A standard 8.4 oz can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine. Red Bull also publishes the larger cans: 114 mg for 12 oz, 151 mg for 16 oz and 198 mg for 20 oz. Sugarfree matches the regular can size for size.
These are the brand's own numbers from its Q&A pages, not label-rate estimates, which is more than most energy drinks give you. The per-ounce rate holds steady at about 9.5 mg across sizes, so the bigger cans are simply more of the same drink.
Red Bull caffeine by can size
| Can | Red Bull Energy Drink | Red Bull Sugarfree |
|---|---|---|
| 8.4 fl oz | 80 mg | 80 mg |
| 12 fl oz | 114 mg | 114 mg |
| 16 fl oz | 151 mg | 151 mg |
| 20 fl oz | 198 mg | 198 mg |
Energy Drink figures from Red Bull's caffeine Q&A and Sugarfree figures from the Sugarfree Q&A. Caffeine Informer lists the flavored Red Bull Editions and Red Bull Zero at the same 80 mg per 8.46 oz can as the original.
Red Bull is milder than coffee per ounce
This is the part people get backwards. USDA lists brewed coffee at 40 mg per 100 g, which is about 95 mg for an 8 oz cup and roughly 12 mg per ounce. Red Bull runs about 9.5 mg per ounce. Red Bull says as much on its own page, describing the 8.4 oz can as "about the same amount as in a cup of home-brewed coffee." The reason it feels different is the sugar (27 g in a small can, per Caffeine Informer) and the speed you drink it, not a bigger caffeine dose.
Against other cans
Among energy drinks Red Bull is at the low end. Celsius puts 200 mg in a 12 oz can, nearly double a 12 oz Red Bull at 114 mg. Caffeine Informer lists Monster at 160 mg per 16 oz can against Red Bull's 151 mg at the same size, so those two are close once you match volumes. A grande Starbucks Pike Place at 310 mg is well past a 20 oz Red Bull. The 8.4 oz can, the one most people picture, is one of the smallest caffeine doses in the cooler.
Reading the sizes
The 8.4 oz can is the European 250 ml can rounded, which is why the number looks odd. The 12 oz is the US soda-can size. At 198 mg, a 20 oz Red Bull is the only one that gets near a large coffee, and two of them in a day is just under 400 mg by itself. Red Bull does not publish a decaf; every can has caffeine.
For context, the FDA cites 400 mg of caffeine a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects in healthy adults. That is information, not advice. How caffeine affects you depends on your own tolerance and health.
See Monster's caffeine content, Starbucks caffeine by drink, or the full caffeine database.
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FAQ
How much caffeine is in a 12 oz Red Bull?
114 mg, per Red Bull's own Q&A page. The 16 oz can is 151 mg and the 20 oz can is 198 mg.
Does Sugarfree Red Bull have less caffeine?
No. Red Bull lists Sugarfree at 80, 114, 151 and 198 mg for the 8.4, 12, 16 and 20 oz cans, the same as the regular drink.
Is Red Bull stronger than coffee?
Not per ounce. Red Bull is about 9.5 mg per ounce; brewed coffee on the USDA figure is about 12 mg per ounce.
Sources
- Red Bull, how much caffeine is in a can of Red Bull Energy Drink?
- Red Bull, how much caffeine is in a can of Red Bull Sugarfree?
- Red Bull, Red Bull Energy Drink product page
- Caffeine Informer, Red Bull
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 171890, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water (40 mg caffeine per 100 g)
- Celsius, Essential Facts
- Caffeine Informer, Monster Energy
- Caffeine Informer, the complete guide to Starbucks caffeine
- FDA, Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?
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