Choose plain still water if you want no added flavourings, or plain sparkling water if you prefer fizz. For fruit flavour, look for an explicitly sugar-free or no-added-sugar product and read its ingredients: sugar-free flavoured water can contain sweeteners, while a drink labelled only ‘low sugar’ can still contain added sugar. Bottle size matters too—a multipack for home may be less convenient to carry with a single snack.
The useful distinction is whether you want plain water, fizz or fruit flavour—and how strictly you need to avoid added sugar.
If your afternoon snack is already chosen, check that the drink does not add sugar you meant to avoid. Plain water is a straightforward option; for flavoured water, distinguish an explicit sugar-free or no-added-sugar claim from ‘low sugar’ and read the ingredients.
A flavoured water may appeal when plain water does not. Compare the exact flavour’s sugar claim and ingredients, including any sweeteners, rather than assuming every bottle in a brand’s range has the same formulation.
A larger bottle or multipack may suit drinks kept at home or work. For a bottle to carry with one snack, check its capacity and whether the full pack is practical to store and transport.
Start with the type of water you would enjoy with your snack, then check the exact bottle’s sugar claim, ingredients and size. The NHS advises checking drink nutrition labels when choosing sugar-free or no-added-sugar alternatives.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Added sugar | Read the sugar claim, ingredients and sugars per 100ml. ‘Low sugar’ is not the same claim as ‘no added sugar’ or ‘sugar free’: Volvic UK lists sugar in its regular Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime 500ml, alongside 2.3g sugars per 100ml. | I want a drink without added sugar, not merely one described as low in sugar. |
| Flavour and sweeteners | Check the exact flavour’s ingredients as well as its nutrition panel. Volvic UK lists 0g sugars per 100ml for Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free 1.5L, but its ingredients include acesulfame K and sucralose. | Fruit flavour appeals to me, but I want to know whether the drink contains sweeteners. |
| Still or sparkling | Choose the texture you prefer. The NHS suggests sparkling water as an option for people who do not like the taste of still water; check the individual product if its mineral composition matters to you. | I would rather have fizz with my snack, or I prefer the taste of still water. |
| Bottle format | Compare bottle capacity, the number of bottles and where you will keep them. A 500ml bottle and a 1.5L bottle serve different carrying and storage needs. | A smaller bottle is easier for me to take out; at home, I may prefer a larger bottle or multipack. |
| After opening | Follow the instructions on the bottle you buy. The Joybuy product information for Volvic Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free 6 × 500ml says to refrigerate it after opening and drink it within a week. | If I will drink one bottle over several snack times, I need to know how to store it once opened. |
A low-sugar flavoured drink can still contain added sugar. Volvic UK lists sugar as an ingredient in Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime 500ml and gives 2.3g sugars per 100ml.
If avoiding added sugar is your requirement, check for an explicit sugar-free or no-added-sugar claim and read the ingredients of the exact product.
Volvic UK’s Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free 1.5L lists 0g sugars per 100ml and contains acesulfame K and sucralose. A sugar claim does not describe every ingredient.
Read the full ingredients list if particular sweeteners, flavourings or other ingredients matter to you.
Six 1.5L bottles are a different carrying and storage proposition from individual 500ml bottles, even though both provide bottled water for snack time.
Check the bottle capacity, pack count and available storage space before choosing a format.
Retailer product information can change when a drink is reformulated. This matters most when a particular sugar claim or ingredient is central to your choice.
Read the current bottle label, especially the ingredients and sugars line, before buying for a strict no-added-sugar requirement.
These ranges illustrate different types of water to compare; a brand name alone does not establish the ingredients of every bottle it sells.
Highland Spring offers plain spring water and a flavoured still-water range that the brand describes as having no added sugar.
Evian is a reference for shoppers comparing unflavoured natural mineral water.
Volvic has both sugar-free and regular fruit-flavoured waters, so the full product name matters.
Buxton’s plain sparkling natural mineral water is an option to consider if you prefer fizz to fruit flavour.
Tesco’s water range provides examples of plain mineral water and sugar-free flavoured-water listings alongside other brands.
Sainsbury's British Bottled Spring Water 12 × 500ml illustrates a plain still-water multipack.
These options cover plain still and sparkling water alongside fruit-flavoured bottles for an afternoon snack. Compare the individual bottle and pack sizes, then check the current label when an ingredient or sugar claim determines your choice.
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A fruit-flavoured still-water option in individual bottles for snack time. The Joybuy product information describes it as sugar free, lists 0g sugars per 100ml and names acesulfame K and sucralose as ingredients. It advises refrigeration after opening and drinking within a week.
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Plain sparkling water is worth considering if you prefer fizz without fruit flavour. This pack contains eight 500ml bottles; check that the pack size suits where you plan to keep and drink them.
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A strawberry-flavoured still water in a 1.25L bottle for use at home or for sharing. Its product name identifies it as sugar free; read the current bottle’s ingredients if particular sweeteners or other ingredients matter to you.
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This 1.25L bottle offers apple and blackcurrant flavour in a still-water format. Highland Spring describes its flavoured still-water range as having no added sugar; check this bottle’s current sugar claim, nutrition panel and ingredients before choosing it for that requirement.
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A plain still-water choice for keeping at home rather than carrying one small bottle with a snack. The Joybuy product information lists natural spring water as its ingredient. Consider the storage space and carrying weight of six 1.5L bottles.
No. Volvic UK describes its regular Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime 500ml as low in sugar, yet lists sugar among its ingredients and 2.3g sugars per 100ml. If you need to avoid added sugar, look for an explicit sugar-free or no-added-sugar claim and check the ingredients of that bottle.
Yes. Volvic UK lists acesulfame K and sucralose in Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free 1.5L, alongside 0g sugars per 100ml. Read the ingredients if you have a preference about sweeteners; the sugar figure alone will not tell you which are present.
Choose according to whether you prefer a still drink or fizz. The NHS suggests sparkling water for people who do not like the taste of still water. If you compare natural mineral waters, read each bottle’s mineral information rather than assuming different products have the same composition.
Follow the instructions for the exact bottle. The Joybuy product information for Volvic Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free 6 × 500ml says to refrigerate it after opening and drink it within a week; instructions for other products can differ.