The Best Spacegoods Alternative in the UK: Brainstoorm vs Rainbow Dust

If you want a Spacegoods alternative in the UK that keeps the three mushrooms of Rainbow Dust but drops most of the caffeine, our pick is Brainstoorm by Mush N Go: the same lion's mane, cordyceps and chaga at 1,000 mg each, 6,225 mg of declared actives per cup, 20 mg of caffeine instead of 80 to 120 mg, and £1.27 a cup instead of £1.63.

This page compares those two products and nothing else, on purpose: people searching for a Spacegoods alternative usually want the same kind of drink with a different balance, not a list of twenty brands. Brainstoorm is No. 1 in our ranking of the best mushroom coffee in the UK and Rainbow Dust is No. 2.

In the interest of transparency: both Mush N Go and Spacegoods are partner brands of Tim's Reviews, and the links to their shops are affiliate links. We compare labels, prices, published terms and public reviews, checked on 29 September 2026. We have not tasted or ordered either product, and we make no promise about how either one will make you feel: no health claim is authorised for these mushrooms in Great Britain.

Rainbow Dust is the best-known mushroom coffee in Britain, and for good reasons. But five points on its own product pages and terms explain why people look elsewhere.

• The caffeine. Spacegoods states 80 to 120 mg of caffeine per 8 g serving of its Coffee flavour, and the Holland & Barrett listing gives 120 mg. The NHS puts a mug of instant coffee at about 100 mg, so a serving is a full cup of coffee, not a lighter one.
• The price. A one-off bag of 30 servings costs £49.00, or £1.63 a cup: the highest price per cup in our top 5.
• The Starter Kit. The link most people follow lands on the Starter Kit, with free accessories on a first order, but Spacegoods' own FAQ says Starter Kits are for subscribers only. A single bag can still be bought one-off.
• The refund terms. The 60-day money-back guarantee covers one opened bag per product and per customer, claimed within 60 days of receiving your first order.
• The ashwagandha. Each serving contains 300 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha, an ingredient the Food Standards Agency has been reviewing since its 2024 call for evidence, with no final opinion published by 29 September 2026.

None of this makes Rainbow Dust a bad product, but it explains why some readers want the same idea with less caffeine or a lower price per cup. Our full Spacegoods review covers the label flavour by flavour.

The two labels as declared on each UK shop on 29 September 2026: Brainstoorm Chocolate (the version whose full label is published) and Rainbow Dust Coffee.

Read across the rows and the pattern is simple. On the mushrooms themselves it is a draw. On everything around them, Brainstoorm declares more (maca, fibre, cacao, rhodiola) with less caffeine and a lower price per cup, while Rainbow Dust has the real coffee base, far more reviews and a British factory.

This is the biggest difference between the two, and the one most readers are really asking about. A serving of Rainbow Dust Coffee contains 80 to 120 mg of caffeine, according to Spacegoods. Brainstoorm Chocolate contains 20 mg, according to Mush N Go. The NHS figures give the scale: about 100 mg in a mug of instant coffee and about 75 mg in a mug of tea.

In practice, one serving of Rainbow Dust replaces your coffee, while one cup of Brainstoorm replaces it with about a fifth of the caffeine. Spacegoods' FAQ allows up to three servings a day, which would mean 240 to 360 mg from Rainbow Dust alone; three cups of Brainstoorm would come to 60 mg.

Two groups should pay particular attention. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, the NHS advises no more than 200 mg of caffeine a day from all sources, and the Holland & Barrett listing for Rainbow Dust Coffee says it is not intended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. And if you drink your mushroom coffee in the afternoon, timing matters: in a small American study, 400 mg of caffeine taken six hours before bedtime still disturbed sleep. A 20 mg cup leaves far more room in the day.

Both brands start from the same trio: lion's mane, cordyceps and chaga, 1,000 mg each per 8 g serving, declared as fruiting bodies. If lion's mane is the reason you bought Spacegoods, you lose nothing on that ingredient by switching. Neither product contains reishi.

The difference is what comes next. Brainstoorm adds 3,000 mg of maca, 2,708 mg of acacia fibre, 1,400 mg of cacao, 200 mg of ashwagandha and 25 mg of rhodiola, plus xylitol and vitamin B5. That is 6,225 mg of declared actives per cup, the most complete formula in our top 5 and the only one that declares a dose of added fibre. Rainbow Dust adds 300 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha, 250 mg of maca, vitamin B5 and chicory root fibre (no dose given) to its coffee base, for 3,550 mg of declared actives by our count.

Two honest caveats. A longer label is not a proven effect: no trial has tested either drink, and the lion's mane studies used 1.8 g to 3 g a day, more than either cup provides. And milligrams of extract do not say how much raw mushroom went into them; neither brand gives one consistent ratio for all three mushrooms. What you can compare is the declared dose of each ingredient, and on that Brainstoorm prints more.

On ashwagandha, Brainstoorm contains a third less per serving (200 mg against 300 mg). Rare cases of liver injury linked to ashwagandha products have been reported, and the FSA review is still open, so if you are pregnant, have a liver condition or take regular medicines, read our page on lion's mane side effects and the other ingredients to check and ask your GP or pharmacist first. That advice applies to both drinks.

Prices on each brand's UK shop on 29 September 2026, for one-off purchases:

At every pack size Brainstoorm costs less per cup, from 36p less on a single pouch to 12p less on a three-month supply. Bigger packs narrow the gap, which is one point in Spacegoods' favour: its three-bag option brings Rainbow Dust down to £1.10 a cup.

Subscriptions work differently at each brand. Spacegoods reserves its Starter Kit for subscribers, refills monthly (or every three months with Buy 2, Get 1 Free), delivers free on a subscription and charges £3.99 for standard delivery otherwise. You cancel from your account, and Spacegoods says it sends no reminder before taking payment, so note your renewal date. Mush N Go also offers subscriptions on its site; check the terms and price on the day at checkout. If you prefer not to subscribe at all, both sell a single pouch one-off.

Both brands advertise a 60-day money-back guarantee, so on paper the risk of trying either is the same. The conditions differ.

• Spacegoods: you ask for a refund within 60 days of receiving your first order, and the guarantee covers one opened bag per product and per customer. Sealed products can be returned within 60 days. If you bought from a retailer rather than spacegoods.com, the retailer's own returns policy applies.
• Mush N Go: the UK shop advertises a 60-day money-back guarantee, and its refund policy runs for 60 days from receipt, with the product in its original packaging.

Our advice is the same for both: keep the order confirmation, note the date the parcel arrives, and read the refund page before you open a second pouch. If you are ordering several bags of Rainbow Dust at once, remember that only one opened bag per product is covered.

An honest comparison has to say where the other product is better, and Spacegoods has real strengths.

• A real coffee taste. Rainbow Dust Coffee is built on coffee. Brainstoorm's default UK recipe is a chocolate and hazelnut drink; its Coffee version is sold at the same price, but if you want a cup that is unmistakably coffee, Rainbow Dust is the more direct choice.
• Many more reviews. 9,716 Trustpilot reviews at 4.5 out of 5 on 29 September 2026, against 692 at 4.3 for Mush N Go. A score built on that many reviews is hard to move.
• Made in England. Spacegoods is based in London and ships from Birmingham; Brainstoorm is made in France.
• A decaf option. Its Decaf Coffee flavour has less than 10 mg of caffeine per serving, according to its help centre, even lower than Brainstoorm, though at the same price per cup as the other flavours.
• On the high street. Holland & Barrett sold Rainbow Dust Coffee (240 g) at a reference price of £39.00 on 29 September 2026, and tesco.com lists Rainbow Dust. Brainstoorm is sold online on Mush N Go's UK shop.
• Cheaper in bulk. The three-bag option brings Rainbow Dust to £1.10 a cup, closer to Brainstoorm.

These are good reasons to stay with Rainbow Dust if they matter more to you than caffeine and price.

There is no single winner for everybody, so here is our verdict by profile.

• You want less caffeine but still a warm morning cup: Brainstoorm, with 20 mg instead of 80 to 120 mg.
• You want the fullest label for your money: Brainstoorm, with 6,225 mg of declared actives at £1.27 a cup against 3,550 mg at £1.63.
• You drink it in the afternoon, or you are cutting down on caffeine: Brainstoorm.
• You want the taste and kick of a normal coffee: Rainbow Dust Coffee.
• You want as little caffeine as possible and do not mind the price: Rainbow Dust Decaf Coffee, under 10 mg.
• You want to buy in a shop, or from a British maker: Rainbow Dust.

For most people searching for a Spacegoods alternative, the reason is caffeine or price, and on both Brainstoorm is the better match. It keeps the same three mushrooms at the same dose, adds maca, fibre, cacao and rhodiola, and costs less per cup, with the same 60-day guarantee. That is why it sits at No. 1 in our UK mushroom coffee ranking, just ahead of Rainbow Dust. If you are new to the category, our guide to what mushroom coffee is and what goes into it explains the labels. Links to shops on this site are affiliate links, and both brands on this page are our partners.

What is the best Spacegoods alternative in the UK?

In our comparison it is Brainstoorm by Mush N Go, No. 1 in our UK ranking. It declares the same lion's mane, cordyceps and chaga at 1,000 mg each, adds maca, acacia fibre, cacao, ashwagandha and rhodiola for 6,225 mg of declared actives per cup, and has 20 mg of caffeine instead of 80 to 120 mg, at £1.27 a cup.

Is there a Spacegoods alternative with less caffeine?

Yes. Brainstoorm contains 20 mg of caffeine per cup in its Chocolate version, according to Mush N Go, against 80 to 120 mg for Rainbow Dust Coffee. Spacegoods' own Decaf Coffee flavour goes lower still, under 10 mg, but costs the same £49.00 a bag. The NHS puts a mug of instant coffee at about 100 mg.

Is Brainstoorm cheaper than Spacegoods?

Yes, at every pack size we compared on 29 September 2026: £1.27 a cup against £1.63 for 30 servings, £1.05 against £1.32 for 60, and £0.98 against £1.10 for 90. Both prices are one-off, before discount codes and delivery. Spacegoods' Starter Kit is reserved for subscribers, according to its FAQ.

Can I buy a Spacegoods alternative at Tesco or on Amazon?

Rainbow Dust itself is listed on tesco.com and sold by Holland & Barrett. Brainstoorm is sold online by Mush N Go on its UK shop, in pounds, which is also where the discount code shown on this page applies. We did not check marketplace listings, so buy from the brand to be sure of the product and the guarantee.