Now that we have entered the coldest months of the year, colds, coughs, and sore throats have been running rampant, and many people find themselves needing more and more cough drops to help alleviate some of these symptoms. I recently found myself in these shoes, going through cough drops of all different brands and flavors, whatever I could find.

I noticed that some of them worked much better than their competitors. This has inspired me to rank the five cough types of cough drops I had from worst to best.

#5 Ricola Original Natural Herb

Don’t be fooled by those famous commercials; these cough drops do not live up to the reputation set for them. Upon unwrapping the cough drop, I was met with a brown cube, which set a poor tone from the start. The cough drop continued the disappointment with its taste. It was a very weak herbal flavor with a hint of sweetness, but this was not enough to provide significant help. The worst part about this cough drop was the fact that a single one barely even soothed my throat. I needed quite a few for any lasting effect.

#4 Luden’s Wild Cherry

I had never heard of Luden’s until my mom brought them home for me one of the days I had the cold, so they didn’t have as much of a reputation to uphold. Despite this, they were still nothing special. They did have a much more solid presentation than Ricola’s natural herbs, but the taste was still somewhat lacking. I’ve always loved cherry flavored foods, but these were different than most cherry items. It just felt somewhat off. They did have a decent effect on my throat, but still nothing compared to some of its other competitors.

#3 Ricola Lemon Mint

These have a much better look than its natural herb counterpart. On top of that, their taste was actually very good. Lemon mint may sound like a somewhat strange combination, but these two flavors actually complemented each other quite well and made for a cooling yet citrus filled taste that pleased my palate. The mint in the cough drops helped to sooth my throat quite well too, so it did its job quite well. These are a solid choice overall.

#2 Halls Strawberry Breezers

Halls is the poster child of cough drops, and for good reason. They are, in my opinion, the best cough drops you can buy. These cough drops look and taste exactly like candy. They taste so good, in fact, that I would honestly rather have a bowl of these than a bowl of most actual candies. Their taste alone is the reason they are up this high because the soothing effect is pretty comparable to the lemon mints mentioned before. I would highly recommend buying these.

#1 Halls Mentho-Lyptus

These cough drops give every indication that they are going to sooth your throat. Their packaging, color, and taste are all dead giveaways that these are truly going to cool everything down. It only takes one of these to do the job, but more make it feel even more incredibly cool. The only complaint that some people have about these is the taste. Although they may not taste quite as good as the Breezers or Lemon Mints, they are still in the middle of the list in that regard. They also have the added effect of helping to clear out any stuffy nose, which seals their stop at the top of the list.

The decision of which cough drops to buy is crucial to helping to fight the symptoms of a cold. Don’t make an uneducated choice. Get the best relief money can buy.