Is Polar Seltzer Bottled Water Safe? PFAS + Contaminant Testing Results (2026)
Polar Beverages brand. Second-highest PFAS of sparkling waters in Consumer Reports 2020 (6.41 ppt).
Quick answer
Polar Seltzer is sparkling water from Polar Beverages, bottled at Worcester, Massachusetts (purified, then carbonated). PFAS testing status: PFAS detected - 6.41 ppt, second-highest tested (Consumer Reports 2020). KnowYourExposure rates it D - Second-highest PFAS of sparkling waters in Consumer Reports 2020 (6.41 ppt). No bottled water is a reliable long-term PFAS fix: a certified reverse-osmosis or NSF 53 filter removes PFAS from any tap or bottled source for a fraction of the cost.
How we rate: we report published third-party testing, primarily Consumer Reports' 2020 bottled water PFAS investigation, plus brand-published water quality reports. We do not test products ourselves, and where no independent PFAS testing exists we say so rather than estimate.
Quick facts
- Trust rating
- D (Second-highest PFAS of sparkling waters in Consumer Reports 2020 (6.41 ppt))
- PFAS testing
- PFAS detected - 6.41 ppt, second-highest tested (Consumer Reports 2020)
- Water type
- sparkling
- Bottled at
- Worcester, Massachusetts (purified, then carbonated)
- Parent company
- Polar Beverages
What we know about PFAS in Polar Seltzer
Consumer Reports 2020 measured 6.41 ppt total PFAS in Polar Natural Seltzer Water - the second-highest of the 12 sparkling waters tested, behind only Topo Chico, and above the bottled water industry's voluntary 5 ppt limit. Polar is a New England family-owned brand that carbonates and flavors purified water, so PFAS levels depend on its filtration rather than a naturally clean source. No public follow-up retest showing improvement has been published.
Packaging and microplastics
Sold in aluminum cans and PET bottles. Cans avoid microplastic shedding; the PFAS concern here is in the water itself.
Known issues, recalls & lawsuits
- Consumer Reports 2020: second-highest total PFAS (6.41 ppt) of sparkling waters tested
- Above the bottled water industry voluntary 5 ppt limit
- Purified municipal source - no naturally protected spring, no published retest
Safer alternatives to Polar Seltzer
- For PFAS-tested sparkling, Mountain Valley sparkling and San Pellegrino publish clean data
- A SodaStream plus reverse-osmosis or NSF 53-filtered tap water removes the PFAS concern
- Perrier tested among the lowest sparkling waters (1.1 ppt) in the same Consumer Reports panel
- If you filter your own tap with certified RO, you control the PFAS level
Brands to compare: San Pellegrino (rated B), Mountain Valley Spring Water (rated A).
Frequently asked questions
- Does Polar Seltzer contain PFAS?
- Consumer Reports 2020 measured 6.41 ppt total PFAS in Polar Natural Seltzer Water - the second-highest of the 12 sparkling waters tested, behind only Topo Chico, and above the bottled water industry's voluntary 5 ppt limit. Polar is a New England family-owned brand that carbonates and flavors purified water, so PFAS levels depend on its filtration rather than a naturally clean source. No public follow-up retest showing improvement has been published.
- Where is Polar Seltzer bottled?
- Polar Seltzer is bottled at Worcester, Massachusetts (purified, then carbonated). The parent company is Polar Beverages.
- Is Polar Seltzer safer than tap water?
- Not necessarily. Polar Seltzer comes from a specific source, but most US tap water is held to similar EPA monitoring requirements. A certified home filter removes the same contaminants without the plastic packaging.
- What's the safest alternative to Polar Seltzer?
- Mountain Valley Spring Water consistently tests clean for PFAS and is bottled in glass. For everyday use, a Clearly Filtered or AquaTru reverse osmosis system removes 99% of PFAS from any tap source for a fraction of the cost.
- Has Polar Seltzer been recalled?
- Yes – known issues include: Consumer Reports 2020: second-highest total PFAS (6.41 ppt) of sparkling waters tested; Above the bottled water industry voluntary 5 ppt limit.