Driving can sometimes be a challenge.
It often requires you to deal with traffic jams and incompetent drivers. It’s even more dangerous if you’re driving a long distance or late at night. It’s easy to become tired and fatigued after hours and hours of driving.
In fact, too many road accidents are caused by drivers falling asleep while driving.
So how do you stay awake while driving?
Grab a can of Red Bull or a pack of REIZE to keep your eyes on the road!
Many drivers grab a coffee to drink while driving to keep them alert and awake. Sure, coffee can certainly do the job to keep you awake just as well as an energy drink, but if you don’t finish your coffee quickly you’ll have to drink it cold to get the caffeine into your system. That doesn’t sound too tasty to me.
Actually, if you’re like me you probably prefer the taste of energy drinks to coffee all the time, regardless of whether the coffee is hot or cold.
I think energy drinks are a better alternative to coffee to get an energy boost while driving. Energy drinks taste better, are more convenient, are often cheaper and you don’t have to worry about burning yourself if you accidentally spill some in your lap while multi-tasking driving a car.
But, before you head out and grab an energy drink yourself, it’s best to know what to look for in an energy drink to determine whether or not it’s the best choice to keep you awake behind the wheel on those tiring drives.
What to Look For in an Energy Drink
Caffeine
Take a look at the back of any energy drink and you’ll find that it contains caffeine. Caffeine is the most important ingredient in an energy drink to keep you awake and alert.
I think energy drinks that contain between 50mg to 100mg of caffeine are the best for long-distance driving.
But, that’s also highly dependent on your caffeine tolerance levels. If you have a high tolerance to caffeine, an amount like this might not have an effect on you. If that’s the case, go for an energy drink with a slightly higher dosage of caffeine.
However, keep in mind that you should not consume more than 400mg of caffeine per day. That is what’s recommended by the FDA.
Some of the dangers of drinking too many energy drinks include:
- Caffeine overdose
- Trouble sleeping
- Caffeine addiction
- Headache
- Nausea
- Death (although it’s very rare)
Sugar
When it comes to choosing an energy drink that’s best for long-distance driving, you want to have a look at the sugar content. Although sugar is great for giving you a quick boost of energy, that effect is generally short-lived.
In fact, hours after consuming sugar, you’ll be hit by a dreadful energy crash, otherwise known as a sugar crash. Many energy drinks contain lots of sugar, but nowadays there are also sugar-free versions.
When it comes to choosing the best energy drink for driving, choose an energy drink that contains little to no sugar, like REIZE Energy Drink.
Price
Price is also something that you want to keep your eye on as you browse through all the energy drink options that you have.
Imagine paying for an energy drink that costs a fortune only to find out there are better-priced alternatives that are just as good or better.
Avoid buyer’s remorse by getting the facts before you buy.
Money doesn’t grow on trees, so when it comes to choosing an energy drink to help with a long-distance drive, it should be as affordable rather than expensive.
To save you time and effort, I’ve come up with a list of energy drinks that I consider to be the best for long-distance driving.
Without further ado, behold…
Best Energy Drinks for Driving
Red Bull
Caffeine: 80mg
Sugar: 27g
Price: $2 per 8.4 fl. oz can
Red Bull is the most popular energy drink brand on the planet.
A single 8.4 fl. oz can of Red Bull contains 80mg of caffeine, which I consider to be enough to keep you awake on a long drive.
The only thing that’s bad with Red Bull is that it contains too much sugar for my liking, which can lead to a sugar crash down the road. Literally. However, this isn’t much of a problem, you can just switch to the sugar-free version of Red Bull instead.
At $2 per 8.4 fl. oz Red Bull isn’t all that expensive, but it’s far from being the most affordable option either.
There are plenty of other good energy drinks around the same price that come in 16 fl. oz cans, and others around the same size that are cheaper. Red Bull is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive energy drink out there.
If you’re considering making the switch to Red Bull, I recommend you check out my other article which talks all about if it’s safe to drink Red Bull every day.
For a brief rundown, here’s what typically goes inside a can of Red Bull.
NOS
Caffeine: 160mg
Sugar: 53g
Price: $1.30 per 16 fl. oz can
NOS Energy is famous for its uniquely designed bottle that looks like a nitrous oxide tank- if you’re a fan of Fast and Furious, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
A single 16 fl. oz can of NOS contains 160mg of caffeine which is the same as you’ll get in a can of Monster or Rockstar. It’s definitely enough to keep you awake as you drive a long distance.
The downside with NOS Energy is that it also contains too much sugar in my opinion.
Seriously, 54g of sugar?
It’s not only going to cause a sugar crash a couple of hours after you drink it, but it’s also not all that good for your health. Instead of going for the original brew, I highly recommend you go for the sugar-free version instead.
At $1.30 per 16 fl. oz can, NOS is definitely much cheaper than the likes of Monster Energy and Rockstar. Most energy drinks cost between $2 to $3 for a 16 fl. oz can. If you consider the cost per fluid ounce, NOS is definitely a better value for your long-distance driving money.
Monster
Caffeine: 160mg
Sugar: 54g
Price: $3.20 per 16 fl. oz can
A single 16-ounce can of Monster contains 160mg of caffeine which surely is enough to keep you awake all the way till you’ve reached your destination.
The only downside to Monster Energy is that it contains too much sugar in my opinion. This won’t just cause a sugar crash down the road but it’s also very bad for your health.
Just like Red Bull, you can easily just switch to the sugar-free versions of Monster Energy such as Absolute Zero or Zero Ultra which are much better alternatives.
At $3.20 per 16 fl. oz can, Monster Energy is fairly expensive compared to the other energy drinks on this list.
However, if you’re looking to get your hands on an energy drink that suits your taste buds, Monster Energy has one of the best-tasting flavours.
To see exactly how Monster and Red Bull compare, check out my other article where I look at all of the differences between Red Bull and Monster.
XS
Caffeine: 80mg
Sugar: 0g
Price: $3 per 8.4 fl. oz can
A single can of XS contains 80mg of caffeine which I think is a good amount to keep you awake and alert without all the negative side effects associated with too much caffeine.
Not to mention, XS energy doesn’t contain any sugar at all.
What this means is that you’ll have a more sustainable energy boost from it without having to experience any slump in energy levels afterwards.
The only downside to XS Energy is that it’s absurdly expensive compared to other energy drinks on this list. Having to fork out $4 for an 8.4 fl. oz can do not feel right and certainly isn’t the best value for money.
There are many other more affordable alternatives in the market that you can get your hands on.
Rockstar
Caffeine: 160mg
Sugar: 31g
Price: $2 per 16 fl. oz can
Rockstar Energy is one of the top energy drink brands in the world and is famous for its tagline “Party like a rockstar”.
A single 16 fl. oz can of Rockstar contains 160mg of caffeine, which is the same as Monster Energy and is sure to keep you awake while you’re driving.
Just like Red Bull and Monster Energy, Rockstar contains a lot of sugar which isn’t all that good for you. If you ever want to get your hands on Rockstar Energy, I suggest you go for the sugar-free version instead.
At $2 per 16 fl. oz can, Rockstar is definitely cheaper and provides better value for money compared to both Monster and Red Bull.
Other Alternatives
Of course, there are lots of other great energy drinks that are not included on this list.
The following energy drinks are definitely worth checking out, but I don’t think that they are the best energy drinks for long drives:
Besides your conventional liquid-based energy drinks, there are also powdered energy drinks that come with equally great energy-boosting effects:
- GFuel
- ZipFizz
- Advocare Spark
- REIZE (10 out of 10)
There are also other great caffeinated products such as Make it Mio which is a water enhancer. It gives regular water a nice flavour and at the same time a dose of caffeine to keep you awake and alert.
If you’re looking for something different, you can also try out Vivarin caffeine pills. Each pill contains 200mg of caffeine which is similar to many energy drinks but without the same great taste.
REIZE
If you’re looking for the best energy drink for your drive, I highly recommend you check out REIZE.
REIZE is a powdered energy drink and I think it’s the best choice for a long drive.
Unlike most well-known energy drinks on the market, REIZE is much more convenient and versatile. All you need to do is mix it with water or your favorite beverage and it’s ready to drink.
With 50mg of caffeine, REIZE contains a sensible amount of caffeine but also contains tons of other great energy-boosting ingredients such as taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins. These additional ingredients work great together to help keep you awake and mentally energized while driving.
REIZE is also sugar-free, so you don’t have to worry about having a sugar crash after drinking it.
Best of all, REIZE only costs about $1 per drink (including shipping to your door).
REIZE is definitely more affordable than almost all other energy drinks.
You also have the flexibility to choose between a monthly subscription package or a one-time off purchase, whichever best suits your needs.
Try REIZE yourself, and you might just find that REIZE is the perfect energy drink to keep you awake for a long drive.