How much caffeine is in boba? The answer will differ depending on the type of tea you use as a base. Black tea generally has the most caffeine out of the many available varieties, but green tea, fruit tea, and oolong tea - which are all available on our menu - also pack a bit of a caffeine boost. Importantly, though, the caffeine you find in your boba tea won't give you that same kind of kick you'd get from a strong black coffee, so if that's something you'd like to avoid, you're generally safe! We answer more questions related to how much caffeine there is in boba tea in the rest of the article below!

How Much Caffeine Is In Boba?

The first thing to understand is that the caffeine in boba tea comes exclusively from the tea base, not the tapioca pearls. These chewy delights, while adding texture and fun to your drink, are completely caffeine-free. The amount of caffeine in your boba drink primarily depends on the type of tea used as the base.

To illustrate with some examples, let's take a few different types of bases that you can order from the Sharetea menu:

Black tea: One of the most popular types of tea and the base of the very beloved, classic boba milk tea. A typical cup of black tea can contain between 50 to 90 mg of caffeine.
Green tea: Another favored choice among boba drinkers and tea lovers alike. Green tea comes with around 25 to 35 mg of caffeine per cup.
Oolong tea: Oolong's caffeine content lies in between the previous two at a nice and easy 30 to 50 mg per cup.

Additionally, fruit tea bobas are always a popular choice year round! That can certainly be chalked up to the sweetness and natural tanginess of many fruit, their sheer variety, and the combination of flavors and textures when paired with lovely chewy boba pearls. The caffeine content of fruit tea will also be quite low, as it's mostly just an infusion of a milder tea with some fruit syrup or puree.

Comparing Boba to Other Caffeinated Drinks

While enjoying a tasty boba tea can provide somewhat of a gentle pick-me-up, the caffeine contents should be put in context. Normally, a cup of standard black coffee will introduce up to 200 mg of caffeine into your system - significantly more than any of the above tea varieties we mentioned. In fact, a shot of espresso by itself often surpasses those numbers.

In other words, while boba tea can't replace the kick of coffee, it's a great choice for people looking to cut down on their caffeine intake and still indulge in a delicious drink.

One more comparison: energy drinks are often caffeine-loaded bombs. Though their contents will vary depending on the brand, some of them pack a true energizing punch with over 300 mg of caffeine. Knowing now how much caffeine is in boba, it's clear that the numbers here can often be significantly different from each other.

The Takeaway

So, how much caffeine is in boba tea? As we learned today, not a lot! The most you're likely to get is around 90 grams if you brew a particularly strong batch of black tea as your base, but that's still nowhere near close to a typical black coffee, let alone a powerful energy drink.

You may also read: How Many Calories in Boba Tea?

How Much Caffeine Is In Boba Tea?