9 Vitaminwater Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

Back in the early 2000s, when Vitaminwater first appeared on the shelves of grocery stores near me, I was enamored — a flavored water that was healthy? I could get my vitamins from a sweet-tasting flavored water endorsed by rapper 50 Cent? Well, that just sounds too good to be true.

And, of course, it was and still is. Vitaminwater does contain some good vitamins and minerals, but it also has a very large amount of added sugar in every bottle, comparable to soda. For example, a standard 12-ounce Coke has about 39 grams of sugar, whereas a 20-ounce Vitaminwater contains about 26 grams. That said, when consumed in moderation, Vitaminwater can be a good alternative to, say, regular soda or other sugary drinks, despite its lack of nutrition. But which flavors are actually good enough to warrant buying one in the first place? I was about to find out. Here are nine Vitaminwater flavors, ranked worst to best.

Vitaminwater's Tropical Citrus Energy flavor contains more than just the usual vitamins (B3, B5, B6, and B12, to be exact). There's also 60 milligrams of caffeine in this bad boy, thus the name. There's also a whopping 27 grams of sugar in this Vitaminwater, which is one gram more than usual — and boy, oh, boy is it noticeable. Tropical Citrus Energy is technically supposed to taste like citrus, but the flavor is what I would describe as "unknown sugar drink from the past," like something made in bulk at a child's summer camp and served from a spout.

In other words, it mostly tastes like pure sugar. It's also very thick-tasting, which sort of made me feel like my throat was closing up the more I drank it. It was not hydrating at all. In fact, drinking this flavor of Vitaminwater only made me thirstier. Out of this bunch of Vitaminwater flavors, Tropical Citrus Energy falls to the bottom of the list — get your caffeine (and sugar) elsewhere, as there is nothing redeeming about this one.

XXX Acai Blueberry Pomegranate is a flavor of Vitaminwater that has been around since it first hit the shelves. Personally, I remember it being a favorite of mine, but then again, it's been about 20 years since I've tried it. Upon our reunion, I must say I feel a lot different. XXX tastes heavy while also somehow tasting watery. The combination of acai, blueberry, and pomegranate is a very deep flavor that doesn't taste particularly hydrating. Frankly, all I can taste is the 26 grams of sugar.

It doesn't feel hydrating either. A single sip makes you thirstier, and after a few sips, I desperately needed to down an entire glass of water. The taste also lingers long after it's gone, leaving a bit of a medicinal aftertaste that just won't go away. I'd equate this flavor of Vitaminwater to an extremely watered-down cough syrup. I not only won't be picking up this flavor again, but I'm not sure how I ever liked this. XXX definitely is better than Tropical Citrus Energy, but that wasn't exactly a high bar to clear.

Vitaminwater's Zero Sugar Squeezed Lemonade flavor contains a melange of different vitamins (B3, B5, B6, C, A, E, calcium, and zinc) and is supposed to taste like lemonade. Let's get one thing straight: It does not. Yes, there's a faint, faraway taste of something similar to lemonade, but it almost curdles in on itself as you drink it. My taste buds kept searching for the lemonade that this bottle promised, and they couldn't find it.

Squeezed is entirely too tart and, like the previous flavors, instantly made me more thirsty. It wasn't disgusting, but the dull non-lemonade flavor is just so unpleasant. It was nice to know I wasn't gulping down a pile of sugar as I drank this, but the promise written on the bottle ("better than what you get at a lemonade stand") is an empty one. You will find no true lemonade taste here: stick to regular lemonade on your summer days, not this.

It's not surprising that Zero Sugar Rise, the so-called orange-flavored Vitaminwater, contains a ton of vitamin C (250%, to be exact), but it also has zinc and 100% vitamins B6 and B12. And while that's all well and good, it still does not taste very good. Much like the brand's Squeezed Lemonade (which it beats in taste by only a little), Rise tastes like the idea of orange flavoring. There's an overly artificial sweetness with a tart flair that goes straight to your brain — like, as I drink this, it tastes like my brain is being attacked.

The only thing I kept thinking as I drank this Vitaminwater was that I wished I were drinking the orange flavor of Gatorade. It isn't undrinkable, and better than the previous flavors on the list, but that tartness makes it hard to like. One good thing is that it didn't make me feel more thirsty after drinking it — so, hey, that's something.

Focus, the kiwi strawberry flavor of Vitaminwater, has just the tiniest bit of caffeine (6mg) as well as vitamins that help support neurological function. This is one of the regular sugared Vitaminwater options that didn't feel horrible to drink. There's still a ton of sugar (the usual 26 grams), but it's a fun taste, much like a Sour Patch Kids strawberry-flavored gummy in liquid form. Somehow, it also tastes like watermelon.

This drink is definitely what I would call a treat, and the combination of caffeine and sugar had my brain doing somersaults. When you first take a sip, the sweetness gently slaps you in a fun way. However, there comes a downfall, which is why it lands at number five — after that first sip, the sugar aftertaste is overpowering. It's like an avalanche rolling down a mountain, but the mountain is your own throat after each gulp.

Elevate Blue Raspberry Limeade is packed with tons of vitamins (A, C, E, B3, B5, B6), as well as zinc, selenium, and calcium. It's also, hands down, the best-tasting regular-sugared Vitaminwater. The blue-raspberry-limeade combination is honestly delicious: It's like a melted blue Otter Pop, should you remember that classic nineties popsicle brand. It's a flavor that takes me back to summers when I was a kid, when I'd go to 7-11 and get a sweet treat.

Sure, after several sips, you feel like you just housed a bucket of sugar in liquid form, but that's Vitaminwater for you. I would be more interested in a zero-sugar version of this flavor, as this one is far too sweet to drink regularly (or even finish just one bottle, honestly). But it's a fun taste that doesn't make you thirstier, which is why it comes in at a solid number four. I would splash this flavor into a glass of sparkling water for a bit more flair.

This strawberry-lemonade-flavored Vitaminwater boasts zero sugar and 100% vitamins B6 and B12. It is, supposedly, good for skin health, according to the bottle. Shine Zero Sugar Strawberry Lemonade is similar in taste to Focus, the kiwi-strawberry flavor of Vitaminwater, but easier to drink and much more pleasant (probably due to it not containing as much sugar).

This flavor of Vitaminwater is harmless to me. At this point in my Vitaminwater taste test journey, I'm not sure if I genuinely like this one or if I am just so desperate to like any flavor of Vitaminwater genuinely. I'm pretty sure I like it, but I don't love it. It's fine. It's not offensive or too sweet, and it tastes like the flavor it's supposed to (strawberry lemonade) more than any of the flavors that came before it. It's still a little artificial-tasting but much more enjoyable overall. And I'm not thirsty after drinking it — what a gift.

Re-Hydrate is a delightful-sounding combination of pineapple and passionfruit, and of all the available Vitaminwaters near me, this is the one that sounded the best. It also contains 100% vitamins b3, b5, b6, and b12 (and some added sodium, which is typical in rehydration drinks). Plus, "hydrate" is right there in the same. There was no way this flavor of Vitaminwater wouldn't be hydrating ... right?

Against all odds, it was true: This flavor of Vitaminwater actually does feel hydrating. I wasn't thirsty after drinking it and happily drank the whole thing. Re-Hydrate tastes like a light juice and is one of the most refreshing and drinkable Vitaminwaters. It's actually very different in consistency from the other flavors in that it's thicker, but in a good way. Unlike Energy, the citrus flavor, which also tasted thick, Re-Hydrate's thicker taste comes from its juice-like consistency rather than a pure-sugar taste. It is the second-best choice on the list for this reason — I actually like this flavor.

Power-C Dragonfruit is another Vitaminwater flavor that has been around since the very beginning, back in the early 2000s, and its new sugarless counterpart is Power-C Zero Sugar Dragonfruit. True to its name, this flavor contains a ton of vitamin C (150% daily value) as well as 25% daily value of zinc and chromium, all to help support a healthy immune system. And the best part about this flavor? It's a classic Vitaminwater taste in that it's quite singular — truly nothing tastes like it. And while this could be polarizing for some, in my personal opinion, this is the best-tasting and most refreshing Vitaminwater (of all of the flavors on this list, that is).

Power-C actually tastes good. It's tart but hydrating, and is preferable to the regular sugared version of the flavor. Yes, it has a twinge of that artificial-sugar flavor, but honestly, this is preferable to me (at least when it comes to Vitaminwater). I would rather taste that than feel bombarded with sugar. This flavor reminds me a little of the past, as I drank the non-zero-sugar version back in college — there could be a bit of nostalgia tied to this top ranking, but it truly does taste good compared to most of these flavors. Good job, Power-C Zero Sugar Dragonfruit — you win. 

I chose these Vitaminwater flavors because they were the only available variations of the drink in my general vicinity, at several different stores. They were ranked based on overall flavor and pleasantness, as well as how hydrated they made me feel. As I tasted them, I also began to judge the flavors based on how the sugar content affected me, since some were more overpowering than others.