Discover the Best Cough Drops of 2024 to help ease your sore throat pain and stay healthy and productive this season.
Cough drops are available in various tastes and are intended to relieve cough symptoms. Many variations are intended to treat the common cold, and the contents vary by brand.
Your decision may be challenging. Luckily, our research team has evaluated and rated the top 10 cough drops after reviewing various choices. Following that, we’ll go into the science behind the essential components to look for in cough drops.
After looking at that, we’ll go in-depth on the science behind the key ingredients you should look for in cough drops.
Key Takeaways:
- Variety of Choices: Cough drops come in various flavors and strengths, with different ingredients to relieve cough symptoms.
- Top 10 Cough Drops: Our research team has evaluated and rated the top 10 cough drops available in 2024.
- Essential Ingredients: Understanding the key components to look for in cough drops can help in choosing the most suitable option.
- Cough Drop Supplements: Liquid medicines like cough drop supplements provide relief from dry or sore throats and can be convenient for travel.
Cough Drop Supplements
Cough drops are the most common way to treat a cough. They come in different flavors and strengths. Some come alongside menthol or other ingredients that help relieve throat irritation. Some people use cough drops as an ingredient in homemade remedies for colds or flu symptoms.
Cough drop supplements are liquid medicines to help ease dry coughs and sore throats. These liquids usually contain honey, peppermint oil, glycerin, water, and alcohol, depending on the brand you buy. They’re available in single-use vials (typically 5ml) that can be dropped onto the back of your tongue or mixed into drinks like juice or water to sweeten them up a bit. One significant benefit of cough drop supplements is that they don’t need to be refrigerated, making them perfect for travel.
The best cough drop supplements provide relief from the symptoms of a dry or sore throat that accompanies many common colds, viruses, and other ailments. They’re not intended to treat a significant illness like pneumonia; according to some research, they don’t work for everyone who tries them. But if your sore throat is just a symptom of a simple cold and not something more serious, cough drops may help relieve some of the discomforts quickly.
Ranking the Best Cough Drops
1. Burt’s Bees Natural Throat Drops
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Burt’s Bees Natural Throat Drops are honey-flavored, eucalyptus oil-based cough drops containing 2 mg of menthol. These cough drops are made with natural ingredients and contain no artificial flavors or colors.
These throat drops also have a unique shape that can be more easily swallowed than other brands. They come in a small, portable box that is easy to carry around your pocket or purse. It is beneficial if you suffer from a chronic sore.
2. SoundHealth Cough Drops
SoundHealth Cough Drops are here to help! These cough suppressant throat lozenges provide a soothing, cooling sensation to relieve dry, irritated, and sore throats. They come in a resealable bag so you can take them anywhere.
Get relief from your cold symptoms today with these delicious honey lemon and menthol cough drops! With 7.5 mg of menthol per drop, they’ll give you that soothing feeling without being too strong or harsh on your throat. And don’t worry about coughing up all those nasty germs – these drops will keep them down for good!
3. Ricola Cough Drops
Ricola Cough Drops are a great way to help soothe your sore throat and cough. The drops contain 4.8 mg of menthol, alongside a blend of herbs like thyme, lemon balm, sage, and peppermint. Ricola combines the soothing relief of these ingredients with its signature honey flavor. Both create an effective cough drop that’s both tasty and effective!
The Ricola Cough Drops come in three flavors: Honey Lemon (yellow box), Honey Orange (orange box), and Wild Cherry
4. doTERRA On Guard Cough Drops
doTERRA On Guard Cough Drops are made with a blend of essential oils and natural ingredients that soothe sore throats.
The doTERRA On Guard formula has no artificial sweeteners or added sugars, making it a great alternative to cough drops containing sugar.
doTERRA On Guard is made with a special combination of menthol, clove bud oil, eucalyptus leaf oil, cinnamon bark oil, rosemary leaf extract, and other essential oils. It provides soothing relief from the discomfort of sore throats without harmful chemicals or additives commonly found
5. The Crafted Coconut Coconut oil + Honey Drops
The Crafted Coconut is a brand that offers natural, organic, and raw products. The Crafted Coconut was created by two sisters who were inspired to find an alternative to cough drops while growing up. They wanted something pure, and natural to help their dry throats during colds or allergies.
“Coconut oil + Honey Drops: Certified organic cough drop using coconut oil to coat and protect your throat, plus ginger and turmeric to soothe and improve your cough.”
6. Pine Bros Softish Throat Relief
Pine Bros Softish Throat Relief is a cough drop that uses glycerin instead of menthol to soothe and moisturize the irritated mucous membranes in your throat.
This unique formulation allows you to still enjoy menthol’s soothing effects without further irritating your throat.
Glycerin coats protect and heal inflamed tissues in the mouth and throat, allowing them to heal faster than they would otherwise.
Available in different flavors, including cherry, honey lemon, peppermint, spearmint, and wintergreen; Pine Bros Softish Throat Relief
7. Wedderspoon Organic Manuka Honey Drops
Wedderspoon Organic Manuka Honey Drops are the perfect way to take homeopathic remedies on the go! Each drop contains a combination of manuka honey, ginger, and echinacea. Our drops are made with organic ingredients and contain no artificial flavors or preservatives.
The combination of our three powerful antimicrobial agents—manuka honey, ginger, and echinacea—helps support your immune system in times of stress.
8. Zand Elderberry Zinc
Zand Elderberry Zinc is a great-tasting, natural cough drops. It provides your body with the zinc it needs to fight off colds and flu. The zinc in this product will reduce the duration of your illness by supporting your immune system. It’s also an excellent source of elderberry extract, used for centuries to treat coughs and sore throats.
Zand Elderberry Zinc is a natural supplement that helps fight your cold and flu symptoms. It contains zinc gluconate, elderberry extract, vitamin C, and echinacea to help you get back on your feet faster.
9. Halls Triple Soothing Action
Halls Triple Soothing Action uses menthol, a cooling, soothing compound found in plants like peppermint, for its primary throat treatment.
The unique formula combines the benefits of two other popular Halls products to help you breathe easier and soothe your sore throat.
It contains ingredients like camphor and eucalyptus oil that provide an extra kick of soothing relief. With this triple-action product, you’ll get fast-acting relief from coughs and sore throats!
10. Luden’s Cough Drops
Luden’s Cough Drops are a popular over-the-counter cough suppressant and the best way to get rid of your cough.
The main ingredient is Pectin, which forms a protective layer around the mucus membranes in your throat to help soothe irritation.
Luden’s also contains artificial flavors and coloring agents that can be off-putting for some people.
Luden’s Cough drops do not contain any menthol or other soothing agents like many other brands do. They are also much more expensive than similar products from competitors.
11. Sucrets Sore Throat, Cough & Dry Mouth Lozenges
Sore throat lozenges, Sucrets Sore Throat, Cough & Dry Mouth Lozenges are designed to provide fast-acting pain relief that soothes mouth discomfort and suppresses irritating coughs and sore throats. Honey Lemon flavored lozenges are made with real honey for soothing sore throat pain relief. These lozenges are the best cough drops for dry cough.
Temporarily relieves:
- Sore mouth
- Irritation of the mouth and throat is caused by colds or inhaled irritants, such as smoke, air pollution, strong odors, or chemicals. Probably one of the strongest cough drops.
- Pain from sore throat due to minor throat irritation or injury.
- Cough due to minor throat and bronchial irritation or injury, including cough associated with the common cold.
Not for children under 6 years of age unless directed by a doctor. Do not use it if you have difficulty swallowing. If more than used for the sore mouth is accidentally swallowed
Compare 2 of the best cough drops: Ludens vs Ricola
Ricola has been making cough drops since 1930. They are available in various flavors and have been popular in Europe for years.
Ricola has a unique, pleasant flavor and contains no artificial flavors or colors. The company makes its products with a special blend of lemon balm, honey, wildflower honey, and other natural ingredients.
Ludens cough drops have been on the market since 1879 and are made by the same company that makes Halls cough drops. Ludens cough drops come in various flavors, including cherry, menthol, wintergreen, and honey lemon.
There are several differences between Ricola and Ludens cough drops:
Ricola uses 100% natural ingredients and does not contain artificial colors or preservatives. Ludens uses artificial colors to achieve its bright colors and may contain various artificial preservatives such as sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate.
Ricola is made with a special blend of lemon balm, honey, wildflower honey, and other natural ingredients. Ludens does not disclose its ingredient list online; however, it does state that it uses “sweeteners” on its website but does not specify what these sweeteners are.
| Image | Product | Detail | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ricola Cough Drops |
| Price |
 | Luden’s Cough Drops |
| Price |
Who Should Buy Cough Drops?
Cough drops are safe for most individuals. However, young children should not use them because they are a choking hazard. Pregnant women and people on medication should consult a doctor before taking any cough drops.
Benefits
Cough drops offer sore throat relief.
Cough drops are a medicine that can help with the pain one feels when one has a cold or flu. They work by numbing the throat so it is less irritating or thinning out and loosening mucus to make coughs easier to clear from the throat.
Some people may find relief from these medicines for their throats, while others might not experience any relief at all. In some cases where someone is allergic to one of these ingredients, this medication will not provide any relief.
Cough drops help to combat the symptoms of coughs.
Coughs can be caused by various factors such as viruses, allergies, colds, and flu. Coughing helps clear mucus from your lungs so you don’t get pneumonia or bronchitis, but it also irritates your throat, making you want to cough even more.
The intense coughing can cause pain in the neck or back due to muscle strain, so if this happens, take a break from the coughing every 10-15 minutes and take some deep breaths instead. If all else fails, reach for that packet of cough drops on your nightstand table because they will help reduce the intensity of the cough, and they taste better than a spoonful of sugar.
Cough drops help you maintain your voice
Cough drops contain menthol, an antihistamine that helps reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract lining. In addition, cough drops can help you maintain your voice because they coat the back of your tongue with medicine containing numbing agents like benzocaine and/or lidocaine that numb the taste buds, so you don’t feel as much when you talk or swallow. The soothing effect may also cause temporary relief of symptoms such as sore throat pain or even coughs due to its menthol content, which effectively reduces inflammation in the respiratory tract lining.
Relieve minor breathing problems and nasal congestion.
Cough drops are a type of lollipop that helps relieve minor breathing problems and nasal congestion. Cough drops work by numbing the throat muscles, which helps reduce coughing and opening up the airways, which makes it easier for you to breathe.
Many people use them to relieve coughing from a common cold or the flu, but they can also help to soothe sore throats, nasal congestion and help you sleep better at night.
Cough drops can help you get relief fast, without a doctor’s visit.
Viruses or bacteria usually cause coughs in the throat and lungs. Coughing is your body’s way of clearing the airways so that you can breathe easier and cough up any phlegm that may be stuck in your throat or chest. But when coughing isn’t enough, it’s time to break out the cough drops!
Cough drops relieve congestion from an irritated throat by coating it with a soothing menthol solution that cools down redness and swelling while easing irritation. They also work on chest congestion by loosening mucus so it can be coughed up more easily. Most over-the-counter cough medicines contain the same active ingredient as cough drops—menthol.
Side effects
Cough drops are a popular over-the-counter remedy for coughs. However, they have side effects that many people don’t know about.
These include dry mouth and throat, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, and tooth decay!
One of the most common complaints about these medications is that they cause constipation because they decrease saliva production. This can lead to dehydration which in turn causes more coughing episodes.
The other problem with this medication is it’s not intended for long-term use or regular use, as it can weaken your immune system against bacteria and viruses.
If you’re taking cough drops regularly, read the instructions carefully. Hence, you avoid unnecessary complications from using them too often or too long.
Recommended dose
The recommended dose of cough drops is 1-2 per hour. So if you have a particularly bad cold, you may want to take more than that, but be sure to consult your doctor first.
The only cough drop ingredient studied for optimal dosing is zinc. 75 mg of zinc seems the best dosage for reducing sore throat symptoms. It is best to take this dose within 24 hours when a person starts coughing.
If you begin taking too many cough drops or consume them in large doses, you may experience heart palpitations. There is also a potential for overdose when mixing cough drops and certain cold medications.
Conclusion
- Choosing the Right Cough Drop: Consider factors like ingredients, flavors, and specific needs when selecting a cough drop.
- Benefits of Cough Drops: Cough drops offer relief from sore throats, aid in combating cough symptoms, help maintain voice, relieve breathing problems, nasal congestion, and provide quick relief without a doctor’s visit.
- Side Effects: Be mindful of potential side effects such as dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, tooth decay, constipation, and immune system effects.
- Recommended Dose: Follow the recommended dosage guidelines for cough drops to avoid complications and potential overdose risks.
As a veteran fitness technology innovator and the founder of GearUpToFit.com, Alex Papaioannou stands at the intersection of health science and artificial intelligence. With over a decade of specialized experience in digital wellness solutions, he’s transforming how people approach their fitness journey through data-driven methodologies.