Bang and Monster are both energy drink brands that are popular and well-recognized across the globe. Both brands have also acquired strong positions in the energy drink market and are close competitors of each other.
But how are they different? Which one is a better energy drink?
If you have asked yourself these questions before, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I’ll be diving into the differences between Bang and Monster, from their ingredients to which brand is a better fit for you.
Let’s start!
Contents
Bang Vs Monster – Origins
Owned by Vital Pharmaceuticals (VPX), Bang was introduced in 2012 as an energy drink brand. Since 2020, Bang has grown to be the third highest-selling energy drink brand in the US.
Monster Energy brand was introduced in 2002 by Monster Beverage Corporation. With around 34 other drinks under the same brand in North America, Monster has climbed its way up to be the second highest selling energy drink brand in the US.
Bang Vs Monster – Nutrition Facts
| Typical Values | Bang (16 fl.oz) | Monster (16 fl.oz) |
| Energy | 0 calories | 210 calories |
| Protein | 0g | 0g |
| Fat (Of which saturated) | 0g (0g) | 0g (0g) |
| Carbohydrate (Of which sugars) | 0g (0g) | 54g (54g) |
| Sodium | 40mg | 370mg |
| Caffeine | 300mg | 160mg |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | – | 3.6mg |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 5mg | 46mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.5mg | 4.6mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.5μg | 13µg |
| Vitamin C | 27mg | – |
| Magnesium | 5mg | – |
| Calcium | 5mg | – |
Calories
A 16 fl.oz can of Bang Energy has 0 calories whereas each 16 fl.oz can of Monster Energy contains 210 calories.
Bang Energy will be a better choice if you’re following a diet and need to cut back on the calories whereas Monster may be more suited for you if you’re constantly on the go and have no problem burning off the calories consumed.
Considering that the recommended daily caloric intake for healthy adults is between 2000 to 2400 calories for women and 2400 to 3000 calories for men, Monster will put a small dent in your diet.
While it’s perfectly okay to have either Bang or Monster depending on which drink you prefer, drinking them occasionally is the best way to reap the benefits without experiencing the side effects.
Vitamins And Minerals
In the case of vitamins and minerals, Monster has a higher B vitamin content compared to Bang, though Bang contains other vitamins and minerals that are absent in Monster.
Here’s a quick rundown of the vitamin content:
- Bang has less sodium (40mg vs 370mg).
- Bang has less vitamin B3, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.
- Bang lacks vitamin B2, which is present in Monster.
- Bang contains two electrolytes which are magnesium and calcium.
- Bang has vitamin C (27mg).
Bang Vs Monster – Ingredients
Bang Energy Drink Ingredient List
A 16fl.oz can of Bang Energy contains:
- Carbonated water
- Citric acid anhydrous
- Natural flavors
- Malic acid
- Caffeine anhydrous
- Sodium Benzoate
- Potassium citrate monohydrate
- Sucralose
- Potassium phosphate dibasic
- EAAs (L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-valine, L-lysine, L-threonine, L-phenylalanine, L-histidine, L-methionine, L-tryptophan)
- Potassium sorbate
- Magnesium chloride
- Vitamin C
- SUPER CREATINE® (Creatyl-L-Leucine)
- Calcium chloride
- Calcium disodium EDTA
- vitamin B3 (niacinamide)
- CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10)
- vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
- vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin)
Monster Energy Drink Ingredient List
A 16 fl.oz can of Monster Energy contains the following ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Sugar
- Citric acid
- ‘Natural Flavors’
- Sodium Citrate
- Sorbic Acid (preservative)
- Benzoic Acid (preservative)
- Niacinamide
- Color added
- Sucralose
- Salt
- Pyridoxine hydrochloride
- Riboflavin
- Cyanocobalamin
Bang Vs Monster – Comparisons
Caffeine
A 16 fl.oz can of Bang contains a whopping 300mg of caffeine whereas a 16 fl.oz can of Monster has 160mg of caffeine.
On the subject of caffeine content in Bang and Monster, there are a few differences that can be addressed, from the amount of caffeine present to the type of caffeine.
First, let’s go over the amount of caffeine present in Bang and Monster.
Bang definitely contains a whole lot more caffeine than Monster. In fact, the amount of caffeine in Bang equals about two cans of Monster!
You may be inclined to think that the more caffeine, the better the effects but that’s not always the case. In fact, too much caffeine can lead to unpleasant side effects instead.
You may be surprised to learn that energy drinks with a lower amount of caffeine work much better for you than energy drinks with a large amount of caffeine.
Now we come to the type of caffeine used in Bang and Monster.
Monster contains regular caffeine that comes from natural sources like tea leaves and coffee beans. On the other hand, Bang contains caffeine anhydrous, a concentrated and powdered form of caffeine, making it more potent than regular caffeine.
This means that the caffeine present in Bang Energy has stronger effects as compared to Monster.
Coupled with a large amount of caffeine already present in Bang, Bang makes a very powerful drink.
However, Bang’s caffeine content isn’t recommended for everyone. If you regularly drink caffeine and have been drinking energy drinks for a while now, Bang may be alright for you.
On the other hand, if you’re new to caffeinated beverages including energy drinks, it’s not a smart idea to jump right into Bang.
That said, regardless of whether you’re a newbie or a veteran caffeine consumer, you must be careful with the amount of caffeine you consume in a day.
For reference, the FDA recommends a daily caffeine intake of less than 400mg for healthy adults. Consuming more than that might lead to side effects like:
- Restlessness and shakiness
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Dizziness
Sure, caffeine has plenty of great benefits, and the boost from Bang or Monster might feel good too, but let’s avoid having too much of it and stay under the daily caffeine limit to keep ourselves safe.
Sugar
Bang is completely sugar-free, and therefore has no sugar, while a 16 fl.oz can of Monster contains 54g of sugar.
Instead of sugar, Bang incorporates the use of Sucralose, an artificial sweetener.
Sucralose is a non-nutritive sweetener that contains virtually zero calories yet tastes just as sweet as sugar. It’s usually found in low-calorie/reduced sugar/sugar-free foods and drinks.
Since Bang doesn’t contain any sugar, it won’t cause any changes in your blood sugar levels, which means no sugar crashes. There’s also a smaller likelihood for you to develop health issues like weight gain and diabetes.
However, that’s not a green light for you to go all in and start chugging cans of Bang. Sucralose is still considered a new chemical, and like all modern chemicals, the long-term side effects of sucralose and other sweeteners remain inconclusive.
Therefore, your best bet is to consume them in moderation to avoid any risk in the future.
As for Monster, it contains 54g of sugar.
For reference, the recommended maximum daily sugar intake for healthy adults by AHA is 25g for women and 36g for men. Monster clearly has exceeded the daily sugar limit and a regular intake of this drink would be very unhealthy for you.
Some of the possible health problems that you’ll get from constantly drinking Monster are:
- Weight gain
- Heart diseases
- Diabetes
- Aging skin
- Depression
- Low energy levels
- Cavities
If you want to cut down on the sugar, Bang is the better energy drink among the two to help you with that. Plus, it’s also sweet without the extra calories and sugar.
As for Monster, the amount of sugar is rather worrying so I would advise drinking Monster only occasionally when you really need the extra boost.
If you want to know more about the effects of sugar on the body, check out this video:
Amino Acids
A 16 fl.oz can of Bang contains Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) while Monster doesn’t seem to have any additional amino acids.
Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) are important for our bodies to function well and remain in a healthy state. The nine important amino acids are leucine, isoleucine, valine, lysine, threonine, phenylalanine, histidine, methionine, and tryptophan.
As our bodies can’t produce these amino acids, we have to obtain them through our diet.
Apparently, consuming EAAs in supplement form can lead to benefits like:
- Prevents muscle loos
- Enhances exercise performance
- Improves mood and sleep
- Promotes weight loss
With that said, I’m not convinced that relying on Bang to get your share of EAAs is a good idea, you may be better off taking the actual EAAs supplement instead.
Bang Vs Monster Flavors
Bang Energy Drink Flavors
Bang Energy has a series of 25 flavors as of 2020, namely:
- Bangster Berry
- Birthday Cake Bash
- Black Cherry Vanilla
- Blue Razz
- Champagne
- Cherry Blade Lemonade
- Citrus Twist
- Cotton Candy
- Crisp Candy Apple
- Frosé Rosé
- Key Lime Pie
- Lemon Drop
- Miami Cola
- Peach Mango
- Pina Colada
- Power Punch
- Purple Guava Pear
- Purple Haze
- Purple Kiddles (2020)
- Radical Skadattle (2020)
- Rainbow Unicorn
- Root Beer
- Sour Heads
- Star Blast
- Strawberry Blast (2020)
Monster Energy Drink Flavors
Monster also has a huge amount of flavors depending on the product variety under the same brand:
- Regular Monster (also comes with other varieties namely low-carb, Assault, and Absolutely Zero)
- Rehab (non-carbonated and less sugar, includes white dragon tea, lemonade, peach tea, pink lemonade, orangeade, and raspberry tea)
- Ultra (low-calorie drinks, includes: zero, blue, red, sunrise, citron, black, and violet)
- Punch (a mixture of a few varieties of fruits, comes in flavors like Baller’s Blend and Mad Dog)
- Juice (supposedly tastes more like juice, has these flavors: Khaos, Pipeline Punch, Ripper, and Mango Loco)
- Java (Coffee-based flavors: Mean Bean, Loca Mocha, Kona Blend, Irish Blend, Vanilla Lite, Salted Caramel, Espresso Monster: Cream, Espresso Monster: Vanilla, and Caffe Monster in Vanilla, Mocha, and Caramel)
- Hydro (is supposed to be an alternative to both energy drinks and water: Tropical Thunder, Purple Passion, Blue Ice, Zero Sugar, Mean Green, and Manic Melon)
- Muscle (the regular energy drink with added protein, comes in Chocolate and Vanilla)
- Maxx (uses nitrous oxide: Super Dry, Eclipse, and Solaris)
Which monster drink is healthiest?
Monster Energy Drink has no calories and is neither good nor bad for you. Among the flavors and product variations, the zero-calorie Monster Energy Drink is the healthiest option.
It has no calories and thus does not contribute to weight gain, but it also lacks nutrients that the body would benefit from. Thus, it is important to still have a proper diet and not consume Monster Energy drink excessively.
Bang Vs Monster – Price
Based on my search on Amazon, the price of a 16 fl.oz can of Bang is around $2, whereas the price of a single 16 fl.oz can of Monster is about $3.
Bang is certainly more affordable compared to Monster if you do a one-to-one comparison.
Personally, I’d choose Bang over Monster since it has more ingredients and less sugar than Monster, though the large caffeine amount may be off-putting to some.
From my standpoint, both Monster and Bang have pretty affordable prices. It ultimately depends on your preference, what you’re looking for from your energy drink, and whether you think either brand is fairly priced or not.
If you want less sugar and more amino acids in your drink, Bang is the way to go. But if you prefer something simpler with less caffeine, Monster is your best choice.
Is Bang Better Than Monster?
Personally, I feel that Bang is a better energy drink health-wise but it may not be suitable for everyone.
Bang has more caffeine for a bigger boost and its additional ingredients may contribute to better physical performance.
In Monster’s case, it has less caffeine so, it’s more suitable for you if you have a low caffeine tolerance. However, Monster does contain plenty of sugar which is unhealthy to be regularly consumed.
Both Bang and Monster have unique aspects and features that would appeal to different target audiences. Whichever you decide to have, keep to the recommended guidelines to prevent any unfavourable side effects in the future.
How is Bang different from other energy drinks?
Bang is a high-performance energy drink that contains more caffeine than the competition. It also has no calories and no sugar. Bang is not necessarily superior to other energy drinks, but it contains more caffeine, which may benefit some people.
The advantages of drinking Bang energy drinks include increased energy, focus, and stamina. This is beneficial for people who work out or have active daily routines.
Alternatives To Bang And Monster
If you’re not really a fan of either Bang or Monster, here are several other options to give a try:
- Red Bull
- Mountain Dew Kickstart
- Full Throttle
- Game Fuel
- Raze
- Reign
- 3D Energy
- Xtend
- Xyience
- C4 Energy
- Celsius
- AMP Energy
Final Word
Personally, I don’t think either is better than the other because both Bang and Monster are great energy drinks with unique features and benefits. Ultimately, it boils down to personal taste, preference, and what you’re looking for from your energy drinks.
I hope this article was helpful and informative, enjoy your day!