Performance Lab Caffeine 2 Review 2026

7.2 is one of the higher scores we've given a caffeine formula with more than two ingredients, and a lot of that comes from how little there is to get wrong. Two of the three ingredients we score, caffeine and theanine, sit at the amounts their trials used, so the formula bar only drops because of tyrosine. That's 250 mg against the 2,000 mg its studies started from. The four B vitamins don't count either way, because they're sold here to make up for what coffee supposedly takes away, not to correct a deficiency.

The score is about the formula, though, not whether it's worth the money, and that's where Caffeine 2 is weaker. You're paying $1.47 a capsule, and the 50 mg of caffeine and 100 mg of theanine are the cheap part. Most of the rest buys a tyrosine dose too small to count on. The testing bar is held back by the paperwork, because two batch reports are public but neither says which lab produced them. A current report from a named lab would be the easy fix, worth a few tenths of a point, while tyrosine at its studied dose would be worth far more and would take eight capsules.

We read the facts panel from the product page itself, because none of the brand's bottle images shows it clearly enough to check.¹ It lists all seven amounts for a one-capsule serving and 30 servings a bottle, and the UK site prints the same doses, except that it gives folate by weight as 100 mcg.² That isn't a different formula. 100 mcg of folate is 170 mcg DFE, and the batch reports list 0.100 mg too.³

The "2" in the name doesn't mean a new recipe either. The same 50 mg of caffeine, 100 mg of theanine and 250 mg of tyrosine were sold as Performance Lab Stim in 2019 and as Caffeine+ from 2022, and the amounts haven't changed since.⁴⁵ That's worth knowing if a review you're reading calls it by one of the older names. The bottle itself says "V1.0".

Caffeine is the reason to buy this, and at 50 mg a capsule it's a light dose, about half a mug of brewed coffee by the FDA's figure of 80 to 100 mg a cup.²³ That's still above the 40 mg we use as the floor, because caffeine's effects on alertness and attention show up at surprisingly small amounts, and a 1987 trial found changes on some tasks at just 32 mg.²²²⁴ So one capsule is a nudge rather than a jolt. That's clearly the point, and you're meant to take more if you need them.

Theanine comes in at 100 mg, the dose we use as its benchmark, and it's also the amount the three pairing trials in the claims above gave alongside 50 mg of caffeine.⁶⁷⁸ Few caffeine products match the research that closely, so for once the comparison isn't a guess.

Tyrosine is where the formula falls short, and by a long way. The 250 mg here is an eighth of the 2,000 mg single dose in the lowest-dose trial we use as the benchmark.²⁶ Most of the tyrosine research used far more, 100 to 150 mg per kilogram of body weight, which works out at 7 to 10 grams for most adults.²⁷ At 250 mg it's 1,750 mg short of even our benchmark, so it's hard to see it doing what the product page says it does.

The four B vitamins are small amounts, 500 mcg of riboflavin, 750 mcg of B6, 170 mcg DFE of folate and 2 mcg of B12, all under the daily value, and the label doesn't say which forms they're in. In people who aren't low in them, B vitamins haven't been shown to help memory or thinking, and a review of trials covering about 22,000 people found no benefit.²⁸

Taking more capsules is the brand's own answer. It suggests one or two on an empty stomach and allows up to five a day,¹ which gets you 250 mg of caffeine, 500 mg of theanine and 1,250 mg of tyrosine. Even then tyrosine is 750 mg short, and the 30-capsule bottle lasts six days, so you'd be paying five times the price per day for it.

To be fair to Performance Lab, you can only do that arithmetic because every amount is printed. Plenty of caffeine blends hide theirs behind a proprietary blend total, and this one doesn't.

Caffeine 2 against its closest matches

Shared ingredientsFull formula

Add a product to compare+ Add a productVyvamindNeutonic Productivity DrinkMind Lab Pro

Product	Caffeine 2This review	×Caffeine + L-Theanine 100 mg / 200 mg Capsules	×Transparent Labs Cognition	×Thesis Motivation
Scientific audit	7.2/10	9.4/10	7.8/10	5.9/10
Buyer rating	8.8/10	8.8/10	9.7/10	9.0/10
Price per serving	$1.47	$0.33	$1.67	$5.16
Doses of Caffeine 2's ingredients
Caffeine	50 mgnatural caffeine from Coffea robusta seedsAt or above the study dose benchmark	100 mgcaffeine (anhydrous per the product page)At or above the study dose benchmark	100 mgPurCaf organic caffeine from green coffee beanAt or above the study dose benchmark	150 mgcaffeine (anhydrous per the product page)At or above the study dose benchmark
L-Theanine	100 mgL-theanineAt or above the study dose benchmark	200 mgL-theanineAt or above the study dose benchmark	100 mgAt or above the study dose benchmark	200 mgL-theanineAt or above the study dose benchmark
L-Tyrosine	250 mgL-tyrosine (the page copy says Ajipure)1,750 mg below the study dose benchmark	Not in formula	Not in formula	325 mg400 mg N-acetyl L-tyrosine on the label1,675 mg below the study dose benchmark

The products that share the most cognitive ingredients with Caffeine 2 are shown first. Any product sharing at least two can be added.

The obvious comparison is a plain caffeine and theanine capsule. Nootropics Depot's Caffeine + L-Theanine has twice the caffeine and twice the theanine in one capsule for 33 cents, with a lab report for every lot from Omnient Labs, a lab Nootropics Depot started.²⁹ If those two are what you're after, it gets you more of both for a fraction of the price. What it doesn't let you do is take caffeine in 50 mg steps, and that's the one thing Caffeine 2's small dose is good for.

If you'd rather have more alongside the caffeine, Transparent Labs Cognition costs $1.67 a serving. For that you get 100 mg of caffeine and 100 mg of theanine with 250 mg of citicoline and 600 mg of rhodiola. Vyvamind is closer in spirit, with 75 mg of caffeine, 150 mg of theanine and 300 mg of tyrosine, but it costs $2.33 and its tyrosine falls just as short.

Then there's Mind Lab Pro, which comes from the same company³⁰³¹ and is caffeine-free. The product page says the B vitamins are dosed low to allow "double-dosing and scalable stacking."¹ A Caffeine 2 capsule with a Mind Lab Pro serving would give you 200 mg of theanine and about 392 mg of tyrosine, counting the 142 mg in Mind Lab Pro's N-acetyl form. That's a sensible pairing for the theanine, but tyrosine would still be 1,608 mg short.

Caffeine 2 is sold only through Performance Lab's own site. The brand's blog says it "is not available at Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Amazon, or any other retailers,"¹¹ and we found no Amazon or Walmart listing when we searched. A one-time bottle costs $44.00, or $1.47 a capsule, and the subscriptions take 10 percent off for a monthly bottle or 25 percent off for four bottles every four months, both with free shipping.¹ Even the four-month plan leaves it one of the more expensive ways to buy 50 mg of caffeine we've audited.

• performancelab.com direct

  Listed price

  $44.00

  Per serving

  $1.47

  Status

  In stock (one-time)

This prices Caffeine 2's three scored ingredients as separate bottles at the amounts their studies started from, which for tyrosine means 2,000 mg instead of 250 mg.

Caffeine and theanine bought on their own cost a fraction of one Caffeine 2 capsule, so most of what you pay for Caffeine 2 goes on the convenience of one small capsule and on the tyrosine, which you'd need eight capsules of to reach the benchmark. Bought separately, the tyrosine comes at the amount its studies used and the total still costs less than a bottle of Caffeine 2. The picks carry the current figures.

Ebylife

Written review, one month of use · Martin Ebner · Updated Oct 2026

“Performance Lab Caffeine 2 is a well-designed caffeine supplement, but it’s still a caffeine supplement. For the right person, however, it does a useful job very well.”

Full breakdown

TotalShape

Roundup entry, ranked first of seven · Benedict Ang, CPT, PN1-NC · Updated Jul 30, 2026

“Offers clean, sustained energy without jitters. Ideal for sensitive users wanting mild stimulation.”

Full breakdown

Consumer Health Digest

Written review · Consumer Health Digest Staff, reviewed by Jacomie Nel, CDE, RD · Updated Jul 10, 2026

“Priced reasonably and superior in the market, we highly recommend it to users looking for daily energy and focus.”

Full breakdown

Martin Ebner at Ebylife, who took it for a month, gives it 8 out of 10. He makes the same point about tyrosine that we do, that "many of the positive studies have used amounts measured in grams rather than the 250 mg found here."³² TotalShape ranks it first among caffeine pills at 4.8 out of 5, though its entry says "Each capsule packs a 50 g caffeine kick," which should be 50 mg, and it still uses the old Stim and Caffeine+ names.³³ Consumer Health Digest gives it 4.7 out of 5 and says the guarantee covers "all its products" and "one open bottle," but the brand's own terms limit it to your first order and one container of each product.³⁴²⁰

The caffeine is the part to plan around. One capsule is 50 mg, and the brand's limit of five capsules is 250 mg,¹ under 400 mg a day, the most the FDA cites as not generally linked with harm in healthy adults.²³ Add two mugs of coffee at 80 to 100 mg each, though, and you're at 410 to 450 mg, past that figure. Keep it to the morning and early afternoon, because in one trial 400 mg of caffeine taken six hours before bed still cut total sleep by more than an hour.³⁵

Tyrosine can interact with MAO inhibitor antidepressants and thyroid medication, so ask your doctor first if you take either. The product page carries no pregnancy or under-18 warning that we could find, and the warning on the bottle isn't legible in the brand's images, so check the bottle itself. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, sensitive to caffeine or managing a heart condition or anxiety, talk to a doctor before taking it. We're researchers, not doctors.

Caffeine 2 is a light caffeine capsule with the theanine pairing three trials actually tested, a tyrosine dose that's mostly there for the label, and B vitamins sold on a coffee-depletion story the evidence doesn't really support. The formula is honest about its amounts, and the public batch reports put it ahead of most caffeine products on paperwork, even if they never name the lab.

If you want to take caffeine in small, measured steps and don't mind paying for that, Caffeine 2 is a reasonable buy. If you just want caffeine with theanine, a plain capsule gives you more of both for much less, and you can add tyrosine separately at a dose that matches the studies. Either way, start with one capsule and count it alongside whatever coffee you drink that day.

35 sources cited

1. Performance Lab. Caffeine 2 product page. Supplement Facts as page text (1 NutriCaps a serving, 30 servings, riboflavin 500 mcg, B6 750 mcg, folate 170 mcg DFE, B12 2 mcg, natural caffeine from Coffea robusta seeds 50 mg, L-theanine 100 mg, L-tyrosine 250 mg), "1-2 capsule(s) on an empty stomach" up to 5 a day, one-time $44.00, subscriptions 10% off monthly or 25% off every 4 months with free shipping, "Without the jitters, burnout, or crash", the 2:1 ratio claim, "These nutrients effectively restore what caffeine depletes", "Third-party tested and validated", B vitamins low-dosed to "Enable safer, better-tolerated Performance Lab® double-dosing and scalable stacking". Accessed Oct 30, 2026. performancelab.com
2. Performance Lab UK. Caffeine 2 product page. The same doses with folate given by weight, 100 mcg, and the capsule as pullulan (NutriCaps) with rice concentrate (Nu-FLOW). Accessed Oct 30, 2026. uk.performancelab.com
3. Certificate of analysis, Plab Caffeine PCapsules, batch 24D034, made Apr 2024, issued May 8, 2024, signed "/QC Lab" and "/Quality", no lab named. Caffeine 100.2%, theanine 98.4%, tyrosine 91.6%, B6 101.3%, B2 112%, folate 160%, B12 167% of label, folate claim 0.100 mg, lead 0.034 ppm. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. batch 24D034 report
4. Performance Lab Stim product page, Internet Archive capture of Nov 21, 2019. Natural caffeine 50 mg, Suntheanine L-theanine 100 mg, Ajipure L-tyrosine 250 mg and NutriGenesis B vitamins, $35.00. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. web.archive.org
5. Performance Lab Caffeine+ product page, Internet Archive captures from Jan 2022 to Dec 2023. The same doses at $44.00, folate 170 mcg DFE. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. web.archive.org
6. Owen GN, et al. The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood. Nutr Neurosci, 2008. 50 mg caffeine with and without 100 mg L-theanine, crossover, 27 adults. PMID 18681988
7. Kelly SP, et al. L-theanine and caffeine in combination affect human cognition as evidenced by oscillatory alpha-band activity and attention task performance. J Nutr, 2008. 100 mg theanine, 50 mg caffeine, or both. PMID 18641209
8. Foxe JJ, et al. Assessing the effects of caffeine and theanine on the maintenance of vigilance during a sustained attention task. Neuropharmacology, 2012. 50 mg caffeine, 100 mg theanine, both or placebo. PMID 22326943
9. Rogers PJ, et al. Time for tea. Mood, blood pressure and cognitive performance effects of caffeine and theanine administered alone and together. Psychopharmacology, 2008. 250 mg caffeine with 200 mg theanine, 48 adults. Theanine reduced caffeine's blood pressure rise but "did not significantly affect jitteriness". PMID 17891480
10. Dodd FL, et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of caffeine and L-theanine both alone and in combination on cerebral blood flow, cognition and mood. Psychopharmacology, 2015. 75 mg caffeine with 50 mg theanine, 24 adults, no difference in jitteriness between treatments. PMID 25761837
11. Performance Lab. Best caffeine pills 2026, the brand's own blog post, last updated Nov 19, 2025. Ranks Caffeine 2 first and says it "is not available at Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Amazon, or any other retailers." Accessed Oct 30, 2026. performancelab.com blog
12. Ulvik A, et al. Coffee consumption and circulating B-vitamins in healthy middle-aged men and women. Clin Chem, 2008. Observational, 10,601 adults. Four or more cups a day linked to 11.7% lower folate, 14.1% lower B6 (PLP) and 5.5% lower riboflavin than abstainers, mainly at higher vitamin levels. PMID 18606630
13. Robertson D, et al. Effects of caffeine on plasma renin activity, catecholamines and blood pressure. N Engl J Med, 1978. 250 mg caffeine, 9 adults, plasma noradrenaline up 75%. PMID 339084
14. Performance Lab. Quality page. Finished products "sent to an external third-party laboratory for analysis", lab not named, batch-number lookup to "view third-party certificate of analysis". Accessed Oct 30, 2026. performancelab.com/pages/quality
15. Performance Lab batch lookup data, loaded by the quality page. Caffeine 2 batches 23D016 and 24D034 with report PDFs, and 25G016 with none. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. performancelab.com batch list
16. Certificate of analysis, Plab Caffeine PCapsules, batch 23D016, made Apr 2023, issued May 31, 2023, signed "/QC Lab" and "/Quality", no lab named. Caffeine 104.8%, theanine 102.3%, tyrosine 100.0%, B vitamins 97.5 to 110% of label, lead 0.131 ppm, pathogens absent. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. batch 23D016 report
17. Performance Lab. Standards for third-party testing. Potency above 90% of label by "HPLC / By Input", microbes to USP <2023>, heavy metals to USP <2232> (lead under 1.0 ppm). Accessed Oct 30, 2026. standards PDF
18. NSF International. Certified dietary supplement listings, searches for Performance Lab and Opti-Nutra. No matching products found. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. info.nsf.org
19. Informed Choice and Informed Sport. Searches for Performance Lab and Caffeine 2. No results. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. wetestyoutrust.com
20. Performance Lab. Shipping and returns. Money-back guarantee on the first order, one container of each product, "take your supplement as directed on the label until the container is empty", claim by email within 60 days of delivery, refund minus shipping. Unused items within 14 days, buyer pays return postage. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. performancelab.com/pages/shipping-returns
21. Performance Lab. Terms and conditions. "Please contact us within 30 days of receiving your order if you would like to return the order to us." Accessed Oct 30, 2026. performancelab.com/pages/terms-and-conditions
22. McLellan TM, Caldwell JA, Lieberman HR. A review of caffeine's effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2016. PMID 27612937
23. US Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the beans. How much caffeine is too much? 400 mg a day cited as not generally associated with negative effects for most adults, and 80 to 100 mg in an 8 oz cup of coffee. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. fda.gov
24. Lieberman HR, et al. The effects of low doses of caffeine on human performance and mood. Psychopharmacology, 1987. 32, 64, 128 and 256 mg, effects on some tasks from 32 mg. PMID 3114783
25. Dassanayake TL, et al. Dose-response effect of L-theanine on psychomotor speed, sustained attention, and inhibitory control. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Nutr Neurosci, 2023. Single doses of 100, 200 or 400 mg, 32 young adults. PMID 36263942
26. Colzato LS, Jongkees BJ, Sellaro R, Hommel B. Working memory reloaded. Tyrosine repletes updating in the N-back task. Front Behav Neurosci, 2013. A single 2.0 g dose. PMID 24379768
27. Thomas JR, et al. Tyrosine improves working memory in a multitasking environment. Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 1999. 150 mg per kg, single dose. PMID 10548261
28. Clarke R, et al. Effects of homocysteine lowering with B vitamins on cognitive aging. Meta-analysis of 11 trials with cognitive data on 22,000 individuals. Am J Clin Nutr, 2014. PMID 24965307
29. Nootropics Depot. Meet our third-party labs. "Omnient Labs was started as an ISO accredited lab to do advanced lab testing for Nootropics Depot". Accessed Oct 22, 2026. nootropicsdepot.com
30. Mind Lab Pro help center, "Where can I buy Mind Lab Pro?", which names mindlabpro.com and performancelab.com as its guaranteed authentic sources. Accessed Oct 19, 2026. help.mindlabpro.com
31. O'Reilly D, Bolam J, Delis I, Utley A. Effect of a plant-based nootropic supplement on perceptual decision-making and brain network interdependencies. Brain Sci, 2025. A Mind Lab Pro trial funded by Performance Lab Group. PMID 40149748
32. Ebner M. Performance Lab Caffeine 2 review. Ebylife, updated Oct 2026. 8 out of 10 after a month of use. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. ebylife.com
33. Ang B. 7 best caffeine pills (2026 updated). TotalShape, updated Jul 30, 2026. Performance Lab first at 4.8 out of 5, "Each capsule packs a 50 g caffeine kick", named Caffeine+ and Stim. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. totalshape.com
34. Consumer Health Digest Staff, Nel J (reviewer). Performance Lab Caffeine 2 review. Consumer Health Digest, updated Jul 10, 2026. 4.7 out of 5, guarantee described as "on all its products" and "valid for one open bottle". Accessed Oct 30, 2026. consumerhealthdigest.com
35. Drake C, et al. Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. J Clin Sleep Med, 2013. 400 mg caffeine six hours before bed reduced total sleep by more than an hour. PMID 24235903