13 Popular Gummy Candies, Ranked Worst To Best

I love chocolate candy as much as the next person, but sometimes, I just crave a more texturally interesting dessert. That's when I reach for the gummy candies. They're bouncy, chewy, and usually feature a fruity flavor profile. Some tend toward the sweeter end of the spectrum, while others veer into intensely sour territory. But, all gummy candies have one thing in common: They make for an especially fun snack. The gummies' bright colors may make them feel like they're solely for kids, but true candy lovers know that gummies can be enjoyed at any age.

These days, there are a ton of different gummy brands on the market. They come in about every shape, size, color, and texture, and they're not all created equal. I tasted several different gummy candies to give you the lowdown on which products are worth checking out and which ones are better left on the shelf. You don't have to take my word for it, though — feel free to give these gummy candies a try to see where they land on your personal ranking.

If you ask me, Skittles should have stuck to what it knows. Those sticky, chewy little candies, served up in a diverse array of fruity flavors, were some of my favorites when I was a kid. And honestly, a big part of why they were good was that weirdly crunchy-then-chewy texture they had going on. Take that interesting texture away, and you'd be left with a generic — and frankly super artificial-tasting — candy.

That's basically what's happening with Skittles Gummies. There's a whisper of the flavor of the original candy there, but it tastes diluted. Those fruit flavors just fall flat in gummy form and offer no sourness that could potentially make them more appealing. The texture of these gummies is okay — they're relatively soft, which is a good thing — but that can't save this candy from its fate in this ranking. I'm definitely not going to be buying these in the future.

With a name like "Sour Patch Kids," you'd think that this gummy candy would be one of the sourest options on the market. Unfortunately, though, that's not really the case. Of course, there's definitely some sourness there — right when you put the candy in your mouth. But that lovely brightness fades far too quickly, leaving you with a sweet, fruity base that frankly just doesn't taste that good, regardless of which flavor you're supposed to be enjoying.

Then there's the texture. While most gummies have a bit more bounciness to them, these are soft and chewy. You get a little resistance when biting into them, but it doesn't yield that same super gummy texture I'm looking for in this kind of candy. I think there's a time and a place for Sour Patch Kids (like a big bowl of mixed candies — aka candy salad), but this is never going to be my top choice in the candy aisle.

If you have dietary restrictions or are looking for a zero-sugar treat, it can be difficult to find candy that's appropriate for your lifestyle. For many people, that can mean being forced to give up candy almost entirely. Luckily, there are companies out there, like Joyride, that are making candy that's appropriate for a wider range of diets. These plant-based gummies are free from artificial sweeteners and have zero sugar. If you follow a vegan diet or are trying to monitor your sugar intake, this is definitely a brand worth seeking out.

That being said, if you don't have any dietary restrictions and are just looking for the most delicious gummy candies on the market, this brand may not be what you're looking for. The flavor of these gummies was actually decent, despite the lack of sugar. The texture, though, wasn't great; the bears are quite tough and difficult to chew.

Its nice that these products allow more people to indulge in their favorite snacks. But as someone who enjoys a bit of sugary candy every once in a while, these gummies aren't my favorite.

If you're like me, you may remember Life Savers as the hard candy your grandma always had in the bottom of her purse. I never really understood the appeal of them. Sure, they were fun to pop in your mouth for a few minutes, but after a while, those cloyingly sweet flavors would start to wear on me and I'd just want to spit the candy out. But Life Savers isn't just about the hard candy. The brand also boasts several different types of gummies, and although they're not my favorite of the bunch, they're still not as bad as their hard candy counterparts.

The texture of these gummies is fine, but they would be better if they were a bit softer. On the flavor front, the orange and strawberry flavors are pretty solid. If this bag were just made of those, this candy would probably rank a lot higher on this list. The green apple, though, is deeply unpleasant. It should come as no surprise that it doesn't taste like apple at all, but is instead more reminiscent of some sort of house cleaner my mom used back in the '90s. The cherry flavor, like so many cherry-flavored candies out there, has fallen victim to the tasting-like-medicine epidemic as well. 

Jolly Ranchers: another hard candy-turned-gummy situation that the candy landscape might be better off without. These actually aren't that bad, but they're not particularly good either. Although I usually like very sour candy, these candies were just over the top. The "sour lemonade stand" flavors include sour cherry lemonade, sour lime lemonade, and sour strawberry lemonade. Honestly, though, they all just tasted super, super sour. One bite was enjoyable. After that, they started to overwhelm my taste buds.

Texturally, this candy wasn't great either. These gummies are harder than most of the others I tried on this list, and they have less of that bouncy texture and more of a soft, sticky one. That stickiness means that these candies get stuck to your teeth, which isn't what you want when you're trying to contend with an overly-sour snack. For those who love seriously (and I mean seriously) sour candies, Jolly Ranchers gummies may be for you. But for the rest of us, there are more delicious gummy candies to be had.

Here's another brand that's trying to make candy more accessible to a wider range of eaters. And although this brand is far from my favorite, Smart Sweets Sourmelon Bites were actually pretty good — considering the fact that they're plant-based and low on sugar. The flavor is solid; they have a sort of artificial watermelon-like flavor to them, which is pleasant and relatively light. There's definitely a decent bit of sourness there as well, which complements, but doesn't hide, that watermelon flavor. The result is a gummy snack that's not groundbreaking flavor-wise, but will get the job done when you're craving something both sweet and sour.

The issue is the texture. This is another gummy candy that's less gummy than it should be. Instead, it boasts a more soft, chewy texture. It's not bad, per se, but it's definitely not what I'm looking for when I visit the gummy section of the candy aisle. If you're trying to cut back on your sugar intake or you just want a gummy that doesn't contain any animal products, this is a great option. However, if your diet doesn't restrict those ingredients, consider checking out some of the options further down this list.

Taking your first bite of a SweeTARTS gummy is an interesting experience, especially if you had the hard candy when you were a kid. You might remember their light, fruity flavors, but what really stood out to me was that signature chalky texture. Somehow, miraculously (albeit confusingly), they found a way to capture that chalkiness and put it into gummy form. I'm not talking about the texture here. These gummies are actually quite nice and soft — they're one of the better options on this list when it comes to texture. Rather, it's the flavor itself that's chalky. It's odd, but since these definitely taste like the original SweeTARTS, I'm going to say it's a win.

One side of these gummies are sweet, while the other is supposed to be more tart. Since you're probably not going to bite into just one half of these candies, you're really getting those two flavors together. But, I could taste a little bit of that separation before I started to chew.

Would I go out of my way to buy this candy? Probably not. But if it were out in a bowl at a party, I'd definitely take some — even if it's just because they taste like a blast from the past.

Signature Select is the store brand you go for when you're trying to make your cash stretch. After all, a lot of the time, the quality of store-brand products is so similar to the name-brand versions that it doesn't really matter which you get anyways. That's certainly the case when it comes to Signature Select's gummy worms. Are they anything groundbreaking or do they offer something I haven't tasted before? No. But when you're craving gummy candy and don't want to spend too much money, they'll get the job done.

When it comes to flavor, these gummy worms are about as generic as you can get. They're slightly sweet and fruity, and there's not much else going on. The main appeal of this candy is the fact that the worms are so soft. That's exactly the kind of texture I want in my gummies, which is why I think it's worth it to keep these candies stocked in your pantry for whenever you want a fun and colorful dessert.

When you think of Haribo gummies, chances are that you're thinking of the brand's iconic gummy bears. That candy is a classic, and it's one that I grew up loving. But you don't have to stick with the brand's original offerings to get a taste of what Haribo can offer. If you're looking for something a bit more interesting and unique, you may want to check out Haribo Goldbears sour. Yes, it's just what you think it is: the plain old Haribo gummy bears you love but covered in a dusting of sour crystals.

I was surprised at how much I liked this spinoff. The texture is just what you'd expect from standard Haribo bears. These candies are tough enough where you have to rip the bear apart with your teeth, but at the same time, they're deliciously gummy and chewy. Combine that texture with some sour flavoring, and it should be clear why this is a gummy candy you should try out.

Let's face it: Gummies never taste fresh or particularly like real fruit. Instead, they're usually quite artificial tasting. That's not always a bad thing — sometimes I want to indulge in sugary, artificially-flavored junk food — but there's only so much you can eat of something that tastes so distinctly artificial. When you snag yourself some Black Forest gummy worms at your local grocery store, though, you'll get a whole new gummy experience.

These gummies are made with actual fruit juice. I'm not sure if that's really effective marketing or I can genuinely taste the difference between these and other brands, but I'm here for it regardless. Although I love that fresher flavor, these candies are missing that this-feels-bad-for-you vibe that's part of what makes eating candy so fun, so if you're not looking for a more "natural" tasting version gummy, these may not be right for you.

Sure, I love good old fashioned Haribo bears, but if there's a Haribo product I particularly love, it has to be the Haribo Starmix. That's because you're not just getting one gummy candy snack here. Rather, you're getting a mix of them. It features some of Haribo's most well-known and beloved candies, including Happy Cherries, Gummy Rings, Goldbears, and Twin Snakes. All of these gummies taste different, so you'll get the opportunity to try a variety of gummy snacks all in one package.

Undoubtedly the best part of this mix, though, is the Happy Cola gummies. I was shocked at how much these gummies actually taste like real cola. It's a departure from the standard gummy flavors you tend to think of, which is why it's such a welcome addition in this mix. Unfortunately, all of these flavors lack the sour brightness that makes a gummy actually craveable, but I can forgive Haribo for that.

Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers taste like a blast from the past. I grew up with them, as I'm sure a lot of other candy-eating kinds in the U.S. did, and I still have a soft spot in my heart for them. And no, it's not all about the nostalgia; they are also some of the best gummy candies out there. First of all, the texture is just right. When you first bite into them, they're chewy and almost have a toughness to them. Once you've let them sit in your mouth for a few minutes, though, they become soft and pliable, and offer you both textural experiences in one package.

The flavors are also solid too. In my personal opinion, the orange and green worms are the best, although the red and blue come in close second. They're fruity and slightly sweet, but mostly, it's all about the tang. There's nothing complex or super wild about these flavors — they just make sense for gummy candy. Although they might not snag the very top spot, they should definitely be on your must-try candy list.

Finally, we get to the absolute best gummy candies of the bunch, and it's not even a close competition. Nerds Gummy Clusters so clearly deserve the top spot. They don't just taste good — they're innovative, too. They're little pieces of gummies covered with sour Nerds candies. That may sound simple, but it provides eaters with a textural experience like no other. The gummy part of the candy is perfectly soft and bouncy, but then you have this colorful, crunchy coating covering the surface of the gummy. The result is a surprisingly complex and endlessly enjoyable snacking experience. Even if you don't like the flavor of this candy, you'll want to go back for more just for the texture alone.

That being said, Nerds Gummy Clusters deliver on the flavor front as well. The middle gummy section is sweet and lightly fruity, while the Nerds are mostly just sour, without much noticeable sweetness. When those two elements come together, they create gummy candy nirvana.

I chose these gummy candies for this list based on their availability, opting for the most generic or original versions of the products whenever possible. I tasted each one of these candies one by one in a single sitting to draw minor distinctions between somewhat similarly-flavored products. 

The criteria for this ranking included both textural and flavor considerations. In the case of gummy candy, texture was especially important, which is why I ranked softer, chewier, and gummier candies higher than tougher, stickier varieties. Balance of flavor also played an important role in determining each candy's spot on the list.