Zico 100% Coconut Water Drink - 24 Pack, Natural Flavored - No Sugar Added, Gluten-Free - 250ml / 8.45 Fl Oz - Supports Hydration with Five Naturally Occurring Electrolytes - Not from Concentrate

I have been an advocate of coconut water (not coconut milk, a different product all together!) for many years. I am not a professional athlete, these are just my personal experiences/opinions. Coconut water (CW) is the best hydration drink I have found; far better than just water and without all the additives of the many 'sports drinks' on the market. I played Ice Hockey for 3 different rec teams, trained 4 nights a week plus games. Now I play roller derby. I also play softball, snowboard, mountain bike, geocache, and am an Assistant Scout Master. I don't drink just CW, I used it as a supplement. Before sport or a big game I keep myself hydrated with water a good 24-48 hours beforehand. I will have a CW an hour - half hour before the game. I keep hydrated during activity with regular water. If I ever 'feel thirsty' during the game then I'll reach for one because I know it works fast. I always have a CW afterw a hard game too (if I didn't grab one during) to make sure my electrolyte levels get back to normal. There's no need to overdo it - it's a supplement, not a replacement for water. But there are many coconut water products out there.... Personally I prefer the natural taste, although there are now flavored products out there. Make sure you check the ingredients. You do not want coconut water "from concentrate" - defeats the object! This product is totally natural. It is not from concentrate. The ingredients listed are: "100% natural coconut water". No additives, no flavors, no preservatives. Convenient package size too for the way I use it. It's a handy size to fit in a cargo pant pocket or side pocket on a backpack when out hiking in hot climates. If you are not familiar with the benefits of coconut water just use google! As with ay product, you will find all sorts of wild and wonderful claims, but at the end of the day it is very high in potassium and contains 5 essential electrolytes. CW is from the young green coconuts and is sterile inside the nut. In developing countries it has even been used as an intravenous hydration fluid where medical saline was unavailable! Coconut water is primarily marketed as a sports drink because of it's hydrating properties, but those same properties have other uses! I have personally found CW hugely beneficial (and better than just water) in each of the following circumstances too: * Been outdoors in the sun too long, developed a headache and realized I hadn't drunk enough. * I enjoy a glass of wine but it doesn't agree with me; I get really bad hangovers!. A CW before bed has almost eliminated my hangovers. Sometimes and extra CW in the morning is needed. * Upset stomach, sickness and diarrhea are dehydrating: I find CW gentle on my stomach with a mild taste so easy for me to digest when this need arises. I usually take one backpacking too. For ounce-watchers once carton is 12.5 oz (11.2 floz). I do pack them carefully and I'm 'wary' of the peel back foil but it's made of tough stuff, well sealed, yet easy-open and I've never had one burst or leak. Just pack with care. Once drunk, the carton flattens easily to hike out with or can be burned in a camp fire (unlike plastic water bottles). After research, these Zico cartons were the best and most cost-effective "100% natural" version of CW. This size carton best suited my needs. I have an Amazon monthly subscription for delivery of this product.

Each of these three products has a number of reviews. I don't have much to add to any of the individual reviews. Coconut water is great, if you are in the market for a case of it you already know this. But which of these three is the best? I went around town and found 5 boxes of each of the three brands (15 total) each, with no two boxes of a the same brand coming from the same supplier. The goal was to get a wide range of product batches. This I am happy to report was pointless. All three brands produce an internally consistent product. I then ordered a 12 pack of all three brands from Amazon. The only significant difference in packaging is that O.N.E. glues a little telescoping straw to each individual box, the other two brands do not. If you are a straw person this is a feature if not this is just more trash, you decide. The amount per container varies slightly by brand but given the price fluctuation on Amazon I don't consider the 0.1 Oz differences an important factor. All three are made in Brazil, O.N.E. mentions that it is pasteurized the other two do not (nevertheless, I suspect all three are). On pure taste, at refrigerator temperature, I found Zico to be the best (say 5/5), but only nominally better than O.N.E. (4.5/5), Vita was a distant third (3/5). Both Zico and O.N.E. taste almost exactly like drinking right from a fresh green coconut. Vita, on the other hand, has a grape aftertaste which I did not like. At room temperature the order remained the same; however, the differences in taste became more obvious: Zico (5/5), O.N.E. (4/5), Vita (2/5). Obviously all of this is subjective. I observed the price of three on Amazon over the course of a month. Zico (~$24) was consistently more expensive than the other two (~$18-21) which traded places as the least expensive. Considering the price and quality, O.N.E. is my choice and the brand to which I now subscribe. I consider Zico an excellent, but over priced, product and Vita an inferior product. If, however, I preferred my coconut water at room temperature I would give strong consideration to paying the extra money for Zico. If I used my coconut water as a mixer I would buy which ever one is cheapest at the time. All three products are better than nothing (the previous option) and I am happy to see them on the market.