Quick Answer: Voss has no published brand-specific PFAS test, but as an artesian water drawn from a protected underground aquifer — not surface springs — it is likely in the lower trace range, comparable to still purified brands. It was not individually included in the widely cited Consumer Reports testing. Its famous glass (or plastic) cylinder bottle and premium price pay for design and marketing, not measurably cleaner water — Voss’s mineral content is actually very low, and there is no evidence it out-performs a $1 bottle on PFAS. Under the 4 ppt EPA legal limit either way.
What We Actually Know About Voss and PFAS
Let’s separate what is verified from what is marketing:
- Voss was not individually tested in the prominent Consumer Reports analysis of 47 bottled waters, so there is no published, brand-specific total-PFAS number the way there is for Poland Spring (1.66) or Fiji (~0.5).
- Voss is artesian water, historically sourced from an aquifer in Southern Norway and, for some product lines, from artesian sources in the United States. Artesian water comes from a confined aquifer under natural pressure — more protected from surface runoff than an open spring.
- It undergoes minimal processing. Voss markets its water as naturally pure, meaning little filtration and no reverse osmosis — the same category limitation that affects spring waters, offset somewhat by the more protected artesian source.
The honest read: Voss most likely carries only trace PFAS thanks to its protected aquifer, but no verified number exists. Anyone quoting an exact Voss PFAS figure is guessing.
Artesian vs Spring vs Purified: Where Voss Sits
Voss’s water type is the key to its likely PFAS profile, and it is genuinely different from a standard spring water:
- Artesian (Voss): Drawn from a confined aquifer sealed under rock, pressurised so water rises on its own. The rock cap offers more protection from surface PFAS than an open spring — which is why artesian brands like Fiji tested relatively low (~0.5 ppt).
- Spring (Poland Spring, Deer Park): Drawn from springs where groundwater surfaces naturally, more exposed to the wider water cycle. These tested higher (1.2-1.66 ppt).
- Purified (Aquafina, Dasani): Municipal water stripped by reverse osmosis, which actively removes PFAS. Lowest tested (0.4-0.5 ppt).
So Voss likely sits closer to Fiji than to Poland Spring — trace levels, thanks to the protected source — but without RO it cannot guarantee the near-zero of a purified brand or a home filter.
How Voss Likely Compares
| Brand | Total PFAS (ppt) | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Essentia | 0.2 | Purified (RO) |
| Dasani | ~0.4 | Purified (RO) |
| Fiji | ~0.5 | Artesian |
| Voss | No published data (likely low) | Artesian |
| Deer Park | ~1.2 | Spring |
| Poland Spring | 1.66 | Spring |
Full rankings: Best Bottled Water Without PFAS and our complete bottled water rankings.
What Voss’s Price Actually Buys You
Voss is one of the most expensive mass-market bottled waters, often $2-4 per bottle — several times the price of Aquafina or Dasani. The uncomfortable truth is that this premium buys design, not water quality:
- The bottle is the product. Voss’s cylindrical glass bottle, designed by a former Calvin Klein creative director, is a fixture in restaurants and on social media. You are paying for that object as much as its contents.
- Very low mineral content. Voss has a TDS of around 22-44 mg/L — extremely low, meaning it is a clean, neutral-tasting water but not a mineral water in any nutritional sense. It delivers essentially no calcium or magnesium.
- No PFAS advantage proven. There is no published evidence Voss tests lower on PFAS than a purified brand costing a fraction as much. Its artesian source likely keeps it in the trace range, but so does reverse osmosis — for far less money.
If you love the taste and the bottle, that is a legitimate reason to buy Voss. Just do not assume the price reflects lower PFAS or higher purity — it does not, as far as any public data shows.
Is Voss Safe to Drink?
Yes. Voss meets FDA and IBWA bottled water standards, and its protected artesian source makes elevated PFAS unlikely. Whatever its exact number, it is almost certainly under the EPA’s 4 ppt legal limit for individual compounds and the industry’s 5 ppt voluntary standard.
As with every brand, PFAS accumulate across food packaging, cookware, dust and tap water, so no single bottled water is likely your biggest source. At trace levels, Voss is a negligible contributor — the same as most still waters.
Glass vs Plastic Voss: Does It Matter?
Voss sells both glass and PET plastic versions. For PFAS specifically, the bottle material makes no meaningful difference — PFAS contamination, where it exists, comes from the source water and processing equipment, not the container. Glass does avoid the separate concern of microplastics and chemical leaching from heated plastic, which is a reason some buyers prefer it, but that is a different issue from PFAS.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Voss water have PFAS?
Voss has no published brand-specific PFAS test, but as an artesian water from a protected underground aquifer it is likely in the low trace range, comparable to Fiji (~0.5 ppt) and under the 4 ppt EPA legal limit. Its protected source makes elevated PFAS unlikely, though without reverse osmosis it cannot match the near-zero of a home filter.
Is Voss water worth the price?
For water quality, no — Voss’s premium mostly pays for its designer glass bottle. It has very low mineral content (TDS around 22-44 mg/L) and no proven PFAS advantage over purified brands costing far less. If you value the taste and the bottle, that is a fair reason to buy it, but not purity.
Is Voss just tap water?
No. Voss is artesian water from a confined aquifer, not municipal tap water. That said, its artesian source does not automatically make it cleaner than purified tap-water brands like Aquafina or Dasani, which use reverse osmosis to actively remove contaminants.
Is Voss water high in minerals?
No, the opposite. Voss has a very low TDS of roughly 22-44 mg/L, making it a clean, neutral-tasting water with essentially no calcium or magnesium. It is not a mineral water in any nutritional sense.
Does glass Voss have less PFAS than plastic?
No. PFAS, where present, comes from the source water and processing, not the bottle. Glass avoids microplastics and plastic leaching, but that is a separate issue from PFAS.
Which bottled water has the lowest PFAS?
Among tested brands, Icelandic Glacial reported non-detect and Essentia measured 0.2 ppt. See the full PFAS-free bottled water rankings.
The Bottom Line
Voss has no published PFAS number, but its protected artesian aquifer makes low trace levels likely — probably comparable to Fiji (~0.5 ppt) and well under the EPA’s 4 ppt legal limit. It is a safe, clean-tasting water.
What it is not is measurably purer than water costing a fraction as much. Voss’s $2-4 price tag buys a designer bottle and very low mineral content, not proven lower PFAS. If you want a guaranteed-low number, a purified RO brand or a certified home filter delivers it for far less — and a filter gives you a result you can actually verify.
References
- Consumer Reports — Bottled Water PFAS Testing (47 products)
- EPA — PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (2024)
- FDA — PFAS in Food & Bottled Water
- Environmental Working Group — PFAS Contamination Map
- USGS — Artesian Water & Artesian Wells Explained
Affiliate disclosure: as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It never affects our rankings or the numbers we report.
