The Best Breath Mints, Ranked

In addition to masking a questionable lunch choice, the best breath mints can be as addictive as your caffeine fix. I know that because ever since we wrapped this taste test, I’ve been popping my personal favorite mints multiple times a day. What started as a mission to find the best mints turned into a full-blown mint habit. Capitalism, you win again. 

How we chose the brands of breath mints

If you’ve ever stood in a checkout line, surely you know there’s a ton of breath mints out there. We narrowed the field to a mix of major players (Altoids, Ice Breakers, Tic Tacs, you know the ones) and a few niche, internet-hyped brands that people swear by. If you’re loyal to a favorite brand of mints and we didn’t try it, let us know in the comments for next time we try to tackle the best breath mints. 

What we looked for in the best mints

The best breath mints should revive your mouth with a jolt of icy freshness that makes your eyes water just a little. More than just being effective, we also looked for mints in different categories of flavor. Some are minty, crisp, and clean; others are fruity, bright, and sour. Here’s what we recommend from our taste test.

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Best Lightly Sour

Excitemint Strawberry, Mixed Berry, Cherry Sours

Aldi

Excitemint (cute pun, Aldi) is an Aldi-exclusive brand of mints that range from fruity sours to classic mint flavors. We liked these sours the best—they mix bright, punchy fruit flavors with a soft sourness. No, they don’t bring the same sour shock value as Altoid Retro Sours (more on that below), but I appreciate them as a more muted sour alternative that isn’t too distracting or overpowering. You can focus on other things while still enjoying a fruity mint that’s very flavorful. If you’re super sensitive to artificial flavors, though, these probably aren’t the best mints to pick up. And fruity mints usually aren’t the best mints for bad breath either. You’ve been warned!

Credit: Merc / Aldi

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Sweet

Lifesavers Wint-O-Green

Walmart

Wint-O-Green Lifesavers have a really pleasant sweetness to them (even Lifesavers’ sugar-free, sorbitol-sweetened flavors carry a nice sweetness to some extent, too). Plus, they have this weirdly satisfying, smooth-yet-chalky texture going for them. It’s almost like licking marble. Yep, I just said that, and I stand by it. Personally, I like waiting for the little circle to be skinny enough to chomp on with my teeth. It’s fun. I have problems, I know that. Anyways, moving on…

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Cinnamon Mints

Altoids Cinnamon

Walmart

Amazon

Cinnamon Altoids look like a bunch of small, broken pieces of pink chalk. That’s the charm of regular Altoids in general—the pieces aren’t uniform or encased in any sort of glossy coating. They look homemade. The cinnamon flavor here isn’t too blunt or aggressively spicy, but it still leaves a warm burn on your tongue and freshens your breath. These may be the best cinnamon mints I tried for this taste test, but I’m holding space, Cynthia Erivo-style, for better, spicier versions once we revisit this in the future. But on the whole, I’m pretty pleased with them. 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Sugar-Free

Altoids Arctic Strawberry

Walmart

Target

Never in my life would I have expected a strawberry-flavored mint to rank this high. Fake strawberry is the bane of my existence. But these little guys are delightful. I say “little,” because Altoids’ line of Arctic mints are distinct in a few ways—one of them being their size. These come in convenient, travel-sized tins, and each mint is about half the size of a standard Altoid. Plus, they have a more uniform, slick texture that isn’t as chalky as regular Altoids. (A pro or con, depending on who you ask.) The biggest difference, though, is that Arctic Altoids are sugar-free—which makes it all the more impressive that the strawberry flavor still tastes bright and natural, with a mellow tang that kept me coming back for more. 

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Fruity

Ice Breakers Sparkling Pineapple Mango Seltzer

Walmart

Amazon

Brace yourself. It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. We’ve reached my personal favorite pick of the bunch: Sparkling Pineapple Mango Ice Breakers. Admittedly, I went into this taste test thinking the best breath mints had to be classically mint-flavored, but this one completely changed my perception of what a mint should be. This vibrant Ice Breaker disc sizzles on your tongue like a real, bubbly seltzer as it dissolves. It’s invigorating, fun, and highly addictive. I’ll concede one fault, and one fault only: it has a slight artificial aftertaste. Hey, nobody’s perfect. This will tickle your brain and make your breath smell like tropical fruit—what’s not to love? 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Strongest Mint

Altoids Peppermints

Walmart

Amazon

Here’s something I never thought I’d say: Classic Peppermint Altoids are not for the weak. These feel ubiquitous, like the obvious choice that everyone will love, but I think they’re more divisive than people realize—which I say to their credit. They pack an icy punch unlike anything else I tried. The chalky texture doesn’t allow for you to really escape that bold peppermint, either. It lingers. Burns. If you’re a peppermint purist, or you just want something strong enough to mask that tuna salad sandwich, these are the best breath mints for you.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Tic Tac Fresh Mints

Walmart

Amazon

I debated. I wavered. I hemmed and hawed. Was I really going to be the person that put Tic Tacs above all other types of mints? In my mind, the best breath mints should have longevity and a classic mint flavor. Tic Tacs dissolve so quickly, and let’s face it—they aren’t that minty. But Tic Tac’s OG flavor is really so effortlessly perfect. You just can’t beat the beautiful burst of vanilla that gives way to a smooth, slightly sweet mint. It’s refreshing, but it’s also soothing. Yes, the vanilla fades too quickly, but some of the best things in life can be fleeting. Now excuse me while I consume every tac in this tin in 24 hours. 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other breath mints we tried: Ice Breakers Cool Mint Sugar Free Mints, Breath Savers Spearmint Flavored Sugar Free Breath Mints, Ice Breakers Wintergreen Sugar Free Mints, Excitemint Peppermint Sugar Free Mints, Excitemint Wintergreen Sugar Free Mints, Excitemint Watermelon, Green Apple, and Tangerine Sours, Altoids Arctic Peppermint