The 10 Best Coconut Waters
Special Honors
Vital Coconut Vital coconut is about as pure as it comes. It is never heat or frozen, meaning it has all the same nutrients you would get if drinking water from a freshly-cracked seed. It is made from young Thai coconuts and has just eight grams of sugar per 10-ounce serving. However, it is rather pricey. vitaljuice.com
Rebel Kitchen Coconut Water A U.K-based brand that sources their coconuts from the Philippines, this company places a large focus on sustainability. Because of this, they utilize every part of the coconut for their various products and work with farms that practice regenerative agricultural landscaping. Their coconut water contains only one ingredient and undergoes high-pressure pasteurizing. rebel-kitchen.com
Editor's Notes
September 25, 2019:
There is no doubt coconut water is a healthier alternative to the many sugary sports drinks out there, especially the options on this list, most of which have no added sugars or preservatives. Adding them to your after-workout protein shake can be a great way to replenish your electrolytes. Unfortunately, due to tricky marketing language, it can be difficult to determine just which ones are the healthiest. To get the most benefits and best flavor from this hydrating beverage, you'll want to find one that is organic, high-pressure pasteurized, not from concentrate, and made from young green coconuts. Unfortunately, as with most things, it can be difficult to find one that checks every box. That being said, Harmless Harvest Organic actually does check all those boxes, which is why it claimed our number one spot.
Taste Nirvana and Harvest Bay All-Natural are a close second and third because they check most of the boxes, specifically being grown without herbicides or pesticides, not from concentrate, and made from young coconuts. However, where they fall short is the pasteurizing process. Both of these are heat pasteurized, but at low temperatures in the 120- to 140-degree range. While this preserves slightly less of the nutrients in the coconut water than high-pressure pasteurizing, it is better than others like Vita Coco and Zico Natural, which are pasteurized at ultra-high temperatures. It is interesting to note too, that while Vita Coco is one of the most popular brands, it actually contains a very small amount of added sugar, so if that is important to you, you'll want to skip this one.
Those who don't like sweet beverages should look to Munkijo 100%, since it is made from coconuts from the Philippines, which are less sweet than those from Thailand.