The Best Soda Makers for Making Sparkling Water

The Carbon8 is an interesting proposition, and a wholly different model of a water carbonator. It plugs into the wall, for one thing. And it pulls from a 68-ounce removable, refillable water reservoir— meaning you pull sparkling water straight into your drinking cup, the same way you'd fill your cup from the tap. This means you don't have to worry about it going flat: Just pull what you need.

The most interesting sell, however, is Carbon8's filtering and disinfecting and remineralizing technology. Carbon8 hits water with UV light, shown in some studies to be helpful against bacteria. The tank also comes with a carbon filter, which I tested to be effective at removing chlorine or chloramine that might affect the taste of the water. But also? The Carbon8 “remineralizes” the water with calcium and magnesium, essentially turning the carbonated water into a home version of sparkling mineral water. It might not have the character of the ancient springs of Sardinia, but it is an admirable take on home sparkling mineral water.

But note the machine is a bit spurty—like, you'll need to hold your drinking cup right up to the spout—and the carbonation is not quite as peppy as our top picks. You'll have to replace the remineralizing chlorine filters alongside your carbon dioxide canisters, at $15 a pop or $12 with a subscription.

Want basically the same SodaStream functionality for less money, with the caveat that you get a more lightweight and plasticky build? The Soda Stream Art, with its pleasant manual lever operation, is often found on sale for a hundred dollars or less. While the build feels a bit flimsier than the Enso—not ideal if you're a heavy user—the two-year warranty is the same. It does pull above its weight class, however, in terms of its carbonation abilities, noted contributing reviewer Andrew Watman.

If you want flavors, SodaStream sells separate flavor mixes, like Pepsi or Mountain Dew, that you can add to your sparkling water for $7 each for a bottle that makes about 9 liters.

This one’s for the sparkling-obsessed person who can’t leave the house without their bubbly beverage in hand. The Aer1 system from Aerflo is a nifty water bottle that allows you to carbonate on the go—and it works really well. Rather than the large CO₂ canisters that most home soda makers require, the Aer1 comes with 15 mini capsules, which look almost like bullets, and screw easily into the compartment that’s attached underneath the bottle cap. You fill the water high enough so that it hits this tube. Once the lid is screwed back on, you lightly push on the top to release the CO₂ to your preference. After each push, you’re supposed to shake the bottle. That’s it. It produces a really refreshing carbonation.

The bottle is partially stainless steel, which helps keep it cold longer. It holds up to 500 milliliters of water if you plan to carbonate, but otherwise, it holds a total of 650 milliliters of water (you need to leave room for the bubbles). The company also provides the option to engrave your initials on it. The package comes with a small silicon capsule holder that allows you to carry up to three capsules on the go. It’s almost like carrying your earbuds case. I probably wouldn’t carry these in my pocket, but if i had a bag with me then I’d definitely throw it in there. Twelve refill capsules are also included, as well as a prepaid shipping box to send the empty ones back. —Andrew Watman

The Ninja Thirsti is more than a water carbonator. It's a full-on pod flavored soda machine, great for kids or those who just can't stand a life that doesn't taste like dragonfruit. This one's an electric, requirting an outlet, but it backs this up with some added functionality. It's one of the only machines to offer multiple preset levels of carbonation, with three bubble intensities or even an option not to carbonate. It offers a pod-style flavor infusion option for soda-fountain-style soda making. The Thirsti helpfully indicates when when your CO₂ is running low, and when the water in the 48-ounce reservoir's not cold enough (though it doesn't cool your water.)

The device comes with a box of flavor pods, including flavors like lemonade, dragonfruit, watermelon lime, and strawberry kiwi. Some of these flavors are labeled with functional terms like “hydrate,” “vitamins,” or “energy.” Contributing reviewer Andrew Watman wasn't sure he felt any particular way after drinking sweet B-vitamin-infused sodas, though the “energy” pods do contain some caffeine.