If you’re looking for convenient caffeine pills, Vivarin and No Doz are both popular options. We’ve tried both, so we’ll tell you a bit about our experiences with each. But depending on what you’re looking for, you may prefer another caffeine supplement entirely. (For instance, if you want something fast-acting, there’s no better choice than HELO Air. More on this later!)
Read on to learn about Vivarin vs No Doz, how they compare to each other, and a third alternative that’s super fast-acting.
At a glance:
Vivarin vs No Doz: Which Is Best for You?
We’ve tried both Vivarin and No Doz in order to review both supplements and let you know how they compare to each other. Despite the fact that both supplements contain 200 mg of caffeine per pill, their effects are slightly different, so which is best for you will depend on your needs and preferences. (To avoid taking too much caffeine at a time, we recommend not taking more than two pills per day, so you don’t exceed 400 mg of caffeine.)
Vivarin: Mild Effects but Bitter Aftertaste
In our experience, Vivarin was surprisingly weak. Each pill has 200 mg of caffeine, i.e. a little more than two (8 oz.) cups of coffee, but you won’t feel like you just drank two cups of coffee.
No Jitters or Crash
Vivarin gave us a mild energy boost, and we’re happy to report that we didn’t experience jitters or a crash when taking it. The onset is fairly subtle, and when the effects wear off, you won’t notice a sudden change in your energy levels.
Long-lasting energy
The effects of Vivarin are also long-lasting, continuing for at least several hours. In our experience, these pills last much longer than coffee or energy drinks. A few of us were still feeling the effects 3-4 hours after taking the pill.
Large Pills With Bitter Aftertaste
Vivarin does have some cons though. The pills are quite large, making them difficult to swallow without drinking something. We also noticed a bitter aftertaste when taking this pill. Several testers thought the taste was unpleasant, and one described it as “metallic.” The bad taste somehow lasted for hours, even after we ate and drank other things.
Wasteful Packaging
Another drawback to Vivarin is that the packaging is not environmentally friendly. Vivarin uses blister packs, so each pill is individually-wrapped in a little bubble which has to be broken in order to get the pill. While this type of packaging likely keeps the pills more fresh and is more effective for preservation purposes, it does contribute extra waste.
Overall, Vivarin provides a mild energy boost that lasts a while, though its effects are very weak, and we didn’t like the aftertaste or the packaging. For more information, see our full Vivarin review.
No Doz: Decent Energy Boost but Contains Added Sugar
As with Vivarin, each No Doz pill contains 200 mg of caffeine. We found the effects more noticeable with this one, though the energy boost was still mild.
Easy to Take With Pleasant Taste
One of the main advantages of No Doz is that it is easy to take, especially compared to Vivarin. The pills are small, so you may not need a beverage to help you swallow them, and we also noticed a pleasant, minty flavor. If you really care about how your pills taste, No Doz is definitely the better option of the two.
Mild Energy Boost That Lasts About Two Hours
We found the energy boost we got from No Doz was a bit stronger than what we experienced with Vivarin. It gave us a more noticeable increase in mental alertness.
That said, it also didn’t last quite as long. We only felt the effects of No Doz for about two hours. That’s still a good amount of time for a caffeine supplement, and it’s generally longer-lasting than the effects you’d expect to get from coffee or other caffeinated beverages.
Contains Added Sugar
One drawback of No Doz is that it contains added sugar in the form of sucrose (i.e. table sugar), unlike Vivarin. This probably explains why No Doz tasted better, but those who prefer to avoid added sugar may want to opt for Vivarin instead, or another caffeine supplement altogether.
Somewhat Expensive
Another drawback of No Doz is that it is more expensive than Vivarin. A box of 60 tablets on Amazon costs $17.40, making it one of the more expensive caffeine tablets on the market. We’ll do a direct cost comparison between No Doz and Vivarin in the next section.
Overall, we enjoyed taking No Doz, though we weren’t especially thrilled with the added sugar or the price tag. For more information, see our full No Doz review.
Vivarin vs No Doz: Our Verdict
In this section, we’ll compare these two supplements across three factors: effectiveness, cost, and ingredients.
Vivarin vs No Doz: Effectiveness
Although both supplements have 200 mg of caffeine per pill, we felt the effects of No Doz more strongly than those of Vivarin. The energy boost we got from Vivarin was extremely mild, so much so that we barely felt anything.
That said, Vivarin lasted a little longer than No Doz. The effects of No Doz lasted about two hours, whereas we were feeling the effects of Vivarin for about 3-4 hours.
So, which of these is more effective depends on whether you prefer the effects to be strong or long-lasting. No Doz is stronger, whereas Vivarin is longer-lasting, at least in our experience. Both take about half an hour to kick in, and neither pill gave us jitters or a crash.
Vivarin vs No Doz: Cost
Vivarin is definitely the more cost-effective of the two. You can get a box of 40 pills for $6.61 on Amazon, whereas No Doz comes in a box of 60 and costs $17.40 on Amazon. This means Vivarin is about $0.17 per pill, whereas No Doz is about $0.29 per pill, nearly twice the price of Vivarin.
That said, Vivarin had a bitter aftertaste, and the pills were large and hard to take. By contrast, No Doz was easy to take and had a nice minty flavor. If it’s worth it to you to pay a little more for a more pleasant-tasting supplement, go with No Doz, but we recommend Vivarin for those who want the less expensive option.
Vivarin vs No Doz: Ingredients
The ingredients of No Doz and Vivarin are nearly identical. Both contain caffeine as the only active ingredient, but both also contain a long list of inactive ingredients. Both have artificial coloring and titanium dioxide, among other artificial ingredients. The main difference is that No Doz contains sucrose, whereas Vivarin doesn’t. If you prefer something with no sugar, Vivarin is the better option.
But if you prefer something with no artificial ingredients whatsoever, you might want to go with another option entirely. We’ll talk about a super fast-acting alternative with no artificial ingredients in the next section.
Try HELO Air for the Fastest-acting Caffeine on the Market
As we’ve seen, Vivarin and No Doz each contain 200 mg of caffeine per pill, but their effects are a little different. No Doz had stronger effects, whereas Vivarin lasted longer. Vivarin was large and hard to take with a bitter aftertaste, while No Doz was small and pleasant-tasting, but it contains added sugar, unlike Vivarin. Lastly, Vivarin is the more cost-effective option between the two.
But neither are fast-acting. Both pills take upwards of half an hour to kick in, like all caffeine pills. If you want a faster-acting option, there’s no better choice than HELO Air from MELO Labs.
HELO Air Is Fast-acting and Safe
Unlike No Doz, Vivarin, or any other caffeine tablet, HELO Air works within 10-15 minutes. Many customers are happy to report that they feel the effects almost right away, much faster than what they experience from coffee or an energy drink. But you won’t experience any jitters or a crash.
What’s more, we worked hard to make our vaporizers as safe as possible. We didn’t include any nicotine, vitamin E acetate, or propylene glycol. Our vaporizers have just three ingredients — caffeine, organic vegetable glycerin, and natural flavors — making them the safest vapes on the market. Nothing known to harm the lungs!
HELO Air Comes in 12 Awesome Flavors
We’re happy to report that our vaporizers come in more flavor options than any other caffeine vapes you’ll find: 8 in the regular size, and 4 in the plus size (which has double the capacity of the regular size). All flavors are customer-approved, and with so many to choose from, you’re sure to find one or two you really like.
Try HELO Air today to see what fast-acting caffeine really feels like.
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