13 Prime Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

In case you've managed to evade the Prime craze that's been sweeping hydration nation since 2022, I'm going to give you some dirty details of Logan Paul's pet project, as well as do a pretty comprehensive taste test. The hydration drink brand says it was created to "fill the void where great taste meets function." Its hydration drinks contain 10% coconut water (which is the best hydrating drink), as well as BCAAs, antioxidants, and electrolytes. Its energy drinks are packed with a whopping 200 milligrams caffeine along with electrolytes. Beyond that, it boasts an interesting flavor lineup, with classic flavors like blue raspberry alongside inventive concoctions like Glowberry.

I wouldn't call Prime the best flavored bottled water I've ever tried, but in all honesty, its flavors were pretty darn good. Though some were less appealing to me, I really wouldn't call any flavor bad; in fact, I was impressed by how balanced some of the flavors were. You can expect all of Prime's flavors to be sweet (though not overly so) and some had an incredibly nostalgic component to them that took me back to fun childhood memories. I ranked the following Prime beverages based on their overall flavor profile and the strength of each flavor. 

Taking the unfortunate bottom spot on my ranking is Prime's tropical punch flavor. Again, while I wouldn't call it "bad," it was decidedly unimpressive. Given that this was the most tinted of any flavor I tried, I expected it to also be one of the most flavorful. Instead, I found it to be rather bland and boring. Then again, I was also never a fan of tropical punch juice packs, so this could just be personal preference. 

The scent of Prime's tropical punch flavor was entirely too subtle. Whereas some of the other flavors boasted an intense, inviting aroma, tropical punch did not. Had I not known it was supposed to be tropical punch-flavored, I never would have been able to identify it. Moreover, upon sipping it, my brain immediately associated it with taking in a mouthful of chlorinated pool water. It had that childlike pool party nostalgia without the appeal. Rather than feeling pleasantly reminiscent, I was flooded with memories of germy waterparks and horrid sunburns. I also couldn't identify any individual flavors in the drink. My ultimate verdict was that this tasted like "artificial pool party," which was enough to put it in last place.

I didn't like Prime's lemon lime flavor from the moment I smelled it. Why? It smelled like it was trying to be Sprite — and it really wasn't succeeding. The scent was indeed lemon-limey, but it was too artificial. My opinions are neither here nor there when it comes to Sprite (I'm just not a big soda person in general), so I don't think I had any particular Sprite-related bias against this drink. It simply wasn't at all up to snuff.

I will admit that the drink not being carbonated threw me off. Not that I expected it to be; rather, the Sprite association was so strong that it tasted odd as a still drink. However, the biggest reason I didn't enjoy the lemon lime flavor was because it tasted more "fake" than many of the other flavors. The lemon and lime notes were definitely there, but there was no tartness or sharpness to the drink. Instead, it was just very sweet. 

Ultimately, it was far too gentle and artificial to really be enjoyable. If it had even a slightly tangy element, it may have helped the drink place higher. As it is now, it's definitely not the best of the company's flavors. 

Prime's cherry freeze flavor was a no-go for me. I actually went back and forth on this one quite a bit — it was by no means bad, but it was too reminiscent of cherry cough syrup for me to enjoy it for what it is. The cough syrup scent hit me as soon as I poured it into the glass and I couldn't get the association out of my head. Don't totally give up on this drink though; I can see some people enjoying it. But it wouldn't surprise me if many people also experienced the same medicinal vibes that I did.

The cherry flavor was pretty mellow until I swallowed it. It stuck in the back of my throat (again, very similar to cherry cough medicine) and lingered for quite a while. Obviously it lacked the sharp alcoholic notes of cough medicine, but still, the flavor was there in the aftertaste. Lovers of cherry-flavored treats would probably enjoy this, as long as they don't mind it not tasting very "real." If you don't think the cough medicine association will be problematic, I'd say give it a try.

Blue raspberry has been a popular candy choice ever since it was created. There's something about the bright blue hue and its tangy berry flavor that's instantly appealing. But, it ranked at number 10 on my list because I expected it to be better. It did have that nostalgic component to it, but it wasn't well-executed. 

I was dubious about this one from the minute I smelled it. I was instantly reminded of blue raspberry snow cones and Jolly Ranchers which, though they are beloved childhood treats, aren't necessarily something I hunger for in adulthood. I was too underwhelmed when I first sipped it, too. Prime had an opportunity to take a classic childhood favorite flavor and adult-ify it. Instead, the brand decided to mimic the saccharine syrup flavor to a T and then dilute it. The result? A watered-down Jolly Rancher drink that tastes too cheap to be worth the couple bucks. But, again, I can't call it bad. It was a huge missed opportunity to pack a flavor punch, and that's why it's ranked this low.

I enjoyed all the following drinks (and didn't hate the previous ones). But, as you'll come to find out, I now have a very big pet peeve when it comes to the Prime brand: Why does it give flavors odd names without telling the consumer what they're buying? Nowhere on the bottle is there an indication of what "X" tastes like, and while I could probably figure it out with a quick Google search, consumers aren't likely to do that when they're buying bottles off the shelf on a quick trip to the grocery store. I don't appreciate the mystery aspect this gives some of the brand's flavors. However, that didn't influence my ranking of the drinks. 

Indeed, search engine consultation told me that Prime's "X" flavor is in fact strawberry lemonade, which I don't think I could have guessed from tasting it alone (though I did think it tasted the closest to lemon lime). While I enjoyed the flavor, it wasn't identifiable. Moreover, it was one of the more artificial-tasting flavors I tried. The lemon would have been more identifiable if there was some tang present (which is the same problem I had with Prime's lemon lime beverage). Though, I liked it as it was. I just wasn't impressed — and the vagueness of the flavor certainly didn't help matters any. 

On to the first of two Prime energy drinks that made the list: its original flavor. While I can't call this the best energy drink brand on the market, the visual appeal is certainly there. Prime's original cans have an appealing white hue with cute doodles, and they instantly pop off the shelf no matter what's around them. For being an "original" flavor, I expected this to be more bland than it actually was. At the end of the day, I found myself liking this one quite a bit. 

I do think the carbonation gave this flavor a bit of a boost that it may not have had otherwise. It added a dimensionality that some other flavors lacked and it helped temper the drink's sweetness. It tasted tropical without having that sunscreen-esque flavor that some coconut drinks have, and I think this can is subtle enough to be enjoyable to a pretty large audience. It earned a solid middle spot on my list and was a good springboard to rank other flavors off of. 

Though I found Prime's berry freeze flavor to be slightly reminiscent of its cherry freeze flavor, this one was by far the better of the two. I have to admit, I'm not getting the "freeze" component of either of these drinks, and Prime's website didn't give me any clarity. Regardless, I quite enjoyed this flavor. Although I didn't know what berry flavor to expect, it was instantly identifiable and tasted slightly more natural than some of the previous choices.

When you drink berry freeze, expect a hit of blueberries that pack more of a flavor punch than other drinks on this list. Unlike with the cherry freeze flavor, this one didn't taste medicinal in the slightest; rather, it was bright and fruity, while still being gentle enough not to overwhelm the palate. It kept me wanting to go back for another sip. I can certainly see some consumers arguing that this is the best Prime flavor, and had I not simply liked the following ones better, I could have been persuaded to put it closer to the top of my list. As it stands, this one was good, but it didn't blow me away.

I thoroughly enjoyed Prime's ice pop flavor. It had that pleasant nostalgic component of some other flavors, but it was mature enough to not make me feel like I was still living in my childhood bedroom. Plus, I have to take a moment to give some credit to whoever designed the bottle. It instantly harkens back to the red, white, and blue ice cream truck treat, and I can see the visual appeal alone being enough to convince consumers to go for this flavor.

The ice pop moniker couldn't be more apt. The ice pop flavor comes through very well despite being pretty gentle — it wasn't too subtle of a drink for me, but I do think it could have been made even better by amping up the flavor a notch or two. The sweetness lingers on your lips and it gives you a long (though definitely not unpleasant) aftertaste. And, though it's a sweet drink, it boasts a subtle tanginess that helps mellow out some of its saccharine qualities, which is an element several of the aforementioned drinks were missing. Most of all, though, it evokes the feelings of childhood summertime liberation, which was certainly one reason why I gave this bottle the number six spot on my list.

I still can't make up my mind about Prime's Meta Moon flavor. I'm diverging from my ranking criteria slightly in placing this one at number five on my list. Though this was definitely the strongest of any of Prime's flavors, it's too divisive and unfocused to justify ranking it any higher. A certain consumer with fond memories of spending a long day in a theme park and shelling out too much money for overpriced Slurpees will love this flavor. Personally, I liked it. You, however, might hate it.

As with Prime's X flavor, I had no clue what I was tasting upon my first sip. Thankfully, the drink's Amazon page yielded some insight, as it explains it's reminiscent of raspberry, bubblegum, and cotton candy. After reading that I thought, "Of course!" I got those flavors the moment I took another sip, and it tasted like a day at the carnival. This flavor has more complexity than many others on this list and it doesn't linger too long. The flavor almost changes as you sip. You'll get a nice tang at the beginning, and after swallowing, you're left with a cotton candy sweetness. I can see some consumers loving it and others hating it, and I think Prime took a gamble on this flavor — for me, it paid off.

Out of every flavor presented on this list, Prime's strawberry banana surprised me the most. I almost passed this one by on the store shelves; I typically hate anything associated with bananas and banana flavoring, and I couldn't imagine enjoying a strawberry and banana-flavored drink. I was wary of skewing these piece because of my massive bias against bananas. So imagine my utter shock when I had a sip of this drink and immediately went in for another.

Given that this flavor was tasty to me, I can only imagine how yummy it is to consumers who tend to actually enjoy bananas. While I couldn't give it top marks, I have little doubt that it's definitely a favorite for some. And my reason for liking it had nothing to do with the fact that the banana was subtle — rather, the banana flavor was absolutely present, but the strawberry flavor was equally there and helped round out the palate a bit. I felt very comfortable giving it the number four spot on this list.

The second of Prime's energy drinks (which, despite boasting a gorgeous pink color, is not safe for kids) that I tried was its strawberry watermelon flavor. Overall, I really enjoyed this selection. As with its other energy offering, the original flavor, this strawberry banana beverage was also sparkling. Though its carbonation is part of the reason why I liked it so much, I still don't think I'd have ranked it any lower if it was a still drink. The flavors were impeccably balanced and though the drink was on the sweeter side compared to Prime's other offerings, it didn't taste too artificial. 

I'd say the flavor tasted more like strawberry than watermelon. However, the watermelon contributed a bright juiciness that wouldn't have been present if it was just strawberry-flavored, which is why I'd call the flavors of this can very well-balanced. Unlike some previous flavors on this list, strawberry watermelon definitely isn't gentle; however, it also doesn't hit you over the head upon taking a sip. Its effervescence added another dimension to the drink that definitely helped boost its appeal, but I'd still drink a non-sparkling version any day.

Ah, Glowberry. In case you missed it, the 2023 release of this flavor was a huge marketing win for the company. Its release of rare bottles (though the flavor inside was the same; the only difference was the label) caused fans to purchase them in a frenzy. Though I couldn't be convinced to buy into the hype, there's a big reason this flavor getting the number two spot on my list, and why I'm sure it's many consumers' top choice. Simply put, it's really, really good. 

Yet again, though, I was led astray by the lack of any indication of flavor on the bottle. Moreover, while the first release of the drink was definitely a sour apple flavor, as far as I can tell, this one remains a mystery. To me, it was tart, fruity, and ever-so-slightly coconut-flavored. I liked how it hit the sides of my mouth and how the initial tartness was rounded out by an overall tropical appeal. Maybe there's some pineapple present? This is definitely one of Prime's stronger flavors. Though it is still sweet, it maintains a balanced tartness — making it was an easy choice for the number two spot.

Fine, call me basic, but Prime's lemonade flavor was my favorite of the bunch. I oscillated on this one a bit, and the only thing that gave Lemonade an edge over Glowberry was that I knew what I was supposed to be tasting. It smelled like lemonade right out of the bottle, and there's something about knowing what flavor I was drinking that made this instantly appealing to me. Fortunately, it delivered in every way I hoped it would. 

Prime's lemonade tasted like, well, lemonade. It was neither artificial nor too subtle, neither too sweet nor too tangy. The flavor struck the perfect balance of tart and sweet that you expect a good lemonade to have, and it was a flawless example of everything I was missing from Prime's lemon lime flavor. The lemon was bright and zesty, and I found myself easily downing the whole shot glass I poured myself. Is it indistinguishable from lemonade? No. Is it a very convincing, hydrating dupe? Absolutely.

To rank these Prime flavors, I tried them all back to back and sipped water in between. I ended up buying every flavor available at my local Target, which included two sparkling energy drinks. While I do think the carbonation worked in their favor, I tried to make that a secondary factor when ranking these drinks. I considered the overall flavor profile and strength first and foremost; weaker flavor profiles that lacked dimension or weren't easily identifiable tended to rank toward the bottom of my list, while recognizable and pleasantly nostalgic flavors ranked toward the top. 

Another considered factor was artificiality. Though I wouldn't say any of these drinks tasted "natural," some of them tasted more artificial and chemical-laden than others, which knocked a few flavors (like blue raspberry) further down on the list. However, I have to say that I was overall pretty impressed with these flavors. I appreciate how inventive some of them are, and getting a nostalgic flavor like ice pop totally correct is an admirable feat.