Vitamin Water Price and Guide 2021

Introduction of Vitamin Water

Vitamin Water is a flavored bottle water produced by Glaceau - a subsidiary of the Coca Cola company. As a relatively young entrant into the bottled water world, Vitamin Water has a fairly complicated history.

The company that also makes Smart Water, now known as Glaceau, started off as Energy Brands. Vitamin Water was added to the line in 2000 and in just two years had rocketed to the top of water brands in the United States.

Vitamin Water obtained quick notoriety by partnering with rapper 50 Cent, primarily for marketing purposes. The then popular hip hop artist was given a small ownership share in the brand in return for his services.

Later in the 2000s, a large share (around 30%) was sold to the LVMH conglomerate. Those shares were sold off and eventually, the entire company ended up under the Coca Cola enterprise. Despite all the changes, the subsidiary continues to be managed by its founder - J. Darius Bikoff - and runs independently.

Bikoff created the brand in response to his own perceived health needs. After a spell of what seemed like burnout, he turned to a regimen of vitamin C and mineral water. This led to the simple idea of combining the ingredients into one ready to enjoy drink.

Vitamin Water Prices

The pricing of Vitamin Water is difficult to compare to other bottled waters, at it is almost a different product entirely. As you can read below, there are myriad ingredients and flavors offered in this flavored water which represents a significant cost over simply bottling tap or spring water.

As Vitamin Water adds quite a few ingredients, in addition to just water, one would expect its price point to be higher than other bottled water brands. Added vitamins, sweeteners, and natural flavors add complexity to an otherwise bland beverage like water.

Vitamin Water vs Other Bottles

Surprisingly, Vitamin Water stacks up well against other waters considered “premium” bottled water. An equivalent case of Fiji Water comes in as slightly more expensive while the Smart Water line, also from Glaceau, is just a shade less expensive. 

When comparing Vitamin Water to similar (though different in many ways) products like Gatorade or Powerade, the Glaceau brand averages roughly the same price depending on where you purchase.

Vitamin Water offers an array of flavors unrivaled by other bottled water and sports drink brands. This benefit alone could lead consumers to believe the Vitamin Water brand is superior to others and be willing to pay a higher price - although in most cases, the price is comparable.

Common Vitamin Water Prices List

Vitamin Water Ingredients

While commonly compared to sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade, Vitamin Water has less than half the added sugars of those products. Vitamin Water fancies itself as a “healthy” middle-ground between soft drinks and plain water.

Vitamin Water, at its core, is a blend of bottled water, natural flavors, an assortment of vitamins, and sweeteners. It is important to note that every flavor is unique in some way and could utilize different sweeteners or sugars. Vitamin Water Zero offers a zero calorie option by using sugar substitutes.

While considered a healthier option, Vitamin Water clearly has calories and carbs that plain water does not. Hence, it is considered a supplement to hydration with water and a replacement for far less healthy drinks like sodas.

Almost every flavor is fortified with vitamins B and C, per Glaceau. There is also an energy option available that includes caffeine as an ingredient. Here is a quick rundown of some of the popular flavors and their ingredients: