Overview of iHerb
Founded in 1996 by Ray Faraee, iHerb has grown from a small vitamin seller into a giant online marketplace for health and wellness products. Today, the company touts having over 30,000 branded supplements and natural products available to over 185 countries.
On the surface, iHerb positions itself as making "health and wellness accessible to all" through value pricing and responsible business practices. However, as a seasoned supplement shopper and consumer advocate, I think it‘s important we take a deeper, more critical look at what the company actually delivers.
In this exhaustive and unbiased review, I‘ll analyze iHerb across a number of categories, including:
- Product selection and quality
- Pricing and value
- Ordering, shipping, and returns
- Sustainability and ethics
- Customer service and company transparency
I compared iHerb directly against category leaders like Amazon and Vitacost as well as specialty retailers like The Vitamin Shoppe. After extensive research and evaluation, I found while iHerb isn‘t perfect, it generally lives up to its promises of good prices and quality. Read on for the full story.
The Good and Bad of iHerb
The Good
- Large product selection across categories
- Prices 5-15% cheaper on average than Amazon
- Simple ordering and smooth delivery
- 90-day refund policy on most items
- Responsible packaging and environmental efforts
The Bad
- Mixed reviews on product quality assurance
- Some items priced higher than specialty competitors
- Limited selection within certain supplement categories
- Reports of damaged/expired products being shipped
- Lacking in company transparency around testing
Delving Into the Vitamins
iHerb stocks all the staples when it comes to vitamins and supplements. I decided to analyze several popular products, comparing against alternatives I‘ve purchased elsewhere. Here‘s what I found:
Vitamin D3 – California Gold Nutrition
iHerb‘s house brand vitamin D3 made my top choice for quality and value. At 1000 IU per softgel and just $0.02/unit, California Gold clocks in significantly less than branded alternatives from NatureMade ($0.08) or Nordic Naturals ($0.05).
I didn‘t notice any difference in efficacy switching to iHerb‘s version. The coconut oil base makes them super easy to swallow. My only quibble was the bottle design, which easily tips over.
Ashwagandha – Optimized Extract by Life Extension
Life Extension‘s ashwagandha is a best seller on iHerb, with reviews claiming anxiety and stress relieving properties. I‘m mildly skeptical of these promises, but given the low cost ($0.13 per capsule), it doesn‘t hurt to find out.
I preferred the KSM-66 ashwagandha extract from Vitacost in terms of potency, but at 5x the price, the iHerb option packs decent value. Those sensitive to fillers may want to splurge on the purer stuff.
Prenatal Multivitamin – Garden of Life Vitamin Code
For expectant mothers in need of folate and iron, Garden of Life gets top marks. What I like about this prenatal vitamin versus rivals:
- 100% vegetarian and gluten free
- Iron comes from spinach instead of typical rock-based source
- Has probiotics and ginger to help alleviate morning sickness
At $0.36 per tablet, it‘s pricier than alternatives from Naturelo. However, moms get added peace of mind from the stringent quality testing.
How Reliable is iHerb‘s Quality Control?
When ingesting supplements, quality and safety should come first. iHerb aims to deliver peace of mind via rigorous quality control standards, including:
– iTested: Flagship program where products undergo 3rd party purity, potency and contamination testing before available for sale. Failures are rejected.
– cGMP facility requirement: Brands must manufacture in GMP compliant facilities that meet quality management standards. Helps prevent errors and defects.
– Partner labs: iHerb partners with labs like Eurofins and Alkemist to conduct ongoing contaminant testing.
But problems can and have slipped through the cracks. Searching forums and reviews, I found numerous accounts of customers receiving expired or close dated products. Others reported damaged goods, leaking oils, and containers that arrived only half full.
While not rampant, it does suggest inconsistencies in inspection processes. Especially for perishable vitamins, I recommend checking expiration dates immediately and reporting issues for a prompt refund.
How Do Prices Stack Up?
Value is a big draw of iHerb. On branded vitamins like Nature Made, prices run 5-10% cheaper on average than Amazon. Savings get deeper on niche supplements, with iHerb easily beating out smaller shops like Vitacost or The Vitamin Shoppe.
For commodity products like vitamins C and D, iHerb‘s house brands are the cheapest hands down. Just be aware – lower prices can correlate to lower quality control standards. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Where you won‘t save with iHerb is on specialty supplements and restrictions diets. For grass-fed whey, non-GMO produce, and kosher selections, expect to shell out premium dollars – sometimes more than specialty retailers.
Average Price Comparison of Top Products
| Product | iHerb | Amazon | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| NatureMade Vitamin D3 2000 IU | $11.99 | $12.99 | 8% |
| Garden of Life Vitamin Code Women‘s Once Daily | $31.99 | $32.99 | 3% |
| Now Foods Magnesium Glycinate | $13.83 | $18.15 | 24% |
| Lake Avenue Nutrition Collagen Peptides | $19.46 | $26.99 | 28% |
Placing Orders and Shipping Speed
On a positive note, iHerb ships for free across the U.S. on orders above $20. They even offer global shipping with nominal flat rates, a major perk compared to Amazon. I tried out a few delivery options to gauge speed:
UPS Ground: 5 business days to Midwest
USPS Priority Mail: 4 business days to East Coast
FedEx 2Day: 3 business days nationwide
Nothing excessively fast, but acceptable given the free shipping policy. Unlike Vitacost and other retailers, iHerb doesn‘t let shoppers see their full shipping logic (transit time, exact rates per location). A bit strange not to offer more transparency on logistics.
Packages arrived with plenty of cushion and air bags to prevent damage. But again, reports of leaking and breakage still crop up more than is comfortable. Monitor your shipment notifications closely.
Sustainability Report Card: Room for Improvement
For a company sitting on mountains of plastic pill bottles and foil sheets, iHerb makes an effort when it comes to eco-friendly business. But they aren‘t going above and beyond by any means.
Packaging: avoidance of excess materials here is just average. Partners like UPS could offer guidance on optimizing box sizes and padding material usage.
Recycling: some products feature recycle friendly packaging, but not uniformly adopted across catalog. No options for recycling empty bottles or returning shipments.
Climate impacts: no formal emissions reporting or carbon reduction goals in place. The widespread global shipping suggests a hefty transport footprint.
Social responsibility: iHerb does partner responsibly via their iHerb Gives Back and Rewards programs. But not much visibility into labor practices, equity metrics, or fair wage commitments.
For consumers prioritizing sustainability like myself, iHerb needs a stronger centralized platform outlining their initiatives and next steps towards stewardship. The bar continues to rise on corporate responsibility and iHerb should take note.
What About Customer Service?
Drawing on thousands of reviews, IHerb generally provides satisfactory support when problems pop up:
Chat feature: Instant messaging is available 7AM – 5PM PST for quick inquiries
Email tickets: For more nuanced issues, email response time averages under 8 hours
Refunds/returns: Smooth process for returns under 90-day policy; must be unopened products
The one sore spot seems to be lack of clarity and consistency on refunds for damaged/expired goods. While iHerb pledges a "no hassle" experience, several customers complained of long back and forths with proof of issues.
This ties back to that gap in quality control; tighter inspection on fulfillment end would save the returns team effort down the line.
The Bottom Line: Is iHerb Legit?
After combing through every aspect of iHerb with a fine tooth comb, I confidently say the answer is yes – iHerb is a legitimate supplier of quality supplements at reasonable costs.
Compared to category giants like Amazon and direct competitors like Vitacost, iHerb holds their own on product selection, pricing, shipping, and support. Surprisingly few of the telltale signs of pure scam companies were to be found. Orders were fulfilled as described and refunds followed stated policy.
Are they perfect? Absolutely not. On quality assurance and product inspection, iHerb has some improving to do. A handful of customers indeed experienced damaged goods, delivery delays, and unclear return policies. So don‘t consider them the peak of supplement shopping and go in with eyes realistically open.
But on the whole for a majority positive experience without breaking the bank, iHerb succeeds on its mission and hits the mark for value. For access to affordable wellness, particularly for international customers, IHerb remains a worthy contender in my book.
