The Best Tasting Pre Workouts Under $30

The best pre workout powder should give you enough energy to get through a rigorous gym sesh—but it should taste good, too. And while you probably won’t see me at the gym anytime soon—my fitness routine mostly involves brisk walks and pilates videos on YouTube—I can tell you which pre workout tastes good and which tastes like chemicals and alternative sweeteners. Repeat: I’m a professional taste tester, not a fitness expert so consider this a ranking of the best tasting pre workout powder.

How we shopped for pre workout powder

Right off the bat, it became apparent that pre workout powder is a bit of a luxury item. While it’s nice that you’re getting 20 or 30 servings in a container, I was sort of surprised to discover that a lot of these canisters hover around 50 bucks. That’s expensive! We decided our ranking would be even more useful if we set out to find the best cheap pre workout powder, so we set a per-product limit of $30, and we were still able to source big brands like Alani Nu pre workout and C4 pre workout. 

What we were looking for in the best pre workout powder

Can’t stress this enough: We are not fitness experts. I don’t know my Beta-Alanine from my L-Arginine, so our taste test was strictly a taste test. Pre workouts are mysterious blends of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and lots of alternative sweeteners, so, unsurprisingly, some of them taste pretty unpleasant. We set out to find the ones you don’t have to choke down. 

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Cheap Pre Workout!

Six Star Pre Workout Explosion Icy Rocket Freeze

Instacart

This bomb pop-flavored pre workout from Six Star is pretty extreme looking. It calls itself a pre workout “explosion,” contains 320mg of caffeine per serving (most others contain around 200mg per serving), and there’s a really agro looking football player on the label. It’s fun to drink, and really tastes like that classic blend of lime, cherry, and blue raspberry. Our guest taste tester, Mythical Kitcheneer and enthusiastic exerciser Lily Cousins, said it was the most “clean” tasting of the pre workout we tried.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Cheap Pre Workout!

Alani Nu Pre Workout Blue Slush

Instacart

Alani Nu pre workout is pretty reliably delicious. We tried two flavors in our taste test and both were tasty enough to be ranked among the best tasting pre workout powders. This one has 200mg of caffeine and 200mg of L-theanine, but its greatest strength is that it really, truly tastes like a melted blue slushy. It’s got a great acidic tang everyone thought was super refreshing. It’s actually not the best “blue” flavored pre workout we tried, but it’s still one of the best pre workouts all the same.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Cheap Pre Workout!

Kaged Pre Workout Sport Blue Raspberry

Amazon

They don’t call this sour blue raspberry, but this Kaged pre workout powder is tangy in a really good way. It’s tart and doesn’t taste as much like alternative or artificial sweeteners as a lot of the bigger brands. Also, hey, did you notice that C4 pre workout didn’t make our ranking? They might get you gains, but the varieties we tried just didn’t taste good enough to rank among the best pre workout powders.

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Alani Nu Pre Workout Hawaiian Shaved Ice

Instacart

My personal favorite shave ice flavor is tiger’s blood, which is usually a blend of those really saccharine watermelon, strawberry, and coconut syrups. This Alani Nu pre workout tastes almost like a tiger’s blood shave ice, and it instantly won us over amid all the blue flavors. It’s sweet and a little coconutty. It’s tropical and tastes like a treat. It’s the best pre workout we found—and it only costs around 20 bucks for 30 servings. That’s a deal, especially if you’re sipping pre workout as an alternative to pricey canned energy drinks.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other pre workout powders we tried

C4 Pre Workout Hawaiian Punch, C4 Pre Workout Icy Blue Razz, E Boost Pre Workout Tropical Punch, E Boost Pre Workout Berry Lemon, BUM Essential Pre Workout Blue Raspberry, Blue Shift Wild Pre Workout Grape