15 Best Green Tea Brands, Ranked

We have good news: Green tea tastes good and it's good for you. When you drink green tea every day, you may experience fewer stomach bugs, lower anxiety levels, and a reduced risk of heart attack. Green tea is packed with antioxidants, which can boost brain health, help you lose fat, and prevent disease (via Healthline). Plus, The New York Times reports that drinking green tea regularly can lower cholesterol levels and may even play a role in cancer prevention. 

Before starting in on a daily green tea regimen, however, we recommend talking to your doctor — especially if you have underlying health conditions. You should also be aware that green tea can interfere with certain types of medications (via Drugs.com).

To create our green tea brand rankings, we focused on products that can be easily found at major retailers. And although green tea can be purchased in powdered, loose leaf, or bottled form, we only considered products sold in individual tea bags or sachets. Finally, we ranked our chosen brands based on overall flavor, green tea variety, packaging, and, let's face it, plain old personal preference. Check out our rankings below.  

We didn't know much about this tea brand when we first spied it in the store — but we couldn't resist the gorgeous packaging. (There's just something about those bright colors and golden logo seal!) it turns out that Buddha Teas makes a wide range of high quality, organic, black, white, herbal, and green teas, along with a line of CBD teas. 

Their website states, "These teas have been made from high-quality, organically grown Camellia sinensis leaves and offer the drinker helpful constituents like flavonoids, antioxidants, tannins, and more." The brand offers 11 types of bagged green teas, including Hubei Jasmine Green Tea, Dragon Well Green Tea, Lemongrass Green Tea, and Saffron & Green Tea.

We tried the Matcha Green Tea, a combination of organic Japanese matcha and organic Japanese green tea. This combo made for a very light and somewhat sweet (but not sweetened) cup of tea. If you like the flavor and wish to experience the potential health benefits of CBD, you can opt for their CBD Matcha Green Tea, which adds 5 milligrams of water-soluble CBD to each tea bag. 

Since CBD does not have psychoactive properties like its relative THC (per WebMD), rest assured that you will not become high or intoxicated when drinking CBD tea. You may, however, enjoy improvements in pain, anxiety, and sleep, according to Medical News Today.

Traditional Medicinals strives to connect people to the power of plants. Their mission states: "We are not just in the business of tea. We are in the business of change—changing lives, changing communities, and changing the quality of herbal remedies." The brand offers dozens of types of bagged tea, including five green tea varieties. 

Sourced from the foothills of the Indian Himalaya, look for: Dandelion, Ginger, Lemongrass, Matcha, and Peppermint green teas. These products are sold in boxes of 16 individually wrapped, compostable tea bags. Company certifications include USDA Organic, Fair Trade, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Kosher.

We tried Traditional Medicinals' Ginger green tea, which has a pleasant, mild flavor. According to the product packaging, this particular tea was developed to promote healthy digestion. But ginger also offers other health benefits (per WebMD): It helps fight germs, eases sore muscles, lowers blood sugar levels, and soothes menstrual cramps. Ginger is also chock-full of antioxidants, which help protect against disease.

The Numi tagline is "Activating Purpose" — and that's exactly what they aim to do through their thoughtful choices. The brand was founded in Oakland, CA in 1999 by brother and sister Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani, who spent their early days in Iraq. Both believed in the vision "to share the transformative, healing power of tea with the world." 

Numi teas are non-gmo, as well as being certified organic, Halal, Kosher, and Fair Trade. The brand provides eco-friendly packaging, which conserves water, energy, trees, and landfill. Their tea bag products are most commonly found in packages of 18, though can also be purchased in bulk.

Numi offers five varieties of organic green teas: Jasmine Green, Gunpowder Green, Mate Lemon, Matcha Toasted Rice, and Ginger Lemon (decaf). We found the Jasmine Green to be quite bold, a good option for anyone who likes that strong, floral flavor. For anyone else, this may not be your cup of tea. (Sorry, couldn't resist!) But don't rule out their other green tea varieties.

If you're looking for a traditional Japanese green tea, you probably won't go wrong with ITO EN. This brand offers six distinct types of green tea (Hojicha, Shincha, Matcha Traditional, Matcha Jasmine, Genmaicha, and Lemongrass) in a variety of forms. Their website states that tea is "a gift nature has given to us to share with others" — and we definitely agree.

We steeped a cup of ITO EN's Matcha Green Tea, a bold blend of green tea and matcha (green tea powder). Notably, this product called for only a 30-second steep, far shorter than other brands' suggested two to three minutes. This tea is all natural, without any added colors or flavorings. The actual tea bags are a unique pyramid shape, allowing plenty of room for the tea leaves to expand and deliver a flavorful cup of goodness. It would pair especially well with sushi, ramen, or other Japanese dishes.

We couldn't find this tea in a nearby grocery store, but easily purchased a box of 20 from Amazon. If you like to buy your tea bags in bulk, look for ITO EN green teas at Costco. Along with ITO EN tea bags, Costco sells a 12-pack of their ready-to-drink bottled green tea (per Shopping with Dave). Bottom line: If you enjoy a full-flavored, fragrant cup of tea, go ahead and give this brand a try. However, if you prefer something sweet and light, ITO EN may not be the best option for you.

Yogi aims to improve both body and mind through their organic tea blends. The brand, based in Eugene, OR, follows a natural, holistic approach to medicine called Ayurveda. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the practice of Ayurveda (meaning "knowledge of life") originated in India thousands of years ago. Although practitioners of this particular branch of medicine are not allowed to be licensed in the United States, it is widely understood that Ayurveda can offer health benefits when used alongside conventional medicine.

Yogi currently offers 11 green teas, some of which are labeled with their intention — for example, Positive Energy, Blueberry Slim Life, or Skin DeTox — and sold in boxes of 16 individually wrapped tea bags. We went with Yogi's Super Antioxidant tea, which lists some interesting ingredients: organic grapeseed extract, along with a proprietary blend of herbs that includes lemongrass, green tea leaf, licorice root, Jasmine green tea leaf, alfalfa, burdock root, and dandelion root. 

Overall, we found this blend to be light and smooth, although maybe a bit too light. Despite the complex ingredients, it really didn't have a strong or distinctive flavor. But if you enjoy a mild tea, this might be a good pick for you.

Lipton Green Tea is one of the most budget-friendly options out there, but it can taste bitter if you steep it for too long. If you decide to try it, you may want to set a timer for the recommended two minutes. One Tea Review blogger observes, "As green teas go, Lipton green tea is among the cheapest we've sampled, and for the price, it tastes quite good." But they also describe the color as similar to "dirty dish water," which doesn't sound especially appealing.

We found Lipton's 100% Natural Green Tea to be smooth and fairly basic in flavor. If you prefer more of a fruity spin, Lipton also sells Green Tea with Mint, Orange Passionfruit Jasmine, Purple Acai Blueberry, Matcha Green Tea and Ginger, Mandarin Orange, Cranberry Pomegranate, Peach Paradise, Lemon Ginseng, and Decaffeinated Green Tea. They also offer green tea keurig cups, iced teas, and herbal supplements.

As far as tasty teas go, Good Earth has a lot to offer. They are probably best known for their Sweet & Spicy teas, which come in black, herbal, and green tea varieties. We are big fans of this tangy, fruity tea that practically blasts cinnamon into your body — and really, who doesn't love cinnamon? Plus, cinnamon offers health benefits, such as lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels (via WebMD). On the off-chance that you don't like spicy tea, try one of Good Earth's other green varieties: Cloudmist, Pomegranate, Matcha, or Moroccan Mint.

We enjoyed Good Earth's Moroccan Mint green tea, which has a pleasant and mild minty flavor that is not overpowering like some other mint teas. According to the box, this blend is supposed to invoke Marrakesh. That claim is a bit difficult to substantiate since we haven't actually been there, but we would definitely buy this tea again.

Good Earth recognizes that their flavors are unusual: "Normal is boring. Anybody can be normal. You need to be bold to be different. (And that's more fun anyway!) You'll never taste normal in any of our teas. You'll taste creativity, excitement, and positivity." And as you've probably already determined from the name, Good Earth is committed to saving the planet through sustainable practices. The brand's green teas are sold in recyclable boxes of 15 biodegradable sachets.

Among the largest tea brands in the world (per TBS News), we counted a full 35 green tea products on The Republic of Tea's website. You may recognize the distinctive, cylindrical tin packaging, inside of which rests 36 unwrapped, round, unbleached tea bags. Another unusual feature is the lack of a string and tag on each tea bag, meaning that you will need to fish the tea bag out with a spoon before drinking.

After some debate, we decided to try Detox Green, which contains organic green tea leaves, organic spearmint, organic chlorella powder, organic Japanese green tea matcha, and organic green apple flavor. This flavorful tea, part of The Republic of Tea's Super Green Tea product line, is chock-full of antioxidants. It also claims to have cleansing attributes, allowing you to, "Nourish your body from the inside out."

The flavor profile is listed as "minty, sweet." We tasted both mint and apple, which made for a light and refreshing combination. There was a notable amount of sediment toward the bottom of the cup, which may or may not bother you. While this product presented the highest price point of all green teas purchased, keep in mind that it also contained more tea bags than most. Overall: Thumbs up.

From the look of online reviews, it seems like just about everybody likes Bigelow green tea. Not only does this tea taste good, it is also one of the least expensive options sampled. We opted for the signature Green Tea Classic, which we found to be full (but not too full) of that traditional, earthy green tea flavor. 

But if you're looking to shake things up a little, Bigelow also offers some green teas with fruit, including elderberry, pomegranate, lemon, mango, and peach. And if you're a fan of the popular Constant Comment black tea blend, you may be interested to find a green tea variation.

Bigelow also offers premium, USDA certified organic green tea blends as part of their product line steep by Bigelow. An online blogger (When Tara Met Blog) explores this line's green tea, describing it as "a delicate green tea with subtle astringency." 

Most Bigelow tea products can be found in boxes of 20 tea bags, individually wrapped in foil pouches.

If you're looking for a smooth green tea that is easy-to-find and well-priced, Twinings of London's Green Tea might be a good fit for you. We would add that it is also somewhat earthy and can be bitter if steeped much beyond the recommended two minutes.

Steeping tea too long is a common mistake when making tea. This particular tea blend combines leaves sourced from the eastern coast of China. According to product packaging, 80% of the world's green tea is produced in China.

Founded by Thomas Twining, Twinings of London has become a tea giant. They have been in the business for more than 300 years, producing $22 million in revenue (per Dun & Bradstreet). While their plain Green Tea is the best selling of a fairly robust line of green tea products, there are many others to choose from. 

You may want to try the fruit flavored green tea varieties, such as Lemon, Pomegranate, Raspberry & Strawberry, or ones claiming specific health benefits like Energize or Detox. Individually wrapped tea bags are usually sold in boxes of 20, though some products are available in packs of 50. You can also purchase loose green tea, iced green tea, and green tea K-Cups.

You may have noticed the popularity of matcha. According to Healthline, matcha offers many proven health benefits. For one, it's high in antioxidants, which can help prevent disease. Matcha may also protect your liver from damage, boost brain function, and reduce your risk of developing cancer and heart disease.

But what's the difference between matcha and green tea, exactly? While both are derived from the same type of plant, matcha (which means 'powdered tea' in Japanese) is grown differently than other green teas (per Health). When cultivated for matcha, tea plants are protected from the sun with shade cloth, which boosts plant growth and results in "better flavor and texture." 

After harvesting, tea leaves are dried, aged, and stone-ground into a fine powder. Since you consume the entire leaf when drinking matcha, be aware that matcha teas often contain more caffeine than a standard cup of green tea.

Pukka offers three different organic green tea and matcha blends: supreme matcha green, lean matcha green, and clean matcha green. Supreme matcha green combines Sencha green tea, Pin Ho Wild Jade green tea, Indian green tea, and matcha into a calming (yet flavorful) experience. Lean matcha green contains matcha, oolong, cinnamon, ginger and fennel, while clean matcha green combines Sencha green tea, lemon myrtle leaf, and licorice root. Pukka is a carbon neutral company, provides sustainable packaging, and donates 1% of proceeds to social and environmental causes.

If you remember Teavana tea shops, you may be interested to learn that the brand was acquired by Starbucks in 2012 (per Product Mint). Five years later, all 350-ish locations were closed. Since then, Starbucks has introduced packaged Teavana teas into their coffee shops and in grocery stores across the country. You can find Teavana products in standard tea bags or premium sachets, depending on the product.

Sweet Steep shares that all Starbucks green tea drinks are made from Teavana Jade Citrus Mint blend, so we went ahead and tried that. According to the package, Jade Citrus Mint contains spearmint and lemongrass. We mostly tasted the mint, though there was an underlying botanic tone. Easily found and highly rated at Target, this product contains 15 unwrapped sachets inside of a plastic container. Although the plastic is recyclable, we didn't love the packaging. Teavana is also on the higher end price-wise. That said, it does make for a luxurious treat.

The Oregon-based Stash Tea Company, acquired in 1993 by 300-year old Japanese tea company Yamamotoyama, is one of the top specialty tea companies in the United States (per Funding Universe). While their teas are easily found in stores, Stash also offers the largest mail-order business of specialty tea companies in the country. Their extensive catalog includes tea, baked goods, sweets, and gifts.

Stash scores high points for tea variety, offering more than 150 teas and a full 22 varieties of green tea. The green teas offer some unusual flavors like Sweet Honeydew, Ginger Peach, Asian Pear Harmony, and Pomegranate Raspberry. Note that only 11 of the 22 green teas are available in tea bag form; the rest are sold in 100-gram increments of loose leaf.

We enjoyed the Moroccan Mint, which comes in 20 individually wrapped tea bags to a box. According to the box, this product includes green tea, lemongrass, and Northwest-grown spearmint and peppermint. These elements combine to create a lovely, calming, herbal experience that is flavorful but not overpowering. While it may take us a while to drink our way through all of Stash's many green tea options, we are looking forward to the challenge.

Since 2014, Mighty Leaf has been owned by Peet's Coffee (per QSR). The brand offers a wide range of tea blends, including eight varieties of green tea. While this may not be as many as some other brands, the ones offered are — well, mighty.

We tried their most popular green tea blend: Green Tea Tropical. Along with whole green tea leaves, it includes actual pineapple bits. This makes the tea really unusual, and we mean that in the very best way. Along with transporting you somewhere tropical, drinking this tea feels luxurious, perhaps in part due to the individually wrapped, stitched pouches. That said, you do pay for the experience.

Along with the Tropical blend, you may want to try some of Mighty Leaf's other green teas, most commonly sold in boxes of 16: Organic Spring Jasmine, Organic Green Dragon, Organic Roasted Hojicha, Marrakesh Mint, and Organic Emerald Matcha. Two additional options, Jasmine Downy Pearls and Longjing Dragonwell, are sold as loose leaf products.

As our favorite tea brand, there are several things that we love about TAZO green teas: flavor variety, availability, and value. Let's start with the flavors: While there aren't a ton of them, they're all really interesting. Look for Energize ("a spicy kick of ginseng is like finding that secret, easier path only the locals know about"), Zen ("crisp notes of spearmint, lemongrass, and lemon verbena"), China Green Tips ("pure green tea goodness"), Green Ginger ("a burst of sweet pear notes for an unexpected twist"), Organic Peachy Green, Lemon Strawberry, and Matcha Mate Grapefruit. Yum!

Next up, availability. If you've been in the tea aisle lately, you've probably noticed that TAZO teas are abundant — and not just one or two of their flavors. In other words, you really shouldn't have any trouble finding their full range of green tea varieties. 

Finally, we really like the overall value of the brand. Cost-wise, TAZO green teas land nicely between an expensive luxury product and your basic, got-it-on-the-bottom-shelf green tea. Individually wrapped tea bags are sold in boxes of 20. The brand also offers bottled green teas.

Our favorite TAZO green tea is definitely the Green Ginger, a great option in the morning with its smooth and bountiful flavor. Zen is also a fine option, especially if you need a moment to relax, but your bound to enjoy whichever TAZO green tea you choose.