Red Bull vs coffee: caffeine compared
Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine per 8.4 oz can. Filter coffee has 96 mg per 8 oz cup.
Per serving filter coffee is ahead: 96 mg against 80 mg, about 20% more. Per 100 ml filter coffee is ahead: 40 mg against 32 mg, about 25% more.
| Red Bull | Filter coffee | |
|---|---|---|
| Serving | 8.4 oz can (250 ml) | 8 oz cup (240 ml) |
| Caffeine per serving | 80 mg | 96 mg |
| Caffeine per 100 ml | 32 mg | 40 mg |
| Caffeine per fl oz | 9.5 mg | 11.8 mg |
| In the same 12 oz (355 ml) | 114 mg | 142 mg |
| Share of the 400 mg daily limit | 20% | 24% |
| Peak level, 45 minutes in | 73 mg | 88 mg |
| Time to fall below 40 mg | 6 hours | 7 and a half hours |
| Latest for an 11 pm bedtime | 5:06 pm | 3:36 pm |
| Servings to reach 400 mg | 5 | 4.2 |
What the numbers mean
A mug of filter coffee has more caffeine than a can of Red Bull. The can feels stronger because it is cold, sweet and finished in a few minutes, so the whole dose arrives at once.
Per 100 ml the two are close, with coffee a little ahead. The larger energy drinks are a different matter: a 500 ml Monster carries more than a mug and a half of coffee, and a Celsius more than two.
The full page for each
Common questions
Which has more caffeine, Red Bull or filter coffee?
Filter coffee. One 8 oz cup holds 96 mg, against 80 mg in one 8.4 oz can of Red Bull: about 20% more.
Which is the better choice late in the day?
Red Bull. For an 11 pm bedtime one serving can be had as late as 5:06 pm, against 3:36 pm for filter coffee.
How many can I have in a day?
Going by the 400 mg daily limit for healthy adults: about 5 servings of Red Bull or 4 of filter coffee, if that is the only caffeine you have. Anything else with caffeine in it counts toward the same limit.
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Where these numbers come from
Every figure is calculated with the model the Cira app uses: caffeine peaks 45 minutes after you take it and halves every 5.7 hours, a typical value for healthy adults. The 40 mg sleep line is a working threshold of the model, and the 400 mg daily limit is the figure used by the European Food Safety Authority and the US FDA. These are averages. Smoking, pregnancy, the contraceptive pill and some medicines change how fast you clear caffeine. How the numbers are worked out.
