Best-Rated Energy Drinks

See Our Ratings Methodology.

Most Satisfied Customers | Red Bull

Red Bull was rated best in Canstar Blue’s latest review of energy drinks, with five-star reviews for perceived effectiveness, packaging convenience, and overall satisfaction.

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How we rate energy drinks

Whether you’re working at a desk or doing hard labour − there are times when you just need that extra energy kick to get you through the day. If a cup of coffee simply won’t cut it, energy drinks are an alternative specially formulated to increase energy and mental performance. In fact, half of the Aussies we surveyed (51%) consume energy drinks to feel more energetic, and 21% feel it improves their performance in sports, work, or other activities.


Canstar Blue surveyed 545 Australians for their feedback on the energy drinks they’ve purchased from a supermarket or grocer (and consumed) within the last three months.

  • The outcomes reported in these ratings are measured via accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics.

Respondents rate their satisfaction with their energy drink brand(s) from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:

  • Overall satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with an energy drink brand as an individual score NOT a combined total of all criteria.
  • Taste: the energy drink had a pleasant taste or wasn’t too strong or bitter.
  • Perceived effectiveness: the energy drink seemed effective at improving energy levels and alertness.
  • Value for money: the energy drink was reasonably priced given the brand name and quantity.
  • Packaging convenience: the can/bottle of energy drink was easy to open and had a striking design.
  • Variety & range: the brand had various energy drink flavours and sizes available, as well as dietary alternatives (i.e. sugar-free).

The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.

  • Overall satisfaction is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of all criteria.
  • When we cannot determine a clear winner from the criteria for the Overall satisfaction rating, we will then look at the other criteria measured in the rating.
    • The brand with the highest number of five-star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the five-star recipient in overall satisfaction, and thus win the award. If a clear leader still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, joint winners will be declared.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.

  1. Red Bull
  2. V
  3. Mother
  4. ALDI Flying Power
  5. Monster

Red Bull took out the top spot in our energy drinks ratings with five-star reviews for perceived effectiveness, packaging convenience, and overall satisfaction. In terms of taste, V and Monster proved to be the crowd-pleasers, with the latter also scoring five stars for range variety. ALDI Flying Power was also a strong performer, rating best for value for money and notching up top marks for effectiveness, and packaging.

Find more detailed information on our ratings methodology.


Top Energy Drink Brand – Red Bull

Red Bull original

Everyone knows Red Bull as the OG (original) energy drink, with its infamous tagline ‘Red Bull gives you wings’. Red Bull energy drinks contain ingredients known for boosting energy, including caffeine (synthetic), taurine, B vitamins and sugar from sugar beets. The brand offers the Red Bull original flavour, also available in a sugar-free version, as well as limited-edition flavours like watermelon and tropical. Prices start from about $4.10 for a single can or $8 for a pack of four.

  • Red Bull was rated five stars for effectiveness, packaging convenience, and overall satisfaction. It got four stars for taste, and range variety, plus three stars for value for money.

Are energy drinks bad for you?

It depends. Energy drinks do contain large amounts of caffeine and sugar (apart from sugar-free versions) − so it’s best to consume them in moderation. One in five Aussies we surveyed (20%) said they prefer energy drinks to coffee (because they don’t like hot drinks), but still want a caffeine hit. Energy drinks are required by law to indicate their caffeine content on the label and need to be approved for use by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Energy drinks are not recommended for children (including teenagers), pregnant or breastfeeding women, or people sensitive to caffeine.

Is one energy drink a day ok?

Our survey found that 20% of Aussies consume one standard-size glass/can/bottle per day. Just keep in mind that drinking too much caffeine (even coffee) can raise your blood pressure and heart rate. Consume energy drinks in moderation.

Meet our consumer experts


Megan Birot: Home & Lifestyle Editor

Megan Birot Canstar Blue Home & Lifestyle Editor

Megan is Canstar Blue’s Home & Lifestyle Editor, leading the team that focuses on consumer products and services, ranging from supermarkets and groceries to home and personal appliances and retail stores. She interprets Canstar Blue’s bespoke research on the thousands of brands that we compare, rate and review, to help shoppers make better purchasing decisions.

Meet the Editorial Team

Samantha Howse: Consumer Research Specialist

Sam Howse Research Specialist

Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.

Meet the Research Team

Past ratings

Here are the previous winners of Canstar Blue’s energy drinks ratings:

  • 2022: Mother

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