If you have been paying attention to the news and internet lately, odds are you might have heard about kratom. Kratom is a substance derived from a species of plant native to Southeast Asia and has been used by indigenous people for centuries. Kratom has been praised by western consumers thanks to its potential therapeutic properties. Those who use kratom claim that it can help reduce anxiety, aid indigestion, relieve pain, and enhance mood. There are even stories about people using kratom to help manage opioid withdrawal.
So, if you are curious about trying kratom, it can be hard to know where to start. That is why we put together this comprehensive guide on the best kratom vendors on the market today. Our goal is to provide high-quality information so you can make an informed choice. We have hand-picked some of our favorite kratom vendors and also have included a section on general topics related to kratom.
Highest Rated Vendors of 2021
Here are our finalists:
- Starlight Kratom- Green Malay– Editor’s Choice
- Maneng Daddy- Runner Up
- Remarkable Herbs- Good Reviews
- Club 13 Kratom- Wide Variety
- OPMS Gold Kratom- Travel Packs
- Choice Botanicals Kratom- Flavor Options
How We Made This List
A lot of review websites will just google the words “kratom: and write a few sentences about the first few hits that come up. We like to be thorough though so we have vetted over 60 companies and condensed them to the 6 that you see on this list. Our analysis and rankings are based on a combination of company research, user testimonials, and our personal experiences using kratom products.
We strive to be as objective as possible when ranking companies to include on our lists. To that end, here are some important criteria we look for when making selections.
Ingredient Quality
Obviously, when it comes to kratom, the most important thing is the quality of the ingredients. We make sure to choose online companies that make their kratom from genuine specimens of the kratom plant and that all ingredients are sourced in an ethical and sustainable manner. The kratom plant needs to be grown in the correct conditions and harvested at the right time to get the correct yield of product.
Manufacturing Process
Humans have been using kratom for centuries in a variety of preparations. The most common way to produce kratom powder is the same method that has been used for generations. Leaves of the kratom plant are picked and dried under the heat and sun. The dry leaves are then mulched into a fine powder which can be directly ingested or added to food/drink. We make sure that all companies that we pick do not add extra substances into their kratom and that they manufacture it in a way consistent with existing health standards and codes.
Potency
Kratom potency is measured in mg. There is no medically agreed-upon standard of what a proper dose is, but most recreational users say 1-2 grams is a good starting point. We make sure that all companies that we list explicitly label their products with concentrations and amounts so you can know exactly how much product you are ingesting. Kratom products can be sold in large quantities; up to 50-60 grams per package.
Variety of Strains
There is an uncountable number of strains of kratom, each of which has its own unique profile and accents. It is generally good practice for newbies to try several varieties of kratom when just starting out. So we make sure to pick companies for our list that have a large variety of strains and blends to try. Kratom strains will affect individuals differently so it may take some experimenting to find your sweet spot.
Customer Experience (Shipping/Returns/Etc.)
Customer experience is an important part of any retail joint. In fact, almost half of consumers say that a bad customer experience will turn them off visiting a brand in the future. So we research the typical customer experience for the companies that we include. Customer experience includes things such as: whether the website is friendly to navigate, how the shipping process works, what policies on returns and exchanges are, and how the support team is.
Price
And of course, price is also important. Based on our research, the average price for 1 ounce (28g) of kratom is about $12-13, give or take a dollar. The more you buy at once, the cheaper the product is per unit of mass. 8 ounces of kratom (250g) generally costs between $40-$55 and 1 kilo (1,000g) or more of kratom is around $140-$170. Some higher potency blends of kratom can cost up to $250 per kilo.
So based on these numbers, a good price for 500g of kratom would most likely cost between $65-$80, give or take $5-$10. We make sure that any company we include on our list has kratom prices in this consumer-friendly range.
Best Kratom Vendors Product Info
1. Starlight Kratom – Green Malay – Editor’s Choice
First up on our list is Starlight Kratom and their Green Malay powder kratom blend. Starlight kratom is known for its high-quality kratom blends and sources all of its products from tropical rainforests native to the Malay region of Southeast Asia. All of their kratom products go through extensive testing before they hit shelves and go to consumers. Starlight Kratom vets their supply chain to make sure they are not buying from manufacturers that traffic in unethical products or practices.
Starlight Kratom’s mission is to ‘progress and strive to increase awareness of wellness alternatives.” To that end, they offer a wide range of holistic health products to promote mind-body balance. All products are made 100% free from dangerous pathogens and other harmful materials like lead or arsenic, and they provide third-party lab testing on all products to ensure quality, accuracy, and purity.
Starlight Kratom offers its kratom products in powder or capsule form. They also offer several strains of product, including red dragon kratom, red maeng da kratom, white Borneo kratom, and green kratom. This selection gives enough options for a newbie to experiment with different blends of kratom.
All of Starlight Kratom products are also vegan and 100% free from synthetic products. The capsules can be taken directly with a glass of water or you can mix their powder products with food and drink. They offer a 60 capsule bottle for 40 USD and a 25 capsule bottle for 20 USD. A single 8g (1 ounce) ouch of kratom powder costs just around 20 USD. Starlight Kratom offers fast and expedited shipping on orders and the average order takes about 2 business days to arrive.
Starlight also offers a 30-day money-back policy. If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, you can contact the company, get a return shipping label, and send it back. They will look at the return request and determine if you were rejected or approved for a refund. If you are approved, they will refund you with the method you used to originally buy the kratom.
Overall, Starlight Kratom is a great kratom vendor and ranks very highly on our list. They have a wide range of products, a good online presence, and a high-quality guarantee. You can inspect individual lab reports on their website. To check the purity of blends and there are different size denominations to buy from. We also like that they have a generous return and refund policy. So if you are looking for good kratom products, then we highly recommend Starlight Kratom.
Purchase Green Malay Kratom Now
2. Remarkable Herbs – Good Reviews
Up in third place on our roundup is Remarkable Herbs. This company is based on what they call ‘ethnobotany,’ the practice of studying plants and the cultural context in which their use first arose. To that end, Remarkable Herbs takes its cue from traditional practices when preparing their kratom blends and strives to provide the freshest and most authentic kratom experience. Remarkable Herbs also trades in various species of the kava plant and blends of herbs, seeds, and mushrooms.
Remarkable Herbs kratom products are all made from strains of the kratom plant. Each batch undergoes rigorous batch blending to get the optimal concentration of alkaloids. Each bath is lab-tested by third-party companies to ensure purity and the absence of harmful substances like heavy metals and pathogens. Remarkable Herbs also packages all their kratom products in a special oxygen barrier that prevents the powder from drying out while being shipped. Among the varieties of kratom strains you can choose are green vein Indo, red vein Bali, green vein Malay, red maeng da, and more. You can buy products in sizes of 1 ounce, 3 ounces, 8 ounces, and 20 ounces. All packaging processes are also GMP compliant as well.
Remarkable Herbs has been around since 2001 and is one of the longest-running kratom companies in the country. They not only perform individual sales but they are also a major wholesale supplier to health food stores in the US. So if you have a store and want to feature Remarkable Herbs’ products, you can contact them and talk to a representative.
3. Club 13 Kratom – Wide Variety
If you are looking for the widest variety of kratom, then Club 13 Kratom has your number. They offer a wide range of kratom products including several strings, capsules, tea leaves, powders, and more. Their specialty is red maeng kratom but they also offer the most popular white and green strains. They also have their signature kratom connoisseur blend of powder that is a mixture of their best kratom powders to give you a smooth and energetic pick-me-up during the day. Club 13’s blend of kratom is grown at a specific pH to maximize yield and blend quality.
Club 13 offers CBD products in addition to kratom and has free 3-day shipping on all orders above $50. Club 13 also offers a 30-day money-back policy on all unused and unopened products. Keep in mind that they will not refund initial shipping costs if you did not get free shipping.
Club 13 has been around since 1999 and is one of the leading kratom providers. They independently test all of their products to ensure high-quality standards are met and they also test for harmful substances like mold, fungus, pathogens, and heavy metals. Club 13 also allows for bulk and wholesale orders so if you own a health food store you can feature their products by contacting a representative.
Overall, Club 13 Kratom is an excellent choice for first-time kratom users. You can choose a wide variety of products and they offer free shipping on orders over $50. Club 13 is also very well known in the kratom market as they have been around for a long time and have made quite the impression among consumers.
4. OPMS Gold Kratom – Travel Packs
OPMS Kratom is another high-quality manufacturer of kratom. OPMS made our list because of their unique specialty travel pack blends of kratom. These packs of kratom are perfect if you are on the go and need a quick pick-me-up. Each kratom product is made in capsule form so you can pop a few in the morning and the rest of the day will be smooth sailing. OPMS uses a special high-pressure low-temperature method of alkaloid extraction that makes the powder mixture more potent and lasts longer in storage. This method of extraction is what explains OPM’s very high-quality kratom blends.
OPM also has great reviews online from users. The vast majority of users claim that their kratom packs help manage their pain and relaxation. All of OPM’s product line is tested for purity and quality before it hits shelves and the company implements measures to help consumers distinguish between authentic OPM products and fake knock-offs.
The major downside is that you cannot buy OPM capsules directly from the company’s website. They primarily sell to retailers in wholesale so you have to find a location that sells them near you. Fortunately, OPMS products are sold all over the country as they are one of the most well-known kratom manufacturers. The company lab-tests all of its products for quality and ensures that strict guidelines are followed during the manufacturing process.
Overall, we rank OPMS highly based on the quality of their products. They make kratom products using a special patented method that is superior to the traditional method of boiling leaves. The result is potent capsules of kratom that can give you an energy boost throughout the day. They do not offer much in variety of kratom products but what they offer is extremely convenient.
5. Maeng Daddy – Runner Up
Maeng Daddy is a variety of kratom products that is owned and operated by NuWave Botanicals, an extremely popular manufacturer of alternative health and beauty products. Maeng Daddy is NuWave’s foray into the kratom world and the brand brings high-quality kratom to you in convenient capsule form. NuWave’s Maeng Daddy blends are made with premium maeng da kratom, which is considered by many to be the highest quality leaf available. Maeng da is known to improve mood, concentration, energy, and focus.
All of Maeng Daddy’s products are made from all-natural ingredients, are free from GMO products, are not made with pesticides or growth hormones, and are cultivated using ethical and sustainable practices. Further NuWave Botanicals claims that it tests all of its products using third-party companies before they hit shelves.
Maeng Daddy kratom comes in convenient capsule form. A single capsule contains about 1.5 grams of kratom and an entire container either comes with 125 or 250 capsules. As such, an appropriate dosage of kratom from Maeng Daddy is about 1-2 capsules. The only extra ingredient in the kratom product is the gelatin used to make the capsule shells, which is not biologically active and is dissolved by the body without any side effects.
NuWave Botanicals uses USPS and FedEx for all their ground shipping. The exact shipping cost varies depending on how much you buy, where you live, and when you buy it. It is important to realize that NuWave Botanicals cannot ship to a handful of states in the US, including Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin.
NuWave also offers a generous 100% money-back policy on all unused products. You can return unused and unopened products for a full refund or store credit. Keep in mind that refunds do not count shipping costs and you are responsible for shipping the product in the first place.
Overall, Maeng Daddy is a great addition to NuWave’s lineup of natural health products. The quality is high, NuWave has a good public reputation online, and they offer high-quality, lab-tested CBD products as well. We highly recommend buying your kratom from them.
6. Choice Botanicals Kratom – Flavor Options
Last but not least on our list is Choice Botanicals Kratom. Choice Botanicals was first founded in 2010 and has since cultivated a number of close relationships with locally-owned farms in Thailand to source their kratom leaves. Choice Botanicals is based out of Houston, TX, and ships all over the country, as well as wholesale shipping for retailers. Choice Botanicals offers a wide range of kratom products including capsules, powders, and liquids, and they also have a huge range of flavor profiles. That is good news for those who do not like the earthy, bitter flavor of natural kratom.
Choice Botanicals subjects all of its products to extensive third-party lab-testing to ensure quality and the absence of harmful substances like heavy metals, pathogens, pesticides, and more. You can browse their website and view individual resorts for their various product lines. Choice Botanicals works closely with companies that are recognized by the American Kratom Association and adhere to their standards when manufacturing and processing kratom blends.
Delivery and shipping charges depend on your location, the size of the order, and the time of delivery. Choice Botanicals uses UPS for all ground shipping and they cover half the shipping charges so you don’t get stuck with all of them. Orders typically go out within 24 hours of purchase and usually take 2 business days to arrive.
Choice Botanicals also has a 30-day return policy for unused and unopened products. You also cannot return items that you bought while they were on sale. If you are accepted for a refund they will return the purchase price to the original method of payment.
Overall, Choice Botanicals is an excellent choice to buy kratom products and other natural supplements. Their kratom comes in a wide range of flavors, including green apple, white maeng da, and other liquid extracts.
General Topics and FAQ
What Is Kratom?
Kratom is often called an opioid though technically it is not. Kratom does interact with opioid receptors in the brain but it is chemically distinct from compounds found in the opioid or opiate family of drugs. The main active ingredients in the plant are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, which are a stimulant and narcotic, respectively. These substances interact with opioid receptors in the brain to produce a sensation of relaxation, calmness, and alertness. Kratom is also commonly used to manage nociceptive and neuropathic pain.
Kratom Strains
There are hundreds of distinct varieties of kratom and it would be impossible to list all of them here. However, the vast majority of strains can be divided into ‘red’, ‘white’, and ‘green’ blends. These naming conventions are due to the color of the veins and capillaries on the mature kratom plant leaves. Keep in mind that the same kratom plant can express multiple types of leaves, depending on how it was grown and under what conditions it was grown.
Red kratom is considered the most popular kind of kratom and is mostly used as a sedative to produce a calming effect. Red kratom is made from trees near the tallest point of the kratom plant and is dried the most. Red kratom leaves are considered the best when they are harvested at the height of the plant’s maturity so they have the optimum alkaloid content.
White kratom refers to the leaves around the central portion of the kratom tree. White vein kratom is commonly used as a relaxant though some people use it to get a burst of energy. White kratom leaves have a lower alkaloid content than red kratom leaves and are not dried as long when being processed.
Green vein kratom is similar to white vein kratom in that it has a lower alkaloid content and comes from the lower parts of the kratom tree. Green and white strains are often mixed together to get a multi-faceted blend of kratom.
What Are the Benefits of Kratom?
Kratom has a lot of purported benefits. It has been hailed as an effective means of combating pain and reducing anxiety. Kratom powder is also commonly used to aid sleep and promote focus and concentration. In general, kratom can have a stimulant, energizing effect at small doses and a sedative, relaxing effect at larger doses. Kratom is also being researched due to its potential uses in treating opioid addiction and withdrawal.
However, we should be very clear here. Kratom is not medicine and it is not approved by the FDA for the treatment or cure of any disease or condition. Kratom is a supplement and is meant to work in addition to any medical treatment and prescriptions. The FDA maintains that kratom does not have any proven benefits or usages but people in Asia and other parts of the world have been using herbal kratom remedies to treat a variety of conditions like coughs, diarrhea, anxiety, sleep problems, and pain.
Moreover, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence from people who claim tha kratom was able to help them manage their conditions when nothing else could. Anecdotal evidence is not as strong as clinical evidence, but it is still a kind of evidence nonetheless. For example, kratom use is common among workers in Thailand who chew on leaves as a form of stimulant, similar to chewing tobacco. So while it is popularly used around the world, Kratom is not considered medicine in the US and much of the western world.
How Do You Take Kratom?
Generally, kratom is created by drying the leaves of the kratom plant then pulverizing them into a fine powder. This powder can then be ingested directly or can be added to food and drink. Kratom by itself has a bitter, earthy flavor so it is often combined with food and sweeteners to make them taste more palatable. Kratom also comes in gelatin capsule form so you can take a quick dose like taking some Advil. Alternatively, you can mix kratom with drinks like tea and coffee to combine stimulant and relaxant effects.
Does Kratom Have Side Effects?
Yes, kratom is known to have side effects, which in some cases can be serious. At low doses, the most common side effects of kratom include:
- Nausea
- Blushing
- Lightheadedness
- Increased anxiety
- Itching
- Loss of appetite
- Excessive urination
At small doses (1-5g), these side effects are mild and usually dissipate as you get used to taking kratom. At higher doses (20-25g), more serious side effects can manifest such as
- Rapid heart rate
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Hypotension
- Excessive sweating
- Dry mouth
- Seizures
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing
Either way, kratom can have moderate to serious side effects so you should always talk to your doctor first before taking kratom. They can help you figure out an appropriate dosage and avoid any adverse interactions with medications. You should never mix kratom and alcohol and it is not recommended to use kratom and nicotine or marijuana at the same time.
Since kratom is not approved or regulated by the FDA, there is no standardized dose. Most enthusiasts recommend that you start low with doses ranging from 1-2 grams. You can then slowly increase the dosage to get the effects that you want. You should not take more than 10 grams of kratom per day as that can lead to more serious opioid-like side effects.
To Summarize
If you are interested in buying kratom, you will want to know as much about it as possible. Estimates suggest that about 16 million Americans regularly consume kratom. Some people mistakenly consider kratom to be a drug, while it is actually a natural herb and is a part of the coffee family.
That makes kratom a non-habit forming substance that is safe to use in most cases. Many people use it for pain relief, relaxation, or as a treatment for opioid addiction. Overall, kratom is not dangerous, but you still should only purchase it from trusted sources when shopping online.
As is the case with any health or supplement craze, there are a lot of bad actors on the market looking to take advantage of people. That is why there are so many dishonest companies out there that sell bogus ‘kratom’ products to gullible customers (the same is true about CBD products as well).
There are some out there who want to ban this herb from the States, but attempts failed after successful petitions and protests. Many rely on this substance and a ban would definitely cause more problems than solutions.
So, if you are interested in trying out kratom, then the 6 vendors we listed are all great places to get started. Whether you need kratom for relaxation, pain management, trouble sleeping, or anxiety, there is a blend that will work for you. This list of kratom vendors is our best effort at providing an objective view of the state of the market and any one of them would make a good choice for first-time kratom users.
The key thing to remember when buying is to do your research and verify kratom quality. Unfortunately, there are several dishonest companies out there selling harmful knockoffs, so it is very important that any company you buy from has the credentials and reputation to back it up. Hopefully, our guide can serve as a good stepping-off point for your kratom journey.
