Caffeine levels in many energy drinks can be very high. Often combined with incredibly large amounts of sugar, these popular beverages may pose a serious health risk with studies continuing to show an increasing amount of negative impacts from large doses of caffeine and sugar.
Recommendations for consuming caffeine are up to 400 mg a day and no more than 200 mg in a single dose. However, for kids and teens, daily caffeine intake should be even less.
With that in mind, have you ever wondered what energy drink has the most caffeine? If so, you’ve come to the right place! Keep reading as we rank energy drinks by their caffeine content.
Top Energy Drinks Ranked by
Their Caffeine Content
Proper Wild: 100 mg Per Shot
Winner: Highest Quality Caffeine
If you haven’t tried Proper Wild’s energy shots yet, you’re missing out. These popular energy shots provide 100 mg of organic caffeine that comes from green tea to provide clean, long-lasting energy. Additionally, they contain 120 mg of L-theanine to give you that heightened focus and boosted productivity you’re looking for without the jitters or crash.
While there are other products available that contain more caffeine, Proper Wild’s organic caffeine is 100% plant-based, so you can experience smoother, more sustained energy throughout the day. With zero added sugar and absolutely nothing artificial, it’s easy to see why Proper Wild is a fan-favorite.
Red Bull: 111 mg Per Can
Red Bull is a classic energy drink that is known fairly well. This popular beverage hit the shelves in Austria in 1987 and made its way to other countries around the globe in the following years. Although the original flavor in the silver and blue can is among the most famous, there are a variety of other Red Bull flavors on the market now, too.
Red Bull comes in a 12oz can, which is slightly smaller than some of the other energy beverages on this list, but it still contains quite a bit of caffeine.
Each can of Red Bull has roughly 111 mg of caffeine.
Rockstar: 160 mg Per Can
Rockstar is another pretty popular energy drink. It launched back in 2001 and is similar to the energy drink Monster in that there are a huge variety of flavors that are now available.
Rockstar comes in a standard 16 oz can, or a large 24 oz can. If you grab the regular 16 oz can, most varieties will have around 160 mg of caffeine, while the large 24 oz cans have 240 mg of caffeine.
Monster Energy: 160 mg Per Can
Monster is an energy beverage that was launched in 2002 and is pretty popular in the energy drink world. There is a huge selection of different flavors and varieties of Monster, from the original to the more unique ones like Juice Monster, Pipeline Punch, and even coffee-inspired flavors.
The different flavors sometimes have different levels of caffeine, but the original Monster boasts 160 mg per can serving while the other flavors can have anywhere from 115 to 187 mg.
5-Hour Energy: 200 mg Per Shot
5-Hour Energy is another popular drink that is taken in a single shot. With only 2 ounces of liquid inside these bottles, 200 mg of caffeine packs a punch. Many consumers complain that 5-Hour Energy shots taste a bit artificial, but if you are looking to get some energy fast, they do work.
NOS: 260 mg Per Can
NOS is an energy drink brand created in 2005 that appeals to fans of fast cars. The name of the brand was inspired by nitrous oxide, a booster that racers use in their vehicles to get a huge thrust of speed. It makes sense that NOS chose to name their energy drink after this fast-paced chemical.
NOS comes in a traditional 16 oz can, and the amount of caffeine in the beverage varies from flavor to flavor. Some have recently been lowering their caffeine content from 260 mg to 160 mg, but a lot of the flavors are still at that higher level of caffeine.
Reign Total Body Fuel: 300 mg Per Can
Reign is relatively a newcomer to the world of energy drinks. However, this beverage is owned by the same company that produces Monster Energy, so it’s really no surprise that it's gotten so popular - or that it has so much caffeine! A single 16 oz can of Reign has 300 mg of caffeine, but these drinks boast no sugar, making them a solid choice for those looking to consume that much caffeine at once.
Bang: 300 mg Per Can
Bang is an energy beverage that has become extremely popular and has totally dominated the market since it was released due to its high levels of caffeine. Bang originally had 357 mg of caffeine per 16 oz can, but they have since lowered their caffeine content. However, despite lowering it, they’re still sitting pretty high at 300 mg of caffeine per can.
Redline Xtreme: 316 mg Per Bottle
Redline Xtreme is a special version of the popular Redline energy drink. What’s so special and “Xtreme” about it? Well, for starters, it has a ton of caffeine. This version is marketed toward people who are looking for a big boost of energy before they start their workout because it combines caffeine with a variety of other energy-boosting ingredients.
This drink comes in an 8 oz bottle, which is much smaller than other energy drinks, but each bottle brings the boost with 316 mg of caffeine.
Spike Hardcore Energy: 350 mg Per Can
Spike Hardcore Energy Drinks definitely live up to its name. It’s called “hardcore” because it has such a massive level of caffeine in each 16 oz can. Only individuals looking for a serious energy boost should pick up one of these energy drinks.
With a whopping 350 mg of caffeine per can, this energy drink is one of the most caffeinated beverages on the market.
How Much Caffeine is Too Much?
As we mentioned a little earlier, up to 400 mg of caffeine a day appears to be considered safe for most adults. That is the amount of caffeine in roughly three to four cups of java, ten cans of cola, or two “energy shot” drinks.
Although there are many highly caffeinated energy drinks on the market, the truth is that it’s probably not a good idea to be consuming 300 mg of caffeine all in one sitting. Consuming too much of this popular stimulant can cause some pretty unpleasant side effects such as headache, insomnia, nervousness, irritability, muscle tremors, and heart palpitations - just to name a few.