The Best Coconut Water to Drink, Ranked

What is the best coconut water? Well, it should taste like you cracked open a fresh coconut and poured that sweet, sweet juice directly into your mouth. We’ve tasted nearly 20 coconut water brands in search of the best tasting coconut water and, after our most recent coconut water taste test, we found a new number one. 

But before we get to the best coconut water ranking, let’s talk about blood. 

I once heard that coconut water was very similar to human blood. In fact, I heard it was used in place of blood in emergency blood transfusions during World War II. And, while a quick Google will let you know that such a rumor is not true (though, per NPR, one man was successfully given coconut water intravenously in the Solomon Islands one time), I like to think about it whenever I’m drinking the electrolyte-packed beverage. Why? It feels nourishing. Let’s leave it at that and not pull at that thread any more. (Cut to me LARPing as a vampire with an IV bag of coconut water.) 

That said, I certainly don’t think the best coconut water tastes like blood. But I do want there to be some salinity to balance out the sweetness. If it’s too sweet, I can’t pretend I’m drinking something that’s good for me (like blood). Give me a little tinge of salt, of vegetal earthiness and I’ll feel like I’m doing my body good.

The Sporked team poured out tetra pak after tetra pak of coconut water to find the best coconut water brands on the market. Here’s the best coconut water to drink, whether you like it pink, pulpy, or something else that starts with a P.


kirkland organic coconut water

Best Water Alternative

Kirkland Signature Organic Coconut Water

Kirkland Signature’s coconut water—aka Costco coconut water—is like water+. It’s not too sweet (even though there are 13 grams of sugar per serving) but it’s also not too coconutty. It’s water—but with some flavor. And that’s a good thing. It’s extremely refreshing, so it’s some of the best coconut water to drink as a workout beverage or as something to drink on a super hot day. It’s also great if you like coconut but you don’t love coconut. There is just a kiss of coconut flavor in this coconut water. 

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Amazon

Rating:

7/10

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Taste Nirvana Coconut Water with Aloe

Best with Aloe

Taste Nirvana Coconut Water with Aloe

Looking for a sweet treat? Keep on moving. Taste Nirvana is the best tasting coconut water for savory savorers like myself. It’s extremely refreshing, soothing, and cooling. It’s aloe after a sunburn. And, appropriately enough, it also contains jiggly aloe cubes. They’re not for everyone, but if you’re a boba fan or just someone who likes stuff in their drinks, this is a great option. I was a bit nervous about the addition of aloe but I thoroughly enjoyed sipping down the wobbly chunks. If that sentence didn’t creep you out, then this is the best coconut water brand to drink.

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Walmart

Rating:

7.5/10

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El Mexicano Coconut Water with Pulp

Best with Pulp

El Mexicano Coconut Water with Pulp

If you do want a sweet, sweet, sweet coconut water, then El Mexicano is some of the best coconut water you can buy. It straight up tastes like a melted coconut popsicle. And it’s also the best coconut water with pulp that we tried; the tasty little chunks add chew to your beveraging experience. “The chunks feel exciting,” said Sporked’s Jordan Myrick. “I love the texture and love the flavor.” And that’s coming from someone who absolutely does not like coconut water.

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Amazon

Rating:

8/10

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Harmless Harvest Organic Coconut Water & Watermelon Juice

Best Flavored

Harmless Harvest Organic Coconut Water & Watermelon Juice

I was skeptical of this flavored coconut water. Watermelon-flavored things often end up tasting more like a Jolly Rancher than the actual melon and that’s not the flavor I want when I’m drinking coconut water. But Harmless Harvest does it right. The watermelon juice in this flavored coconut water tastes like actual, fresh watermelon juice. And it blends with the coconut water really well. It’s extremely refreshing and totally unique. It does contain 18 grams of sugar, so it’s a bit of a treat. But it’s well worth the splurge.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

8/10

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Harmless Harvest Organic Coconut Water

Best Pink

Harmless Harvest Organic Coconut Water

Why is some coconut water pink? Oxidation, baby! If you slice an apple, it turns brown. If you leave coconut water to come in contact with the air, it turns pink! So why isn’t all coconut water pink? Because most coconut water has been processed. Harmless Harvest is less processed, which means it maintains its pink color. So it’s not just a pretty drink. It’s also more pure. And it’s just plain good. Harmless Harvest is on the sweeter end of the coconut water spectrum, but it’s reliably crisp and chuggable. And, of course, it’s some of the best coconut water that happens to be pink.

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Target

Rating:

8.5/10

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Coco Joy Natural Coconut Water

Best Tropical Flavor

Coco Joy Natural Coconut Water

If you don’t think you like coconut water, try this one then get back to me. It’s sweet but not sugary. So you can get your fix without feeling like your chugging liquid coconut candy. And its packaging is very pleasing, as well. It tastes like pure, tropical coconut—like something you would get at a beach resort. It’s the best coconut water to pair with a bright white string bikini on a poolside afternoon.

Credit: Paula Kunatee / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

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C2O Organic Coconut Water

Best Organic

C2O Organic Coconut Water

C20 is more coconut than water. It is a bold coconut water. It’s full of flavor and full bodied. It has that coconutty sweetness but also an intriguing savory quality that keeps you coming back for more. “Imagine a world where I had a yard,” Sporked writer Danny Palumbo said. That’s where he would sip this refreshing, balanced beverage. It’s a summer crusher for sure. And it’s also powerful enough to hold its own in a cocktail (shake it with rum and lime juice for a lighter take on a Daiquiri) or cooked into a dish like curry. The branding may not be as sexy as some other bottlings, but trust me, it’s the best coconut water out there. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

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Copra Pure Coconut Water

Best of the Best

Copra Pure Coconut Water

If you only try one coconut water from this list, make it this one. It truly is the best coconut water I’ve ever had. It’s earthy and round and pure and sweet—but not too sweet. It tastes a little like toasted coconut, and that really put it over the edge for us. It’s so complexly flavored with those toasty notes complementing the sweetness and just a hint of grassiness. Plus, it’s pink coconut water. And we know that means it’s not super-processed. It’s not cheap. But it’s so, so worth it. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Copra

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other coconut waters we tried: Simple Truth Original, Nature’s Nectar, 365, Trader Joe’s, Vita Coco Pineapple, Vita Coco Coconut Water, Goya Coconut Water with Pulp, Nilo Agua de Coco con Pulpa, Vita Coco Farmers Organic, Good & Gather Pulp Free Coconut Water, Harmless Harvest with Pulp Organic Coconut Water, Good & Gather Peach & Mango Coconut Water


About the Author

Justine Sterling

Justine Sterling is the editor-in-chief of Sporked. She has been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and is an avid at-home cook and snacker. Don’t worry, she’s not a food snob. Sure, she loves a fresh-shucked oyster. But she also will leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and loves a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.

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  • http://www.amyandbriannaturals.com
    Amy & Brian Naturals
    You missed this one in your coconut water survey. Its been around since 2001

    Reply
  • Wasn’t tested here but my favorite is Vita Coco Pressed. Much better than the regular Vita Coco.

    Reply
  • My family did a whole taste test with something like 8 or 9 coconut waters a few years ago and preferred Harmless Harvest, but I think a lot of it is based on what flavor you’re looking for, and the way a lot of them bleed together into “vaguely cereal-like for some reason.” Might have to give C2O another shot.

    Reply