Choose a sparkling energy drink by its caffeine in the whole can, its sugar content and when you plan to buy it. Red Bull Original states 80mg caffeine per 250ml can, while Monster Energy UK states 150mg for a 500ml Ultra and 160mg for a 500ml Original Green; Ultra is the zero-sugar option among those named cans. If you plan to bring a drink from outside the airport, check your departure airport’s liquid rules first: GOV.UK says containers over 100ml cannot pass security at most UK airports.
Compare the amount in the complete can or bottle, particularly if coffee, tea or cola is also part of your day. Container sizes differ, so a figure per 100ml alone does not describe what you will drink from the full pack.
A zero-sugar variant and a standard sweetened drink answer different preferences. Check the sugar figure for the container as well as its caffeine: choosing zero sugar does not make a drink caffeine-free.
If you intend to carry a drink into a UK airport, the departure airport’s container limit may determine whether it can go through security. Check the rules for any further airport where you will pass through screening.
Decide how much of one container you expect to drink, then compare its caffeine and sugar before deciding where to buy it for the journey.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine per container | Read the amount for the whole can or bottle, not just per 100ml. Red Bull states 80mg per 250ml Original can; Monster Energy UK states 150mg per 500ml Ultra can and 160mg per 500ml Original Green can. | I want to know what one complete drink adds to caffeine I have already had. During pregnancy, the NHS advises no more than 200mg caffeine a day from all sources. |
| Sugar and variant | Check the exact variant and its sugar quantity for the stated serving. Monster Energy UK describes its 500ml Ultra as zero sugar; that same can is stated to contain 150mg caffeine. | If I choose a zero-sugar fizzy drink, I still want to assess its caffeine separately. |
| Security timing | Check the departure and any transfer airport’s current liquid rules. GOV.UK says containers over 100ml cannot pass security at most UK airports; Heathrow states that containers of up to 2 litres can remain in cabin bags at its security checkpoints. | I would rather know whether a drink brought from outside can pass screening before I buy or pack it. |
| Pack format | Distinguish a single drink from a multipack, and check the size of each can. The Joybuy options below include 250ml, 355ml and 500ml cans sold in different pack formats. | For one journey, I need to distinguish a drink to carry from a multipack intended for several occasions. |
For the named UK products, Red Bull states 80mg in a 250ml Original can, while Monster Energy UK states 150mg in a 500ml Ultra and 160mg in a 500ml Original Green. Those are amounts for complete cans, not interchangeable per-100ml figures.
Compare the amount you expect to drink and account for caffeine from other drinks that day.
GOV.UK says containers over 100ml cannot pass security at most UK airports, although airport rules differ. A partly finished larger can is still a larger container.
Check the airports where you will pass through security, or plan to buy a drink after screening where practical.
Monster Energy UK describes its 500ml Ultra as zero sugar and states that it contains 150mg caffeine per can.
Use the sugar and caffeine figures as separate checks when comparing variants.
A brand’s general range or list of retailers does not establish which flavours and pack sizes a particular airside shop has on your travel date.
If you intend to buy after security, have an alternative drink in mind if your preferred variant is not on the shelf.
Red Bull Original provides a named 250ml can for comparing caffeine by complete serving.
The named Original Green and Ultra products offer a standard formula and a zero-sugar formula in 500ml cans.
Relentless offers fizzy flavours, including Guava, whose ingredients list carbonated water and caffeine.
Lucozade describes its Energy range as sparkling and containing glucose.
These sparkling energy drinks are sold as multipacks or cases. Compare the quantity in each individual can for your journey, rather than treating a case as a single serving.
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For a zero-sugar sparkling option with a stated whole-can amount, this listing gives 0g sugar and 200mg caffeine per 355ml can. It is a 12-can case. The listing advises against use by children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and people sensitive to caffeine.
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For a smaller, lightly sparkling can, the listing states 80mg caffeine per 250ml can. It describes peach and mango juice, no added sugar and 2.9g sugars per 100ml; no added sugar is not the same as zero sugar.
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For a 250ml can with a stated whole-can caffeine figure, Red Bull Original contains 80mg per can. This is the standard sugar-containing formula, sold here as a 12-pack; check the current can label for its exact sugar quantity.
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For a zero-sugar sparkling option, this listing states 0g sugars and 30mg caffeine per 100ml. Each can is 500ml, and the 6 × 4 format is a 24-can case. Check the current can label for its whole-can caffeine figure when comparing servings.
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For a sugar-free sparkling drink in a 250ml can, this listing is a 12-pack. Sugarfree is a different variant from Red Bull Original: check this can’s caffeine label rather than assuming it contains less caffeine than Original.
It depends on the airport and the container size. GOV.UK says containers over 100ml cannot pass security at most UK airports, while Heathrow states that liquids in containers of up to 2 litres can remain in cabin bags at its checkpoints. Check the rules at every airport where you will go through security.
Buying after your departure airport’s security check avoids that checkpoint’s limit on liquids brought in from outside. If your journey involves another security check, confirm the rules for carrying your onward drink through it.
No. Monster Energy UK describes its 500ml Ultra as zero sugar and states that it contains 150mg caffeine per can. Check the sugar and caffeine figures separately for the exact variant you choose.
The NHS advises no more than 200mg caffeine a day during pregnancy, counting all sources. If you are comparing a caffeinated drink, include caffeine from food and other drinks that day rather than considering the can on its own.