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Best SodaStreams and sparkling water makers

We pitted SodaStreams against other sparkling water makers to see if the big brand came out on top, or if an alternative is better for fizzing your drinks
Chris BrookesResearcher & writer
Sodastream carbonating water

We’ve tested the most popular brands – including an Aarke sparkling water maker and SodaStream Terra – to find out which ones are easy to use and produce the best fizzy drinks.

Two were good enough to get our Best Buy recommendation, and we also found a Great Value model costing less than £85. Our expert soda maker test results reveal the best SodaStream and best sparkling water maker overall.

The best SodaStreams and sparkling water makers

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Sparkling water makerEase of setupEase of useFizzability*Where to buy
ExcellentExcellentGood
GoodExcellentGood
GoodGoodGood
ExcellentExcellentPoor
GoodAverageGood
GoodAverageAverage
GoodAveragePoor 

Date tested: October 2023. Page last checked: July 2024. We're not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available. 

*Refers to how easy it is to get your drink to your preferred level of fizziness

The SodaStreams and sparkling water makers we tested

All those we've tested are listed in alphabetical order below. 

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best SodaStreams and sparkling water makers from our tests. 

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Aarke Carbonator 3

Aarke Carbonator 3

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CO2 cylinder attachment type Screw-top

Cylinder exchange/refill Cylinder Loop service via Aarke

Bibo Fizz

Bibo Fizz

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CO2 cylinder attachment type Screw-top

Cylinder exchange/refill Refundable deposit when cylinder returned to Bibo

Drinkmate Omnifizz

Drinkmate Omnifizz

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CO2 cylinder attachment type Screw-top

Cylinder exchange/refill Coupon offered for each cylinder returned via Collect+ service

Philips GoZero Soda Maker

Philips GoZero

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CO2 cylinder attachment type Screw-top

Cylinder exchange/refill None available

SodaStream Art

SodaStream Art

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CO2 cylinder attachment type Quick Connect

Cylinder exchange/refill Available on SodaStream and via a range of retailers including Argos, Ryman and Sainsbury’s

SodaStream Duo

SodaStream Duo

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CO2 cylinder attachment type Quick Connect

Cylinder exchange/refill Available on SodaStream and via a range of retailers, including Argos, Ryman and Sainsbury’s

SodaStream E-Terra

SodaStream E-Terra

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CO2 cylinder attachment type Quick Connect

Cylinder exchange/refill Available on SodaStream and via a range of retailers, including Argos, Ryman and Sainsbury’s

SodaStream Terra

SodaStream Duo

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CO2 cylinder attachment type Quick Connect

Cylinder exchange/refill Available on SodaStream and via a range of retailers, including Argos, Ryman and Sainsbury’s

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How we test sparkling water makers

We select the most popular sparkling water makers from UK retailers – including SodaStreams and other brands – and put them through a series of tests. We buy all the products we test. Each sparkling water maker is assessed on the following:

Ease of setup 

We analyse how easy it is to set up the sparkling water maker, including inserting the CO2 cylinder and water bottle.

Ease of use 

We make sparkling water in each machine, rating it for how simple it is to fizz the water.

Fizzability 

We rate each machine for how easy it is to get to a good level of fizziness compared with bottled sparkling water.

Build quality 

We give a final rating for how sturdy it feels and how good it looks on a kitchen countertop.

How long does SodaStream gas last?

SodaStream and other sparkling water gas cylinders all claim to make 60 litres of sparkling water, but this will vary depending on how fizzy you like your beverages. 

Once the cylinder is empty, there are various recycling and refill options available. See our reviews for more information. 

Make sure to insert the CO2 cylinder properly, and fill the water bottle to the fill line to ensure all the gas is going into your drink and not being wasted.

Are SodaStreams good for the planet?

If you're concerned about how many plastic bottles you get through when buying sparkling water from the supermarket, you'll see a huge reduction in plastic waste through using products such as SodaStream.

The SodaStream bottles themselves won't last forever, as subjecting them to repeated use as pressurised containers over a long period of time causes inevitable wear and tear. This means you'll need to replace the bottles after roughly three years.

The bottles are made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which can be recycled along with the other recyclable plastics in your household.

The three-year lifecycle gives SodaStream bottles a far smaller carbon footprint than buying bottled sparkling water every week.

For example, if you used your SodaStream to make 4 litres of sparkling water a week for that three-year lifecycle, you'd recycle two bottles instead of approximately 312 that you'd buy from the supermarket.

Although you might still feel positive about recycling all those water bottles instead of chucking them in landfill, the energy used to transport and recycle them all still makes for a significant carbon footprint.

You might also be concerned about the CO2 you're buying to carbonate the water. However, as with most fizzy drinks sold in the supermarkets, the CO2 is usually a by-product from the manufacturing of other products, which is then taken and used to carbonate the drinks. The CO2 is not produced solely for use with SodaStreams.

Can you make other drinks with a SodaStream?

Sodastream set

Most sparkling water makers – including all the SodaStreams we tested – only allow you to carbonate water. Once you've got it to your preferred level of fizziness, you can then add different flavours and syrups.

The Drinkmate Omnifizz and Bibo Fizz that we tested give you the option to put in other liquids and fizz them directly in the machine.

SodaStream flavours and SodaStream syrup

You can buy a range of syrups to jazz up your sparkling water. Just a few of the options include Pepsi, 7Up, Ginger Ale and Diet Tonic. 

You can buy different flavours from Amazon, Lakeland, SodaStream and other retailers.