Shoppers swapping a sugary fizzy drink
Plain sparkling water keeps the choice straightforward. If you prefer a flavoured drink, check its sugars per 100ml and ingredients rather than assuming every sparkling option has the same contents.
Who is each option for?
Flavour seekers avoiding sweeteners
Look for a flavoured variant explicitly described as having no sweeteners, and check its ingredients. “Diet” and “no added sugar” do not mean unsweetened.
Small household top-up shoppers
Choose an individual bottle for an immediate drink, or a larger bottle or multipack for sharing and replenishment. Check the total volume against what you can store and expect to use.
What should you check before buying?
Decide whether you want plain water, unsweetened flavour or a sweetened diet-style drink, then match the pack to the occasion.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Read the sugars value per 100ml and the ingredients of the exact drink. Do not treat all flavoured sparkling drinks as equivalent to plain water. | I want a fizzy drink without assuming that a flavoured or diet-labelled option has the same contents as plain sparkling water. |
| Sweeteners | Check the ingredients as well as front-label wording. Marks & Spencer lists steviol glycosides in its sugar-free Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water and sucralose in its no-added-sugar Diet Pineapple and Grapefruit Sparkling Drink. | Flavour matters to me, but I would rather choose a product explicitly stated to contain no sweeteners than rely on “no added sugar” alone. |
| Pack format | Check bottle size, number of bottles and total volume. Highland Spring lists 500ml, 1.5L and 6 x 1L sparkling-water formats; the format you choose affects how you carry, share and store it. | For a drink on the move, I want an individual portion. For home, I need enough bottles to cover the top-up without taking more storage space than I have. |
Common buying mistakes
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Treating “diet”, “sugar-free” and “no added sugar” as the same ingredient claim
Those labels do not identify whether a drink contains sweeteners. Marks & Spencer lists different sweeteners in its sugar-free Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water and no-added-sugar Diet Pineapple and Grapefruit Sparkling Drink.
If you want to avoid sweeteners, read the full ingredients list and look for an explicit no-sweeteners claim on the particular variant.
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Assuming flavoured sparkling water is plain water with a different taste
Flavoured products can have different ingredients. The name alone does not settle whether a drink contains sugar or sweeteners.
Compare the nutrition panel and ingredients for the exact flavour and pack you intend to buy.
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Choosing a pack without considering how you will use it
A large bottle serves a different purpose from individually sealed portions: it may suit sharing at home but be less convenient to carry as one drink.
Check the total volume and bottle sizes before choosing between an immediate drink and a household top-up.
Brand and retailer references
These examples help distinguish plain water from flavoured and diet-style drinks; a brand name alone does not identify the ingredients of every variant.
Highland Spring
A plain sparkling-water reference for individual bottles and household packs.
- Highland Spring lists 500ml, 1.5L and 6 x 1L formats and describes its sparkling water as having nothing added but bubbles.
- Check the label and pack size of the particular product you choose.
San Pellegrino
Its plain sparkling mineral water and flavoured Essenza range serve different ingredient preferences.
- Sanpellegrino describes Essenza as containing no sugars or sweeteners.
- Check the exact variant and pack rather than applying the Essenza description to every product bearing the brand.
Perrier
A plain carbonated mineral-water reference.
- Perrier describes its carbonated mineral water as sugar-free.
- Check the UK label and the format of the particular bottle before buying.
Tesco
A retailer reference for both plain and flavoured sparkling-water formats.
- Tesco Groceries lists plain sparkling water in individual bottles and larger packs, alongside flavoured options.
- A flavoured product labelled “no added sugar” should not be assumed to contain no sweeteners.
Sainsbury's
A retailer reference for third-party flavoured sparkling water.
- A Sainsbury's listing describes Aqua Libra Raspberry & Blackcurrant 500ml as having no sugar.
- Check the particular product label and local availability; this example is not a Sainsbury's own-label drink.
M&S
Its labelled flavoured sparkling water and diet sparkling drink illustrate why ingredients matter.
- Marks & Spencer lists steviol glycosides in its sugar-free Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water and sucralose in its no-added-sugar Diet Pineapple and Grapefruit Sparkling Drink.
- Neither example is an unsweetened option.
Plain sparkling water on Joybuy
These packs offer plain sparkling-water options for an individual drink or a household top-up. For flavoured or diet-style drinks, use the label checks above rather than assuming the same ingredients.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6 x 0.5L
Six separate 0.5L bottles suit a top-up when you want individual portions of plain sparkling mineral water.
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Buxton Sparkling 8 x 500ml
Eight 500ml bottles provide separate portions for a top-up rather than one larger bottle to share.
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SAN PELLEGRINO Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6 x 1L
Six 1L bottles suit household replenishment rather than a single drink to carry. The Joybuy product description lists natural mineral water and carbon dioxide as ingredients and 0g sugars per 100ml.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 8 x 500ml
Eight separate 500ml bottles suit individual portions. If you need a stated sugar value for this pack, check its nutrition label.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 6 x 1L
Six 1L bottles suit a household top-up. The Joybuy product description identifies the ingredient as natural sparkling mineral water; check the pack's nutrition label if you need a stated sugar value.
Questions about sparkling water
Does “no added sugar” mean a sparkling drink has no sweeteners?
No. Marks & Spencer lists sucralose in its no-added-sugar Diet Pineapple and Grapefruit Sparkling Drink. Its sugar-free Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water lists steviol glycosides, so check the ingredients of the exact drink.
Which bottle size suits a quick top-up?
Choose an individual bottle if you need one drink to carry; consider a larger bottle or multipack for sharing or replenishing supplies at home. Check the number of bottles and total volume against your storage space and intended use.
How should I keep a sparkling drink after opening it?
Follow the opening and storage instructions on the particular pack, including any refrigeration and consume-within directions. These can differ between products.
What if I prefer sparkling water to still water?
The NHS suggests sparkling water as an option for people who do not like the taste of plain water. If you choose a flavoured version, check its ingredients and nutrition label for the contents that matter to you.