Strepsils
We all know them and we all love them. It’s easy to just stick with what you know best and that’s why Strepsils have held a special place in our throats for all these years. The antiseptic lozenges are renown for their soothing relief and while others swear by them, I say they’re good but just don’t have too many because you’re either looking at a very long headache or a buzz! Seriously!
Price: £2 for 24 lozenges
Drill
Loved the name! Catchy, bold but do they work? They’re made in France and contain a few medical ingredients, according to the packaging, but nothing natural here. The menthol taste was among tasted but by the end of it, Drill was on my list of favourites. With no sugar or added sweeteners, they’re suitable for diabetics too.
Price: £2.86 for 24 lozenges
Klem
You can usually tell when something is made of natural ingredients and I don’t think you can get more natural than Klem. These throat lozenges had a different and distinctive yet familiar taste and when I checked the packaging I realised what it was: honey! Chestnut tree honey to be precise, which I could feel lingering in my throat for a good deal of time after I had chewed the pastille. No colouring, mo medicinal ingredients, just good old honey, rose and thyme.
Price: £2.45 for 24 sweets
Ve
Made in the EU, according to the packaging. So it must be good then! Ve medica seemed like a simple, everyday packet of throat lozenges. No fancy stuff, just sugar-free lozenges with added vitamin C and that suited me fine. Extremely soft and soothing, they didn’t burn, irritate or have me running for the bin. For the relief of sore throat and that’s what they did.
Price: £2.35 for 16 lozenges.
Echinacea
I reached for this brand for two reasons: a) the flashy packaging with individually wrapped sweets and b) the word ‘organic’. Made in Sweden, this brand declares an ensemble of organic raw cane sugar, organic bee honey, organic lemon oil and essential oil. And it did not disappoint. From the moment I popped one, I could feel the lemon and honey running down my throat. Full marks!
Price: £2.65 for 24 pieces
Septofort
I must admit that these were the only ones that scared me a bit. With the most expensive price tag and the most medicinal of all throat lozenges packages I’ve ever seen, it’s not difficult to see why. It even says on the package that you shouldn’t drink or eat for 1 to 2 hours after consuming the pastille, which by the way, looked like a pill. Anyway, if you’re hoping to get rid of that sore throat but have no problem with putting that gin and tonic down for a couple of hours, these are perfect for you.
Price: £3.46 for 24 pieces
Bentasil
The packaging gets full points for style and I especially loved the individually wrapped lozenges inside. But moving on to more serious issues, these pastilles aren’t exactly sugar-free and the reason I’m noting that is because of the amount of sweeteners written on the package. It even says that excessive consumption may produce laxative effects. But, I liked them and even though the actual size of the pastilles was next to none, I felt the menthol and even the soothing relief.
Price: £2.35 for 20 sweets
