Liquid Death is a canned water brand with the bold catchphrase “Murder Your Thirst.” The company sells sparkling water, still water, flavored water and iced tea. Liquid Death is not alcoholic, although the packaging resembles some alcoholic beverages.
But is Liquid Death bad for you, or is it a healthy option? What ingredients are in Liquid Death beyond water? What’s the healthiest Liquid Death drink? And what retailer sells Liquid Death for the best price?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in Liquid Death based on medical studies to give our take on whether the brand is bad for you or not.
We’ll give our pick for the healthiest Liquid Death drink and provide a cost comparison that shows which retailer sells Liquid Death for the best price.
Ingredient Analysis
The water sold by Liquid Death has no additives, as shown in the ingredient list below for Liquid Death Sparkling Water:
We consider the unflavored water products sold by Liquid Death to be healthier than the average bottled water brand, because it’s packaged in aluminum rather than plastic.
A 2020 medical review documented that bisphenol A (BPA), which is a chemical compound used in the production of many soft plastics, can be hormone-disrupting and estrogenic.
Glass and aluminum are safer options (and better for the environment) than soft plastics for beverages in our opinion.
The ingredients in the Convicted Melon flavor of Liquid Death are shown below:
We consider the flavored versions of Liquid Death to be less healthy than the unflavored products.
Agave syrup provides added sugar, and a 2019 medical review documented that added sugar in excess is associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Many Americans already consume too much added sugar from their diet, so it may be best to avoid added sugar in drinks.
Citric acid is a flavor enhancer and preservative that can cause inflammation throughout the body, according to a medical review published in the Toxicology Reports journal.
Natural flavor is a broad descriptor that fails to identify the specific flavoring chemicals used. As we documented in our article on is Topo Chico bad for you, at least one medical review suggests that some flavoring compounds and their metabolites may be toxic.
The ingredients in the Armless Palmer flavor of Liquid Death Iced Tea are shown below:
This formulation is very similar to the flavored water, although it contains slightly more added sugar (6 grams vs. 4 grams) and also two vitamins. We haven’t come across any convincing medical evidence that taking vitamins without a deficiency has health benefits.
We consider Liquid Death Iced Tea to be the least healthy product sold by the brand, although it’s definitely healthier than commercial iced tea brands like Snapple that are loaded with added sugar.
Overall, we recommend Liquid Death Sparkling Water and Liquid Death Mountain Water (the unflavored products), but not the flavored products sold by the brand.
Where to Buy Liquid Death for the Best Price
Liquid Death is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a per-can price breakdown at the time of publishing this article:
Mountain Water
Target: $1.62 (link)
Amazon: $1.42 (link to official Amazon listing)
Sparkling Water
Walmart: $1.45 (link)
Amazon: $1.42 (link to official Amazon listing)
Severed Lime Flavor
Target: $2.29 (link)
Amazon: $1.55 (link to official Amazon listing)
Amazon currently has the best per-can prices on Liquid Death, especially when factoring in shipping fees.
Why Is Liquid Death So Popular?
A YouTube video from the “Future Proof” channel has over 750,000 views and documents how Liquid Death grew to a giant brand with their creative marketing practices:
Our Clean Water Picks
We recommend drinking filtered water, because this is the only method that we've seen proven to reduce contaminant levels in drinking water.
An extensive medical review published in the Science of the Total Environment journal documented how many different toxic compounds exist in tap water, from bisphenol A (BPA) to perfluorooctanoic acids (PFOAs) to even residual drug ingredients like ibuprofen.
The Brita Soho (Amazon link here for those interested), is proven in studies conducted by ConsumerLab (an independent research firm) to significantly reduce heavy metal levels and entirely eliminate microplastics from drinking water.
For consumers with higher discretionary income, we recommend Aquasana's Rhino Whole-House Water Filter as a comprehensive solution that can filter all sources of water in the house. When you install a whole-house filter, it filters water in all taps and all showers throughout the house, so it's the most thorough way to ensure a reduction in contaminants and to ensure purity of drinking and bathing water.
The Aquasana Rhino Whole-House Water Filter costs around $2,400, which equates to pennies per glass after 10 years of use.
