Mini Chill and ViB relaxation drinks

Goodbye heart-pounding energy drinks

Product

Mini Chill and ViB relaxation drinks

Promise

ViB claims to be a caffeine-free, low calorie, low sodium, carbonated drink to help you relax after the stresses and strains of the day (or after a hard workout on the trail). Meanwhile, Mini Chill, designed to be a fast-acting, long-lasting drink for mood enhancement and focus, contains Relarian, an all-natural blend of amino acids and herbs and says it's a natural stress reliever. But are they any good?

Performance

Goodbye energy drinks. 'Relaxation beverages' are the latest craze for the stressed out nine-to-fiver, but WideWorld wanted to try these as we thought they might work for the active adventurer wanting a bit of R&R as well.

MiniChill contains phenylalanine, often found in nutritional supplements for their reputed antidepressant effects; ViB, meanwhile, contains theanine, which can reduce mental and physical stress and is a mood enhancer.

WideWorld tried both of these drinks over a month-long period. ViB isn't the tastiest drink in the world (it actually reminds us of Red Bull), and MiniChill is in a 'shot' bottle so although it tastes a bit like medicine, it goes down so quickly you won't really notice.

If you think you need some supplements to help you relax, MiniChill is our favourite of the two, simply because it's so handy for the active sportsperson or adventurer to carry around (the bottles are tiny); plus it tastes better than ViB.

Whether either really worked their magic on WideWorld, it's difficult to say. Yes, we felt relaxed, but that could well have been our regular afternoon 'lull'.

Verdict

We felt relaxed. So we're going to give these the benefit of the doubt. If you need something to calm you down, give them a whirl.