There’s no shortage of caffeine products on the market, but caffeine patches are relatively new. As such, you may be wondering how they compare to other forms of caffeine, and which brand has the best caffeine patches.
We’re here to help you learn everything you need to know. In this article, we’ll tell you our pick for the best caffeine patch of 2024, how to use them, and how they compare to other caffeine products.
At a glance:
Best Caffeine Patch of 2024: HELO Patch
If you’re looking for the best caffeine patch on the market, look no further than HELO Patch. Made by MELO Labs, this caffeine patch contains energizing, natural ingredients: caffeine, green tea, taurine, and vitamin B12. The only other ingredients are water and adhesive materials. No scent is added to the patches, but they do smell a little bit like green tea.
A box contains 15 patches for just $10.99, making each patch less than a dollar. Each patch has as much caffeine as three cups of coffee, released over several hours, so you’re essentially paying $0.33 per serving of caffeine. That’s way less than you’d pay for coffee, tea, or energy drinks, so these patches give you more bang for your buck. You can also buy a pack of five, which saves you a little more money.
Key Ingredient Benefits
Read on to learn about the benefits of each of the main ingredients in HELO Patch and how these ingredients can help energize you.
Slow Release Caffeine — Gives You Long-lasting Energy
Of course, the main ingredient in HELO Patch is caffeine. As mentioned earlier, the caffeine content of each patch is equivalent to a few cups of coffee, but you won’t feel it all at once. You can keep the patch on for up to eight hours, during which the caffeine will continuously be released.
This makes HELO Patch much more convenient than drinking more than one cup of coffee or tea. If you normally drink at least two or three cups of caffeinated beverages a day, the patch will save you multiple refills and trips to the bathroom, not to mention the amount of time you’ll spend making coffee or driving to Starbucks or 7-Eleven.
Green Tea — Reduces Jitters and Inflammation
As you most likely already know, green tea is one of the healthiest sources of caffeine you can find. And its health benefits are still present when you apply green tea extract to your skin, according to a review from the journal Molecules.
Green tea extract also contains the amino acid l-theanine, which can give you a calm, balanced feeling. This helps counteract the jitters that sometimes come with caffeine.
As a bonus, green tea is considered antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and may also help with weight loss, light sensitivity, and circulation problems. Though more research is needed on the effects of green tea extract from adhesive patches, we have reason to believe it would have similar effects as green tea lotions and other topical applications.
Taurine — Boosts Energy Metabolism and Neutralizes Caffeine Side Effects
You may recognize taurine as an ingredient in many energy drinks, but it’s not just found in beverages. In fact, it’s a naturally occurring amino acid you need from your diet. You can get taurine from meat, seafood, eggs, dairy products, and seaweed as well as vitamin supplements that include taurine.
As explained by a review from Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, taurine supplementation can “strengthen energy metabolism in muscle performance, cardiac function, liver activity, and adipose [fat] tissue.” And it may be even more effective when combined with other drugs.
In fact, another review from Amino Acids suggests taurine can help to neutralize some of the unwanted effects of excessive caffeine consumption. Specifically, it may reduce the cardiovascular effects of caffeine, such as the increased heart rate associated with caffeine consumption.
So, not only can taurine energize you, but combining it with caffeine may help to reduce side effects.
Vitamin B12
If you’re interested in natural energy supplementation, you’ve probably tried vitamin B12 supplements. Vitamin B12 is essential for cellular energy production (as outlined in an article from journal Nutrients), so while it doesn’t directly give your body energy, it’s a crucial part of your body’s natural energy-making process.
Plus, taking vitamin B12 and caffeine together provides more benefits than taking either by itself. According to a review from Food Science and Quality Management, caffeine stimulates the production of stomach acid, which helps your body absorb vitamin B12. This suggests taking caffeine and vitamin B12 together allows you to absorb the B12 more quickly and fully, so you get the full benefit.
How to Use Caffeine Patches
Now that we’ve learned a little about the benefits of HELO Patches, let’s talk about how to use them. To get the most benefits, you’ll want to make sure you’re using them correctly.
Choose a Veinous Area
First, you’ll need to decide where exactly to place one of the patches on your body. Ideally, you’ll want to choose a veinous area, i.e. part of the body with significant veins or blood vessels. Shoulders, wrists, and thighs are good options.
You’ll also want to consider the logistics of leaving this patch on for an extended period of time. While you could technically put it on your hands or feet, this might be really inconvenient, given the constant motion of these areas. It’s also a good idea to choose an area that’ll be covered with clothing, so it won’t be visible and will stay protected.
Additionally, you’ll want to make sure to clean and dry the area thoroughly before applying the patch. The cleaner your skin, the better the patch will stick.
Apply 30 Minutes in Advance
Next, you’ll need to consider when to apply it. You’ll feel the effects after about 30 minutes, so you can aim to apply it about 30 minutes before you anticipate needing it.
For instance, if you’d like to put it on before a workout, subtract 30 minutes from whenever you plan on starting your workout and apply it then. On the other hand, if you’d like to put it on first thing in the morning, just keep in mind you won’t feel the effects for up to half an hour.
Leave On for up to Eight Hours
When you do apply it, add eight hours to the current time to make sure you’ll still be okay with wearing it then. Alternatively, you could remove it after six hours, but any less than that would waste some of the caffeine.
The exception is if you’re using it during a workout. Because exercising increases your heart rate and metabolism, the patch likely won’t last as long as it otherwise would. It might also be difficult to keep it on after the workout, since you may be sweaty and may also want to shower. So go ahead and remove the patch after a workout.
How Caffeine Patches Compare to Other Caffeine Products
In this section, we’re going to look at some other caffeine products — caffeinated beverages, caffeine pills, etc. — and see how they compare to caffeine patches.
Caffeinated Beverages
Caffeinated beverages include coffee, tea, soda, and other energy drinks, but they also include products like energy shots. Some of these products, like pre workout supplements, contain very high levels of caffeine. They’re a good option when you need a quick jolt, and if you enjoy the taste of coffee, tea, or any of these beverages.
However, one of the issues with drinking your caffeine is that it doesn’t tend to last very long. Additionally, you may find yourself needing to use the bathroom with a much higher frequency than normal. This is in part because caffeine is a diuretic, but the effect is compounded when you’re also drinking lots of fluid.
By contrast, caffeine patches last longer and most likely won’t cause excessive urination. If you’re looking for a product with a sustained release of caffeine, then caffeine patches are generally a better option than caffeinated drinks.
Caffeine Pills
Like caffeinated beverages, caffeine pills are a good option for those who need a quick hit of caffeine. And because you don’t have to drink a lot of fluid to get a lot of caffeine when you take pills, you also don’t have to worry about excessive urination.
But you may have to worry about overdosing. With pills, it’s very easy to take too many. The same is true of caffeine gummies: You may be tempted to eat them like candy. If it’s been half an hour and you haven’t felt anything, you’re better off being patient so as to avoid the risk of overdosing.
Caffeine patches will be felt after about a half hour. They don’t need to be broken down by the stomach, and they likely have superior absorption to that of pills. So if it’s been half an hour and you haven’t felt anything, you’re safe to apply another one. (You most likely won’t need to though — each HELO Patch contains plenty of caffeine.)
Caffeine Vaporizers
Another relatively new option on the market, caffeine vaporizers are a great way to get a quick hit of caffeine, much quicker than what you’d get from pills or even energy drinks. By inhaling caffeine directly into your lungs, it’ll quickly get into your bloodstream without first having to travel through your digestive system.
At MELO Labs, we also make a caffeine vaporizer: HELO Air. As far as vaporizers go, they’re one of the safest you can get, with minimal ingredients and nothing known to harm the lungs. These are the best option for those who want to feel the effects of their caffeine right away. Because the caffeine is absorbed so efficiently, there’s very little per hit, but you’ll still feel it.
However, the effects of caffeine vaporizers don’t last very long. You can always just take another hit (or a few) whenever needed, but if you’re looking for a longer-lasting option, caffeine patches will most likely work better for you.
Try MELO Labs for All Your Caffeine Needs
To recap, HELO Patch works so well because it combines green tea, taurine, and B12 into a cocktail that gives you energy, but eliminates jitters. Simply clean and dry a veinous part of your body about 30 minutes before you want to feel the effects, and apply. You’ll feel the effects for hours, and you can leave it on for up to 6-8 hours.
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