Caffeine in Oolong
A 240 ml cup of oolong holds about 38 mg of caffeine, between green and black tea.
| Caffeine per serving | 38 mg |
| Serving | 8 oz cup (240 ml) |
| Caffeine per 100 ml | 16 mg |
| Share of the 400 mg daily limit | 10% |
| Equal to filter coffee | 0.4 mugs |
| Equal to espresso | 0.6 shots |
How late can you have it?
At 38 mg this sits below 40 mg, the line Cira uses as low enough to sleep on, so on its own it is unlikely to keep you awake. It still adds to whatever else is already in you.
What to know
Oolong is partly oxidised, sitting between green and black in processing and, as it happens, in caffeine too.
It is usually brewed in several short infusions from the same leaves. The first is the strongest, and by the fourth you are down to a fraction of the caffeine while the flavour holds up.
Across a full session of five small infusions the total lands near a single mug of black tea.
Compared with the rest of the tea
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Yerba mate | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 84 mg |
| Matcha | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 67 mg |
| Black tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 48 mg |
| Oolong | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 38 mg |
| White tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 36 mg |
| Chai latte | 10.1 oz cup (300 ml) | 30 mg |
| Green tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 29 mg |
| Herbal tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 0 mg |
Common questions
How much caffeine is in oolong?
Oolong has about 38 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup (240 ml). That is 10% of the 400 mg daily limit for a healthy adult, or about 0.4 mugs of filter coffee.
Will Oolong keep me awake?
On its own it is unlikely to. At 38 mg it stays below 40 mg, the line Cira uses as low enough to sleep on. It still adds to any caffeine already in you.
How many servings of oolong can I have in a day?
About 10, going by the 400 mg daily limit for healthy adults. That limit covers everything else with caffeine in it too, so the real number is lower on a day with other coffee, tea or cola.
Read next
Compare and look up
Where these numbers come from
Caffeine content is the typical value for the serving shown, the same figure the Cira app uses. Brands and brew methods vary, so treat it as a good estimate rather than a measurement of your cup. The 5.7 hour half-life is a typical value for healthy adults, the 40 mg sleep line is a working threshold of the model, and the 400 mg daily limit is the figure used by the European Food Safety Authority and the US FDA. How the numbers are worked out.
