People carrying lunch to work or study
Individual cans let you take one drink from a multipack rather than carry the whole pack or a larger bottle. Check the volume of each can against what you usually drink with a meal.
Who are canned multipacks for?
The useful starting point is whether you want one drink to pack with lunch, and what you want that drink to contain.
Shoppers comparing flavoured fizzy drinks
If flavour matters but you have a preference about sugar or sweeteners, compare the ingredients and nutrition information for the exact drink. Tesco Groceries’ listings illustrate why: its Dash Peach cans are described as having no sugar or sweeteners, while its Volvic strawberry sparkling drink is described as sugar free and containing sweeteners.
People who prefer plain sparkling water
Look for the precise plain-water product and container format, not just a familiar mineral- or spring-water brand. Perrier, S.Pellegrino and Highland Spring describe can formats within their ranges, but a brand’s bottle multipack does not establish that the same drink is sold as a canned multipack.
What should you check before choosing?
Decide on the type of drink first, then check the individual can and the outer pack separately. A flavour description alone will not tell you whether a drink contains sweeteners or fruit juice.
Plain sparkling water
Choose it when: You want an unflavoured fizzy drink with lunch.
Bear in mind: Check the exact can and multipack listing; a brand’s bottled range may have different pack sizes.
Flavoured sparkling water
Choose it when: You want a named flavour and its ingredients suit your preferences.
Bear in mind: Flavoured products differ: Tesco Groceries describes Dash Peach as having no sweeteners, but its Volvic strawberry sparkling drink contains them.
Fruit-based sparkling drinks
Choose it when: You specifically want a fruit-based drink rather than plain water.
Bear in mind: “Zero added sugar” does not describe total sugars. Check the nutrition declaration and ingredients for the exact drink.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Individual serving | Check the volume of each can and whether you can close it after opening. Tesco Groceries lists several flavoured options in 330ml cans. | I want a can I can pack with lunch and finish at a time that suits me. |
| Drink formulation | Read the ingredients and nutrition information for the exact flavour. Check separately for fruit juice, sugars and sweeteners; “sugar free” and “zero added sugar” are different descriptions. | Flavour appeals to me, but I want to know what is in the drink before choosing a whole pack. |
| Pack format | Check the number of cans, the volume per can and the container type. A 12 × 500ml bottle pack is not the same format as a 12 × 330ml can pack. | I need enough individual drinks for several lunches without mistaking a bottle multipack for cans. |
| Availability | Confirm the exact flavour, pack size and current stock for your delivery area or store before ordering. | If I have picked a particular drink, I need to know that the same pack is available when I order. |
| After use | Follow the recycling instructions for the place where you finish the drink. Home collections and workplace bins may use different arrangements. | I want to know which bin to use when lunch is away from home. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Assuming every flavoured fizzy water has the same ingredients
Products sold alongside sparkling water can differ in sweeteners and fruit-juice content. A front-of-pack phrase may not answer the question that matters to you.
Read the ingredients and nutrition information for the exact flavour. If you want an unflavoured drink, check that the listing is for plain sparkling water.
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Choosing by brand without checking the container
A brand can offer sparkling water in more than one format. Selecting its bottle multipack by mistake changes what you will have to carry with lunch.
Confirm the product title, number of containers, volume per container and whether they are cans before ordering.
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Reading “zero added sugar” as “zero total sugars”
Sanpellegrino describes fruit juice in its zero-added-sugar sparkling-drink range. The added-sugar wording alone does not tell you the total-sugars value for a particular drink.
Compare the ingredient list and the nutrition values per 100ml and per can for the exact product.
Which brands and retailers are relevant?
These ranges help distinguish plain water, flavoured drinks and pack formats; a brand reference is not a substitute for checking the exact canned multipack.
Highland Spring
Highland Spring describes still and sparkling water across cans, bottles and boxes, and describes its sparkling water as having nothing added but bubbles.
- Relevant when looking for a plain sparkling spring-water range.
- Check the retailer’s exact can size and multipack format rather than substituting a bottle pack.
Perrier
Perrier’s product page describes carbonated mineral water and shows a slim-can format alongside bottles.
- A brand to consider if you want sparkling mineral water in a can.
- Check the exact UK multipack and can size at the retailer you intend to use.
S.Pellegrino / Sanpellegrino
Sanpellegrino’s UK pages distinguish S.Pellegrino sparkling-water formats, including cans, from its fruit-based sparkling drinks.
- The distinction helps when choosing between plain water and a fruit-based drink.
- Check the exact product: a sparkling-water listing in bottles does not establish a canned multipack, and drink-range claims do not apply to plain water.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists 4 × 330ml canned flavoured products from Dash, Aqua Libra and Volvic, with product-level descriptions that help distinguish their formulations.
- Check the individual listing for its pack format, ingredients and nutrition information.
- Stock can differ between products and at the time of ordering.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists bottled sparkling-water multipacks and a Dash Mixed Pack in 12 × 330ml cans within its sparkling-water category.
- Its listings show why pack count and container type need separate checks.
- A retailer category containing cans does not mean every sparkling-water product there is canned.
M&S
M&S describes still, sparkling and flavoured waters in its range; the sparkling products identified in its water listing include bottle formats.
- Relevant for comparing water and flavoured-water descriptions.
- Check the container on an individual listing if cans are essential for your lunch routine.
Joybuy cans for different lunch routines
These options cover a raspberry-flavoured 330ml can, a grape-flavoured 330ml can and a larger resealable sparkling-water can. Compare the individual serving and pack count before choosing.
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Dash Water Wonky Raspberries, 12 × 330ml
The 330ml can is an individual serving to take with lunch; the pack contains 12 cans. This is raspberry-flavoured rather than plain sparkling water, so check the exact label if ingredients are a deciding factor.
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Genki Forest Summer Black Grape, 24 × 330ml
Each grape-flavoured can is 330ml, while the outer pack contains 24 cans. Consider whether that pack count suits the number of lunches you are planning, and check the ingredient list if you have a preference about sweeteners.
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Cano Water Sparkling Resealable, 12 × 500ml
This option has 12 resealable 500ml cans. The larger individual size may suit someone who wants to close a can after lunch, but check whether 500ml is the amount you want to carry.
Common questions
Is a drink labelled “sparkling water” always plain water?
No. Plain mineral or spring water, flavoured sparkling water and fruit-based sparkling drinks appear in this shopping category. Check the exact ingredients and nutrition information if sugar, sweeteners or fruit juice affect your choice.
What can size should I take with lunch?
Choose a volume that fits what you normally drink with a meal, then check the pack count. Tesco Groceries lists examples of 4 × 330ml canned flavoured drinks, while the Joybuy options here include both 330ml and 500ml individual cans.
Does “zero added sugar” mean a sparkling drink contains no sugars?
No. It is not the same statement as zero total sugars. Sanpellegrino describes fruit juice in its zero-added-sugar sparkling-drink range, so use the exact drink’s nutrition declaration to check its total-sugars value.
What should I read on a prepacked drink label?
Start with the ingredients and nutrition information, including values per 100ml and, where shown, per can. UK government food-labelling guidance covers ingredients and nutrition information for prepacked foods; these details are more useful for comparing formulations than the product name alone.
Can I put the empty can in the same recycling bin everywhere?
Check the instructions where you finish the drink. England’s household recycling requirements changed on 31 March 2026, according to GOV.UK guidance, but that does not tell you which bin a particular workplace or travel venue provides.