Ranking 11 Airhead Flavors from Worst to Best

AirHeads were everywhere in the ’90s. While they can be a little trickier to find in certain stores now, they’re still available online and in person at plenty of convenience and big box stores. The brand is owned by Perfetti Van Melle, an Italian-Dutch company that also owns brands like Mentos and Trident Gum.

Steve Bruner, an employee of Van Melle, as the company was known at the time, invented the candy in 1985. Initially, the fruity, taffy-adjacent candy only came in one flavor: red. Today, the brand has a number of products on store shelves, with several being limited-time flavors that come and go throughout the years. Additionally, it has expanded its product line to include Xtremes, which are a sour candy, as well as Soft-filled Bites and AirHeads Gum. But, of course, the iconic, taffy-like bars are still fan favorites. Some flavors have to be better than others, though, so we tried and ranked 11 different AirHeads flavors to determine which are the very best. A more in-depth explanation of how we did that is at the end of the article.

Have you ever noticed that grape-flavored things don’t really taste like real grapes? I personally love grapes. I never thought about the grape flavor versus real grape issue too much because I’m partial to white and green grapes over red and purple ones, which is what candies are usually based on. But as I bit into the Grape AirHead, all I could think was, “This is not what grapes taste like.”

You may already know the scientific reason artificial banana flavor tastes all wrong. While the prevailing theory is that it’s based on a type of banana, the Gros Michel, that was decimated by fungus in the 1950s and isn’t the dominant strain of banana you’ll find in stores today. The truth is a little simpler: Banana flavoring comes from a compound called isoamyl acetate, which is extracted from bananas but doesn’t really taste like bananas. As it turns out, grape flavoring has a similar history.

Grape flavor comes from a compound called methyl anthranilate. The chemical was discovered over a century ago and chosen because it smells like grape — notice “smells,” not “tastes like.” Many red and purple grapes, in particular the Concord grapes that were wildly popular at the time, have this chemical, but green and white varieties don’t.

But back to the candy. I’m not a fan of grape flavoring, which is why this variety comes in last. That being said, the Grape AirHead is very rich in that familiar flavor, so those who do like that type of taste will definitely be a fan of these.

Admittedly, the reason cherry comes in second-to-last is that I’m not a fan of cherry flavors either. I don’t mind some cherry; I’m a big fan of those Coca-Cola Freestyle machines that let me make a cherry vanilla Diet Coke. But I don’t generally eat plain cherries, and straight-up cherry flavoring is just not for me. It reminds me too much of cough syrup.

That being said, while the cherry-flavored AirHeads do evoke memories of cold and flu season, they have a sweetness to them. The cherry flavoring is still strong, but that sweetness lightens it so it doesn’t feel so heavy. There’s also the slightest hint of a tang to the flavor, creating a sort of blend between the flavors of maraschino and Amarena cherries. These rank higher than the Grape AirHeads because while the cherry flavor is robust, it’s not as overwhelming as the grape flavor. It’s nowhere near my favorite, but cherry fans may enjoy it.

The classic AirHeads flavors are Grape, Cherry, Orange, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, and White Mystery, so I had no idea what to expect from the Tropical Cherry Explosion flavor. It wasn’t available in stores, but the parent company of AirHeads was kind enough to send me a few samples. I wasn’t sure what was in store other than cherry for this one.

The Tropical Cherry Explosion flavor tastes exactly like a tropical cherry punch or Kool-Aid. It definitely has a strong cherry flavor, but also a hint of something sweet and citrusy. From the wrapper, I’m guessing that it’s pineapple, but it wouldn’t surprise me to find out there was a little coconut or piña colada flavor to it as well. As mentioned above, I’m not personally big on cherry, but the added pineapple tones give this flavor a whole new dimension. It’s still not one of my favorites, but if you’re someone who really likes tropical punch, you’ll definitely enjoy this flavor.

Unlike the Grape AirHeads, which taste like typical grape flavorings and not actual grapes, the Orange AirHeads taste very much like the fruit. They have a rich orange flavor that’s citrusy sweet with just a hint of tartness, much like real oranges. In fact, the orange flavor here might be a little sweeter than a typical orange, and the vibrant taste definitely packs a solid punch.

So if the orange is so orangey, why does it only land at No. 8 on the list? There are two primary reasons. The first is that it’s so orangey, the flavor can get a little overwhelming. I had only taken a few bites before I felt like I needed to take a break. The second reason is simply personal preference; AirHeads have a lot of great flavors, and my taste buds preferred other options to these. If you’re a person who really enjoys the taste of oranges, though, this is a great pick.

What exactly is pink lemonade? In reality, “pink” refers to the color, not the flavor. Pink lemonade is just regular lemonade dyed pink (note that there can be raspberry or strawberry flavors that are pink, but that’s not what we’re describing here). Despite the color being the only difference between pink and regular lemonade, the former still tends to be a crowd favorite.

The Pink Lemonade AirHeads are another flavor outside of the classic line that the company sent me. I was very hesitant at first; usually pink lemonade-flavored candy goes a little overboard on the lemonade flavor, resulting in a sour but also heavily artificial taste. However, I was pleasantly surprised, as these AirHeads provide a lemonade flavor without being too much. The candy is sweet and tangy, flavorful but also light, resulting in what actually tastes like a refreshing pink lemonade (or just regular lemonade) and not just a cheap approximation.

Before researching for this piece, I had no idea that AirHeads now has a line of sour flavors. I knew about AirHeads Xtremes, the super sour, rainbow-striped strips the company makes, as well as the mini versions of these strips, called “Bites,” but the sour AirHeads bars are different. These are just like standard AirHeads, except in sour flavors.

While the Pink Lemonade AirHeads have some sourness to them, it’s nothing compared to the sour line. The Sour Lemon Berry Squeeze is sour but not overwhelmingly so. In my opinion, it’s the perfect amount. This flavor is similar to the Pink Lemonade variety, but even stronger and with the addition of raspberry. As a result, it’s reminiscent of raspberry lemonade but with extra tanginess. Those who aren’t fans of sour things should stay away, but personally, my brain really likes these flavors, to the point that I ate so many of them that my tongue started hurting (totally worth it).

I’m going to be honest: We’re at the point where it started to become really, really hard to rank these flavors. While I did manage to create a ranking here, I want to stress that these were all neck-and-neck for the top AirHeads flavors.

Blue raspberry is one of the strangest flavors out there. For starters, raspberries aren’t blue, and blue raspberry doesn’t really taste like raspberry at all. So, how did the blue raspberry flavor come to be? Well, after the dye typically used for raspberry-flavored things was banned, companies needed a new option to differentiate it from other red fruits. But that doesn’t explain why it doesn’t taste like raspberry. Similar to grape flavoring, the goal was to create a product that smelled like raspberries even if it didn’t taste like them. Over time, this morphed into the blue raspberry flavor we all know and love, which includes a combination of flavors like pineapple, banana, and cherry.

I’ve always been a blue raspberry girlie, so I honestly expected this to be my top pick. Though they don’t really taste like raspberry (in the tradition of blue raspberry-flavored products), the Blue Raspberry AirHeads are fruity, sweet, and a little tart. They’re delicious, but there were a handful of other flavors I liked just a tiny bit better.

We’re back with another sour option — this time, Watermelon Punch. The packaging indicates that you should find lemon, watermelon, and peach flavors inside. While I don’t really taste the peach, the lemon and watermelon flavors really shine. The sour tang gives it a flavor less like punch and more like watermelon lemonade. However, the lemon and the watermelon are nicely balanced, resulting in a flavor not quite as heavy on the lemon as the Sour Lemon Berry Squeeze.

Despite not tasting exactly like the package suggests it should, this flavor is excellent. It’s bright, balanced, and sufficiently sour. The watermelon takes center stage but doesn’t overpower the lemon. If anything, the lemon helps bring out the watermelon flavor, which is unsurprising considering how a spritz of lemon juice transforms watermelon. This is definitely one of the best AirHeads flavors, and it only missed out on being in the top three by the tiniest of margins.

Going into this project, I knew either the blue raspberry or watermelon varieties were going to be my favorite flavors of the classic AirHeads. And while the former is excellent, the latter was just a little bit tastier. Like many other fruit flavors, watermelon-flavored things don’t taste like real watermelon. In my opinion, they taste better. While watermelon is good, it’s not a particularly flavorful fruit, likely in part because of its high water content. Watermelon-flavored candy always seems like a far more concentrated version of the fruit — almost like watermelon on steroids. Personally, I’m a big fan, which is why I enjoy the Watermelon AirHeads so much.

The Watermelon AirHeads have a sweet flavor, with a surprising amount of depth for a taffy. It has a richer flavor than the Sour Watermelon Punch, which has more of a tangy, lighter tone. The watermelon does have a bit of a citrusy feel to it, giving it a slight tang as well, but the flavor itself is more rooted in the sweetness of the watermelon and the depth of the fruit’s flavor.

The sour flavors truly reigned in this taste test. I had expected to enjoy the Sour Watermelon Punch more than the Sour Blue Blast, since I liked the classic Watermelon just a touch better than Blue Raspberry. But the Sour Blue Blast blew me away. 

Its packaging indicates a mix between blue raspberry and orange flavors. This addition of the citrus, plus the sour tones, really make this flavor shine. The blue raspberry is easy to taste, although I wouldn’t have guessed the orange. It’s clear, however, that there is some sort of citrus mixed into the blue raspberry flavor. The sourness level is top-tier — sour enough to excite the taste buds without being so sour that it’s inedible. The sour and citrus make the Sour Blue Blast distinctly different from the Blue Raspberry. While the Blue Raspberry is sweet and somewhat concentrated, the Sour Blue Blast is light, tangy, and fun overall.

Here’s the deal: There is no bad flavor of AirHeads. The best flavor, though, is probably White Mystery. What exactly is the flavor of the White Airhead? Well, that’s the fun part: It’s always changing. According to internet lore, mystery AirHeads are made by mixing two or more flavors together. In the factory, switching flavors on a machine can be time-intensive since it would require completely cleaning out the machine of the old flavor before making the new one. To save time and money, the company invented the mystery flavor. Instead of fully cleaning one flavor out, they simply add the new flavor in but hold off on the dye. The first few that come out from the new batch get slapped with the mystery label.

As a result, two mystery AirHeads could be completely different. One could be a combination of cherry and orange, while another might be blue raspberry and watermelon. However, while this method does seem likely, as the flavors do vary, the company hasn’t confirmed that this is how it makes the mystery flavor. Regardless, it definitely tastes like a combination of flavors, and since all of them are pretty excellent, the White Mystery AirHead is the winner. All that being said: If they made a mystery flavor with the sour options, that would 100% take first place.

Like most people, I’ve had my share of AirHeads before. But I’ve generally steered clear of the ones that come in flavors I don’t typically like, and there were also several flavors I’ve never had before, like the sour options and the Pink Lemonade. So I knew from the start we were definitely going to need a taste test.

I was able to find most of the classic flavors in stores, with the exception of Strawberry and Green Apple. When I reached out to AirHeads’ parent company for assistance, they were delightfully helpful and sent me some harder-to-find flavors. While I waited for these flavors to arrive, I periodically sampled the flavors I already had to get an idea of how I was going to rank them. Once I had all of them, I sat down and did an official taste test, ranking each of them. It was tough to create a ranking since the brand has a lot of excellent flavors, but in the end, after eating dozens of AirHeads, I managed to create an order that I was happy with.