La Croix is one of the most popular seltzer water brands in the US. It's sold in colorful aluminum cans, comes in a wide range of flavors, and is available at almost all of the biggest retailers.

But what actually gives La Croix its distinctive flavor? Does it contain any unhealthy additives? What's the best flavor based on our tests? And is La Croix healthier than other seltzer brands like Topo Chico? 

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in La Croix to give our take on whether or not it's bad for you.

We'll also share our experience purchasing and testing La Croix, and compare the healthiness of La Croix to other popular seltzer water brands like Topo Chico to pick our winners (and loseres).

Key takeaways:

• Only ingredients are water and natural essence
• Natural essence is healthier than natural flavors in our view
• We do not consider La Croix to be bad for you

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in the Limoncello flavor of La Croix are shown below:

Natural essence is the only ingredient other than carbonated water.

This is a different ingredient category from natural flavor.

According to this FDA resource, natural essences are created during processing of whole plant material, and can be used for flavoring.

This makes natural essence healthier than natural flavor in our opinion, because the latter term can include compounds such as solvents and preservatives, as we documented in our article on are Nutri-Grain bars unhealthy.

All La Croix flavors that we came across while researching this article used natural essence rather than natural flavor.

We Tested La Croix

As the author of this article, I wanted to purchase and try La Croix myself to share my thoughts on its taste, along with how I've used it to improve the healthiness of my diet.

I've tried many flavors at this point, but I've found that Key Lime is my favorite:

This drink has a subtle hint of key lime pie, and the taste is a lot more "natural" than many sparkling water brands I've tried, which is why I prefer it.

I don't regularly drink carbonated water since it's not great for teeth, but this is now my favorite brand.

I've started drinking La Croix instead of other flavored sparkling water brands, since I consider it to be healthier, and since it's packaged in cans rather than plastic.

Why Was La Croix Sued?

A YouTube creator named "Unnatural Vegan" explained why La Croix was sued over its health claims in a video with over 25,000 views:

La Croix vs. the Competition

Here's how the healthiness of La Croix stacks up against some other seltzer brands in our opinion:

Polar

Contains natural flavors rather than natural essence. Some products sold in single-use plastic, which may be more estrogenic and endocrine-disrupting than cans (which still have an inner plastic lining).

Winner: La Croix

Topo Chico

Unflavored version is packaged in glass and has no unhealthy additives, as we documented in our is Topo Chico good for you article. Flavored versions contain both natural flavors and citric acid (which can be inflammatory).

Winner: Topo Chico (unflavored version)

San Pellegrino

Packaged in glass, no unhealthy additives, and naturally rich in minerals (compared to other water brands), because of its sourcing.

Winner: San Pellegrino

Our Clean Water Picks

Brita Water Filter is our top water filter pick.

It's affordable, and has been shown in independent tests to remove both contaminants and microplastics.

Pique Daily Radiance is our top water flavoring pick.

These packets are naturally flavored with nutritious ingredients like organic elderberry juice concentrate (which is clinically shown to support the immune system) and organic lemon juice concentrate.

Conclusion

La Croix is not bad for you, as it's predominantly composed of carbonated water, which is hydrating.

La Croix would certainly be a healthier alternative to soda, and in our view it's healthier than most flavored seltzers due to the use of natural essence rather than natural flavor (though both of these terms are poorly defined by regulators).

In researching this article, I tested many La Croix flavors, and found the Key Lime one to be the best-tasting.

I've switched to La Croix from other sparkling water brands, because I consider the natural essence to be healthier than "natural flavors."

This brand uses cans for packaging, which often have a plastic lining on the inside. 

We consider bottled water brands like San Pellegrino to be healthier, due to the use of glass bottling, mineral content of the water, and lack of additives.