If you have pre-teens or teenagers in your house, they may have asked you to buy them Prime. And no — they’re not talking about Amazon Prime, they’re wanting Prime drinks.
But it’s important to know which type of Prime drinks they’re asking for. Right now, the Prime product lineup includes Prime Hydration (a sports drink), Prime Energy (an energy drink), and Prime Hydration+ Sticks (a sports drink powder). The Prime beverage company — run by YouTube celebrities Logan Paul and KSI — became popular in 2022, and the beverages received even more attention when they featured Prime Energy in a Super Bowl commercial.
Before you run out to buy Prime for your teens, there are a few things you should know to make sure you’re buying the right product — and not paying wayyyy too much for it. Especially when new flavors drop. Don’t cave into the hype and pay ridiculous amounts of money just for the newest flavor.
For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, text HACKS to 57299.
The newest Prime Hydration flavor — Glowberry — came out on Aug. 30.
There’s a new flavor of Prime Hydration and Prime Hydration Stick that launched on Wednesday, Aug. 30, at 1 p.m. ET on the official Prime website. The newest flavor is Glowberry, and it’s named that because the bottle glows in the dark!
Where to purchase Glowberry:
Since the new flavor just launched, your local grocery store might not have it in stock just yet. But we’re hearing grocery stores are getting it in as of Sept. 1.
If you purchase from the official Prime website, you’ll need to buy a whole case of Prime Hydration Glowberry, which includes 12 bottles for $29.99 — making them $2.49 each. Glowberry is also available as a flavor of Prime Hydration+ Sticks for $13.99 for six sticks — making them $2.33 each. They also have a bundle option that includes 12 Hydration bottles and six Hydration+ Sticks for $39.99, which will save you 9% off the regular price. Just keep in mind that there’s a $5 shipping fee when you order from DrinkPrime.com.
As far as Glowberry’s release at other stores, you can currently grab a 12-bottle case of Glowberry online from GNC for $29.99.
You’ll get a better deal if you wait for the new flavor to pop up at your local grocery store, though. And I’ve found prior releases of new flavors at gas station convenience stores even sooner than that.
Related: Prime does offer ShopPay, a Buy Now Pay Later Program.
There are three options for Prime drinks you can buy — and 11 different flavors.
Prime drinks contain up to 10% coconut water and have electrolytes, B vitamins, and BCAAs (blind chain amino acids). Unlike Gatorade, Prime drinks have no added sugar; instead, they’re sweetened with acesulfame potassium and sucralose. As an added bonus, all Prime drink products are gluten-free.
Here’s the product lineup as of 2023:
Prime Energy
First launched in 2023, Prime Energy drinks contain 200 mg of caffeine, 300 mg of electrolytes, and 0 g of sugar. They’re sold on the official Prime website in packs of 12 for $29.99.
Prime Energy comes in six flavors: Strawberry Watermelon, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Orange Mango, Lemon Lime, and Ice Pop.
Prime Hydration
Prime Hydration first debuted in January 2022. They don’t have any caffeine, which sets them apart from Prime Energy. Each Prime Hydration drink is made with 10% coconut water, BCAAs for muscle recovery, B vitamins, antioxidants, and electrolytes. Just like Prime Energy, they’re sold on the official Prime website in packs of 12 for $29.99.
Prime Hydration is now available in 10 flavors: Blue Raspberry, Grape, Ice Pop, Lemon Lime, Meta Moon, Orange, Strawberry Watermelon, Tropical Punch, Lemonade, and Glowberry.
Prime Hydration+ Sticks
The Prime Hydration+ Sticks contain a ready-to-mix powder you add to water to make your own Prime Hydration drink. Like the Hydration drinks, Hydration+ Sticks contain 10% coconut water, BCAAs for muscle recovery, B vitamins, antioxidants, and electrolytes. On the Prime website, you can get a six-pack of Hydration+ Sticks for $13.99.
Prime Hydration+ Sticks are offered in seven flavors: Blue Raspberry, Strawberry Watermelon, Tropical Punch, Lemon Lime, Ice Pop, Lemonade, and Glowberry.
Which Prime drinks can your teens drink?
Even though Prime drinks have a huge YouTuber’s name attached to them, don’t let your kids trick you into buying something that’s unsafe for them to consume.
Real talk: Prime Energy drinks have more caffeine than a Red Bull. And I would hope Red Bulls aren’t being handed out as a Halloween treat. The FDA says that healthy adults can most likely consume up to 400mg of caffeine a day without experiencing any dangerous side effects. (Remember: Prime Energy drinks contain 200mg per bottle, which is half this daily limit and more than 2 cups of black coffee worth of caffeine.) But the FDA does not extend this same allowance to kids or teens. So because of this — Prime Energy is not something kids should drink.
And what about the BCAAs in Prime Hydration…is that safe for kids? According to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, school-age children can consume an average of 99mg of BCAAS per day. Prime Hydration drinks contain 250mg of BCAAs. Electrolytes are generally beneficial for children and adults, but again, it’s best to consult your pediatrician before giving your child a Hydration drink.
Prime Hydration vs. Gatorade… Which one is better?
Prime Hydration is pretty similar to Gatorade. While sports drinks like Gatorade replenish your body’s energy stores by adding in sodium or salt, Prime taps into the benefits of coconut water instead. Compared to Gatorade, Prime Hydration has fewer potentially harmful ingredients and no added sugar, but Prime does cost more.
For example, Walmart sells 20-oz Gatorade for $1.68 per bottle (or $0.91 each if you purchase a six-pack). Compare this to Prime Hydration, which Walmart sells for $1.99 per bottle. When it comes to cost alone — Gatorade wins.
But when you consider the ingredients, I would actually give the win to Prime Hydration. The fewer ingredients I’m drinking, the better. Plus, the no added sugar is a win in my book. Ultimately, the choice is yours on which you prefer to drink. Both are going to provide you with hydration and fuel for your body.
Nutrition Facts of Prime Hydration vs. Gatorade
Where can you find Prime drinks without spending a fortune?
If you’re looking to buy Prime at a good price, don’t get suckered into their inflated online prices. As of writing this post, the official Prime website is wiped out of lots of popular flavors. But there are still places you can find Prime. And some places even have deals — just how we like it!
Here’s a roundup of a few places where you can (currently) buy them for the best prices. Although not all stores explicitly state this online, it’s important to note that due to high demand, certain retailers may have limited availability of flavors and they may even enforce purchase order limits.
Note: I have left Amazon off this list because, from what I can tell, all of their Prime drinks are sold by third parties — not by Amazon itself. This means that there are no guarantees about the quality or even the pricing.
1. Costco has the cheapest price for Prime Hydration ($1 per bottle) — on sale through Oct. 8.
If you don’t mind getting a variety pack, Costco is the cheapest place to find Prime Hydration. On sale for $14.99 through Oct. 8 (reg. $18.99), the 15-pack of 16.9 fl oz bottles comes out to just $1 per bottle. The variety pack includes five Tropical Punch, five Lemon Lime, and five Blue Raspberry. We found them in our local Costco, and they’re also available online for $21.99.
They also have the second-cheapest price on a variety pack of 30 Hydration+ Sticks when you order online (Sam’s Club beats them by $0.07 per stick):TIP: Not a Costco member yet? Before you sign up for a membership, find out about all the perks with our Costco membership guide.
2. Sam’s Club has the cheapest price for Hydration+ Sticks ($1/stick) and the second-cheapest price for Prime Hydration ($1.33/bottle).
If you’re a Sam’s Club member, stock up on Prime Hydration+ Sticks because they have the lowest price per stick of all the stores we checked. Their price for a 15-pack of Prime Hydration comes out to $1.33 a bottle, but you’ll have to get it shipped.
3. Walmart has the second cheapest price for Prime Hydration ($1.69 per bottle) and Prime Energy ($2.18).
You can get pretty lucky finding Prime beverages at Walmart for cheap. Certain flavors are available by the bottle — like Prime Hydration in Orange and Blue Raspberry, which costs $2.19 for a 16-ounce bottle. You can also buy an eight-pack of Prime Hydration in Lemon Lime for $13.48, or $1.69 a bottle. Score!
Significant savings come with the Hydration+ Sticks, too — they’re only $8.98 for a six-pack at Walmart, which comes out to $1.50 per stick.
As for Prime Energy drinks, Walmart offers them online and in-store. You can grab an individual can of Prime Energy for $2.18 (reg. $2.48).
Walmart will save you money if you’re looking for Prime Hydration and Prime Energy. Many of their items are EBT-eligible, too. Like other trendy products, make sure the product is sold and shipped by Walmart to avoid any price hikes.
4. Publix has a pretty good price for Hydration+ Sticks at just $1.55 per stick.
If you’re lucky to have a Publix nearby, then you can save on the Prime Hydration+ Sticks when shopping there. The six-pack is only $9.29 and the shelves were pretty well-stocked when I checked!
Publix also sells Prime Hydration for $2 per bottle and Prime Energy for $2.99 per can.
5. CVS is a little pricey for Hydration+ Sticks, at $1.83 per stick.
As of right now, CVS only has the Hydration+ Sticks in Blue Raspberry. A six-pack costs $10.99, which comes out to $1.83 per stick. (Double-check that it’s available at your CVS location because some don’t have any in stock right now.)
6. Kroger has an okay price for Prime Hydration, at $1.62 per bottle.
On their website, Kroger lists an eight-pack of Prime Hydration at $12.99, which comes out to about $1.62 a bottle.
It looks like you can currently buy Prime Energy only by the individual can for $2.50, so you’re not getting any bargains there.
7. Target sells individual Prime Hydration bottles for as low as $1.70 and Prime Energy for as low as $2.30.
If you’re looking for individual Prime Hydration bottles, Target has them for $2.29 (before you apply your 5% RedCard savings). They also have Prime Energy drinks for $2.69 and Prime Hydration Sticks for as low as $9.59.
The majority of flavors aren’t eligible for Target Drive Up service, but you can use the Target website to see what flavors are in stock at your local store. Prime Hydration is also EBT-eligible.
8. Shop Vitamin Shoppe when they have a BOGO deal and pay $2.08 per bottle/can.
This one’s a little tricky. The prices for a 12-pack of both Hydration and Energy are $29.99 on the Vitamin Shoppe website, but they occasionally offer a deal where if you buy one pack, you get the second pack for 50% off. So, instead of paying $59.98 for two packs of 12, you’d pay about $49.99 for 24 drinks (or $2.08 per bottle).
The Hydration+ Sticks are more expensive at Vitamin Shoppe, at $14.99 for a six-pack. But again, when they offer that BOGO 50% off deal, you’d save a little. Otherwise, Vitamin Shoppe isn’t the best place to purchase them.
9. If you shop at GNC, do in-store pickup to get a 10% discount (and pay $2.25 per bottle).
Shopping at GNC won’t save you tons of money. You’ll pay $29.99 for a 12-pack of Prime Hydration — the same price listed on the official Prime website. But if you opt for in-store pickup, you’ll save 10%. This brings your total down to $26.99 (or $2.25 per bottle). Bonus: They have a lot of flavors at GNC! But they do limit you to two packs per order.
Prime Energy is in the same situation at GNC. If you want to save, opt for in-store pickup for that 10% discount.
The Hydration+ Sticks are an even better deal. On the GNC website, you can get a box of six Hydration+ Sticks for $12.99. They sometimes offer a buy one get one 50% off sale, too. Factor in that 10% discount for in-store pickup, and that brings the cost down to about $8.77 per pack ($0.73 per stick).
These certainly aren’t the most enticing prices on this list, but still — if Prime is sold out everywhere in your area but at GNC, you’re getting a decent deal.
10. Check your other local grocery stores or gas stations for Prime.
It doesn’t hurt to check your local grocery stores or gas stations for Prime. Occasionally, I’ve seen Prime drinks at gas stations like 7-Eleven and RaceTrac. Everything’s more expensive at a gas station normally, so don’t expect to see stock-up prices there.
Tell us what you think