It is not hyperbole to admit that not a single day that goes without being asked “what are the best supplement brands?” I get it—as someone who has been writing, investigating, interviewing, and reading up on wellness trends, modalities, and supplements for nearly a decade, I am more well-versed than the average person.
I’ve come to learn that the supplement space is notoriously tricky—I liken it to playing a game of Clue, trying to figure out what’s really effective, trustworthy, and safe amongst marketing fluff, miracle fix-alls, and sponsored ads. One reason? Supplements fall into a regulatory gray zone between what’s considered food and what’s considered pharmaceuticals. “In the United States, supplements are regulated under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, which allows products to go to market without pre-approval for safety or efficacy,” says Taylor Fazio, MS, RD, SPN, a registered dietician and wellness adviser for The Lanby. “That creates variability in quality, dosing accuracy, and marketing claims.”
Vogue’s Favorite Supplement Brands:
At the same time, consumer demand for wellness solutions has skyrocketed—data insights from the Global Wellness Institute forecast that the global wellness industry is projected to reach $9.8 trillion by 2029. This demand has caused a snowball effect and a flurry of new supplement brands have popped up left and right, meaning more confusion in the marketplace and a gap between great marketing and scientific evidence. “Supplements are often marketed as shortcuts to better health, longevity, or beauty, yet the evidence base ranges from robust to very limited depending on the product,” Fazio adds. “There are excellent, rigorously tested products on the market. There are also products with poor bioavailability, undisclosed contaminants, inaccurate labeling, or exaggerated claims.”
Essentially—while the FDA technically does regulate supplements, it’s primarily around manufacturing quality and safety, requiring companies to follow current good manufacturing practices and taking action against products that are compromised or mislabeled. Much of the regulatory enforcement occurs after a product is already available to consumers, meaning if there are issues, you might find out after it’s already been recalled. “The FDA does not have sufficient resources and power to police claims, oversee products, and shut down facilities as needed,” explains nutrition and health expert Gerda Endemann, PhD. “And unfortunately there are a few bad players out there who make outrageous claims and unsafe products, and people don’t know how to distinguish these exceptions from the many responsible supplement manufacturers.” The biggest issue becomes that the burden of discernment falls on us, the consumers, which is less than ideal.
And that’s where we come in! To help give a more comprehensive look, I took a deep dive into the supplement world and asked top dietitians, nutritionists, health experts, and more everything you need to know about how to pick the best supplement brands out in the crowded, oversaturated marketplace. Basically, use this as a starting point when considering your next ingestible. These are the brands Vogue trusts the most.
Best Supplement Brand With Research Backing: Thorne
Thorne has a strong reputation among many practitioners for its gold-standard third-party testing process, commitment to good manufacturing processes, and high-quality ingredients. It also has a state-of-the-art lab that conducts 100,000+ quality control tests on their supplements; every supplement it manufactures undergoes at least four rounds of testing to ensure it meets its stringent standards.
Many of its formulas, like their creatine, for example, carry the NSF Certified for Sport certification. That means it’s often trusted by professional athletes because it’s rigorously tested for compliance to ensure the absence of nearly 300 substances banned by many major athletic organizations, giving users in general full confidence in their quality. “Thorne is a brand I trust for its manufacturing standards and research alignment,” says Fazio. “The company manufactures in facilities that follow current Good Manufacturing Practices and invests heavily in identity, purity, and potency testing.” Many of its formulations also avoid unnecessary ingredients and provide clear and clinically meaningful dosing. “It also maintains partnerships with academic institutions and professional organizations, which reflects a commitment to scientific credibility,” adds Fazio. Some of the organizations it collaborates with are Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Columbia University, Mount Sinai Health System, the National Institutes of Health, and more. It also works with independent researchers, with over 40 of its products in clinical trials throughout the world.
Best Supplement Brand for Transparency: Ritual
From the get-go, Ritual has always placed transparency first—so much so that it has an entire section of their website dedicated to its signature Made Traceable method. Ritual supplements have quite the long list of certifications across the board: They’re not only Clean Label Project certified, but they’ve also won the Clean Label Purity Award, which means they are tested for 200+ environmental contaminants and harmful chemicals like heavy metals, pesticide residues, plasticizers, and antibiotic residues. Ritual is also Non-GMO Project Verified, meaning it doesn’t use any genetically modified ingredients and is third-party tested for major US food allergens, heavy metals, and microbes.
Its Essential Multivitamin for Women 18+ is USP-verified (United States Pharmacopeia) and its Essential Protein is Informed Sport Verified—all of which it conveniently and clearly lists on its website. Ritual also made a $5 million commitment to funding human clinical studies on all its formulations to give users even more assurance, and its transparency around heavy metal testing goes beyond—it even shares COAs with customers. “In my opinion, Ritual is one of the most honest and transparent supplement brands on the market,” says Erica Casavecchia, MS, a New York–based integrative nutritionist and founder of Casawell Health. “Its ingredients have very rigorous testing procedures and are Made Traceable, which means it publicly shares the exact city, state, and country of manufacturing for all ingredients, as well as the supplier name, so you know the exact sources of your supplements. This is an extremely high level of transparency that not all brands offer, which I personally love to see.”
Plus the brand is ClimeCo certified, which verifies a product’s full life cycle carbon footprint and gives a path forward for companies committed to reducing their environmental impact. (Through ClimeCo, it makes equal investments in renewable energy by supporting wind farm projects in South Dakota).
Best Supplement Brand for Quality Control: Pure Encapsulations
Pure Encapsulations is another favorite among the medical community thanks to its third-party testing to verify quality and purity. It makes many products in its own state-of-the-art facility in Massachusetts, where each product is formulated and produced to be cGMP-certified (current Good Manufacturing Practices) and FDA-compliant. That kind of control over its ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, and testing means less room for error or discrepancies. Its formulas are hypoallergenic, meaning they are free from common allergens such as gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, and more, as well as made with no unnecessary ingredients, artificial colors, fillers, or additives, which is crucial for those with allergies, sensitivities, or compromised immune systems. “These hypoallergenic formulations and clean excipients are especially helpful for sensitive populations,” says registered dietician Isabel Smith, MS RD CDN.
Its testing also goes above and beyond what basic requirements call for—it tests both raw materials and the finished product for purity, potency, heavy metals, microbial contaminants, pesticides, and more. “Pure Encapsulations is known for their transparent labeling, hypoallergenic formulations, strong quality control standards, and robust internal testing protocols,” says Fazio. “The company is explicit about ingredient sourcing and manufacturing processes, which supports consistency and traceability across batches.”
Best Supplement Brand for Traceability: Nordic Naturals
Whether you’re focusing on cardiovascular health, cognitive support, or foundational daily nutrition, Nordic Naturals puts ethical sourcing, sustainability, and purity and freshness standards at the top. It’s known (and loved) for its fish oil—but it holds the other supplements at the same standards too. “Nordic Naturals is particularly amazing for omega-3s,” says Smith. “It has strong third-party testing and high-quality sourcing from clean fisheries.” Its many omega-3 supplements are Friend of the Sea certified, IGEN, Non-GMO certified, and third-party tested—you can also get the COA (certificate of analysis) for the specific lot number of the product you purchased, meaning it goes above and beyond to build trust and confidence with its customers. “What earns my trust is consistency: batch testing, transparent sourcing, appropriate dosing, and formulations that reflect clinical understanding,” says Smith. “Companies like Nordic Naturals don’t rely on marketing trends—they do the research and use experts to discuss the benefits of their products.”
Best Natural Supplement Brand: Hilma
For those who are looking for clean, plant-based, natural remedies, Hilma is where clinical meets herbal—and the brand has gone above and beyond to ensure its offerings are safe, efficacious, and high-quality. Its supplements contain very minimal “other ingredients,” meaning they don’t contain unnecessary fillers which diminish the quality of the supplements, and all of its ingredients are plant-derived and vegan certified.
“I love Hilma’s dedication to all-natural and targeted solution-based supplements that support digestion, sleep, and immune function,” says Casavecchia. “Hilma supplements are formulated by a team of doctors and specialists to create products that are effective, safe, and trustworthy—they also third-party test and go through four rounds of testing to ensure the highest standards. This kind of testing is not common and provides a level of quality that not all brands offer.” Those four rounds include raw material testing, in-process testing, finished product testing, and stability testing for total confidence in quality. Hilma’s formulas are done with a scientific advisory board, including MDs, a PhD, an ethnobotanist, and a herbalist, for assurance that they’re well-researched and effective. It also is Clean Label Project Certified, which means its products are tested and free of heavy metals, plasticizers, and pesticides, and are certified vegan. The accessibility is also a major high point—the formulas are offered at a wide range of stores like Target, CVS, Walmart, and more.
Best Supplement Brand With Efficacy Testing: Seed
With a scientific advisory board that includes the top experts in microbiome research and clinical science, Seed focuses on nuts-to-bolts testing and scientific evidence. To evaluate the survival of its probiotics, it uses a Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME), which essentially is a system that mimics digestion and the human gastrointestinal tract. By recreating the physiological conditions and biological processes that happen during digestion, Seed is able to validate the survival of its probiotics (it provides bioavailable forms of all the nutrients) to ensure the actives make it to the gut microbiome. “When it comes to supplements, some of the most innovative research and technology I’ve seen is with Seed’s very own lab, SeedLab—its very own research and development division,” says Casavecchia. “Very few brands have their own lab or this level of rigorous research behind products.” It also completes double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials, as well as human clinical work, strain-specific clinical research, and in vitro data generation to help advance microbiome and probiotic science.
That testing not only helps ensure bioavailability and efficacy, but also tests for purity, potency, and contaminants. “I love that Seed tests for Glyphosate exposure, which is an extremely dangerous and harmful pesticide,” says Casavecchia. “Another incredible feature of Seed’s quality testing is that it goes beyond what’s required for the FDA and also adheres to global quality standards outlined by Japan’s Foods for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).”
Best Affordable Supplement Brand: Nature Made
A lot of times high-quality supplements can come with a matching high price tag. But with Nature Made, quality doesn’t mean expensive—many of its offerings are available under $20. The brand has been around since 1971 and it has partnered with the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) for over 30 years to help develop the standards of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMPs). It has experts—naturopathic doctors, registered dietitians, and PhDs—on staff to evaluate new nutrition science and drive innovation; plus it’s also USP verified.
Nutrition and health expert Gerda Endemann, PhD, says she looks for quality control and commitment to useful, reasonably priced formulas when evaluating her own supplementation, with Nature Made being one brand she uses herself. “I trust the quality of brands that obtain certifications by the USP (US Pharmacopeia), NSF International, and the Natural Products Association (NPA),” she says. “I also trust the larger companies that have been around for a while—they know the FDA’s regulations and guidelines and try harder to follow them, not only because they have greater expertise, but also because they have more to lose if they are caught breaking the rules.”
Best Supplement Brand for Absorption: Cymbiotika
When it comes to supplementation, it’s not just about what you take, it’s also about the form of what you’re taking, which can affect the absorption of nutrients. If absorption is low, it’s not really as effective in giving your body what you think it is. “The term liposomal means that the nutrients in the supplements are delivered inside little tiny fat-based bubbles, which are called liposomes, making a safe and more efficient delivery of nutrients into the body,” says Casavecchia. “The liposomal form of Cymbiotika’s supplements create more bioavailability and helps to enhance the absorption of the nutrients into the body.”
Cymbiotika is also committed to not using artificial ingredients, synthetic ingredients, or preservatives in its formulas. Instead, it opts for non-GMO, plant-based, gluten, and soy-free, to help tailor to a wide range of dietary needs. “Cymbiotika has unique whole food and superfood ingredients, like their cassava-derived ascorbic acid, while most brands use synthetic or corn-derived products usually made with potentially harmful or less effective genetically modified ingredients,” adds Casavecchia. Cymbiotika’s ingredients are all third-party tested and GMP-certified too.
Best Clinically Backed Supplement Brand: Nutrafol
Hair loss and shedding is of the biggest growing concerns in the wellness industry, and Nutrafol is one of the leading brands taking a clinically backed approach. Nutrafol has conducted 20 clinical studies on its supplements and continues its research to ensure the formulas are on par with modern scientific advancements to deliver results. It publishes the entirety of its methods, what the methods mean, and more on their website for full transparency. It also publishes its research in scientific journals, meaning it is evaluated thoroughly by scientific experts for reliability—ensuring that the impressive results aren’t a one-off but consistent. Its research has been featured in 22 scientific outlets and 14 medical journal publications, all of which they link out to for visibility.
Best Functional Medicine Supplement Brand: Metagenics
Metagenics is trusted by health care professionals all over the world; I first heard of it through functional medicine practitioner and cofounder of Function Health Mark Hyman, MD, but it’s been around over 40 years—and for good reason. Each ingredient is diligently vetted and each product is exhaustively tested (including a microbial analysis) for heavy metals, pesticides, solvent residues, environmental contaminants, and common allergens including gluten.
Through its TruQuality initiative, it brings a new wave of transparency in testing by providing practitioners and patients full access to the data from all analytical tests performed on every lot of Metagenics’s products dating back for two years. It uses third-party verification for non-GMO, gluten-free, and organic sourcing; it is Non-GMO Project Verified; and it offers transparent batch-specific Certificates of Analysis. “Metagenics is a brand I trust and recommend often as it has a long-standing presence in the functional and integrative medicine space and emphasizes research-informed formulations, quality assurance testing, and practitioner education,” says Fazio. “Its products are typically designed with therapeutic dosing in mind rather than consumer-facing trends.” It is also independently rated by SuppCo’s TrustScore system, which evaluates multiple benchmarks of product quality (more on that below).
Everything You Need to Know
How to Know Which Supplement Brands Are Reputable
Across all brands, there’s a few key takeaways of what makes a supplement brand reputable. “What builds trust for me is consistency, transparency, and alignment with published human data,” says Fazio. “No supplement replaces foundational lifestyle medicine, but when used appropriately and sourced responsibly, they can be powerful adjuncts in a comprehensive health strategy.” Below, a few helpful guidelines on what to look for.
Certifications are crucial as a top line way to evaluate a brand. “Credible third-party certification seals on packaging, such as USP Verified from United States Pharmacopeia, certification from NSF International, or testing verification from ConsumerLab.com, indicate that the product has undergone independent evaluation for identity, potency, purity, and manufacturing quality beyond basic regulatory requirements,” says Fazio. These seals do not validate efficacy claims, but they do help confirm manufacturing standards and label accuracy.” You can also look for a COA (Certificate of Analysis). “Consumers should also review whether a company provides certificates of analysis (a.k.a. a COA) upon request, even if a formal seal is not displayed on packaging,” adds Fazio. “That adds a layer of reassurance that consumers can verify the authenticity of the ingredients listed.” A look at the certifications we look for, below.
- USP (USP Verified)
- GMP-certified (Good Manufacturing Processes)
- NSF International (NSF Certified for Sport / NSF Contents Tested & Certified)
- NPA (Natural Products Association)
- ConsumerLab approval
- Informed Choice (especially for athletes)
- Friend of the Sea certified
“These certifications indicate independent testing for purity, potency, and contaminants,” says Smith. “That said—absence of a logo doesn’t automatically mean low quality. Some high-end practitioner brands perform rigorous third-party testing but don’t pay for certification marks. Transparency is key.”
Knowledge is power, so it’s important to do your own research—it can help you evaluate between different brands and narrow down exactly what you’re looking for. An educated consumer is not an easily influenced consumer. “I love the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements,” explains Endemann. “They have the latest on research, health benefits, news, and more.”
While it’s still in the beta stages, I’ve also seen great things with the app SuppCo. It does some heavy lifting for you: Its TrustScore uses a proprietary rating system to score brands and products on a 10-point scale, evaluating criteria from manufacturing standards and product certifications to testing benchmarks and product quality indicators. From there, it can add even more data, like price per serving, user popularity, and even how it measures up to other supplements you’re taking. I especially love this feature—it helps users see how much of a certain vitamin or mineral they’re getting and offers advice or suggestions on what to take a deeper look at.
Third-party testing is important because it is backed by multiple clinical studies, which are considered the most scientifically rigorous form of research. “Third-party testing protects consumers from three major risks: contamination (heavy metals, microbes, pesticides), mislabeling (wrong dose, wrong ingredient), and adulteration (undeclared stimulants or pharmaceuticals),” says Smith. “An independent lab verifies that what’s on the label is actually in the bottle, and in the correct amount.” Fazio adds that “an independent lab adds an additional layer of accountability and reduces reliance solely on the manufacturer’s internal quality controls or consumer discernment.”
“Ingredient transparency is important and something I always encourage my clients to look for when shopping for trustworthy supplement brands,” says Casavecchia. “Companies that are extremely transparent about the sourcing of all of their ingredients, sharing exactly where they’re manufacturing all of them, as well as the supplier name, is helpful so consumers know the exact sourcing of supplements.”
“Nutrients are only as good as their origin,” says Smith. “Traceable sourcing ensures that the botanical is correctly identified, it’s grown in clean soil, it’s harvested at the right potency, and hasn’t been contaminated during processing.” An example? “Curcumin sourced from one region may have dramatically different bioactive compound levels than another,” adds Smith. “Traceability protects both safety and efficacy.”
Unnecessary additives and ingredients can tamper or dilute a supplement’s effectiveness. "Inactive ingredients are not inherently harmful, but dyes, artificial sweeteners, and excessive fillers are largely unnecessary and provide no benefit,” says Fazio. “Some individuals are sensitive to certain additives that can contribute to gastrointestinal discomfort or immune reactivity in certain populations. A simple, clean formulation reflects intentional design.”
Beyond ingredients, clear dosages on the label ensures you know the precise amount of each ingredient you’re consuming—which can help when looking at your levels and needs comprehensively, ensuring you’re not taking too much or too little. “Labels should clearly disclose all active ingredients and exact dosages without relying on proprietary blends that obscure meaningful amounts,” says Fazio.
Be cautious of any extravagant claims or promises made by the supplement company—if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. “The FDA has strict rules about claims that products may make about efficacy,” explains Endemann. “Supplements may not claim to prevent or cure any medical condition, even if evidence does exist that they may be helpful.”
How We Tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—from board-certified dermatologists to health experts—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to the best supplement brands, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredient sourcing, third-party testing, certifications, supplement types, packaging, and the wellness concerns they address. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each brand with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet the Experts
- Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian, host of The Wellfuel Podcast, and CEO and founder of Isabel Smith Nutrition.
- Taylor Fazio, MS, RD, SPN, is a New York–based registered dietician and wellness adviser for The Lanby.
- Erica Casavecchia, MS, is a New York–based Integrative Nutritionist and certified Functional Nutrition Health Coach and founder of Casawell Health.
- Gerda Endemann, PhD, is a nutrition and health expert with over 20 years of experience analyzing scientific research on nutrition, supplements, and health. She holds a BS in nutrition from the University of California at Berkeley and a PhD in nutritional biochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has conducted scientific research on heart disease, fat metabolism, and nutrition in academic laboratories and in biotech, and she has served as an adjunct faculty member at Stanford University.