Polar Seltzer Sparkling Water Review

Polar Seltzer water may not be as well or widely known as Bubly or La Croix, but it has a diverse flavor lineup. Polar offers a ton of different kinds of flavors - from mainstays like Lime and Black Cherry to more unique flavor combinations like Coconut Limeade. 

The unique mashups are the best Polar sparkling water flavors (IMHO). I reviewed every flavor I could find locally to determine which are worthy of repeat purchase and which can be passed over. Polar’s lineup seems like it’s constantly changing so trying them all is pretty much impossible. Here’s what I thought of the Polar sparkling water flavor offerings I’ve been able to locate. 

*Note: These opinions are my own. I paid for each Polar sparkling water purchase and did not receive any compensation for writing this review. 

Not all seltzers and sparkling water have the same hit of bubbles. On a 1 to 10 scale where 1 is “This is just as flat as drinking tap water” to “I swear my tongue is burning the bubbles are so aggressive,” Polar Selzer is probably a 6. The fizz is there, it has a presence, and it’s mildly assertive but by no means aggressive. 

Black Cherry

Not the best black cherry sparkling water I’ve ever tried, but certainly not the worst. Black Cherry Polar brings those deeper, richer black cherry notes that are neither too tart nor too sweet. It’s not saccharine and I don’t get those dreaded cherry cough syrup vibes. Overall it’s a pleasant sip, but I think other brands do it better. 

Blackberry Mango

I had never previously considered combining blackberry and mango, but the flavor combination works surprisingly well. The blackberry flavor reminds me a lot of Bubly's Blackberry, which I love. The mango flavor is more subtle, but brings balance, preventing the blackberry from being too bitter and introducing sweet, fruity notes. It has a slight pine-y finish, which I think is simply lovely against the blackberry. Blackberry Mango is a winner.

Blood Orange Cranberry

This has winter berry fizzy drink nailed. Loved the lush blood orange citrus flavor paired against that slightly tart cranberry. I could see pouring myself a big old glass for Thanksgiving dinner, the winter berry duo the perfect palate cleanser against turkey and mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.

Blood Orange Lemonade

LOVE! Spoiler alert, but all of Polar's 'ades are pretty awesome. Blood orange and lemon make a unique but surprisingly delicious pairing. Juicy citrus and hints of slightly tart, yet sweet lemonade make a harmonious pairing. It’s a citrus-forward sip I’m loving. 

Blueberry Lemonade

Simple flavors here, resulting in a simply delicious beverage. Another bangin' summer drink. The exaggerated blueberry flavor dominates, finished up with bright lemony citrus. Highly drinkable and loving it. Superior to Trader Joe's Blueberry Lemon; check out what I thought about Trader Joe's Sparkling Water in this review.

Toasted Coconut

I have been dying to try this flavor. Waterloo used to make a Coconut sparkling water and it was amazing, but then they took it away. Polar's Toasted Coconut is helping fill that void (though it's a flavor I have yet to spot in my 'hood). The coconut flavor is lovely and has these marshmallow-like undertones that, while a touch artificial, really make the coconut flavor a sweet treat. I would happily sip this toasty, marshmallowy coconut sparkling beverage anytime (Polar please ship this to Minnesota, we need tropical flavors to help get us through winter).  

Coconut Limeade

Is pretty darn delightful. The lime is on point and the coconut flavor doesn’t piss me off. It’s hard to get coconut right, especially when mixing flavors. It always seems to have a nagging artificial aftertaste that ruins things. This is well-balanced and absent those overly artificial notes. And every time I take a sip I can’t help singing “You put the lime in the coconut...” in my head.

Cranberry Lime

I don’t get much cranberry here, to be honest. If I tasted this blindfolded I’d guess straight-up lime. There is an undercurrent of some other flavor here, but cranberry just isn’t it. Or any other discernible fruit for that matter. It really hints at a lemon-lime-flavored pop, like Sprite or 7-Up. It’s a refreshing beverage overall, but if you’re hoping for some tart cranberry notes here you’ll be disappointed. 

Dragon Fruit Lemonade (Limited Edition)

I get hints of pear and kiwi from this, which I find super lovely and refreshing. Calling this a lemonade however is a miss. I don't detect any lemonade. Which I'm actually okay with! A more appropriate name might be Dragon Fruit Cooler or something similar, because that's what shines here.

Frosted Boysenberry

This flavor is so fetch-sounding! Boysenberry is essentially a cross between a raspberry and b Juliolackberry. Fortunately, berries tend to make mighty fine fizzy sips, and Frosted Boysenberry is just that, mighty fine. It has a fantastic and subtle berry flavor, but it’s more muted than I was hoping/expecting. Maybe that’s where the frosted part comes in? Frosted as in “light”? It would be fantastic served with frozen berries as ice cubes.

Ginger Lime Mule

So much YES. Ginger Lime Mule has a light and lovely ginger flavor, finished with hints of lime citrus. Drink of summer on lock right here. I know I'm a writer and should be able to accurately convey with prose how this tastes so you'll want to try it. Words escape me, it's just damn good, the flavors are nailed here. Probably the best flavor Polar offers. Certainly the most sophisticated.

Lemon

For me, Lemon Polar is “meh”. I prefer other brands. The lemon flavor is a little flat and not at all tart. This is a flavor I mix with unsweetened iced tea to give it some oomph. 

Lime

I feel like Lime is one of the gateway flavors that a seltzer/sparkling water company is required to get right. Having said that, they don’t all taste the same. Polar Lime has the type of lime I associate with pops like Sprite or 7-Up. The lime is very subtle, a touch artificial, and absent the tart citrus notes that other brands often emphasize (and that I prefer). Not my favorite Lime-flavored sparkling water, but refreshing nonetheless. 

Mandarin

Polar Mandarin does a great job of capturing the delicate citrus essence of mandarin orange. It’s light and lovely, with hints of the sweet, floral notes mandarins are known for. It’s not at all aggressive or saccharine. I am loving Mandarin and will definitely be keeping this on hand for summer sipping. 

Mango Limeade

Another flavor combo winner! I have to admit that for me this is all mango. I don't really get where the limeade comes in, but that's okay! The mango flavor is so well executed here that I don't mind. You know how fresh mango has that juicy pine-y-ness to it? Yeah, that's what Mango Limeade is all about - mango for days.

Orange Vanilla

It should come as no surprise that Orange Vanilla Polar Seltzer gives off some serious Orange Creamsicle vibes. Interestingly the vanilla flavor dominates, backed up with subtle orange citrus notes. The balance could be improved if the orange flavor was more aggressive, but the vanilla aftertaste is light and pleasant. My flavor memory of Orange Creamsicle will forever be associated with store-purchased frozen ice cream confections, so it’s a trip to drink water that evokes those flavor memories. Orange Vanilla is a solid sip, earning points for overall flavor and nostalgia. 

Passionfruit Blueberry (Limited Edition)

This tastes like a citrus-y blueberry. It's got a pleasantly tart finish, kissed with hints of lemon. It's delicious, but (again) maybe the name of the beverage is misleading. I'd buy that this is Blueberry Lemon all day, but maybe Passionfruit sells better.

Peach Iced Tea

I get a little bit of both - peach and tea flavors - but not enough of each. Usually in duo flavors one almost always dominates the other, but here neither is standing out. Over ice the peach flavor dominates for me, but I wish it was more juicy, don't ya know? I want the peach to be juicier and for there to be hints of bitter tea (unsweetened of course) to balance out the sweetness.

Pineapple Pomelo

You can skip this one. Remember lip smackers? All I taste is wax with a hint of pineapple. I can't get beyond how waxy tasting this is. It even smells waxy. Just no. I'm going to pretend this flavor doesn't exist. It's so bad, I'm not even gonna bother providing a link for it.

Pink Apple and Lemon - NEW!

This is like drinking crisp apple cider with a hint of lemon, sans calories. Simple and refreshing. Normally apple makes me think of fall, but this is a great spring and summertime sip.

Pomegranate Champagne

This would make a great NYE beverage for the non-tippler. Fantastic pomegranate flavor that's followed up with that signature champagne flavor - crisp, apple-like, effervescent, but sans the hangover the next morning. It feels fancy to be drinking it, even straight from the plastic bottle.

Raspberry Pink Lemonade

This is a fun one! It tastes pink; if you know, you know. It’s got this light, lovely fresh-squeezed lemon thing going on along with an appreciably tart hint of raspberry. I’m a huge fan of this “seltzerade” and think it’s one of those mashups that Polar needs to keep investing in. 

Raspberry Limoncello (Limited Edition)

YUM! Heavy on the raspberry which I don't mind because I dig raspberries. A sweet lemon flavor is present but overshadowed a bit by the dominant raspberry. All in all a solid summer sip!

Starfruit Lemonade

It’s hard to review a fruit I’ve never eaten in real life - the Starfruit - but here goes. From my understanding, starfruit has a flavor that straddles somewhere between sweet and sour. And it’s sort of like a combination of a pear and a citrus fruit. If sweet and sour pear citrus is what Polar was going for, they did a few things right. I actually think pear and lemon citrus are the dominant flavors present in Polar’s Starfruit Lemonade. I had to call this a lemonade, more like lemonade adjacent; it’s crisp and refreshing, with subtle fruit flavors that play nicely together.

Strawberry Creme

Strawberry Creme gives freeze-dried strawberry combined with slightly marshallow-y vibes. The strawberry is absent those sweet, just ripe notes. It's a little... waxy. By that I mean this flavor is definitely artificial-tasting and its hard to overlook. It's a no from me.

Strawberry Watermelon

Have you ever eaten a watermelon Laffy Taffy? You have? Great! That's exactly what Strawberry Watermelon Polar sparkling water tastes like. For me the watermelon flavor dominates, but the strawberry really adds a complimentary berry-ness to it, making it robust and well-rounded. It really has this fun, candy-like flavor that makes it a real delight to drink. I happened to find this flavor while traveling outside of Minnesota and am sad it's not more readily available near me.  

Tart Cherry Limeade

Again, well done Polar. This might just be my favorite of the ‘ades. Because who doesn’t love a good cherry limeade? The cherry notes are neither too tart nor too sweet, just well-balanced. And the limeade flavor at the end ties it all together beautifully. For a seltzer the flavor is very present; oftentimes with flavored sparkling beverages, the flavor is too fleeting but Polar nails it here. 

The Verdict - Which Polar Sparkling Water Flavors are Best?

I ruined this earlier, no doubt. But if you’ve skipped to the end the best Polar seltzer flavors are the ‘ades, IMHO. 

• Tart Cherry Limeade
• Coconut Limeade
• Blood Orange Lemonade
• Raspberry Pink Lemonade

All of these have been deemed worthy of a place in my mini-fridge. I do enjoy Mandarin from time to time, but the ‘ades have it. If you like Blood Orange Lemonade, you should try Topo Chico's Tangerine with Ginger Extract.

Crazy for sparkling water?

Check out my other sparkling water reviews.

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