Popular La Croix Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

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When you go to a restaurant, how do you go about answering the "sparkling or still" question? For some, the answer is clear. Why would you want a soda without all the flavor? Flat is the way to go. But for others, sparkling will always come out on top. Sure, normal water is fine and all, but you've never had your thirst truly quenched until you've taken a big gulp of sparkling water on a burning hot day in the summer sun. It gives you all the refreshment of a soda without that overly sugary flavor or feeling. And that's why, here at Mashed, we're huge fans of LaCroix.

Let's get one thing straight. You might want to try to sound French and pronounce it "la c-wah," but that's not how you do it. Instead, it's pronounced "la-croy." Easy enough to remember, right? Now that you know what to call it, you have to figure out which flavors are worth your time and which aren't. And with so many options to choose from, it can be hard to suss out the best before you go buy. Need help deciding? Take a look at how we've rated the most popular LaCroix flavors, starting from the worst.

Next up on the list is LaCroix's pure flavor. As you may have guessed, this "flavor" doesn't really have any flavor at all — it's just plain sparkling water. Now, there's nothing wrong with this stuff. It doesn't taste bad, and it isn't too carbonated. It's just ... plain. Sometimes, that's what you want from sparkling water. But if you do, then you probably shouldn't spend your hard-earned cash on LaCroix. The brand makes amazing flavored waters that you can't find anywhere else, but if you're just looking for a run-of-the-mill fizzy water, you can get it for much cheaper.

Perhaps the one exception to this rule would be if you were throwing a party and you wanted to have a cooler full of colorful drinks. The pure flavor still has that retro packaging we all know and love, so if you're not pinching pennies and you're having guests over, you may want to lean into the aesthetic.

Of course, if you want sparkling water all the time and are okay with having it unflavored, you may also want to check out a SodaStream.

When the summer finally rolls around, there's nothing tastier than some cold coconut water. It's lightly sweet, but when it's chilled, there's just something so thirst-quenching about it. But if you think that's what you're going to get from LaCroix's coconut flavor, you're bound to be disappointed. On their website, they describe the flavor as "creamy." Um, is creaminess what you want when you grab a sparkling water? If you're like us, definitely not.

Basically, this water has the slight taste of coconut, but it's almost like hearing a song in the background. It sounds familiar, but you can't really figure out what song is playing. You may be able to taste a hint of coconut, but it's not strong enough to really enjoy it.

Plus, when you do get a really good taste of the stuff, it just feels like it doesn't belong in water. Instead, it almost tastes like the flavoring from a cake or other sweet dessert. If you want something refreshing over something that tastes faintly like an Almond Joy, we suggest that you skip over the coconut.

Don't get us wrong, the lemon flavor of LaCroix is pretty good. When you think of a standard sparkling water, this is probably what comes to mind. It has just a hint of flavor, which makes it way better than any plain sparkling water you've ever had. And with its slight tart-ness, it's even more refreshing than you might expect.

But would we recommend that you get lemon LaCroix when there are so many other lemon-flavored sparkling waters out there? Probably not. Here's the thing: You can probably get lemon sparkling water that tastes exactly like this stuff — but for a lot cheaper. If you're trying to pinch pennies, you may want to opt for something cheaper if you're just going for the taste.

Of course, if you're buying a lot of LaCroix and want to find a flavor that almost everyone is guaranteed to like, then lemon LaCroix may not be too bad of an idea. Otherwise, we'd pass it up for one of the more exciting options on this list. After all, why waste your time and money on something so typical?

When you hear that something is mango-flavored, you probably have one of two reactions. First of all, you may think that it's going to be delicious. After all, who doesn't like biting into a nice, juicy mango on a hot summer day? It's something that you can't help but enjoy. But no matter how much you love mangoes, there's a good chance that you don't actually like mango flavoring. Oftentimes, mango-flavored food items can taste really artificial, leaving you with a lingering taste in your mouth that you just can't get rid of. And when you just want a refreshing drink, that's not exactly ideal.

While LaCroix's mango-flavored sparkling water may not taste exactly like the real thing, we have to admit that it's pretty good anyway. Here's what one Buzzfeed writer had to say about the drink: "Here's the thing: Mango is one of those sweet flavors that works really well as a candy but shouldn't work for a sparkling water. Sparkling water, when flavored, can't hit you over the head with its taste. It's supposed to be subtle, and it's tough to do mango subtly. Yet LaCroix pulls it off."

We couldn't agree more! We're glad that LaCroix kept it nice and simple when creating this fizzy drink infused with one of our favorite fruits.

The first thing to note here is that the Black Razzberry flavor of LaCroix is really enjoyable. It's got a zing to it that you may not expect, and that will undoubtedly have some customers coming back time and time again. We have to admit, though, it tastes shockingly like the berry flavor. They may be a little too close in flavor profile for our liking, but if we had to choose, we'd put this one just a little bit ahead. It has a bit less sweetness than the berry, which is preferable when you're trying to quench your thirst.

As The Bubbleverse explains, "While the Black Raspberry is an actual fruit (as opposed to the Blue Raspberry), we think LaCroix uses those two Zs so that this doesn't have to taste like any particular berry. It's not a blackberry, it's not a raspberry, it's not a black raspberry, it's all and none of them at the same time. We do detect some notes of blueberry in here too."

That might very well be the case. We definitely can't put our finger on it when it comes to figuring out where this flavor is actually coming from. Whatever it is, we like it ... and we'll be coming back for more in the future.

You already know our stance on the "regular" lime — it's great! But what if we told you there was an even better lime-y flavor out there that would tickle your taste buds? Well, you're in luck, because LaCroix has now come out with their Key lime flavor.

If you visit the LaCroix website, you may be surprised by the description provided for this beverage. While, yes, you do taste that lime flavor quite distinctly, LaCroix also notes that you'll experience a "graham cracker finish." If that sounds strange to you, you're not alone. You probably wouldn't think such a carb-y, dessert-like flavor would belong in a sparkling water. We certainly had our doubts before we tried it ourselves.

Once we took a sip of this stuff, though, we were surprised at how much we liked it. Is it our favorite flavor? No. But is it unusual enough to capture our attention? Absolutely. While we wouldn't suggest replacing your actual dessert with this sparkling drink, it might be a nice addition to a light, sweet snack at the end of your meal. There's certainly a difference between lime and key lime, so give it a try if you're feeling adventurous.

If you want to experience something that's truly out of the ordinary in your seltzer, then you can't go wrong when you buy the Guava Sao Paulo flavor from LaCroix. Not to be shallow, but can we start with the packaging? We love the light pink can and the cute illustrations you'll find on it. It has a summery vibe that basically begs you to pack it in your picnic basket.

Luckily, you won't have to sacrifice flavor just to enjoy looking at the can all afternoon. That's because the guava in this drink is amazingly refreshing. Take just one sip, and you'll clearly see why this is one of our favorites of the bunch. It basically tastes like you're on a Brazilian beach with nothing but time and bubbles to fill your day.

Seltzer Nation agrees with us on this front. They said, "When you crack open a can of LaCroix Guava Sao Paulo Sparkling Water, you are greeted with an overall appealing tropical scent. Pineapple is the only fruit smell that is uniquely identifiable in the scent bouquet. Rather, the scent is more a blend of tropical odors that combine for a singular fruity, appealing smell."

That tropical kind of flavor makes this an ideal drink to bring with you to the beach, the pool, or even your backyard. Just pop it open and pretend you're on the sunny shores of some faraway destination. You're not going to regret it.

Yes, we admit, we do love LaCroix's orange flavor. But when it comes to citrus-y flavors, it just can't hold a candle to the tangerine flavor. LaCroix's website states that it's similar to the orange, but it has a slightly stronger flavor. However, we didn't think that the stronger flavor was overpowering at all. Instead, it makes this drink feel more like a soda than a sparkling water — but without all that unneeded sugar. Overall, the result is a beverage that you'll love having in lieu of sugary drinks or alcohol.

When you crack this stuff open, you'll feel like you're getting a whiff of citrus peels. Doesn't that sound refreshing? Take a sip, and you'll realize the flavor is as simple as can be. While it's on the stronger side, you won't find it offensive in the least.

Most of all, we love that this flavor doesn't keep you guessing. There aren't any strange tastes that you have to decipher — it just straight-up tastes like tangerine. If you're looking for a simple pleasure in life that you can enjoy at any time of the day, this flavor is going to blow you away.

If we love pamplemousse so much, then it should come as no surprise that this flavor comes up next on our list: melón pomelo is definitely a flavor you should try if you're interested in the best that LaCroix has to offer. It starts off with the amazing flavor you know and love from the pamplemousse. But it doesn't stop there. Instead of keeping things simple, the sparkling beverage is made even better with the addition of cantaloupe flavoring.

Okay, okay. We know what you're thinking. Cantaloupe? You mean the stuff that you pick around every time you pick up a container of cut fruit from the grocery store? But hear us out: Even if you don't like eating the stuff, the flavor of it tastes amazing when it's combined with the tried-and-true pamplemousse that we've all come to love.

It's somehow ever more refreshing than the pamplemousse. And if you like a hint of sweetness in your sparkling water flavors, then you're going to find this one even more satisfying than the last. With so much to love, why aren't you running out to the store and picking up an eight-pack now?