Hiyo offers non-alcoholic drinks designed to support relaxation, mood balance, and social drinking without the use of alcohol. The brand centers its approach on combining functional ingredients with convenient, ready-to-drink formats. Its offerings are available in a variety of flavors while maintaining a similar functionality, which may work as an alternative to alcoholic drinks.
In this review, we examine the types of drinks Hiyo offers and how its key products are positioned. We also outline the evaluation approach we used and compare the brand with similar brands.
About Hiyo
Hiyo was founded in 2019 by Evan Quinn, George Youmans, and Cygne Cooper. The brand positions its products as social tonics, designed to provide a mild uplifting or calming effect through a mix of adaptogens, nootropics, and botanicals rather than alcohol. It emphasizes formulation development around its feel-good effect, referred to by the brand as the float.
Hiyo’s product line consists of canned, non-alcoholic sparkling drinks available in flavors such as Blackberry Lemon, Peach Mango, Passion Fruit Tangerine, Pineapple Coconut, Strawberry Guava, and Watermelon Lime. The brand also offers variety packs that combine multiple flavors in one package.
Hiyo Offerings
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Hiyo offers a range of non-alcoholic social tonics through its Classic Pack, Tropical Pack, and individual options. The brand states that each sparkling drink contains 1.7 grams of functional ingredients in an alcohol-free format. The fruit-forward flavors are designed to make the drinks suitable for social settings while also offering potential support for relaxation, focus, and overall ease.
As per the official website, Hiyo uses ashwagandha, L-theanine, and lion’s mane mushroom in its blends to support both stress management and mental clarity. Ashwagandha may help regulate the body’s stress response and support a calmer mood, while L-theanine may promote relaxed focus by supporting brain chemicals linked to attention and emotional balance. Lion’s mane may help support nerve health and clearer thinking, which can help you stay more mentally present without the heaviness often associated with alcohol.
Hiyo Limitations
Taste Profile Constraints and Adoption Gaps
As per the official site, Hiyo relies on botanical, adaptogen-driven formulations to create a sensory experience that does not consistently align with mainstream beverage expectations. The use of ingredients like ashwagandha, lion’s mane, and other botanicals can result in flavor profiles described as herbal, medicinal, or perfume-like, along with natural sediment that contrasts with the clarity and smoothness of conventional sparkling drinks. Independent reviews also highlight these sensory characteristics as friction points. This divergence is compounded by the product’s biologically variable functional effect, meaning the taste must carry more of the perceived value, yet it remains polarizing. You might notice herbal or unusual flavor notes and visible sediment, which can affect your perception of quality even if they are formulation byproducts. When paired with an effect that may be subtle or inconsistent, the overall experience can feel mismatched with the price.
Subjective Float Effect Brand Positioning
Hiyo positions its offerings around a subjective float effect promise, framing it as a functional, alcohol-alternative social tonic. However, this is inherently non-standardized. Hiyo’s ingredients must be digested and metabolized before influencing the nervous system. This introduces biological variability tied to factors like gut absorption, metabolic rate, and baseline stress response (HPA axis activity). The float is not a fixed effect but a variable physiological response that can differ significantly across users and occasions. This means the experience can be inconsistent and harder to predict than the brand’s positioning suggests, something also reflected in independent reviews. You may feel a mild sense of calm or social ease in some cases, but in others, the effect may be delayed, subtle, or entirely absent, even after multiple servings. Independent feedback also frequently mentions drowsiness, grogginess, or no noticeable change at all.
Hiyo Alternatives
Recess
Recess takes a wellness-focused approach, while Hiyo is built around alcohol-free social drinking. As per their official website, Recess centers its brand around helping you feel calm, cool, and collected with products designed for winding down, easing stress, and staying balanced through the day. Its lineup includes sparkling water with hemp and adaptogens, Recess Mood sparkling water with magnesium and adaptogens, Recess Zero Proof mocktails, and Mood Powders that can be mixed into other drinks. Hiyo, on the other hand, was created specifically as a social tonic to replace alcohol in group settings. It focuses on helping you feel relaxed, uplifted, and included without the downsides of alcohol.
The ingredient strategy also shows a difference in how each brand delivers its effects. Recess uses product-specific formulas depending on the use case. Its original hemp sparkling water combines broad-spectrum hemp, American ginseng, L-theanine, and lemon balm to support relaxation while keeping you centered. The brand states that in Recess Mood, it uses magnesium L-threonate, L-theanine, and lemon balm to support unwinding and mental clarity, while Mood Powders add passion flower and electrolytes for extra hydration and flexibility. Meanwhile, Hiyo uses a more standardized blend across its drinks, with 1.7 grams of functional ingredients per can. Its formula includes ashwagandha for stress support, L-theanine for focus, lion’s mane for mental clarity, passion flower for relaxation, and ginger for digestion. This gives Hiyo a broader all-in-one formula, while Recess separates functions across different product lines.
Recess offers more variety in formats and routines. You can choose canned sparkling drinks for everyday use, mocktails for alcohol-free evenings, or stick packs if you want to add calming ingredients to your own drinks. It also offers sampler packs and multiple flavors like orange vanilla Mood, blackberry chai, black cherry, and pomegranate hibiscus. In comparison, Hiyo keeps its range simpler and more focused on ready-to-drink cans made for social occasions. Its Classic Pack includes blackberry lemon, peach mango, strawberry guava, and watermelon lime, while its Tropical Pack adds flavors like passion fruit, tangerine, and pineapple coconut. This makes Hiyo more streamlined if you want convenience, while Recess gives you more flexibility depending on your mood or setting.
Pricing is another point of difference. Hiyo provides clearer upfront value, with its 12-pack priced at $44.99, or about $3.19 per can. The price drops to $2.98 per can for a 24-pack and $2.77 per can for a 48-pack, with subscription savings of 15 percent and free shipping. Recess also offers free shipping and subscribe-and-save options, with its drinks ranging from $40 to $55.
Heywell
Heywell offers functional sparkling waters designed to support a wide range of needs, including energy, hydration, calm, immunity, and focus. It focuses on drinks meant to fit into your day, whether you need help staying energized, rehydrating, or unwinding. On the other hand, Hiyo is more focused on social drinking occasions as an alcohol alternative. It was inspired by the founders’ personal experiences with alcohol-related family health issues and their goal of creating a more enjoyable alcohol-free drink.
As per their official website, Heywell offers a wider mix of functional ingredients personalized to specific benefits. Its drinks include amla berry for natural vitamin C, schisandra to support stress management, and ginseng to help fight fatigue. The brand also adds electrolytes, including pink Himalayan sea salt, potassium, and magnesium, to support hydration. In its energy-focused drinks, Heywell includes 75 mg of organic caffeine from green coffee beans along with L-theanine to support smoother focus and alertness. This makes Heywell more versatile for daytime use, especially if you want both hydration and an energy boost from the same drink.
In comparison, Hiyo takes a more targeted mood-support approach. The brand states that each can contains 1.7 grams of organic adaptogens, nootropics, and botanicals intended to create what the brand calls the float, a light uplifting effect designed to replace the buzz people often associate with alcohol. Its formula includes ashwagandha, L-theanine, lion’s mane, lemon balm, and ginger to support digestion. Unlike Heywell, Hiyo is less focused on hydration or energy support and more focused on helping you feel relaxed, socially comfortable, and present, which gives it a more niche role.
Their product ranges also highlight these differences. Heywell offers benefit-led options such as Calm + Hydrate Sparkling Lime, Calm + Restore Green Apple Pineapple, and Energy + Lift flavors like Cherry Limeade and Orange Mango. Most of its 12-can packs, including the mixed pack, are priced at $41.99. On the other hand, Hiyo focuses more on flavor-driven social tonics, with options such as Blackberry Lemon, Peach Mango, Strawberry Guava, Watermelon Lime, Passion Fruit Tangerine, and Pineapple Coconut. Its 12-pack is priced at $44.99 for a one-time purchase, while its subscription brings the price down to $38.25 with free shipping and flexible delivery. Heywell focuses on functional sparkling water that supports multiple daily wellness goals, such as hydration, energy, immunity, and stress support. Meanwhile, Hiyo offers flavorful non-alcoholic drinks that feel elevated and relaxing in social settings.
Pros
- Offers alcohol-free drinks with mood-supporting adaptogens.
- Highlights cognitive function support.
- Uses known botanicals for stress and relaxation support.
Cons
- Some users report headaches.
- Higher price than standard non-alcoholic drinks.
- The brand offers drinks primarily in bulk packs.
Did We Evaluate?
Brand Credibility
We looked at Hiyo’s history, brand story, and how clearly it explains its products and purpose. The brand creates a non-alcoholic social tonic meant to support relaxation and social occasions.
We also checked whether Hiyo has a strong track record on third-party review platforms like Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, and ConsumerAffairs. Currently, the brand has little to no meaningful presence on these sites. This makes it harder to judge things like customer service, shipping issues, refunds, or how the brand handles complaints.
Hiyo seems like a promising newer brand with a clear mission and a unique product idea. However, the lack of strong third-party review data makes it harder to fully judge long-term trust and consistency.
Real User Feedback
To evaluate Hiyo, we looked at customer feedback on Thingtesting, where the brand holds a 3.4 out of 5 rating, which is based on 60+ reviews. Many customers described Hiyo’s offerings as refreshing, lightly sparkling, and enjoyable without being overly sweet. Flavors like Blackberry Lemon, Peach Mango, and Strawberry Guava were frequently mentioned as favorites. Several customers said the drinks felt more elevated than regular sparkling water, which made them feel like a genuine social drink rather than just another flavored seltzer.
Many customers said it helped them feel included in social settings without drinking alcohol. Sober people, avoiding alcohol for health reasons, or looking for something more functional than soda, said Hiyo filled that gap well. Some users also said they noticed a mild calming effect or felt more relaxed after drinking it, though most described this as subtle rather than dramatic.
At the same time, user feedback shows that Hiyo’s float effect is not consistent for everyone. Some users said they felt noticeably calmer or more at ease, while others said they felt no difference at all, even after trying multiple cans. This mixed feedback suggests that the adaptogenic ingredients may work differently depending on the person.
There were also some concerns around side effects. A few customers reported headaches, bloating, stomach discomfort, or sensitivity to the sweetener and functional ingredient blend. Some also raised questions about how the drink may interact with medications or whether it suited people with certain sensitivities. While these complaints were not the majority, they are worth noting.
Based on the customer feedback, Hiyo comes across as a thoughtfully designed non-alcoholic drink brand that performs best as a flavorful, low-sugar social alternative. Customers generally appreciate the taste, branding, and alcohol-free experience, but the calming benefits appear to be subtle and inconsistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The brand states that its social tonics are caffeine-free and contain 0.0% ABV, which may suit people avoiding stimulants. Instead of caffeine, the drinks use adaptogens, botanicals, and L-theanine from decaffeinated green tea for a more relaxed drinking experience.
The brand states that its drinks can fit work or daytime. Its blend includes nootropics like lion’s mane and ashwagandha, which are intended to support focus and mood without impairment.
The brand claims that its products may suit people watching calories, as each 12 oz can contains about 30 calories and 4–5 grams of sugar. The drinks are said to be sweetened with organic fruit juices, cane sugar, and erythritol rather than being completely sugar-free.
Final Words
Hiyo claims to use ashwagandha, L-theanine, and lion’s mane in its drinks, which have potential roles in stress modulation and cognitive support. However, these effects are generally modest and can vary based on dosage and individual response.
The brand’s major limitation lies in this variability. The ingredients used in the drinks require digestion and metabolic processing, which means that the resulting effect is not standardized and may feel subtle or inconsistent. Botanical ingredients may also introduce herbal or unconventional taste profiles, along with occasional sediment, which may not suit all preferences.
Hiyo’s offerings could be convenient options for social settings, but expectations around functional benefits should remain measured. Consider potential sensitivity to adaptogens or sweeteners, possible mild side effects such as headaches or digestive discomfort, and variability in response. It may also be useful to review compatibility with existing dietary choices or medications before regular use.
- About the Author
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Alisha Matthew has been a practicing nutritionist since 2016. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of IOWA. She is a staunch believer in improving the human health index by educating people about nutrition and the importance of nutrition in leading a healthy and happy life. Her long-term goal is to keep educating people on general health and keep herself updated with the latest trends in the field of health.