Energy Drinks Reviews

We found the best reviews of energy drinks' taste, kick, variety and value on detailed energy drink users' websites and blogs, some of which profile more than 400 energy drinks. The best research as to the healthfulness of energy drinks comes from Consumer Reports and WebMD, whereas several beverage-rating sites like BevNET and RateItAll feature very general reviews of energy drinks and are worth a glance. A comparison review at Slate magazine is both helpful and entertaining. And an analysis of caffeine content in energy drinks at EnergyFiend.com is very useful since the FDA does not require manufacturers to list caffeine content on their products.

The FDA does not define the term energy drink, but they can generally be distinguished from sports drinks in that while sports drinks contain electrolytes, sugar and salt to replace fluids lost during exercise, energy drinks are supposed to give you a "boost" of energy, usually through a combination of caffeine and sugar (sugar might appear on the label as fructose, glucose or sucrose). Caffeine may be added directly, or may come from the tropical plants guarana or yerba mate. For reference, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola classic has about 40 grams of sugar and about 35 mg of caffeine. An 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine. Energy drinks, especially those in large cans, can often have double the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee or more.

Experts, including editors at Consumer Reports, caution that children shouldn't consume more than about 100 mg of caffeine per day. Most energy drinks contain far more than that per bottle, anywhere from 100 mg to 300 mg. So, even one can or bottle is too much for kids. If you're concerned about your caloric intake, you won't find encouraging news there either. Many energy drinks have just as many calories as a bottle of Coca-Cola.

Some manufacturers add B vitamins to their energy drinks, possibly because B vitamins are necessary to extract energy from food, or according to some health experts, just because vitamins make energy drinks sound healthier.

Most reviewers rate energy drinks based on their energy kick and taste. Many energy drinks excel in one or the other, if not both. However, we found two energy drinks that stood out for providing little boost and tasting bad, too. Steven Seagal's Lightning Bolt Cherry Charge Energy Drink (*est. $.90 for a 16 oz. can) is one such beverage. Jason Hargett at Screaming Energy says "I'd rather strip the skin off my face with a soup ladle" than drink this again. He gave it very low marks for taste, energy and value. The Taurine Rules blog calls it "another disappointment for Seagal."

Stinger Pounding Punch (*est. $2 for an 8.4-oz. can) is another energy drink that scores low on both taste and energy. The Taurine Rules blog says there was no noticeable buzz, "but I might have missed it since I was busy trying not to throw up." Jason Hargett at Screaming Energy reports that it "tastes like what a melted fruit punch crayon tastes like," and adds that it doesn't have a lot of energy boost. In a review for The New York Times, William Grimes samples the Sinful Citrus flavor of Stinger, but doesn't like it very much: "It looks like a product intended to be poured in the toilet. That's where it went in my house, at any rate."

Energy drinks are a rapidly growing part of the beverage industry. In 2004, there were ten energy drink brands available. Now, there are hundreds. The major beverage companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have taken notice and developed their own energy drink brands or bought out existing leaders. According to a recent study, the top five brands of energy drinks in the U.S. are Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, Full Throttle and SoBe No Fear.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Because of the huge number of energy drinks on the market, hardly any reviewers top-rate the same brands. In choosing products for ConsumerSearch Fast Answers, we cross-referenced picks in reviews with other websites and enthusiast blogs. Red Bull is mentioned in nearly every review but is rarely top-rated, despite its best-seller status. 5-Hour Energy is better regarded than most because it has only four calories, no sugar and 100 mg of caffeine -- less than most -- yet it still gets good reviews. For flavor, three varieties of BooKoo pop up as best in reviews, including the fruit punch variety. Other picks are less defined.