Walking home from school in the 90s, sweating in a polyester school uniform complete with very very little tiny tie, only a water fight with the kids of the estate could have been considered more refreshing than a tip top. For just five pence, you could get a Mr Freeze stick of flavoured ice, encased within plastic so sharp that cutting the corners of your mouth was par for the course.
These days, I wouldn't have to scrabble around to find the pennies to buy them. And yet, I can't say I've had a good tip top in years. When the mercury rose to almost 30 degrees this week, though? I made a beeline to Iceland, to satiate a sudden craving I couldn't explain.
I'd asked around: Who does the best tip tops these days? Does Mr Freeze still reign supreme? Or is there something I'm missing?
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The results were mixed and so I, a very tenacious and serious reporter, decided to embark on a piece of crucial investigative journalism - to find the best tip tops going.
And yes, I said tip tops. These aren't freezer pops, ice pops, ice lollies or (god forbid) ice poles. Argue it out in the comments, if you must, or let us know in the poll below.
What do YOU call a 'tip top'? Click here to take our poll!
Here's what I found. I was going to include all of the calorie information too but - it's too gorgeous outside to care. Have a tip top and enjoy yourself.
Price per pack: £1.50
Number of tip tops per pack: 20 (7.5p each)
Size per tip top: 45ml
Flavour options per pack: Five - tropical, lemonade, strawberry, cola and raspberry
Review: Half the price of the next cheapest tip top in my freezer, I was impressed by Mr Freeze. They're not quite the same as they were in my youth, much less violently flavoured than I remembered and loads less sticky.
However, the blue ones still left my tongue blue, the cola flavoured are still the best and five options seems like a great deal for a big family of fussy babs. It's easy to suck all the flavour out to be left with white ice but, the nostalgia element made it so that I didn't care.
Price per pack: £6
Number of tip tops per pack: 40 (15p each)
Size per tip top: 50ml
Flavour options per pack: Four - blue raspberry, cherry, apple and orange
Review: While these seem considerably more expensive than the others on the list, it does still work out to be 15p per tip top. They seemed smaller in size too but, you get 5ml more than with Mr Freeze, it's just in a stockier tube.
There was loads of packaging in this, which I didn't like - four plastic bags containing ten tip tops each. It'd be good if they could can that as some still weren't frozen the day after I put the box in my freezer and it's unnecessary waste.
Still, the flavours are really wicked, with a good kick and fun options. I love Tango and these held up. I hate the name though!
Price per pack: £1.50
Number of tip tops per pack: 10 (15p each)
Size per tip top: 60ml
Flavour options per pack: Four - blue raspberry, red cherry, lemon and lime and strawberry
Review: The biggest of the tip tops, these ones feel massive compared to some of the others, giant, could-be lightsabers that you'd have to warn the kids against walloping each other with them.
I love the flavours a lot, and there was a good distribution of it throughout each tube. They feel like a real big treat, easily recognisable tastes and I liked the packaging too.
There's not a single tip top in the pack that I don't enjoy and I think they're really good value for money. And with all that flavour, they remind me of the tip tops of my youth.
Price per pack: £1.50
Number of tip tops per pack: 10 (15p each)
Size per tip top: 50ml
Flavour options per pack: Three - mojito, hugs on the beach, pina colada
Review: I just don't get these tip tops, unfortunately. Despite being made with real fruit juice, I found them to be largely bland.
I got no zing from lime or minty twist in the mojito and I just didn't enjoy the others either. They're just... flat.
They're too uninspiring for adults and the flavours are too unidentifiable for kids. It's a big no from me. Sappy: put some rum in and then let's talk.
Price per pack: £1.50
Number of tip tops per pack: 10 (15p each)
Size per tip top: 40ml
Flavour options per pack: One - Vimto!
Review: With just 40ml in each tip top, Vimto was the worst when it comes to overall value. That said, they're the most reliable in terms of flavour - you know what you're getting with Vimto.
That said, I don't love it enough to want only this flavour. I love the other versions of their squash and so perhaps expanding the tip tops range to include those would be a good shout.
Reliable to the point of boredom for me on this particular weekend. I'll definitely get through them, though!
It's tough up there at the top, with scarf-wearing snowman Mr Freeze battling it out against the self promotional t-shirt-wearing Slush Puppie.
I'd be happy with either of these in my freezer and I think that you'd have to consider your budget before deciding which to choose. Flavour and size wise, the Puppie has it Mr Freeze in a chokehold. But at half the price per tip top, Mr Freeze is sliding out of it.
And so, I'll have to let them fight it out forever in my freezer because I can't commit to any single one for the number one spot. Tango comes in third with honours, Vimto cruises into fourth and the Mocktails aren't even near the podium. Commiseration 'hugs on the beach' all round.
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