Our first taste of Cobra Labs was probably the same as everyone else with the pre-workout the Curse. It was that supplement that shot the brand to fame, and can now be found in a number of nutrition retailers all over the world. While the Curse has proven to be quite popular, we didn’t think too much of it compared to everything else that is out there back when we reviewed. Regardless of our thoughts on what was Cobra’s only product for a rather long time, we decided to pick their most recent effort the flavored fat burner the Ripper. Based on our Curse experience we weren’t ready to invest in a full size bottle, so the six serving trial size is what we went with. After getting through all but one of the stick packs we feel we’ve had enough of the Ripper to put together a review of our second taste of Cobra Labs.
We’re going to start off with the brand’s flavoring, something that’s actually not too bad for a lime recipe. Most of the time supplements get lime mixed in with another flavor, usually for the classic lemon lime, making this kind of our first taste of an artificial lime effort. As mentioned it’s certainly not bad, replicating the tang of the real deal without the bitterness, resulting in a relatively smooth, bearable concoction. At the moment razor lime is Cobra’s one and only taste for the Ripper, which should do for now but is expected to be joined by more in the future, especially since the Curse has a total of five flavors
Moving on to the effects of the product, after looking over the formula and what the brand have thrown in there, we kind of knew what we were in for. Basically the supplement is a small combination of a few performance ingredients as well as some weight loss supporting features. That line their kind of sums up the Ripper as based on our experience it really is a small combination of performance and thermogenesis. In terms of energy the product has just the right amount to give you a bit of a pick-me-up, whether it’s six in the morning or five in the afternoon right after work. Once you throw it back it’ll take the usual amount of time to work its way in, where you will then successfully be slightly more energized. If you do already feel quite awake and only taking the Ripper for its fat burning benefits, the energy kick may go unnoticed. On those lazy occasions it will do its job and give you that lift everyone needs in their tiredest of times, although keep in mind when we say a bit of a pick-me-up, we’re putting emphasis on the “bit”. Don’t expect anything near the level of a top pre-workout, or even a top weight loss supplement for that matter. We’re not saying it doesn’t have any energy, one of the major effects Cobra promote for it, just that the energy doesn’t compare to any of its biggest competitors, flavored or capsule.
Despite the energy not living up to its “electric” description, the other side to the fat burner is of course the effect that goes hand in hand with energy in weight loss products. Thermogenesis is what we’re talking about, something Cobra have done a lot better than the energy in the Ripper. While its almost impossible to find an energizing fat burner that doesn’t have a fair amount of heat involved in its performance, you’ll notice a rather competitive dose of it in this one. For us it’s always been the balance of heat and sweat that varies from thermogenic to thermogenic, with the Ripper offering more sweat than anything else. Unlike some of its more intense competitors, the supplement doesn’t exactly do too much if you’re performing day to day activities. It’s when you get moving that things start to happen as regardless of how hot or cold you’re feeling, you’ll get a pinch of warmth set in, followed by an abundance of sweat. We are used to saying your body will heat up encouraging more sweat, however in the case of the Ripper it’s essentially the other way around. As your temperature plays catch up as you’ll be dripping within about 10 to 20 minutes of cardio. The intensity of your exercise will of course play a major roll in that, but we can definitely tell you’ll be pouring more than usual.
The one last thing we have to touch on isn’t major, although still worth highlighting. We mentioned in the beginning that looking at the Ripper’s formula, we kind of knew what we were getting in to. That more than applies to Cobra’s inclusion of CarnoSyn beta-alanine and whatever dose the brand have used it at. We’re not here trying to say it didn’t do its job, we feel it just doesn’t have a place in a weight loss product. The pins and needles side effect has become something you look for in a pre-workout. In a fat burner however you’re not going to want your face crawling when cruising on a treadmill, getting some work done, or any other time for that matter. Being that Cobra do use beta-alanine in a proprietary blend, we didn’t know what kind of dose was in the Ripper. We aren’t going to claim we know the dose now, but will say it’s enough to feel the pins and needles on most of your body, which with every sample of the formula proved to be quite uncomfortable.
Without sounding to rough, Cobra’s the Ripper is effective however not nearly enough to even come close to equally priced or more cost effective competitors. The supplement offers a hint of energy, something we all look for in energizing fat burning formulas, as well as a somewhat impressive hit of thermogenesis. While the combination is no way disappointing, and something we can easily imagine people becoming fans of. It is purely because of what else is out there that we feel the Ripper isn’t a good choice. We’ve seen products with more energy, more heat, as well as appetite suppression, metabolic effects and the always appreciated mood enhancement. Sometimes you’ll get all of those in one supplement in average or above average amounts, and sometimes you’ll find two or three at incredible amounts. Either way you look at it there are better options out there, and as mentioned we’re not denying the Ripper’s effectiveness and what it can do. Just telling you that over the past year or two the bar has been raised, and brands like Cobra do need to do a lot more in the category to even get near the best.
