It’s that time of year again everyone-Cold and flu season! What can you do if you’ve got a sore throat? Well, if you don’t want to skip class for fluids and sleep, you might want to invest in some cough drops. After trying a few different brands, I can tell you how to get the most bang for your buck.
I tried out five different kinds from Meijer. Cherry Ricola, Cherry Halls Plus, Creamy Strawberry Hall’s Breezers, Wild Cherry Ludens, and Cherry Meijer brand. If you don’t like cherry, hear me out and understand I don’t like honey or lemon, so bear with me. I also tried really hard to get sick so I could give you an honest opinion, but it didn’t happen.
What I was looking for, and what you should look for as well, was price, taste and how much it would actually help.
Menthol, which is in cough syrup, versus pectin, which is used as a jelling agent in foods. Surprisingly, the amount of pectin and menthol wasn’t what I expected in these packages.
First on the list was the Ricola cough drops. With a usual price of $1.69 on sale 2 for $3, had a great taste to me but came with only nineteen per bag.
A taste of cherry that wasn’t extremely overpowering yet you could still feel it work as you ate it. With a menthol level of only 2.6 mg, it was evidently meant to help sore throats and coughs.
Taste wise, this was one of my favorites. Pricewise, not student-friendly, as you only get a small number per bag. While you can taste the level of menthol, it didn’t match up to other brands, such as Halls.
You all know of Halls, it’s possibly the most famous cough drop brand. Let’s start with Halls Plus. Halls Plus has a syrup center, with a price of $1.44, 25 per bag. If you’re nearly dying of sickness and want something powerful, these were made for you.
The second they hit my tongue, all I could taste was cherry cough syrup. A menthol level of 7.5 mg, and once you hit the center you had a mouthful of powerful tasting cough syrup.
Needless to say if you want to get better quickly, these are for you.
Next up in the Halls line were the Breezers. As a kid in high school I would have my mom buy these and I would eat them like candy. It’s no wonder I liked them, they had a 7 mg pectin level, not menthol.
Priced at the same $1.44 as the Halls Plus, also with 25 drops, having pectin and not menthol surprised me. If you have a light cough this is for you, but I don’t expect it to be of any help with a serious cough or sore throat.
As I ate one, there was no feeling of menthol or anything that would help me if I was sick, but the taste of “creamy strawberry” isn’t bad at all. What’s great tastewise isn’t helpful when you’re sick though.
After a few hours to cool off from all the cough drops I was eating I was able to try another, the ever-popular Luden’s.
At $1.25 for a bag of 30, it was already a much better price than the previous three. Whenever I was sick and needed to go to the pharmacy with my mom, I was able to pick out a box of Luden’s wild cherry cough drops. After reading the package, I can see why.
At a pectin level of only 2.8 mg, there is no feeling or sensation you get when you eat them, unlike Halls or Ricola. Instead, you get a sweet taste of cherry, and it’s more like a hard candy rather than a cough drop. And much like Halls Breezers, they taste great but don’t help at all unless you have a small cough.
Last up is the Meijer brand cough drops. You’ll be happy to know they have a menthol level of 7 mg while still having that great taste. When I tried one, I was a little afraid of a taste like medicine but I was pleasantly surprised.
With a taste like Luden’s and a strength like Hall, the Meijer brand cough drop was the best of both worlds. At price of $2.17 for the economy sized bag of 100, they’re the best deal by far. They’re also the most helpful if you have a sore throat or rough cough.
To get the most bang for your buck, I would recommend Meijer brand cough drops. As far as price, taste, and effectiveness go, they can’t be beat.
If you want to splurge, I would say Ricola for taste, but Halls Plus for effectiveness.
If you just want a candy to have around just in case you’re in a bind with a slight cough, then Luden’s or Halls Breezers would be your best bet.
Remember, if your throat still hurts or your serious cough is still around to consult a doctor. Nothing is worse than finding out you have strep throat and you’re still taking cough drops.
