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Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:- Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
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- Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?
Garden of Life vitamins and supplements boast a traceable, clean, and carbon-neutral process. The brand’s products are available in retail stores and online. See how they measure up.
Garden of Life is one of the most popular supplement brands on the market. The company offers a variety of products that cover nearly every nutritional need, including protein powders and multivitamins.
Garden of Life takes supplement safety and quality seriously, which is why the company is often recommended by healthcare professionals like doctors and registered dietitians. Customers appreciate the array of nutrition products the company offers and its dedication to transparency.
In this article, we review Garden of Life and take an in-depth look at its products, quality, and safety standards, customer reviews, and more so that you can decide whether Garden of Life is the right fit for you.
Language Matters
Sex and gender exist on a spectrum. We use the terms “women” and “men” throughout this article to reflect the terms used in research and on supplement labels. But your gender identity may not align with what you were assigned at birth.
A doctor may be able to help you better understand what supplemental compounds your body needs.
Garden of Life is a supplement company that was founded in 2000 by Jordan Rubin and acquired by Nestlé Health Science in 2017.
The brand has maintained its B Corporation status, a private certification that measures a company’s environmental and social impact.
In order to be B Corporation certified, a company must meet strict standards for transparency and accountability on factors, such as employee benefits and charitable donations.
Here are some additional ways Garden of Life stands out from many other vitamin companies:
Transparency
Garden of Life takes pride in being as transparent as possible with its customers. The company has an entire website page dedicated to its traceability practices that outline its numerous certifications and the steps it takes to make sure customers are buying clean and safe products.
Third-party testing
Garden of Life products are manufactured by third-party certified facilities that meet or exceed
Many Garden of Life products are certified by third-party organizations, including NSF. Garden of Life also offers certified organic and gluten-free products.
Environmentally friendly
Garden of Life is the first supplement company to be certified carbon neutral, on both a brand and product level, by Carbonfund.org Foundation. Garden of Life has achieved this by choosing carbon-neutral shipping methods, eliminating plastics from its packaging, and creating sustainable products.
Additionally, many Garden of Life products are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified organic and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified, both of which require that every product ingredient must be traced back to its origin, such as organic farms and sustainably sourced seafood.
Quality ingredients
Garden of Life uses high quality ingredients in its supplements and food products, including absorbable forms of vitamins and minerals, grass-fed whey protein, and high potency probiotics.
Its supplements are free from artificial ingredients, including artificial sweeteners and fillers, making them an excellent choice for those who prefer natural, whole food-based products.
Availability
Unlike many other supplement brands, Garden of Life products are available in many brick-and-mortar stores, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, and are also sold on the Garden of Life website and other sites, such as Amazon, Thrive Market, and PureFormulas.
Pros
- Garden of Life offers a variety of nutrition products.
- Many of its products are certified organic and certified gluten-free.
- The sports performance products are NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Choice certified.
- Garden of Life uses high quality ingredients, including absorbable forms of nutrients and grass-fed whey protein.
- Garden of Life is a certified B Corporation.
- The company is certified carbon neutral by third-party certifier Carbonfund.org Foundation.
- Garden of Life products can be found in grocery stores and online.
- The products are manufactured by third-party certified facilities that meet or exceed the FDA’s CGMPs.
Cons
- Some of the products can be pricey.
- Some products contain sugar alcohols like erythritol, which some people may prefer to avoid.
- Some supplements contain propriety blends that don’t disclose how much of each ingredient is contained within the supplement.
Because Garden of Life offers so many products, prices vary. For example, most of its multivitamin supplements cost between $30 and $50, but specialty vitamins, like liquid formulations, are more expensive.
Protein powders generally fall in the $40–$60 range.
Although Garden of Life products are more expensive than many drugstore brands like Nature Made and Centrum, its prices reflect the quality of the products, including nutrient forms and ingredient choices.
Garden of Life products frequently go on sale, so customers can save money by using discount codes or in-store coupons.
Returns and warranty
Garden of Life offers a generous return policy. Any customer who’s unsatisfied with a Garden of Life product can return the item within 60 days of purchase.
Keep in mind that the customer is responsible for paying to ship the product back to the Garden of Life warehouse. Also, this return policy only applies to products purchased on the Garden of Life website.
Garden of Life doesn’t accept items purchased through other distributors as returns, but you might be able to make returns directly to the merchant of purchase.
How we researched Garden of Life
In order to give an honest and extensive review of Garden of Life products, we took a deep dive into Garden of Life products, its brand reputation, and how its products compare with competitors.
When researching Garden of Life products, we assessed its:
- ingredient choices
- nutrient forms
- sourcing
- third-party certifications
We also considered:
- pricing
- environmental impact
- customer satisfaction
Garden of Life offers a variety of nutrition products, including:
- vitamin and mineral supplements
- herbal blends
- probiotics
- protein powders
- collagen products
- greens powders
- coconut oil
- fiber supplements
- protein bars
Many of its supplements are designed to meet the needs of specific populations, such as:
- children
- pregnant people
- athletes
- older adults
It caters to people who have dietary restrictions or preferences. Some Garden of Life products are:
- certified vegan
- paleo-friendly
- keto-friendly
- certified gluten-free
- vegetarian-friendly
- certified organic
Many of its sports-specific products, such as its protein powders and pre-workout supplements, are NSF Certified for Sport. This is an independent third-party testing certificate verifying that products don’t contain any of more than 270 substances currently banned by major athletic organizations.
Additionally, some products are certified by Informed Choice, a dietary supplement testing program that regularly tests supplements for prohibited substances.
Garden of Life has a loyal customer following thanks to its dedication to producing high quality, effective products. Additionally, many of its products have made our best-of lists.
Below is a quick look at four Garden of Life supplements that have been featured on Healthline.
Garden of Life takes supplement quality and safety seriously. The Garden of Life website states that its products go through extensive third-party testing and that third-party certifications, such as USDA certified organic, ensure its products meet strict safety standards.
With that said, it’s always important to read supplement labels carefully and talk with a healthcare professional before adding any new supplements to your wellness routine.
Garden of Life products contain a wide variety of nutrients, compounds, herbs, fruits, and vegetables, some of which interact with certain prescription medications or are not appropriate for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have an underlying medical condition.
For safety purposes, don’t take more than the recommended dose of a supplement, unless recommended by a healthcare professional.
Here’s how Garden of Life stacks up against other popular supplement companies in terms of product offerings, price, certifications, and third-party testing.
| Brand | Products | Certifications |
|---|---|---|
| Garden of Life | • multivitamins • single nutrients • probiotics • omega-3s • prenatal • herbal supplements • protein powders • food | • USDA certified organic • NSF Certified for Sport • Informed Choice • vegan • Some products are NSF certified gluten-free. • non-GMO • certified kosher |
| Nature Made | • multivitamins • single nutrients • probiotics • omega-3s • prenatal | • USP verified |
| MegaFood | • multivitamins • single nutrients • probiotics • prenatal • herbal supplements | • USDA certified organic • non-GMO • certified glyphosate residue-free • certified vegan • certified kosher |
| Ritual | • multivitamins • probiotic • prenatal • protein powder | • Some supplements are USP verified. • Some products are non-GMO. • Some products are Informed Sport certified. |
| HUM Nutrition | • multivitamins • probiotics • omega-3s • single nutrients • herbal supplements | • Clean Label Project certified • non-GMO |
Online customer reviews for Garden of Life are mostly positive. For example, at time of publication, the company’s Dr. Formulated Once Daily Men’s Probiotics has over 10,000 reviews on Amazon, 78% of which are 5 stars.
Customers seem to appreciate Garden of Life’s dedication to transparency. Many reviews mention that taking Garden of Life supplements has improved their health. A number of reviews also mention that Garden of Life has excellent customer service and that customers were pleased with how they were treated by company employees.
Less favorable reviews note that some of the protein powders don’t taste good and that some Garden of Life supplements are too expensive.
Yes. Overall, Garden of Life is a high quality supplement brand. Garden of Life offers a variety of products, including protein powders and multivitamins, that contain effective ingredients derived from whole foods.
Its products are third-party tested, and many Garden of Life products, such as its sport supplements, are certified by third-party organizations like NSF.
Short answer, no, its vitamins are not manufactured in China.
The company does source ingredients from Canada, China, Germany, and the United States among other countries. Garden of Life also sells products to partners in China, but everything is manufactured in the United States.
One of the benefits of Garden of Life products is that, unlike many other supplement companies, its products are available in many brick-and-mortar stores, such as grocery stores like Whole Foods as well as supplement and drug stores like GNC and Walgreens.
You can also purchase Garden of Life products directly from the Garden of Life website or through websites like Amazon, Thrive Market, and PureFormulas.
Yes. According to the company, all Garden of Life products are tested by a third party to ensure label claim accuracy. The company keeps certificates of analysis (COAs) on record for all raw materials.
COAs are documents that verify that a supplement or material has undergone testing and meets specific quality standards. What’s more, all finished products are tested contaminants such as heavy metals, microbial growth, and pathogenic species such as E. coli and Salmonella.
Garden of Life is a supplement company that offers an impressive selection of nutrition products, including multivitamins, specialty supplement blends, protein powders, and food products.
The Garden of Life products go through extensive third-party testing, and some products are verified by third-party organizations like NSF and Informed Choice.
Plus, a number of Garden of Life products are certified gluten-free and vegan, which makes them a good choice for people with dietary restrictions.
What’s more, Garden of Life products are available in many popular stores, such as Whole Foods and GNC. This makes it a convenient choice for those who prefer shopping for supplements in person rather than online.
Just make sure to talk with a trusted healthcare professional before taking any new supplements.
