Last Updated: May 7, 2024, 5:52 a.m.

Sparkling water makers revolutionize hydration, offering the convenience of crafting bubbly beverages at home. These devices infuse ordinary tap water with effervescence, allowing users to tailor carbonation levels to their liking. With sleek designs and easy-to-use mechanisms, sparkling water makers elevate the drinking experience while reducing single-use plastic waste. Enjoy the crisp, refreshing taste of sparkling water anytime, customized to perfection with the simple push of a button. Say goodbye to store-bought seltzers and embrace the convenience and sustainability of sparkling water makers for a healthier, more eco-friendly lifestyle. Our favorite on this list, the SodaStream Fizzi, is a great choice to make sparkling water in your very own kitchen.

   

What Is Sparkling Water?

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of sparkling water makers, here’s a quick refresher of sorts for those unfamiliar with sparkling water. Sparkling water, in essence, is water infused with carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon dioxide adds gaseous particles into the drink that slowly rise in the water. If you left the sparkling water on a table for a while the CO2 would dissipate, leaving regular table water behind, albeit it with a bit of a “flat” taste. The reason why people like sparkling water so much is the feel of it when you drink it. It’s basically the same feeling you get with soft drinks — a strong, almost refreshing feeling that lingers even after you’ve finished the glass. It can be even more refreshing than regular cold water for a lot of folks, which is why they’d rather drink their water sparkling rather than plain.

Types of Sparkling Water Makers

CO2 cylinder sparkling water makers

These are the most common types of sparkling water makers. With these, the device uses a connected CO2 cylinder to infuse the water or a liquid with CO2, which makes it sparkly. CO2 cylinders are quite large due to how the gas is meant to be stored, so you’ll end up using a lot of space if you intend on buying multiple cylinders at once.

Carbonator sparkling water makers

This other type of sparkling water maker uses carbonators or filters to get carbon out of the air around the room. Because it relies on a filter, a carbonator sparkling water maker doesn’t use CO2 cylinders. While this may seem like a good long-term investment, carbonators also need to be replaced eventually, meaning that you’ll still be spending money down the line — just on carbonators, not CO2 cylinders. What’s more, carbonators are often proprietary in design. In other words, the carbonator of one brand will not fit on other brands and vice versa. This forces you to buy carbonators from the same brand, which likely results in a higher price since they’re the only ones selling the appropriate carbonators.

Things To Consider When Buying a Sparkling Water Maker

Design

Sparkling water makers generally function the same way as one another. What really separates them are the physical differences between each model. Some sparkling water makers will feature brutalist designs, whereas others will appear sleeker and more refined. These differences can matter a lot if you like designing your home to look a certain way. There are even sparkling water makers that come in multiple colors, so you may want to take advantage of that if you’re following a specific color theme at home.

Extra features

Sparkling water makers may have extra features that separate them from their competitors. For example, there are sparkling water makers that also serve as fruit infusers, allowing you to add fruity flavors to your carbonated drinks.

Accessories

It is not uncommon for sparkling water makers to come with a few accessories. You will often get one free CO2 cylinder with your purchase, and some even come with a free bottle to store the carbonated beverage in.

Top Picks

• Best Overall: Sodastream Fizzi
• Most Premium-Looking: Aarke Carbonator Iii
• Best Co2-Free: Spärkel Beverage System
• Best Fruit Infuser: Twenty39 Qarbo
• Most Affordable Option: Drinkmate Sparkling Water And Soda Maker

Reviews

Is sparkling water safe?

There’s no evidence proving that sparkling water is bad for you, so it’s generally safe to drink daily.

How is sparkling water made?

Sparkling water is made by infusing water with carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide slowly rises from the water if it’s left exposed and opened.

Should I drink my sparkling water immediately?

Ideally, yes, you should. The longer you leave the sparkling water the less carbonated it becomes. Unless you prefer it that way, it’s best to drink the water as soon as you carbonate it for ideal results.