31 Best Energy Drink Brands To Try in 2025

In an overcrowded beverage aisle, who makes the best energy drinks? This is a bit of a loaded question, with many fans’ loyalties to their favorite brands running hot.

But if you’re new to the energy drink game or ready to experiment with brands outside of your usual selection, the good news is that there are dozens of options on the market to try, meaning a good energy drink to keep you awake is never too far. 

In order to help you navigate the dizzying variety of drinks on the market, we’ll be breaking down the 31 best energy drinks: what they taste like, what they’re best for and why they deserve a try. Whatever your taste, there’s a perfect fit for you among these top energy drinks.

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• The 31 Most Popular Energy Drinks To Try
• What Is the Best Energy Drink?

The 31 Most Popular Energy Drinks To Try

1. Alani Nu  

You’ll recognize Alani immediately in the drink aisle thanks to its neon packaging and cute designs. If you’re looking for a midday pick-me-up, this brand may become your new go-to. There are also many delicious Alani energy drink flavors to choose from, and all come in at around 200 milligrams of caffeine per can.

That said, some fans think that the chemical taste of Alani beverages is a bit too strong. While the fun, punchy flavors endear some fans, others wouldn’t bill this as one of the best energy drinks — and depending on your tolerance for artificial sweeteners, you may not, either. 

2. Solimo  

Solimo is Amazon’s specialty brand of energy drinks, and the reviews are glowing. Never mind that it doesn’t have the intense caffeineation of some of its competitors, or that its flavors are vaguely defined at best — it’s sweet, smooth and exactly what you want in an energy drink.

Each 16-ounce can comes with about 150 milligrams of caffeine, making it a good mid-way choice on the market for those who want a decent boost, but not a 200 milligrams of caffeine or more kind of boost. We wouldn’t have expected Amazon’s brand-X drink to be one of the best energy drinks on the market, but it surprised us. 

3. Bang 

Everyone has a different idea of what makes the best energy drink. Some love a smooth taste and a well-done fruity flavor. Others need just a little bit of energy, something gentle and mild that will only give you what you need and leave no crash behind.

And still others are looking to be absolutely bodyslammed by the most intense hit of caffeine and artificial, chemically taste imaginable. With around 300 milligrams of caffeine per can, Bang leans toward the latter. 

Bang energy drink flavors never claimed to be natural or organic or any other such thing, and some people dig that. But you’ve got to know that this is a drink whose effects will linger. Tread with caution. 

 4. Vuka 

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Vuka is that it’s actually sweetened with sugar. In a sea of drinks that will use any artificial substitute to be able to claim the “sugar-free” designation, the use of real sugar makes Vuka a rare find.

It also makes these carbonated energy drinks incredibly delicious. Its four flavors (with approximately 80 milligrams of natural caffeine per 8-ounce serving) are all created with a specific type of customer in mind, so you’ll be able to find something that suits your needs. 

Vuka doesn’t really taste like an energy drink, and that’s why we think it’s one of the best energy drinks there is. Sometimes you don’t want in-your-face flavor or artificial aftertaste, and that’s where Vuka comes in. 

5. Guru  

Cane sugar, Stevia or artificial sweetener? In the case of Guru, the answer is “none of the above”: natural fruit juice is all this brand uses to sweeten its energy drinks. If you absolutely hate that artificial aftertaste, this is easily one of the best energy drinks for you.

Its diversity of options is another factor that makes this one of the best energy drinks. Guru drinks come in three varieties: Original, a traditional energy drink; Punch, which is designed to promote focus; and Zero, which provides, in its own words, “boost.” Nine flavors are available across all lines, each with around 140 milligrams of caffeine per can. 

6. Prime 

A carbonated, sugar-free, naturally flavored energy drink with the citrusy tang of Red Bull: Prime is one of our picks for the best energy drinks that consistently fly under the radar. At least one of its four flavors satisfies most fans.

That said, Prime is not a gentle drink. 200 milligrams of caffeine is nothing to sneeze at, and the crash with this one is said to be pretty ugly. If you know you don’t handle caffeine well, this may not be the best energy drink to try.  

7. Jocko Go  

Everything about this drink promises to punch you in the face with energy, which is pretty much what it does. With 200 milligrams of caffeine and 100 milligrams more of B Vitamins, the one thing this energy drink is not is subtle. If you’re purely looking for an intense boost, Jocko Go is easily one of the best energy drinks on the market.

That said, it’s a little bit much. Some energy drink fans are more sensitive to intense stimulation, and this is not the best energy drink for them. If you’re A-okay with the rush of your life, though, nine flavors of Jocko Go all promise just that. 

8. Alpine Bliss  

Alpine Bliss still isn’t the best-known drink on the market, but its Euro-ski flair makes it one of the best energy drinks when you don’t want to be seen guzzling a Red Bull. These sparkling, fruit-flavored drinks focus on natural ingredients and gentler sources of caffeine that are said to promote clarity and cognitive function, and each can comes with around 70 milligrams of natural caffeine.

This makes Alpine Bliss energy drinks not only a stylish option, but a healthier one than most. Their taste is more reminiscent of La Croix sparkling water than of a traditional energy drink, which may be appealing if you’re not usually the energy drink type. It’s also sugar-free, making it easily one of the best zero-sugar energy drinks. 

9. Red Bull  

Everybody knows this one. It would be outright heresy to make a list of the best energy drinks without it. It gives you wings! How could you possibly fail to include the most iconic energy drink of all time?

Red Bull is a venerable product, with top sales and decades of history to show for it, so it makes sense to stick with the classics. Don’t bother trying new flavors — it’s the original Red Bull, a citrusy carbonated flavor known the world over, that truly earns its place as one of the best energy drinks around. 

10. Body Armor  

Although it offers an energy boost in the form of 95 milligrams of caffeine, Body Armor isn’t an all-nighter kind of drink. Instead, its focus is athletic performance. The combination of caffeine and electrolytes promotes hydration and better performance (supposedly!), and as an added bonus, Body Armor contains no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.

With 10 fruit-inspired flavors, Body Armor is a growing brand with a lot to offer athletic types. If you’re also looking for good post-workout hydration, this is one of the best energy drinks to try. 

11. Ghost 

While the previous Body Armor focuses on fortifying the body before and after an intense workout, Ghost focuses on slamming you with the caffeine equivalent of electroshock therapy. For some, this is exactly what makes it one of the best energy drinks.

All of the Ghost energy drink flavors are quite sweet, often collaborating with other companies to imitate iconic flavors in energy drink form (sour candy seems to be a popular option). That, plus the buzz you’ll get from the 200 milligrams of caffeine, will keep you going for hours. 

12. Lucky Energy  

Lucky Energy offers a subtle flavor but is absolutely packed with caffeine. With 200 milligrams of caffeine per bottle, sipping on one of these offers a pretty heady burst of energy. It could be one of the best energy drinks on the market for an on-the-fence audience who’s not usually into that sort of thing.

13. Teacher Power 

This niche beverage is one of the best energy drinks for those who prefer the powdered-packet kind of drink. Designed to minimize artificial colors and flavors while maximizing energizing vitamins, Teacher Power is a powdered energy drink mix that anyone, not just teachers, can mix into their water bottle for a much-needed boost.

Despite having around 100 milligrams of caffeine per scoop, it promises a minimal crash. Since this is a professionally-focused energy drink instead of a sports drink, it’s one of the best for slow, sustainable all-day energy. 

14. Oca 

The name of this energy drink comes from “tapioca,” which is the source of this plant-based energy drink’s 120 milligrams of caffeine. But at this point, we’ve come to believe that the caffeine source in most of the best energy drinks doesn’t really matter. You’ll get a boost of some size all the same.

So what sets this drink apart as one of the best energy drinks? Natural-tasting flavor. Because it’s plant-based with all-natural ingredients, Oca imitates the flavors of real fruits better than most. While that might be disappointing if you prefer more intense flavor, we think it’s a point in Oca’s favor. 

15. Guayakí Yerba Mate  

In many parts of South America, the caffeine-producing plant of choice is yerba mate. It produces a potent dose of caffeine, much like coffee, that many American consumers of the kombucha inclination have come to love, and this unique energy drink using yerba mate as its base is one of the best energy drinks for alternative caffeine sources.

Though its cultural niche is similar to the now-infamous kombucha, that’s where the similarities end. This smooth, eminently drinkable energy drink goes down easily and delivers a pleasant caffeine hit of 150 milligrams per can. 

That’s right — pleasant. How many of the best energy drinks can claim that? Not many, and that’s what makes Guayakí so great. 

16. Ardor  

Feelings are mixed on this health-forward carbonated beverage. Some love its subtle flavor and lack of punchier artificial flavors and sweeteners, comparing it to a refreshing sparkling water.

Others are more used to the conventionally intense flavors of the best energy drinks and find it unbearably dull and uninspiring. That leads us to believe that Ardor might be one of the best energy drinks for people who haven’t built up a tolerance to them yet, but not for more hardcore fans. 

However, each can does still come with 100 milligrams of caffeine, so if you hardly ever drink caffeinated beverages, this may still offer too much of a hit. 

17. Celsius  

The world’s hippest energy drink, bar none. With a dizzying variety of flavors, powdered and liquid options and the best cultural clout of any of the best energy drinks right now, it’s not hard to see how these fruity carbonated energy drinks got to be so big.

But there’s one major factor in this brand’s meteoric rise that we haven’t touched on yet, and that’s the caffeine content. 200 milligrams isn’t an unprecedented amount of caffeine, but that comes in a 12-ounce can of Celsius, not the huge 16-ounce cans that most energy drinks use. 

That means the caffeine in Celsius is intensely concentrated, making it one of the best energy drinks for a straight shot of caffeine and heart palpitations. Plus, there is an array of delicious Celsius energy drink flavors to choose from, so you’re sure to find something you want to try. 

18. Wooooo! 

This exuberant energy drink from WWE wrestler Ric Flair is pretty on-brand. It’s brightly-colored, punchy and energizing, and while it doesn’t seem likely to provide a lot of the health benefits it purports to, it’s a fun and decently tasty choice that provides good, steady energy with 150 milligrams of caffeine per 12 fluid ounce can.

We really appreciate this drink’s commitment to its theme: unlike so many of the best energy drinks, it eschews overdone “hardcore” branding in favor of simple, boisterous fun. The WWE tie-in makes that choice all the more laudable. 

19. ZOA Energy  

Another health-forward and sugar-free option, ZOA Energy is a newer energy drink brand focusing on natural ingredients to deliver a clean, crash-free caffeine boost. It was also created by Hollywood A-lister Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, so there’s that, too — ZOA isn’t lacking in branding.

With seven flavors on the market and around 160 milligrams of caffeine per can, this sugar-free energy drink is one of the best energy drinks for the health-conscious consumer.

No energy drink will ever really reach health-food status, but this one makes its best effort with natural sweeteners and sources of caffeine. It’s worth checking Zoa out at the grocery store if you’re looking for the healthiest energy drinks. 

20. Monster 

Let’s not pretend we don’t see it: Monster is the kind of drink that puts your body through about six altered states per hour. It’s packed with both sugar (although sugar-free is available) and 200 milligrams of caffeine, often wreaking havoc on both your mind and your body.

But for some people, that intensity is what they need to stay awake and alert. If that’s you, this is the indisputably best energy drink for you.

Plus, it doesn’t taste half-bad. Monster energy drink flavors are pretty diverse, and the original flavor has a great citrusy bite that cuts the sugar a little bit. Though some wouldn’t call it one of the best energy drinks, Monster has stood the test of time and earned a place in our cultural milieu for a reason. 

21. Riot  

Riot’s loud and bright packaging doesn’t inspire much confidence in its purportedly healthy focus. But you’d be surprised by what’s inside — it’s actually very deserving of a shoutout as one of the best energy drinks.

Five flavors offer 160 milligrams of caffeine with no artificial sweeteners, making Riot one of the best energy drinks if you’re looking for a sugar-free option that has a decent amount of caffeine. Because of those natural ingredients, it also tastes like the fruit it’s supposed to — no small feat for an energy drink. 

22. Reign  

Let’s just get this out of the way off the bat: if you’ve got heart problems of any kind, this is not the best energy drink for you. 300 milligrams of caffeine is, frankly, an unhinged amount of caffeine, and even the healthiest gym-goers ought to be careful not to overdo it. That said, this hardcore energy drink does have its fans.

It’s sugar-free, albeit sweetened with artificial sweeteners, and there are 12 Reign energy drink flavors, so you have a good variety of choices. And the obvious: this is the best energy drink by far for desperate moments when pulling an all-nighter is your only choice. But we’d be cautious about drinking this one too often. 

It's also important to note that some Reign energy drinks have 140 to 200 milligrams of caffeine. So, if you want to give this one a taste, check the nutritional labels and you'll possibly find one that suits your desired caffeine intake.

23. Fast Twitch  

Rather than powerlifters and all-night crammers, Gatorade’s Fast Twitch energy drink is one of the best energy drinks for more level-headed athletes and fitness enthusiasts. However, it does still come with 200 milligrams of caffeine, plus the addition of electrolytes.

It also comes in six flavors inspired by Gatorade classics, and while it doesn’t quite recreate the magic of original Gatorade’s refreshing flavor, it comes pretty close. One of the best energy drinks for sporty types and members of the general public who don’t really do energy drinks. 

24. Bawls Guarana  

Like coffee, guarana is a plant-based natural source of caffeine, with around 100 milligrams per can. Also like coffee, “natural” doesn’t mean “gentle,” and you could definitely crash out after a little too much. But natural ingredients are nearly always better for you, so we’ll give this guarana-based energy drink the nod: it’s one of the best energy drinks for natural caffeine.

Bawls Guarana is also unique for marketing itself as a soda rather than a straight-up energy drink. Its flavor is much more soda-like, anyway, so it’s one of the best energy drinks for people who want the caffeine element of a Red Bull but not the saccharine taste. 

25. Gorilla Mind  

Gorilla Mind reminds us that energy drinks are kind of a hilarious business. Even the best energy drinks often fall prey to the slowly changing industry standard of designing the most exaggeratedly hypermasculine branding imaginable, often to the point that it comes across as more comical than impressive. Gorilla Mind is a perfect example.

But if you set aside the fact that its packaging is implying the promise of an apelike burst of strength and determination, this is actually one of the best energy drinks out there. Its 17 flavors have a smooth, pleasant taste, and you’ll definitely feel fired up after a few sips thanks to the 200 milligrams of caffeine per can. 

26. Zevia  

In the world of sugar-free energy drinks, one of the biggest controversies relates to the sweetener. Many sugar substitutes, especially aspartame, have been linked to potential health risks according to sources like the Mayo Clinic, which makes it difficult to find a good sugar-free energy drink that doesn’t have some major medical drawbacks.

Into that void have rushed a huge variety of health-focused energy drinks sweetened with natural, plant-based Stevia, and this is one of them. With mod-inspired packaging proudly proclaiming its lack of added sugars, Zevia has a different target market than something like Red Bull, and it’s better for that. Eight flavors are available, all of them inspired by real fruits, and every can has approximately 200 milligrams of caffeine. 

Ultimately, Zevia offers one of the best ways to get your energy boost without compromising on sugar or sweeteners. If you’re looking for a genuinely healthy option, this may be one of the best energy drinks on the market for you. 

27. Accelerator  

Despite its name, Accelerator isn’t the kind of energy drink that’s going to make you run amok like the Energizer Bunny. While it has 200 milligrams of natural caffeine, many feel that this leans more like a fruit-flavored soda than a go-all-night energy drink.

One complaint fans make is that Accelerator, while a good alternative to more intense brands, tastes a little bit watery. There are eight different fruit flavors, but this seems to be a brand-wide issue. 

28. Aspire Healthy Energy  

The best energy drinks these days tend to fall into two categories: heavy hitters with ultra-masculine branding (think Monster) that are marketed for activities like gaming, the gym or a last-ditch effort to pull an all-nighter, and stylish, health-forward options with sensible but eye-catching packaging.

While some straddle that line, it seems pretty clear what’s up with that. After years of market domination by cans that look like screamo album covers, companies are trying to widen the market. These new “healthy” drinks with aesthetically pleasing designs look like an effort to sell to women, busy professionals and anyone with a slightly more refined palate. 

Stereotyped as it may be, that diversification leads to options like Aspire Healthy Energy, one of the best energy drinks in the “health drinks” niche. Like many in its category, Aspire is a gentle pick: light, lower in caffeine (80 milligrams of natural caffeine per can) and flavored like something actually found in nature.

It comes in five fruity flavors, with Mango Lemonade being a particular favorite of many fans. A refreshing addition to the roster of the best energy drinks. 

29. C4  

C4 is, first and foremost, a drink for athletes. Everything about it is marketed at the kind of person who gets up to run at six in the morning before work. But that’s not to say that the average person can’t get anything out of it: it’s one of the more impressive executions of the classic “artificial fruity energy drink” flavor, with four lines: athletic-focused Performance Energy, standard Smart Energy, focus-based Ultimate Energy and Non-Carbonated.

With a variety of C4 energy drink flavors that all hold up pretty well to testing and all have around 200 milligrams of caffeine, C4 is a pleasant surprise. Try this one if you need a pre-workout pump-up or if you’re just curious to see what a well-done artificial fruit flavor actually tastes like. This brand is sugar-free and also offers a C4 Smart line that’s focused on improving focus and cognition. 

30. Mountain Dew Kickstart  

Mountain Dew is mostly known as a peddler of lemon-lime soda. If you’re in the energy drink market, though, you’d do well not to overlook Kickstart, the brand’s flagship energy drink. While you may assume this is a high-caffeine option, a can has only 80 milligrams of caffeine, making it a good pick for a jitter-free boost.

In a lot of ways, Mountain Dew Kickstart is a gentler alternative to energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster that are marketed to a mostly male audience, with a slightly similar aesthetic but less caffeine and overt gym-bro energy. It might be one of the best energy drinks to try if you’re looking to wean yourself off one of those more intense drinks. 

31. Pureboost Superfoods  

If you’re on the lookout for a powdered energy drink, check out Pureboost Superfoods. This sugar-free, all-natural energy drink mix has one huge advantage over many of its competitors: you can control how much of it you want to drink.

Because it comes in powdered form, Pureboost Superfoods doesn’t require the commitment of buying a whole bottle. You can drink as much or as little caffeine as you want, and that, combined with its pretty-much-natural ingredient list, makes Pureboost Superfoods one of the best energy drinks for those who need to be cautious about caffeine.

There are currently nine Pureboost Superfoods flavors, including an Immunity line that looks like supercharged Emergen-C. With minimal sugar and the option to make only as much as you need to push through your study session, Pureboost Superfoods is easily one of the best energy drinks in the up-and-coming healthy drinks niche. 

What Is the Best Energy Drink? 

So now we know a bit more about what’s on the market, but what is the best energy drink? The best energy drink for you will depend largely on what you’re looking for. If you want a good energy drink to keep you awake but need to limit sugar, you will likely find Pureboost Superfoods or Zevia to be the best energy drinks for you.

If you need an electric jolt of caffeine, you’ll want to go with Bang, which is one of the best energy drinks for energy with a staggering 300 milligrams of caffeine per bottle. However, if you want something lighter, brands like Alpine Bliss and Vuka should become your new go-tos. And for an excellent low-calorie option, go with Ardor, which is pretty much sparkling water with caffeine. 

Finally, if you’re just interested in the best-tasting energy drink, you may find that the best energy drink is a bit more of a subjective question. Some love Red Bull, others Celsius — while you can definitely steer for the most popular energy drinks, you’ll have to make that call for yourself.  

What Is the Best Energy Drink To Keep You Awake and Focused?

If you’re looking for the best energy drinks to help you lock in on an important project or stay awake on a long nighttime drive, you have a few options. C4 is marketed as one of the best energy drink brands for alertness, and Alpine Bliss is another great option when you need a study buddy and not a pre-gym boost.

Both are some of the best energy drinks for energy if you need a slow burn and not an immediate high that comes with an uncomfortable caffeine crash. And, as a nice bonus, both of these drinks are sugar-free. 

What Is the Best-Tasting Energy Drink? 

In many cases, the most popular energy drinks got that way because fans loved their taste, so it’s not surprising that many cite Red Bull as one of the best-tasting energy drinks on the market.

Although they haven’t hit the stratospheric popularity of Red Bull yet, Celsius and Guayakí are similarly said to be great-tasting.

The days when the top energy drinks were marketed as ultra-masculine drinks for gym bros and gamers are long over. Best of all, the market has never been more diverse.

Whatever your dietary needs or taste preferences, one of the best energy drink brands on the market is making exactly the drink you’re looking for. Even if they may not be in your gas station’s refrigerators yet, it’s worth hunting down the right energy drink brand for you. 

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