How does your favorite energy drink stack up against the other options out there? I’m breaking down 50 popular energy drinks in this post to see how the caffeine content compares.
Highlights
- The average 16oz energy drink contains 210mg of caffeine, which is comparable to a 16oz coffee.
- Red Bull is one of the lowest-caffeine energy drinks out there with just 80mg of caffeine, but it is also one of the smallest energy drinks at just 8.4oz. The energy drink with the most caffeine is Spike with 350mg for a 16oz can.
- Energy drinks typically contain other ingredients and stimulants, making it important to look beyond the caffeine content.
There is no shortage of energy drinks out there, and the list seems to keep growing.
When I originally wrote this energy drink caffeine comparison, I only looked at 16 different energy drinks. In this post, I am breaking down 50 different energy drinks.
Now, this is only a caffeine comparison, and I am not getting into the nitty-gritty of all the ingredients and added benefits a drink may have. In terms of “health,” some energy drinks may be much more appealing than others, but I wanted to keep this guide to caffeine only.
If you’re curious how your favorite energy drink stacks up against the competition, read on.
Energy Drink vs Coffee vs Tea Caffeine
It’s easy to fall into the assumption that energy drinks contain significantly more caffeine than coffee, but that is not the case at all.
Based on the information in this post, we can conclude that the average energy drink contains 210mg of caffeine per 16oz (this is based on scaling every energy drink to 16oz and then finding the average).
If we compare other 16oz beverages, we can see that energy drinks are right on par with coffee in terms of caffeine:
The average 16oz energy drink contains 210mg of caffeine, the same as a medium coffee from Dunkin‘. A grande coffee from Starbucks contains even more caffeine than an energy drink with 310mg.
Cold brew can be a bit misleading because while they are listed as having less caffeine than an energy drink, they contain less liquid overall due to ice. If we removed the ice, 16 ounces of cold brew coffee would surely contain more than 210mg of caffeine.
Energy drinks often contain other stimulants in addition to caffeine, so you’ll need to take those into account, but the caffeine content should not automatically scare you off.
Caffeine Content of Every Energy Drink
Let’s kick this off with a visual guide for the caffeine content of energy drinks.
Below this infographic, I will list each drink from least caffeine to most, allowing me to provide additional context about a drink if necessary.
Update Energy
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 0mg
- Update is a rare caffeine-free energy drink that uses Paraxanthine, a compound isolated from caffeine that claims to provide focus and energy.
Red Bull
- Drink Size: 8.4oz
- Caffeine: 80mg
- Red Bull is arguably the most popular energy drink out there, and it is also the lowest-caffeine option (not including caffeine-free options). A regular Red Bull contains 110 calories and 27g sugar, but a sugar-free option is also available.
V8 +Energy
- Drink Size: 8oz
- Caffeine: 80mg
- V8 is certainly a unique name to make the list here, and each 8oz can contains a full serving of fruits & vegetables.
MTN Dew Kickstart
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 90mg
- Mountain Dew surprisingly sells one of the lowest caffeine options out there considering the size of the can. A 16oz can of MTN Dew Kickstart contains 90mg of caffeine, which is only slightly more than other options half its size.
Jocko Go
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 95mg
- Jockl Fuel is making a real name in the fitness industry, and it looks like their energy drinks are quickly becoming a very popular option as well.
Marquis
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 100mg
- Marquis offers an appealing option for anyone looking for clean energy without a ton of stimulants. 100mg caffeine puts Marquis at the lower end of the caffeine scale.
Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 100mg
- Optimum Nutrition, a popular supplement brand, has turned their popular “Amino Energy” powder into a successful energy drink.
Bum Energy
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 112mg
- Bum Energy is a new player to the game, and is hoping to make a name with delicious flavor and minimal ingredients (just caffeine & cognizin as far as stimulants go).
F3 Energy
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 120mg
- F3 is a nootropic drink, adding in additional ingredients on top of caffeine to help increase mental focus and clarity.
Zevia
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 120mg
- Zevia’s goal has always been minimal ingredients, and that’s exactly what you’ll find with this drink containing natural flavor, stevia, and caffeine.
Sambazon Amazon Energy
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 120mg
- While organic and antioxidant-rich, this drink also contains 120 calories and 29 grams of sugar.
Bing
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 125mg
- Made with real juice, Bing Energy contains 30 calories and 5 grams of sugar per can.
Monster Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 140-160mg
- A 16oz can of Monster contains 160mg of caffeine, while the Lo Carb and Zero Sugar Monster drinks contain 140mg of caffeine. Monster has expanded its line into multiple other variations as well, but they all fall between 140-160mg of caffeine.
Guru Organic Energy
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 140mg
- Guru offers an original and lite version, both offering minimal ingredients and no artificial ingredients.
Gorgie
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 150mg
- This “energy drink with benefits” also contains L-theanine and Biotin.
Guayaki Yerba Mate
- Drink Size: 15.5oz
- Caffeine: 150mg
- One of a handful of yerba mate energy drinks out there, Guayaki offers an energy drink that provides all of the same benefits as tea.
Sneak Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 150mg
- Sneak is quickly becoming a popular energy drink in the gaming space, but canned drinks are only available in the UK right now. Here in the US (and Canada) sneak sells their energy drink as a powder to mix up your own drink, but the caffeine is the same between each product.
Clean Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 160mg
- Clean Energy is a very rare example of a company that also offers a non-carbonated option, which is unheard of in the energy drink space.
HiBall
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 160mg
- Hiball was discontinued in 2023, but was acquired by Tilray and can be purchased once again.
Sparkling Ice + Caffeine
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 160mg
- Known for its sparkling water, it was a natural progression to throw in some caffeine to create an energy drink, too.
Rockstar Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 160mg
- Both original and sugar-free Rockstar contain 160mg of caffeine, but the original contains 250 calories & 63 grams of sugar as well.
Zoa Energy
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 160mg
- What helps set ZOA apart (aside from being backed by the biggest movie star in the history of the world) is that the caffeine comes from natural green tea extract & green coffee, making it a bit more “clean” than synthetic caffeine options.
Venom Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 160mg
- Original Venom Energy contains 160 calories with 40g sugar, but the “zero sugar” option contains just 10 calories.
Sparq
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 170mg
- Sparq is another energy drink in the space that doubles as a nootropic with added vitamins.
NOOB Energy
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 175mg
- Mostly marketed towards gamers, NOOB is designed to help Esports athletes stay focused for hours.
NOCCO
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 180mg
- Geared towards athletes, NOCCO doubles as a BCAA supplement, which a lot of athletes tend to turn to.
Gym Weed
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- Gym Weed is offering much more than just caffeine, with ashwagandha, lion’s mane, and more added.
Alani Nu
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- A 12oz can of Alani Nu contains 200mg, which is actually more caffeine than most energy drinks of the same size. Other energy drinks with 160-200mg are typically 16oz total, making Alani Nu slightly stronger given the size.
Celsius
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- Celsius contains a bunch of ingredients to provide energy aside from simply relying on caffeine: green tea extract, guarana, ginger root, and more.
3D
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- 3D has become well-known for its minimal branding, and its tough to argue with the eye-catching appeal of these simple cans.
Ghost Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- One of the biggest draws of Ghost products is their collaborations: I mean, having officially licensed Sour Patch Kids and Warheads energy drink flavors really helps to set them apart.
C4 Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- C4 Energy was created from the very popular pre-workout supplement by Cellucor, “C4.” I can speak from experience in saying that the C4 pre-workout is a great product, so I would imagine that the energy drink is quite solid, too. C4 energy utilizes additional ingredients aimed at improving performance and muscle endurance, making this an energy drink geared more towards fitness-minded individuals.
NOS
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 160-200mg
- NOS contains 160mg of caffeine, and NOS Zero, their newer sugar-free option, contains 200mg. If you want to avoid the 210 calories and 51 grams of sugar in the original, it will come with an extra 40mg of caffeine.
PRIME
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- Prime is manufactured by the same company that makes 3D energy, so you’ll notice the cans and flavor profiles being very similar.
Gorilla Mind
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- Gorilla Mind is a popular sports supplement brand, and they’ve found great success with their energy drink that offers superior focus.
Fast Twitch by Gatorade
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- Gatorade’s energy drink seems to fly under the radar, but deserves recognition for being a non-carbonated option (similar to the likes of regular Gatorade).
Full Throttle
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- With 220 calories and 58 grams of sugar, Full Throttle is surely not the “healthiest” option out there. Unlike most other energy drink brands, no sugar-free option is available.
GOAT Fuel
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- GOAT Fuel was created by Jerry Rice, who surely is the greatest of all time.
Women’s Best Different Energy
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- Women’s Best sells a different kind of energy drink, adding collagen for skins, joints, and bones.
1st Phorm
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- Like many other energy drinks, 1st Phorm uses natural caffeine and other ingredients to increase focus, making this a great pre-workout option.
FitAID Energy
- Drink Size: 12oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- LifeAID adds an energy drink to its lineup to pair with its long line of recovery & focus beverages.
REDCON1 Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- REDCON1 is a major player in the fitness space that is now offering this energy drink & nootropic which makes for a great preworkout drnink.
RYSE Fuel
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- If Ghost’s partnerships impress you, wait until you see what Ryse has to offer. Their partnerships include Sour Punch, Sunny D, Kool Aid, Ring Pop, and more.
Starbucks Triple Shot Energy
- Drink Size: 15oz
- Caffeine: 225mg
- Is this just a Starbucks coffee drink? Technically. But with energy in the name, we’re counting it as an energy drink, too. Each 15oz can of Starbucks Tripleshot Energy contains 210 calories and a hefty 29g of sugar (although it does pack in a sneaky 10g of protein, too).
5 Hour Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 230mg
- We are all familiar with 5 Hour Energy Shots, but did you know that 5 Hour Energy also sells energy drinks as well? The energy drinks contain 230mg of caffeine, while the shots contain 200mg.
Reign Total Body Fuel
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 200mg
- Reign also offers Reign Storm, which contains 200mg of caffeine for a 12oz can.
Bang Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 300mg
- Bang ended up filing for bankruptcy, and they have since been acquired by Monster Beverage Corporation, which also sells Monster, Reign, NOS, and others.
Bucked Up Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 300mg
- While regular Bucked Up Energy contains 300mg, they also offer variations containing 150mg and 100mg for those looking for less stimulants.
G Fuel
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 300mg
- The most popular energy drink amongst gamers is G Fuel, and it’s clear to see why. Some of their licensed drinks are incredible, and they’ve partnered with the likes of Megaman, Dragonball Z, and many of the top names in Esports.
Spike Hardcore Energy
- Drink Size: 16oz
- Caffeine: 350mg
- It should come as no surprise that a drink labeled “hardcore energy” would be the highest-caffeine energy drink on the market. With 350mg of caffeine, it will certainly provide you with plenty of energy.
How Much Caffeine is Too Much
If you check out my caffeine comparison for Dunkin & Starbucks, you’ll see that caffeine content for coffee is all over the map. Depending on the type of roast, brewing method, etc, the caffeine can vary pretty widely.
I like to estimate that a small cup of coffee will typically have around 100mg of caffeine. If you’re like me and drink a big cup (or glass) of coffee, you’re looking at around 200mg of caffeine.
If you were to have 2 of those coffees per day, that’s about 400mg of caffeine.
According to the FDA, 400mg is the recommended caffeine consumption limit. Since tolerances vary, you may very well be able to handle more caffeine without any ill effects, but this is the general rule of thumb.
If your coffee consumption is very high, you may already consume more than 400mg of caffeine, which can be fine. It’s very individualized, and that may work fine for you, but consult a physician if you are unsure.
For me personally, I try to cap my consumption at 500mg per day. Some days just call for a large cold brew, so it may end up north of this, but that’s generally what I aim for.
Some energy drinks contain 300 mg of caffeine, so if you were to pair that with a coffee, or drink 2 of these energy drinks on a given day, you can quickly go over your usual caffeine consumption limit.
Are Energy Drinks Healthy?
Remember, we all define “healthy” differently, so we can’t answer this definitively.
However, I’d like to point out that many energy drinks are indeed healthy by most definitions of the word.
They’ve gotten a bad rap as being mostly sports drinks with caffeine, but over the years, energy drinks have evolved a lot.
Sure, some options have a ton of added sugar, and that may not be ideal for you. But most energy drinks offer a low-calorie and sugar-free option, making them great options for anyone on a low-calorie diet.
At the end of the day, coffee is the “healthiest” kind of energy drink, as it is just one ingredient, free from sugar, and completely natural.
But that being said, many energy drinks out there today are organic or completely natural. With caffeine from natural sources, and added vitamins or antioxidants to boot, many of the options today are perfectly healthy.
All of that being said, you don’t HAVE TO identify the healthiest option. If you want an energy drink and it has a ton of sugar, that’s perfectly okay to enjoy. It may not be ideal to consume that every single day, but you can enjoy whatever drink you’d like.
Everything in moderation.
PH
Monday 10th of July 2023
I’m curious how a review on energy drinks is written without trying them and giving opinions based on a personal trial. Nor were there comments about other important ingredients like creatine, glutamine, theanine, taurine, niacin and b vitamins… which also add to the energy in energy drinks besides the caffeine.
A lazy article about energy drinks. Someone needs some Bang.
Matt
Monday 10th of July 2023
If that's an actual question, it's because this is an article specifically about caffeine content (hence the title) and not about reviewing every product or their ingredients. But if I ever decide to do a full in-depth guide on energy drinks I will consider your feedback.
Eureka Drinks
Tuesday 16th of August 2022
Good read.
https://eurekadrinks.com/
Robert
Friday 11th of February 2022
You missed Being. But that's ok
Cyrus Williams
Tuesday 28th of September 2021
What about NO CAP Energy. Alot of gamers and YouTubers drink it.
Matt
Tuesday 28th of September 2021
@Cyrus Williams, Great suggestion. I'll get it added!
NOMAD
Sunday 6th of June 2021
Not one mention of the best energy drink on the market, XS! What a shame.