10 Capri Sun Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

When you were a kid, there was nothing like getting a pouch of Capri Sun in your lunch box. You may have needed help getting the pointed yellow straw in the small hole at the top of the pouch, but once you did, you were met with sip upon sip of a sugar-spiked, fruit-flavored beverage that tasted like the sweet freedom of recess. Maybe you still keep some Capri Sun stocked in your fridge for times when you need a taste of nostalgia, or maybe you just have them on hand for your kids' lunch boxes. (Don't worry, we won't tell if you steal one for yourself every once in a while.)

But with so many Capri Sun flavors now on store shelves, you may be at a loss when it comes to picking the best flavors available. That's why I've tasted 10 Capri Sun flavors to give you the 411 on which flavors are worth packing in a lunch box and which are better left behind. I ranked each of these flavors, paying special attention to the overall flavor and concentration of the drinks, and have compiled this list to help guide you in the right direction for your next Capri Sun purchase. Of course, you have to taste these flavors yourself to see what you like best, but hopefully, this ranking will give you a good place to start. These are Capri Sun flavors, ranked worst to best.

You may think of Capri Sun as a super sugary beverage, and many of the brand's flavors do, in fact, contain plenty of sugar. But if you're trying to moderate your (or your kids') sugar intake, you may want to opt for a less sugar-heavy drink. In that case, Capri Sun's Roarin' Waters line may be what you're looking for. These drinks have less sugar and contain sugar alternatives, like Stevia, instead. But honestly, that lack of sugar is off-putting on the flavor front, and the Roarin' Waters strawberry kiwi flavor is proof. This drink feels especially thin, with none of the sugary intensity you would expect from a Capri Sun. Technically, it's marketed as a "flavored water" beverage, and that's exactly what it tastes like ... but plain water tastes way, way better than this stuff.

And it's not just the artificial sweeteners that are a problem here. That strawberry kiwi flavoring is an assault on the senses. It tastes nothing like an actual kiwi and instead offers a green flavor that clashes with the notes of artificial strawberry. Somehow, it tastes deeply offensive and like nothing at the same time. This is absolutely not a Capri Sun flavor I would ever recommend.

A more concentrated, less watered-down version of the Roarin' Waters flavor of this Capri Sun beverage, the strawberry kiwi doesn't impress either. However, it's definitely a step up from the flavored water hellscape of the previous product. Since it contains some actual juice from concentrate along with what tastes like a larger quantity of actual sugar, there's some flavor there that doesn't feel like a shadow of actual fruit. Capri Sun tastes thinner and less pronounced than most actual fruit juices out there, but for a light beverage with lunch, it's not as bad as it could be.

That being said, the strawberry kiwi flavor here isn't much better than the Roarin' Waters version. Yes, you can taste a bit of strawberry, but the kiwi is nonexistent, providing only a strange distraction from the otherwise mild berry flavor present in the drink. Unless you really love artificial kiwi flavor specifically (and really, who does?), this is a flavor you'll probably want to skip.

Although the idea of a less sugary, more water-adjacent beverage is a good one in theory, it doesn't always play out in practice. That's unfortunately the reality when it comes to Capri Sun's Roarin' Waters fruit punch. I wanted this stuff to be good — I really did. But taking a sip, I realized it just tasted like poorly flavored water. Yes, there's a touch of sweetness there, but it tastes thin and artificial. This drink would probably taste better without that added sweetness if it just chose to embrace that fruity flavor without adding the stevia leaf extract.

There's definitely a pronounced fruity flavor here, although it's quite a bit less concentrated than that you'll find in the brand's standard line of beverages. It does taste like fruit punch, but more like the cheap variety you find spiked with artificial colors, not the homemade versions that contain actual fruit. Grabbing a pouch of this Capri Sun flavor might make sense if you're really on the go, but honestly, you'll get a much better drink (and save some money in the process) if you simply slice up some fruit and put it in your standard insulated water bottle.

This product is another instance in which the original version of the flavor is better than the Roarin' Waters interaction of the beverage — but just slightly. Capri Sun's fruit punch is, surprisingly, one of the least appealing flavors of the bunch. That comes as a shock considering that it should just be a rather innocuous blend of different fruit flavors, right? But you can't really pick out any flavors specifically. Rather, they all blend into one unremarkable, bland, fruity note that just doesn't hit the spot.

The picture on the front of the package highlights apples, oranges, pineapples, grapes, and cherries, but the most you'll really be able to pick up on is cherry, but even that's not very pronounced. When it comes to fruity products that don't actually contain a lot of fruit, fruit punch generally seems like a pretty safe flavor to go with. Unfortunately, though, it's not a flavor I'd ever go back for again.

For those who are looking for a mixture of fruit flavors but tend toward the more tropical end of the spectrum, Capri Sun's Roarin' Waters tropical punch seems like a solid go-to flavor. Does it taste like punch made with actual tropical fruits? No. However, it is a step up from the regular Fruit Punch, with its notes of pineapple, orange, and lime. There's actually quite a bit of lime flavor here, which helps cut through the sweetness in the drink and balances the flavor relatively well. I couldn't really pick up on super strong, pronounced notes of pineapple and orange, though. Instead, you'll just get a general sense of fruitiness in each sip.

I wouldn't say that Capri Sun's Roarin' Waters tropical punch is anything special in terms of packaged beverages. In fact, compared to other products on the market, it's not great. But out of the flavors I tried, it's certainly not the worst, although there are better Capri Sun flavors for you to seek out before this one.

Most of the Roarin' Waters selections from Capri Sun are, frankly, just not that good. If there is an exception, though, it has to be the Roarin' Waters grape, which is an artificial grape lover's dream come true. To be clear, this flavored water beverage tastes nothing like actual grapes. Instead, you'll get more of a grape soda flavor. That flavor may not be for everyone, but if you already love grape soda, there's a good chance you'll love this flavor, too. Because it's not supposed to be a mixture of a ton of fruity flavors, you can really discern the grape note, which isn't overshadowed by any other competing flavors.

That being said, considering that this beverage is more of a flavored water than a fruit juice, the flavor is quite thin and flat without the sweetness you might expect from a traditional Capri Sun. Honestly, I think grape soda is absolutely better than this stuff, but if you're a serious grape fan and looking for an option that arguably has less sugar than a standard soda, this might just be the replacement for you.

I love it when a food product has a name like Capri Sun's Pacific Cooler because it gives me absolutely no idea of what it's actually going to taste like before I take a sip. Despite that lack of clarity, though, it's safe to say that this is one of the better options in the lineup. With pear, grape, apple, and pineapple concentrates, you're getting a bold mix of flavors in this variety of Capri Sun, although I'd say that it leans toward the apple end of the spectrum more than anything. The pear juice concentrate, which appears to play a role in many of the flavors on this list, is likely providing a bulk of the drink's understated but enjoyable flavor.

This beverage is a standard fruity drink that definitely doesn't taste like freshly squeezed juice but is nonetheless more enjoyable than many of the other selections on this list. The flavor is more concentrated than some of the other flavors I've covered, and it doesn't taste quite as thin or lifeless as the previously mentioned options.

When it comes to processed, flavored products like Capri Sun, sometimes, simplicity just works. When the brand tries to blend a ton of unrelated flavors together, the results are often not good. But when you choose Capri Sun's Mountain Cooler, you're getting a more streamlined flavor profile that works better than most of the others on this list. It's meant to highlight apple and red raspberry flavors, which is a combo that just works anyway. Since you don't have a ton of other flavors competing for the spotlight, you can really taste that red raspberry note (as artificial as it might taste) quite clearly.

To be honest, this beverage is basically just glorified apple juice. Although it does contain "natural flavors" (which is ostensibly where the raspberry note comes from), the only juice from concentrate it contains is apple. But apple juice generally tastes good, and without a ton of other ingredients to muck it up, the result is a beverage that's decent — if not actively delicious. I generally don't keep Capri Sun on hand in my fridge, but this is a flavor I'd consider if I ever got a random craving for it.

Considering the fact that the other fruit punch Capri Sun varieties just absolutely did not hit the spot, I was surprised that I enjoyed the 100% juice fruit punch flavor so much. Now, don't assume that you're actually getting a super fresh fruit punch here — all of these juices are from concentrate. However, even so, the flavor in this drink is so much bolder than most of the other varieties I tried. Apple, grape, and cherry juices, all — from concentrate — make for a fruity beverage that's streamlined in flavor enough that you can pick out the different elements but interesting enough to keep you going back for another sip.

The flavor of this beverage is so much more concentrated than any of the others on this list, with a pronounced sweetness that you would expect from an actual juice beverage. It also has a slightly thicker mouthfeel, leaving you with the impression that you're getting a more substantial drink all around. It's definitely one of the better options on this list if you're not too concerned about your sugar intake.

I've already mentioned how the flavors in some of the more complex Capri Sun fruit blends get so muddled that you can't make out any one of them individually. It should follow, then, that Capri Sun lemonade would be one of the better options of the bunch since you can actually focus on just one flavor. Taking a sip of this beverage, I was pleased to realize that the assumption was correct. This stuff actually just tastes like lemonade. Albeit it's not the freshest lemonade I've ever had, and it certainly doesn't taste hand-squeezed by any stretch of the imagination, but you do get a nice balance of sweetness and sourness that all comes together beautifully in that iconic pouch.

Yes, you can make a better classic lemonade at home, but if you're packing a lunch box or just want a quick drink to grab on the go, Capri Sun's lemonade is definitely worth checking out. As it turns out, when it comes to Capri Sun flavors, simplicity really is key.

I selected these Capri Sun flavors based on availability at my local grocery store. The criteria for this ranking were both concentration of flavor and also flavor more generally. I tried each beverage chilled and at room temperature, taking sips of water in between each taste to ensure a clean palate.