joints and tissues, protects organs and tissues, and eliminates wastes. Water is needed for processes like metabolizing food, transporting oxygen and nutrients, maintaining skin health, and regulating heartbeat and blood pressure.
MedicineNet notes that even mild dehydration can cause headaches, lethargy, and constipation. More severe dehydration can result in dizziness, rapid heart rate, confusion, and even unconsciousness or shock. Meeting daily water intake needs is vital for energy, cognition, mood, and overall health.
Experts from Prairie View A&M University highlight that water helps almost every part of the body perform better, giving us more energy, better cognition, and healthier looking skin. Staying hydrated also lowers joint pain and may help prevent headaches as well as bladder and colon cancer.
Consumer Behavior Shift towards Healthier Hydration Choices
Over the past decade, a major shift has occurred in consumer buying behavior as it relates to beverage choices. Health-conscious consumers have been moving away from unhealthy sugary sodas and fruit juices and opting for healthier, low-calorie hydration options like unsweetened teas, black coffee, seltzer water, and flavored water.
The rise of the flavored water category reflects consumers seeking refreshment and great taste without unnecessary additives like excess sugar. Brands have answered the call by formulating flavored waters with little to no sweeteners, using flavors from real fruits, herbs, and botanicals to provide a subtle yet appealing taste profile.
This increased demand for flavored water comes alongside falling soda sales and demand. Per capita soda consumption has dropped to 32 gallons a year, a 25% decline since the late 1990s. And the recent push for soda taxes in cities across North America further signals the shift away from unhealthy sweetened beverages.
As consumer continue to gravitate towards better-for-you beverage options, the flavored water category stands to keep benefiting. Allied Market Research projects flavored water to grow at a 6.2% CAGR through 2031 as health-conscious consumers look for refreshing, flavorful hydration without extra sugars or calories.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Flavored Water
Benefits of Flavored Water Consumption
Enhanced Hydration
One of the biggest benefits of flavored water is that it encourages people to drink more fluids and stay better hydrated. While plain water is ideal, some find it boring to drink which leads them not to consume enough throughout the day. The appealing flavors and sensations found in flavored waters motivate increased consumption.
Research affirms that flavored waters hydrate as effectively as regular water. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at hydration markers in subjects who drank plain water versus those getting water with small amounts of flavoring. No significant differences emerged between the two groups, signaling both plain and flavored water effectively deliver hydration.
Potential Skin Benefits
Staying well hydrated brings a host of benefits for skin health and appearance. Water improves skin moisture and plumpness from the inside out, increasing skin elasticity and reducing fine lines. Flavonoids and antioxidants found in some fruit-flavored waters provide additional skin nourishment.
One study in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology found that increased water intake positively impacted skin hydration, thickness, density and smoothness. Participants drinking just two additional cups of water a day for a month exhibited measurable skin improvements.
Healthier Alternative to Sugary Beverages
Flavored sparkling waters offer health-conscious consumers a flavorful, fizzy drink option that skips the sugar, calories, and artificial ingredients found in sodas. Swapping out sugary sodas and juices for flavored waters significantly cuts calories, sugars, and additives.
For example, a 12-ounce can of Coke contains 39 grams of sugar and 140 calories. Comparable sized servings of popular flavored sparkling waters like LaCroix and Bubly contain zero sugar and calories. For consumers looking to reduce intake of excess sugar and cut calories, flavored water presents an appealing alternative.
Criticisms and Downsides of Flavored Water
Added Sugar and Intense Sweeteners
While many flavored water brands use no sugar or calories, some do contain added sweeteners. Certain fruit-infused waters have natural sugars from juices added. And some flavored waters use non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia or sucralose to provide sweetness without calories.
Consuming artificial sweeteners may negatively impact gut bacteria and inflammation levels. Small amounts are likely safe, but experts recommend moderation. Checking labels to see if and how much added sweetener is present can help consumers make informed choices.
Concerns about Additives and Fruit ‘Flavoring’
Some consumers worry about artificial flavors, preservatives, and other additives occasionally found in flavored waters. While flavors derived from actual fruits or herbs are ideal, artificially formulated fruit flavors are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA.
Labels aren’t always clear about whether fruit flavors come from real fruit juices or artificial flavor compounds. If this is a concern for you, check ingredient lists and buy from brands using all natural flavors when possible to get the fruit and antioxidant benefits.
Making Informed Choices in Hydration Habits
Comparing Flavored Water with Traditional Water
When it comes to hydration and health impacts, plain water is hard to beat. With no calories, sugars, or additives, water delivers hydration in its purest possible form. That said, flavored waters provide hydration nearly on par with traditional water, as affirmed by research.
The choice comes down to personal preference. Those who don’t enjoy the taste of plain water may opt for subtle fruit essences or bolder flavor varieties to encourage adequate hydration. With the diversity of flavored waters now available, there’s a profile to suit almost any palate.
Tips for Choosing Healthier Flavored Water Options
If flavored water fits into your healthy hydration goals, keep these tips in mind when making purchases:
Check labels for sugar content and aim for little or none
Look for all natural flavors and sweeteners when possible
Prioritize fruit/herb essences over artificial flavoring
Moderate intake of added sweeteners, even non-nutritive ones
Buy plain sparkling water and create your own flavors
Conclusion: Navigating the Flavored Water Landscape
Summary of Benefits and Risks
Flavored waters offer hydrating benefits nearly on par with regular water, with the added appeal of delicious flavors. Choosing options low in sugars and additives provides flavorful hydration without health downsides. Be aware of concerns about sweeteners and artificial ingredients, and check labels to make informed choices.
Empowering Readers to Make Educated Hydration Decisions
The growth of the flavored water market empowers consumers to make flavorful, healthy choices to promote hydration. As with any product category, not all options are created equal when it comes to ingredients and additives. This article aimed to uncover the science, benefits, and potential pitfalls to help readers make educated decisions about meeting hydration needs.
