What's the Best Bottled Water?

What's the Best Bottled Water? A Complete Guide to Purified, Spring, Distilled, and Alkaline Water. If you've stood in a store aisle staring at rows of water jugs wondering what actually separates them, you're not alone. "Best bottled water" isn't a one-size-fits-all answer — it depends on your taste preferences, your health goals, and what you're using the water for. Here's a breakdown of the four most common types, so you can decide what belongs in your kitchen.
Purified Water: The Reliable All-Rounder, Purified water starts as tap or groundwater and goes through a filtration process — often reverse osmosis, deionization, or carbon filtration — to strip out chlorine, sediment, bacteria, and other contaminants. What's left is clean, neutral-tasting water with virtually nothing added or left behind.
Best for: Everyday drinking, cooking, coffee and tea, baby formula, and anyone who wants consistency without a strong mineral taste.
Spring Water: Naturally Sourced. Spring water is collected directly from underground springs where it naturally rises to the surface. It's minimally processed, which means it retains trace minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium picked up as it travels through rock and soil. This gives it a slightly different taste depending on the source.
Best for: People who prefer a more "natural" taste profile and like knowing their water comes from a specific, protected source rather than a treatment facility.
Distilled Water: The Purest Form. Distillation takes water through a boil-and-condense cycle, leaving behind minerals, impurities, and virtually everything except H2O. It's the closest you can get to pure water molecules.
Best for: Medical equipment (like CPAP machines), steam irons, humidifiers, and lab or aquarium use where mineral buildup is a problem. It's less commonly chosen for everyday drinking since the mineral-free taste is flatter than other types.
Alkaline Water: The Trending Option. Spencers Alkaline water has a higher pH than standard tap or bottled water, typically in the 8 to 9.5 range, achieved either naturally or through an ionization process. Proponents say it may help neutralize acid in the body, though research on health benefits is still limited.
Best for: People who prefer a smoother, slightly less acidic taste and want to try something outside standard purified water.
So, Which One Is "Best"? The no universal winner — it comes down to use case:
If you want...Choose...Everyday reliable drinking water. Purified
A natural mineral taste. Spring
Zero minerals for equipment. Distilled
A smoother, higher-pH option, Alkaline. The Easiest Way to Get It: Delivery, Whichever type fits your household, the real convenience comes down to not running out. A 5-gallon delivery service means fresh water always on hand — no lugging jugs from the store, no last-minute runs when you're already down to the last drop.
Spencer's Soft Water delivers purified, spring, distilled, and alkaline water directly to homes and businesses throughout South Bend, Michigan City, La Porte, Mishawaka, Elkhart, Cassopolis, and the surrounding Michiana area. You pick the type and schedule; they handle the rest — including swapping empties for full bottles at every visit.
Ready to stop thinking about water? Schedule your delivery with Spencer's Soft Water today. 574-277-1111