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? 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 compare the healthiness of La Croix to other popular seltzer water brands like Topo Chico and Polar, and give our pick for the healthiest hydration products.

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in the Limoncello flavor of La Croix are shown above.

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.

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

Which La Croix Flavor Tastes Best?

A popular YouTube channel called "Good Mythical Morning" did a taste test of every La Croix flavor:

Our Clean Water Picks

Brita Water Filter is our top value water filter pick.

It's been shown in studies conducted by ConsumerLab (an independent research firm) to significantly reduce heavy metal levels and entirely eliminate microplastics.

Sans Water Purifier is our top premium water filter pick.

The product is NSF-Certified, and is clinically shown to not only remove common contaminants like heavy metals, but also toxins like nitrate and PFOAs ("forever chemicals").

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).

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.