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Trying to sort through supplement options to find the best vitamin brands can feel completely overwhelming. Gone are the days when you could only find vitamins at specialty stores. Now, you can easily access hundreds of brands online, all with different ingredients, dosages and claims. So, how do you know which one is right for you?
The truth is that we are all so different, with varying genetics, lifestyles, age, gender and health statuses, so no product or brand is right for everyone. However, there are definitely certain things you should look for when trying to find the best vitamin brands for you.
In this article, we'll share the best vitamin brands plus details on how to choose the best one for you—including what to look for on supplement labels, what independent third-party certifications mean and red flags to look out for when making your decision.
Ritual offers multivitamins, protein powders and gut health products. It tops the list for women's vitamins because it offers products for different phases of a woman's life, since nutrient needs shift with age or pregnancy, and sends them directly to your house so you never run out. It uses well-researched, easy-to-absorb nutrients and cites a peer-reviewed clinical trial published in Frontiers in Nutrition supporting the effectiveness of its women's multivitamin in increasing vitamin D, folate and omega-3 levels. (However, it is worth noting that Ritual sponsored this study.)
It's also a certified B-corporation, which means it’s held to higher standards of social and environmental impact. Products are third-party tested for potency and purity—the brand coined the phrase "Made Traceable" to define its practice of transparency about sourcing and manufacturing practices.
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Transparent Labs cites transparency as its top priority for its products. The brand says that this isn't just about being truthful about what's in the product; it also refers to an ingredient's health claims that are backed and reviewed by its advisory board.
The Transparent Labs multivitamin includes several nutrients in bioavailable forms to help with absorption. Bioavailability means the body can absorb, use and store the vitamins and minerals in the supplement. The multivitamins also include a few extra nutrients you don't usually see in a multivitamin, like ashwagandha, an adaptogen known for its stress-relieving properties, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a potent antioxidant.
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Biosteel supplements offer a line of NSF-Certified for Sport supplements, which means they've been tested and approved by an independent organization to ensure they do not contain any banned substances that athletes may be tested for. It also verifies that they do not contain unsafe levels of contaminants, and that the ingredients listed on the label and the contents of the bottle actually line up. BioSteel’s products are aimed at hydration, and contain B vitamins to support healthy energy production and electrolytes like magnesium, sodium and potassium to replace sweat losses.
Hydration is a key factor in athletic performance, so BioSteel's products are designed to help athletes stay hydrated before, during and after exercise. BioSteel is sweetened with stevia, a plant-based sweetener, and uses natural coloring. Products range from powders designed to mix into water to premade sports drinks, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and protein powders.
Personalized vitamin brands are becoming increasingly popular as people seek to optimize their health and wellness. Persona Nutrition is a company that offers a customized supplement service, meaning every customer's supplement pack is unique to them. A big plus is the access to nutritionists and dietitians who can answer any questions about the supplements.
Customers take an online quiz about their health goals, diet, lifestyle and medical information to create a supplement plan tailored to the individual. Nutrients include essential vitamins and minerals, digestive enzymes and stress-supportive botanicals like ashwagandha. Persona states that every product is tested and given a certificate of analysis to ensure it meets safety and quality standards.
The founders of Real Vitamins cite their own struggles with sleep and mental health as the reason they started the company. Real Vitamins' products are designed to support stress relief, sleep and energy levels. The brand’s flagship product, "Real Chill," contains a blend of ingredients like magnesium glycinate, a form of magnesium used to support relaxation; L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea that reduces stress; and vitamin B6, which is essential for the production of neurotransmitters that regulate mood.
Products also highlight nutrients for joints, skin, immunity and gut health. The USA-made brand participates in third-party random sampling for quality, although sourcing and testing information is not readily available on the website.
If plant-based eating and environmental sustainability are important to you, MegaFood might be the right vitamin brand choice. It’s a Certified B Corporation, which means it meets rigorous social and environmental performance standards. Its products are certified non-GMO, and use certified organic ingredients.
The nutrients in Mega-Food vitamins are primarily derived from whole foods, which means they contain naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. The brand offers a wide variety of products, including multivitamins, B-complexes and single nutrients like vitamin D3 and iron. Since the supplements are food-derived, some people find them easier to digest than synthetic vitamins.
Microbiome Plus is a vitamin brand focused on gut health and microbiome support. Having a healthy gut microbiome takes a whole-systems approach with diet and lifestyle, but the right supplements can be essential to supporting gut health. Microbiome Plus' products are designed to support a healthy gut microbiome, which includes beneficial bacteria that aid in digestion, nutrient absorption and immunity.
The company uses a specific research-backed strain—L. Reuteri NCIMB 30242—which has been shown to be especially effective for supporting healthy cholesterol and
raising vitamin D levels—in its products. Microbiome Plus offers prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes designed to support gut health.
Vital Proteins provides high-quality collagen supplements—from powders to capsules to gummies in a variety of flavors. Collagen is a protein that provides structure to your hair, skin, nails, bones and joints. Our bodies produce less collagen as we age, but supplementing with collagen can support joint health, as seen in multiple studies, making it important for a wide range of people, from athletes to those with osteoarthritis.
Vital Proteins says its three values are "transparency, quality and clean labels." Products are made in NSF-certified, CGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices) facilities and are gluten and dairy free. They offer an assortment of product choices depending on health goals and preferences. Vital proteins also consults with a medical advisory board and uses clinical studies to validate their ingredients and products.
Thorne is a highly respected supplement brand that's a favorite among health professionals. The products are made in a CGMP Certified, NSF Certified for Sport facility and are third-party tested to ensure potency and purity. Thorne has taken the popularity of direct-to-consumer testing and paired it with its supplements to create a unique at-home testing experience.
How does this work? You order a test kit, collect your sample at home and send it back. Thorne will then analyze your results and recommend a supplement regimen based on your specific needs. While the initial cost of the testing kit and supplements can be expensive (tests start at $95 for a basic test up to $830 for the Advanced Health Panel), it may be worth it for people who want a tailored supplement experience. Home tests include options for examining stress, sleep, biological aging and gut health.
Think of vitamin supplements as a backup plan. Ideally, the vitamins and minerals you need come from your food first, and vitamin supplements fill in the gaps. A diverse and balanced diet should be your foundation, but supplements can help optimize health.
Some people have health conditions or are in life stages requiring extra nutrients—like pregnant people, people with chronic illness or even competitive athletes. Sometimes digestion or absorption can be impaired due to a health condition, or people may even have genetic predispositions that make it harder for them to absorb or utilize certain nutrients. In these cases, vitamins and minerals in supplement form can be helpful. It's always best to check with a healthcare professional if you aren't sure whether or not you need to supplement your diet.
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Not everyone needs a supplement. Children, for example, usually get all the nutrients they need from a healthy diet. And for healthy adults eating a varied diet in reasonably good health, vitamins may not be necessary, but they still could be beneficial.
When choosing a vitamin brand, it helps to start by examining why you are taking the supplement in the first place. Is it to improve your overall health, or are you trying to address a specific health concern?
What's important to you can dictate the type, and even the brand, of vitamin supplement you choose.
The ingredient label on your supplements gives you important information to help you decide. Like a food label, you can check for unwanted ingredients like fillers (added to supplement products to bulk them up), artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives. Many options don't have any of these, so there's no need to settle for something that does.
If you have food sensitivities or allergies, reading a label is also important to avoid accidentally taking in an ingredient that could trigger a reaction. Never assume something is free from your allergen if it doesn't explicitly say so on the bottle.
You don't need to spend a fortune on your supplements, but the reality is that not all supplements are created equal. Just because you find a jumbo-sized container of fish oil at an affordable price doesn't mean it's a good deal. In fact, it could be lower quality and less effective than a smaller bottle of a more expensive brand.
Some companies will spend more money on third-party testing or sourcing high-quality ingredients, which translates to a higher-priced product.
Third-party testing or certification means the product has been sent to an outside organization for verification. It won't tell you whether the product is effective, but it will confirm that it is safe and contains the ingredients listed on the label. This differs from the company making its own claim that a product is "safe and effective."
Some third-party testing companies have better reputations than others. The big names to look for are NSF International and U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP). It can be cost-prohibitive for small or new vitamin brands to pay for these, and it's absolutely possible to find good products without them. But if you're looking for an extra level of safety and quality assurance, these logos should be on the bottle.
You want your product dosage to match the effectiveness seen in research. Otherwise, you may not get the results you're looking for, or worse, you could take too much and experience side effects.
The tolerable upper limit is the maximum amount of a nutrient you can take in a day without experiencing adverse effects. Taking too much of specific vitamins and minerals can lead to issues like gastrointestinal distress, liver damage and birth defects.
Some supplements are toxic in higher doses and can be harmful. Taking multiple supplements with overlapping ingredients can put you at risk of taking too much of one nutrient. It's essential to be aware of the ingredients in your supplements and pay attention to your overall intake from each one.
Generally, any supplement that makes grandiose claims, uses shady marketing tactics or doesn't have a clear and accessible ingredient list is a big red flag. Instead, look for clear, transparent language with third-party testing to back up any claims.
First, beware of any supplement that makes outrageous claims. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Second, be cautious of any brand that's unclear about its ingredients or manufacturing process. And finally, don't trust a brand unwilling to back up its claims with evidence from research.
Not necessarily. Many factors go into the cost of supplements, and the price tag isn't always an indication of quality. But in general, you get what you pay for. So if a company is selling a product way below the competition, it's likely because they've cut corners somewhere—whether in the quality of ingredients, the manufacturing process or third-party testing.
Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.
Caitlin Beale, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and freelance health writer.