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LifeAID vs Kill Cliff: Are these drinks worth your money?

LifeAID vs Kill Cliff: Are these drinks worth your money?

They're both healthy recovery drinks that taste great but which one is better? Are they worth your money?


If you do CrossFit or follow it at all, you're probably aware of Kill Cliff and LifeAID. 

Both drinks are popular with CrossFitters and this probably means they'll catch on within the rest of the fitness industry. 

I've been curious about both drinks for awhile so I decided to give them both a try.

I wanted to see what drink was better and if either one was worth the price (both are about $3 a can).

Kill Cliff

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Kill Cliff stands for some pretty good stuff. It was founded by a former Navy SEAL and actively supports the US military. Their product is a clean recovery and hydration drink.

Kill Cliff recently expanded their line of drinks to include pre-workout, intra-workout, and post-workout drinks.

  • Ignite

  • Endure

  • Recover

Kill Cliff Recover contains a unique blend of electrolytes, vitamins, minerals and a small amount of caffeine (about 25mg) and is intended to be drank after workouts to reduce inflammation. 

Shop now and try Kill Cliff.

LifeAID Beverage Co.

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LifeAID Beverage Co. is actually a line of several different drinks, each with its own particular purpose.

  • LifeAid

  • FitAid

  • FocusAid

  • ImmunityAid

  • PartyAid

  • GolferAid

They all contain a custom blend of vitamins and minerals that help with cognitive functioning, performance, recovery, and immunity. 

LifeAID does have a smart strategy for bringing in new customers. You can purchase two cans of your choice for only 99 cents and LifeAID will pay for the shipping. It's not a bad way to try something new. After that, you can also get up to $20 off your purchase of a case. 

Shop now and try LifeAid Beverage Co.

Now for the head-to-head reviews.

Taste

Kill Cliff Recover is currently available in five flavors: blood orange*, blackberry lemonade, lemon-lime, pomegranate punch, and raspberry blueberry.

Kill Cliff Ignite is available in three flavors: cherry limeade, fruit punch, and lemon berry.

Kill Cliff Endure is available in three flavors: orange mist, berry punch, and lemon-lime.

LifeAID drinks are only available in the one flavor each one comes in.

Both Kill Cliff and LifeAID taste great. They're carbonated and sweetened, though with no sugar. 

Winner: Kill Cliff has more variety in flavor and tastes slightly sweeter.

*Blood orange is my personal favorite.

Energy

Neither one of these drinks are "energy drinks" like Monster or Red Bull but that might actually be a good thing. I experienced no crash after drinking Kill Cliff or LifeAID but I did get some "clean energy" from them. Nor did I have to be concerned about what I was putting in my body.

I drank both before workouts and found them to be perfect for a pre-workout drink. One adjustment I made later on was to have a cup of coffee as well before my workout (I needed the extra caffeine). 

Winner: Kill Cliff has just enough caffeine to give you a buzz. I didn't get enough of that with LifeAID.

Price

Both are a bit pricey. If you walk into a Vitamin Shoppe and grab one, you're spending between $2.50 and $3 per can. That's similar to a Monster or Red Bull but not what I want to spend every day on a drink. Cases of both run close to $60. 

Winner: LifeAID is running some pretty good promotions right now and this gives it the edge. 

Overall

They're both great-tasting drinks that contain quality ingredients and seem to have some benefit in terms of mental and physical performance. While this can be hard to measure, I did feel noticeably better after drinking both.  

LifeAID wins because of the variety they offer. I like that LifeAID makes a few options that cater to some specific needs. As a travel fitness writer, my personal favorite is TravelAID and I will continue to bring a few with me when I'm traveling. 

Bottom Line

My expectation, like I'm sure it is for many people, was that these were energy drinks. They look like Red Bull and I assumed that I was getting something similar. I was wrong. Neither one is an energy drink and may not be a great option before a workout if you're looking for something that will really get you charged up.

These are not pre-workout drinks full of supplements. They do seem to serve their purpose. They claim to improve physical and mental performance and while this can be hard to measure, I thought they both lived up to their claims.

Are they worth your money?

I'm not convinced that buying cases of either one of these is worth $60 but I would consider buying them from time to time. While they may do the same thing as some ibuprofen and water, the taste, convenience, and cognitive effect I felt are worth a few dollars every now and then.

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