Households stocking up for the first time
If you want plain water at home, compare the space needed for a large bottle or multipack with how quickly you expect to use opened bottles. Check the storage directions on the pack you choose.
Who is this choice for?
The useful starting point is where you will drink the water and whether plain water, fizz or flavour is likely to suit you.
Shoppers swapping from sugary soft drinks
Plain sparkling water gives you fizz without choosing a flavoured drink. If flavour matters more, compare the sugars declaration and ingredient list of zero-sugar options; they can contain acids, sweeteners and preservatives.
People buying water to carry
Individual 500ml bottles may be easier to fit into a bag than a large household bottle. Decide how many you need away from home before choosing a multipack for the first shop.
What should you check before buying?
Choose the type of drink first, then compare its label and pack size against where you will use it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar and flavour | Distinguish plain water from a flavoured drink. For a flavoured option, read the sugars value per 100ml and the ingredients, not just the front-of-pack wording. | I want an alternative to sugary soft drinks, but I may still want some flavour. The NHS suggests diet, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks as swaps for sugary drinks. |
| Fizz | Check whether sparkling water is plain or has added flavourings or sweeteners. Choose still or sparkling according to which you prefer drinking. | If still water does not appeal to me, I would rather buy plain water with bubbles than leave a pack unused. The NHS suggests sparkling water for people who do not like plain water. |
| Pack and storage | Compare bottle volume and the number of bottles with cupboard and fridge space. Read the specific after-opening storage and use instructions. | For home use, a larger pack has to fit where I store it. For commuting or errands, individual bottles matter more than a large total volume. |
| Water description | Read whether the label says spring water or natural mineral water. If mineral composition matters to your choice, compare the declared values and their units on the bottles. | I want to understand what I am buying without assuming that a water description or one mineral figure makes a bottle preferable for everyone. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming zero-sugar flavoured water is plain water
Volvic Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Lemon & Lime declares 0g sugars per 100ml, but its ingredient list also includes citric acid, flavourings, a preservative and sweeteners.
If you want plain water, check for a water-only ingredient list. If you want flavour, read both the sugars declaration and the full ingredients for that particular bottle.
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Choosing the largest pack without planning where it goes
A household multipack takes storage space, while an opened bottle may need refrigeration and have a product-specific use period.
Check the total volume, where the bottles will fit and the directions for opened bottles. Choose smaller bottles when carrying them is the more important requirement.
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Judging plain water by one mineral figure
Brands declare different mineral compositions. A single sodium or calcium value does not establish an overall dietary advantage between plain waters.
Compare the label if a particular mineral matters to you; otherwise, consider your preference for still or sparkling water and the pack format you will use.
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Using a retailer description instead of the bottle label
Ingredients and product directions can change. This matters particularly when choosing a flavoured drink or checking a specific ingredient.
Read the current pack label for ingredients, nutrition information, the best-before date and storage directions before using the product.
Brand and own-label references
These examples show the formats and label details worth comparing; a brand name alone does not determine which bottle suits your shop.
Highland Spring
Highland Spring lists still-water bottles from 330ml to 2L, alongside a plain sparkling range.
- Its published spring-water composition lists sodium at 5.6mg/L and dry residue at 170mg/L.
- Those figures describe its water; they do not establish an advantage over another plain water.
Evian
Evian publishes mineral-composition information for its natural mineral water and offers still and sparkling formats.
- Its published values include calcium at 80mg/L, magnesium at 26mg/L and sodium at 6.5mg/L.
- Use the composition to compare labels if it matters to you, not as proof of a universal dietary advantage.
Volvic
Volvic offers plain natural mineral water and a separate Touch of Fruit Sugar Free flavoured range.
- Volvic lists sodium at 12mg/L for its plain 500ml mineral water.
- Its Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Lemon & Lime lists 0g sugars per 100ml but also contains citric acid, flavourings, a preservative and sweeteners.
Buxton
Buxton offers still and sparkling natural mineral water sourced from Buxton, Derbyshire.
- Buxton lists calcium at 55mg/L, magnesium at 19mg/L and sodium at 24mg/L for its sparkling water.
- Check that a bottle is plain sparkling water if you want fizz without choosing a flavoured drink.
Tesco
Tesco Ashbeck Still Water provides an own-label 2L format to consider for home use.
- The Tesco Ashbeck 2L listing says to refrigerate the bottle once opened and consume it within three days.
- Tesco advises reading the physical product label because its online product information can change.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists own-label British spring water in individual-bottle, multipack and larger-bottle formats.
- Its listed formats include a 2L bottle and a 6 × 2L pack, giving households different storage arrangements to consider.
- Read the current pack label rather than relying solely on the retailer description.
Joybuy bottled-water options
These options cover plain still water, plain sparkling water and sugar-free flavoured water in individual-bottle multipacks. Compare the bottle size and ingredients with the type of drink you expect to use.
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Volvic Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free, 6 × 500ml
A flavoured option in bottles that can be carried individually. This is not plain water: the listed ingredients include citric acid, flavourings, potassium benzoate, acesulfame K and sucralose. Check the current bottle label for its nutrition and storage directions.
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Buxton Sparkling Water, 8 × 500ml
Choose this plain sparkling-water multipack if you want fizz and individual bottles rather than still water. Check the current pack for directions on storing a bottle after opening.
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Evian Mineral Water, 6 × 500ml
A plain-water option in individual bottles for use away from home. The six-bottle pack holds 3L in total; consider whether that format suits you better than a larger household bottle.
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Highland Spring Sugar Free Strawberry Still, 6 × 1.25L
Consider this larger-bottle flavoured option if you have space for a household multipack. Its listed ingredients include sucralose, sulphites, citric acid, flavourings and potassium sorbate, so check the label if any of these matter to you. The listing also flags a choking hazard from the cap for children under 36 months.
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White Rock Still Spring Water, 6 × 2L
This still-water pack holds 12L across six bottles, making storage space an important check for a first shop. Read the current pack directions for chilling and using bottles after opening.
Questions about bottled water
Does plain bottled water count towards daily fluid intake?
Yes. The NHS includes water in fluid intake and gives six to eight cups or glasses a day as general guidance, not a target tailored to an individual.
Can sparkling water be a lower-sugar swap?
Plain sparkling water is an option if you prefer fizz; the NHS suggests it for people who do not like plain water. Read the ingredients to distinguish it from a flavoured or sweetened sparkling drink.
Is zero-sugar flavoured water the same as plain water?
No. A zero-sugar drink can contain other ingredients. Volvic Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Lemon & Lime, for example, declares 0g sugars per 100ml and lists citric acid, flavourings, potassium benzoate and sweeteners. Check the label of the flavour you intend to buy.
What does “natural mineral water” mean on a label?
For England, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs says natural mineral water must come from a qualifying underground source protected from pollution, and its composition must be stated on the label. That guidance is specific to England; check the relevant guidance for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland rather than assuming identical rules apply.
How long can I keep bottled water after opening?
Follow the directions on the exact bottle. Tesco's Ashbeck 2L listing says to refrigerate it and consume it within three days of opening, while Joybuy's Highland Spring 6 × 1.5L listing says to refrigerate opened bottles and use them within seven days. Check the current label rather than applying either period to every water.