smartwater vs Arrowhead: which water is healthier?
Updated · Scores from third-party lab reports · How we score
Arrowhead is the healthier choice, scoring 57/100 versus 50/100 for smartwater. The biggest differences are water source and contaminants.
Side-by-side comparison
| smartwater | Arrowhead | |
|---|---|---|
| Purity score | 50/100 | 57/100 |
| Product compared | Glaceau Smartwater Plastic Bottle | Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water Gallon |
| Type | Still | Still |
| Water source | Municipal Supply | Mountain Spring |
| Packaging | Polyester | Plastic |
| Microplastics risk | High | High |
| Lab tested | Yes | Yes |
| PFAS tested | No | No |
| Contaminants flagged | 1 | 6 |
| pH | 9.5 | 7.5 |
| TDS (minerals) | 28 ppm | 135.5 ppm |
| Fluoride | 0 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
Score breakdown
| Factor | smartwater | Arrowhead |
|---|---|---|
| Lab report indexed | 45/45 | 45/45 |
| Contaminants | 0/50 | 1/50 |
| Water source | 15/25 | 25/25 |
| Mineral preservation | 17/17 | 17/17 |
| Packaging material | 2/22 | 2/22 |
| Cap material | 7/7 | 7/7 |
| PFAS testing | 0/5 | 0/5 |
Each brand is represented by its most popular product. See all products from smartwater and Arrowhead.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, smartwater or Arrowhead?
Arrowhead is the healthier choice, scoring 57/100 versus 50/100 for smartwater. The biggest differences are water source and contaminants.
Is smartwater or Arrowhead better for avoiding microplastics?
smartwater (polyester) has a high microplastics risk and Arrowhead (plastic) has a high risk, based on packaging material.
Which has more minerals, smartwater or Arrowhead?
Arrowhead has more dissolved minerals (135.5 ppm TDS vs 28 ppm).