Bottled Water

38 products ranked by Scout score

Best bottled water right now

Icelandic Glacial Water 97/100
Scout's analysis: This product is a naturally sourced glacial spring water from Iceland, indicating exceptional purity, minimal processing, and a clean mineral profile, which aligns well…
The Mountain Valley Spring Water 95/100
Scout's analysis: Mountain Valley Spring Water scores 95/100. Naturally sourced and bottled at the spring, with a strong calcium-bicarbonate-silica mineral profile. Independent…
Trader Joe's Natural Spring Water 95/100
Scout's analysis: This product is sourced from natural spring water, which is a preferred source due to its purity and minimal processing. The absence of contaminants and harmful…

What to skip

Ice Mountain Spring Water Plastic Bottle 20/100
Scout's analysis: Ice Mountain Spring Water (Nestlé Waters) scores 20/100. The latest lab flagged 12 contaminants including bromate ~5x the health guideline, nitrate ~14x, chromium ~8x,…
Ferrarelle Natia Glass Bottle 25/100
Scout's analysis: Ferrarelle Natia Glass Bottle scores 25/100. Lab data is not indexed for this product and the full quality report is not available — the score reflects an untested…
Niagara Purified Water Plastic Bottle 26/100
Scout's analysis: Niagara Purified Water Plastic Bottle scores 26/100. Sourced from a municipal water or well, treated with micron filtration, reverse osmosis, and ozone, but lab flagged…

Independently lab-tested bottled water

21 of the 38 products ranked here have a lab panel on their pages — each measured amount, the level it falls in and the report it comes from. The highest-scoring five:

The Mountain Valley Spring Water 95/100
Acqua Filette Natural Glass Bottle 92/100
Acqua Filette Gently Sparklin Glass Bottle 92/100
Acqua Filette Very Sparkling Glass Bottle 92/100
Icelandic Glacial Sparkling Water Glass Bottle 90/100
and 16 more in the ranking above

Ingredients to watch in bottled water

The flagged ingredients that show up most often across these 38 products. Each link opens Scout's analysis of the ingredient.

Nickel in 2 of 38
Total Trihalomethanes in 2 of 38

What the better bottled water have in common

Magnesium in 25 of 38
Chloride in 23 of 38
Calcium in 22 of 38
Sulfate in 17 of 38
Potassium in 15 of 38

Common questions about bottled water

What scores highest in bottled water on Scout?

Icelandic Glacial Water leads Scout's bottled water ranking at 97/100, followed by The Mountain Valley Spring Water (95) and Trader Joe's Natural Spring Water (95). Scores compare products within the category on ingredients, processing, packaging and any lab results.

What should I avoid in bottled water?

Ice Mountain Spring Water Plastic Bottle scores 20/100, the lowest of the 38 products Scout has analyzed in bottled water; next lowest are Ferrarelle Natia Glass Bottle (25) and Niagara Purified Water Plastic Bottle (26). Each product page lists the ingredients behind the number.

What drags scores down in bottled water?

Across these 38 products the most common flagged ingredients are Nickel, Total Trihalomethanes. Each appears in at least two of the products ranked here.

Is anything in bottled water independently lab tested?

21 of the 38 products on this page carry independent lab results — The Mountain Valley Spring Water, Acqua Filette Natural Glass Bottle, Acqua Filette Gently Sparklin Glass Bottle, Acqua Filette Very Sparkling Glass Bottle, Icelandic Glacial Sparkling Water Glass Bottle and 16 more. Each of their product pages shows the measured amounts, the level each falls in and the report they come from.

How does Scout score bottled water?

Every product in bottled water gets one 1–100 score for comparison within its category: the full ingredient list judged by a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. Lab results are disclosed, not scored. Scout takes no payment for scores or placement.

How Scout scores bottled water

One 1–100 score per product, judged within its category: every ingredient on the label through a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. No brand pays for a score or a position on this list. Read the full methodology →