Shoppers stocking water at home
Larger bottles or multipacks may suit you if you have room to store them and expect to use the whole pack. Decide whether one large container or several smaller bottles will be easier to handle.
Who is choosing bottled water?
Shoppers avoiding added sugar
Check the ingredient list on the exact bottle rather than relying on a shelf category or a range name. Plain water and sugar-free flavoured drinks need different label checks.
Shoppers who prefer flavour
A sugar-free flavoured water may suit your taste preference, but check that flavour's ingredients if sweeteners, acids or other additions matter to you.
What should you check?
Check the ingredients first, then choose between plain and flavoured water before settling on a bottle size you can use and store.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Read the exact bottle's ingredient list. Read any no-added-sugars claim alongside it, rather than treating a sugar-free label as the same claim. | I want to know whether the drink contains anything besides water, particularly ingredients used for sweetening. |
| Flavour | Check the specific flavour's ingredients and its sugars value per 100ml. Volvic lists acesulfame K and sucralose in its Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Mango Passion variant. | Fruit flavour matters to me, but I also want to see which sweeteners and other additions are in this bottle. |
| Pack format | Check the volume of each bottle, the number of bottles and the space needed for the full pack. Distinguish still from sparkling water. | For home use, I can accommodate a larger pack; for carrying, I would rather have smaller individual bottles. |
Common label mistakes
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Assuming “sugar free” means no other additions
A flavoured drink can have a sugar-free label while containing sweeteners, flavourings or acids. Volvic lists acesulfame K and sucralose in its Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Mango Passion variant.
Read the ingredients of the exact flavour. If you want a drink made only from water, check the label of a plain still or sparkling option instead.
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Using a shelf category to judge a bottle's ingredients
A category such as “still water” identifies a type of drink, not the complete ingredient list of each product in it.
For an own-label bottle or multipack, inspect the label of the exact product before deciding whether it meets your no-added-sugar preference.
Brand and retailer references
A brand may sell both plain and flavoured water. Check the individual product rather than applying one range's ingredients to another.
Highland Spring
Offers plain spring water and flavoured still-water products.
- Highland Spring describes its water as lightly mineralised.
- Its statement that a flavoured range is sugar free does not establish the ingredients of every Highland Spring bottle.
Evian
A natural mineral-water brand with several bottle formats.
- Evian says its core natural mineral water has no extra additives.
- Check the exact product and pack rather than extending that description to a different drink.
Volvic
Sells plain natural mineral water and a separate Touch of Fruit Sugar Free range.
- The plain-water and flavoured ranges give shoppers different ingredient choices.
- The Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Mango Passion ingredient list includes acesulfame K and sucralose; check each flavour separately.
Buxton
Offers natural mineral water in plain still and sparkling formats.
- Buxton identifies its natural mineral-water range as plain still or sparkling.
- Select the format you want and check the label of the exact pack.
Tesco
Own-label still water is an option to consider when choosing a household bottle format.
- Consider the bottle volume and whether it suits your storage space.
- Check the exact bottle's ingredients before treating a category listing as confirmation of a no-added-sugar preference.
Sainsbury's
Lists own-label still spring water in 5L bottles and 6 x 2L packs.
- The two formats offer different ways to store and dispense water at home.
- Check the ingredient label on the exact bottle; the pack format alone does not establish its contents.
Plain-water options on Joybuy
These plain still and sparkling water packs offer different bottle sizes for home storage or individual use. They are not a selection of flavoured waters.
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Highland Spring Still Water, 4 x 5L
Four large containers suit a home stock-up if you have room for the full 20L pack. Check the exact product label against your ingredient preference.
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Highland Spring Still Water, 6 x 1.5L
Six separate bottles offer a 9L household pack without requiring you to handle one large container. Allow space for the multipack and check the bottle label.
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Highland Spring Still Water, 5L
A single large still-water container may suit a place where you can keep it within reach. Check that its size works for your storage and that the label meets your ingredient preference.
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Volvic Mineral Water, 12 x 1L
This 12L multipack divides the water into individual 1L bottles. Check that you can store twelve bottles and confirm the ingredients on the exact pack.
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Buxton Sparkling Water, 8 x 500ml
Choose this pack if you want sparkling rather than still water in individual 500ml bottles. Check the exact bottle label for its ingredients.
Questions about bottled water
Are “no added sugars” and “sugar free” the same thing?
No: the phrases describe different things, so do not use either as a substitute for reading the ingredients. The Advertising Standards Authority explains that “with no added sugars” concerns added sugars and foods used for sweetening; a sugar-free flavoured drink can still contain sweeteners, as Volvic's Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Mango Passion ingredient list shows.
What is the simplest bottled-water choice when avoiding added sugar?
Choose plain still or sparkling water whose exact bottle lists only water as an ingredient. Check the label rather than assuming that every drink in a brand's range has the same formulation.
Should I choose still or sparkling water?
Choose the format you prefer and will use. Buxton identifies its natural mineral water as available in plain still and sparkling versions; for either format, check the exact bottle's ingredients and choose a pack size that suits you.