We Tried 14 Different Orange Sodas and You Can Buy the Winner at Walmart

Whether you call it “pop," “soda” or “soda pop,” everyone knows what you’re talking about—and nothing beats a cold, crisp bubbly drink on a hot day. The term soda comes from the phrase soda water, which refers to carbonated water. At a certain point, syrups and flavorings were added to make soda pop—and the rest is American history.

These days there are entire supermarket aisles dedicated to an array of sodas. There are cans and bottles of all sizes, tons of flavors and colors and a variety of drinks making a range of promises. Some are touting taste; others claim to be better for you than the average soda.

In high summer, we tend to crave lighter sodas, including orange-flavored varieties. The citrusy zing is especially refreshing when it's super hot outside. With this in mind, we set out to find the best orange soda by trying as many different brands as we could find—and would you believe that we tracked down 14 different ones?

After chilling down all of those bottles and cans, we tasted our way through them to find out which ones are worth sipping—and which ones you're better off skipping. Read on for our list of 14 orange soda brands, ranked worst to best.

Related: These 21 Root Beer Brands Are What Ice Cream Float Dreams Are Made Of

How We Tested These Orange Sodas

Other than myself (food and life writer here at Parade), my soda testers were my husband, my 10-year-old son and my 12-year-old daughter. All of us are very opinionated, so there was no lack of feedback. But there were a few brands that we all agreed were above the rest.

I was fortunate enough to be given soda samples from 4 brands, and I bought the remaining 10 brands. I found them in the Chicagoland area at my local Albertsons, Dollar Tree and CVS. We divided the tastings over three days so we wouldn’t overload our senses (or stomachs). With our kitchen island as the test table and a notebook and pencil by my side, we opened 1 soda at a time and started in no particular order. Most of the samples were unfamiliar to us, so it was quite an adventure!

What was I looking for? Because our household rarely buys soda (and my husband is not a big fan of sugary things), I wanted to be reminded of what I was missing. I was looking for a soda with an undeniable orange flavor that was full of carbonation (or as my dad says, “strong”) with no odd aftertaste. I was looking for a beverage that I would want to drink again and again. And, a family consensus would be nice.

When the tasting was done and the results were tallied, we had a clear winner.

Related: Smooth and Spicy, These Are the 10 Best Ginger Ale Brands, Ranked

14 Orange Soda Brands, Ranked Worst to Best

Unlike J.Lo (who famously didn’t reveal her favorite bodega orange drink), I’m naming all the ones that I tried. Get your taste buds ready.

14. Rowdy Mermaid Good Mood Orange Soda

This functional soda is called “good mood” because of its infusion of 200MG of Ashwagandha extract, but Rowdy Mermaid just didn’t hit the spot for us. Once we opened the can, the soda smelled like those chewy orange slices of candy (which smell awesome), but the taste was a huge turn-off.

Because the primary ingredient was Ashwagandha, we found the root flavor to be overpowering and bitter. Plus, I wasn’t sure if my kids were allowed to have Ashwagandha, so I just gave them a small amount to get their feedback. Overall, there was little to no orange flavor, and I couldn’t get past the strong Ashwagandha flavor.

13. Sanpellegrino Aranciata Soda

These cans are labeled as Italian sparkling drinks and are made with ingredients from “natural origin Italian oranges,” so it’s got to be delicious, right? Unfortunately not. I was really disappointed because I’m a fan of Sanpellegrino's limonata (lemon) flavor and assumed I'd enjoy this one too. When we opened the can it smelled like grapefruit, and tasted like lemon and grapefruit. My daughter said that it tasted “funky,” and my son noticed a sour limey taste at the end.

Related: 15 Sanpellegrino Flavors, Ranked

12. United Sodas’ Orange Nectarine Soda

I wasn’t familiar with this brand, so it was a true blind taste test. In fact, I was surprised to learn that a local specialty food store carried the full line of flavors—Cherry Pop, Gingery Ale and Orange Nectarine. As for taste, there was a subtle orange flavor, but it reminded me of flavored tonic water.

Even with three types of sweetener—organic cane sugar, organic erythritol and organic stevia—there was still just a hint of sweetness. But what I was really missing was the punch of orange flavor I expect in an orange soda. Although this didn't hit the mark for me in the soda category, I do think it would make an awesome cocktail mixer and I like the short list of ingredients that are easy to understand.

11. Olipop Orange Squeeze Soda

This is a popular prebiotic soda brand that’s low in sugar, so I was excited to see if it lived up to the hype. It’s touted as an “orange soda with a citrusy, vitamin C-rich blend of natural ingredients.” But the first thing I noticed was the lack of distinctive orange smell and the pale orange, and even yellow color. Granted, it is called Orange Squeeze, but the can listed clementine and mandarin juices with a hint of lemon. My kids didn’t like it, but my husband did. I found it to be an acceptable carbonation level, but even after several sips, I still had to search for any trace of the orange.

Related: All 14 OLIPOP Soda Flavors, Ranked

10. Faygo Orange Soda

I found a 6-pack of orange Faygo at Dollar Tree, which is an awesome deal for $1.25. The color was more in line with what I expected from orange soda, and it tasted ok. We didn’t find it to be that sweet, and there was a subtle orange taste, but it wasn't as bubbly as we hoped it would be, which is how it landed in the middle-ish of the pack.

9. Culture POP Orange, Mango & Lime Soda

I really didn’t know how balanced an orange, mango and lime soda would taste. What’s interesting is that it didn’t taste like it smelled. After we popped the top, it smelled like grapefruit (all four of us thought this), but it tasted like unsweetened tonic water. I didn’t mind it not being overly sweet, but I wanted to pick up on the orange. We didn’t dislike the drink, but we couldn’t detect the lime or orange. Mango was the more dominant flavor, which wasn't bad but also wasn't exactly what we were going for in this taste test.

8. Poppi Orange Soda

This is another prebiotic soda that’s also low in sugar (5 grams), so it wasn’t very sweet. The color was a pale orange compared to the others. We all agreed that it tasted like traditional orange juice that you would buy, just with sparkling water added. Given the order of the ingredients, orange juice is one of the last items, and the taste reflected that. The orange flavor was there, but it didn’t stand out. Overall, I thought Poppi orange soda had a pleasant, balanced taste. Plus, I liked its functional aspect. If I’m going to drink soda, it’s a bonus if it’s a little better for me.

Related: I Tried the Gut Healthy Soda Celebs Are Obsessed With and I'm Breaking Up With Diet Coke for Good

7. Jones Orange and Cream Soda

As soon as we popped the top on this bottle we were hit with the creamy smell. This soda smelled and tasted like an orange creamsicle in drink form. My son said he'd never tasted anything like that before—and that’s a good thing! While I wouldn’t drink this every day, this is a good option to treat yourself. I suspect it would make a really delicious ice cream float.

Related: The 10 Best Cream Soda Brands Ranked

6. Evolution Fresh Orange Squeeze Soda

This soda wasn’t on my original tasting list, but I saw it on sale at my local grocery store as I was shopping for the others. For 99 cents, I thought it was worth a try. And let me tell you, I'm glad that I bought it. It’s labeled as a “real fruit soda” with real squeezed fruit. It also supports digestive and immune health. Those are bonuses, but compared to the other gut-friendly sodas I tried, this was a clear winner. It smelled like freshly squeezed oranges, and there was a perfect balance of fizz and orange. I will be trying their other flavors and definitely recommend this for mimosas.

5. Crush Orange Soda

At a certain point in testing these orange sodas, we noticed there were a few brands that smelled alike. For instance, Crush, Boylan and Sunkist had the same scent when we opened them. Ranking Crush was a nail-biter because we didn’t all agree on what made it better than the others. What we did all agree on was that it didn’t capture the full orange taste, and it fell flat after the first couple of sips.

4. Sunkist Orange Soda

In our tasting, Crush and Sunkist were neck and neck. The reason Crush ranked higher was because the flavor was more pronounced and while the carbonation level was low, it was better than Crush. My son liked it, my husband enjoyed the level of carbonation, but my daughter didn’t like the aftertaste. I didn’t pick up on the aftertaste, but the flavor was good. It just needed more bubbles.

3. Boylan Bottling Company Orange Soda

This company’s orange soda is one of several in their cane sugar soda line. I received a large sample of their beautiful 12-ounce glass bottles, and my daughter drank a bottle pretty much every few days before we finally started the official testing.

Once the rest of us had a taste, we weren’t surprised that she loved downing them. Once you pop the cap, it smelled like oranges and the color was reminiscent of fresh oranges. It reminded me of Sunkist or Fanta, only a touch sweeter. The carbonation level wasn’t overpowering either. I wish Boyland sold their sodas in cans for easier storage and transportation but the flavor was a real hit with the whole family.

2. Fanta Orange Soda

I saved this one for last because we were familiar with the brand, but we hadn’t purchased it in quite a long time. Once we twisted off the cap, it was like a basket of freshly cut oranges was before me. When you poured it, you could see the orange bubbles foaming up, and they remained in the cup for several minutes. Even after multiple (and I mean multiple) sips, the taste was consistent. This one was definitely a winner!

1. Jarritos Mandarin Soda

The Jarritos brand has been around since 1950, and you can find them everywhere—grocery stores, taco spots, Dollar Stores, Walmart, gas stations. I’ve tried other flavors but I had never sampled orange. Their mandarin flavor delivered the full in-your-face, bubbly orange explosion. It had the ultimate orange soda trifecta—carbonation, flavor and color. As my husband said, “it’s just a great pop.” The taste was pretty balanced—not too sweet, not too carbonated. This is what I expect when I order an orange soda and was clearly the best orange soda in the bunch. I tried the version in a plastic bottle, but true Jarritos fans insist on the glass-bottled version, which I'll definitely keep my eye out for.

Up next: We Ranked 12 Olive Oil Brands and You Can Buy the Winner at Whole Foods