Also known as Vitamin B7 and sometimes as Vitamin H or coenzyme R, biotin is an increasingly popular nutrient that’s relatively common in whole foods, particularly animal products, nuts, seeds, and avocado, and deficiencies are rare.
But many take extra biotin as a supplement because of its links with hair growth, nail strength, and skin health. With countless companies producing their contenders for best biotin supplement, it can be hard to know where to start — so we did the research and landed on this list of the best biotin pills for your needs.
Best Biotin Supplements
- Best Overall: Solgar Super Potency Biotin
- Most Transparent: Amazon Elements Biotin
- Best For Hair Growth: Zhou Nutrition Hairfluence
- Best Bulk Buy: Nutricost Biotin
- Best Multivitamin With Biotin: Legion Triumph Multivitamin
- Best Dissolve Tablets: Nature’s Wonder Biotin
- Best Gummies: Nutra Champs Biotin Gummies
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t take the place of advice and/or supervision from a medical professional. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Speak with your physician if you have any concerns or before beginning any new workout regimen.
[Related: Best Vitamin B Complexes On The Market In 2020]
Best Overall: Solgar Super Potency Biotin
Solgar has both 5,000-microgram and 10,000-microgram products, and many prefer to start with 5,000 micrograms to see how the body responds. Extensively tested by third parties, Solgar received the highest score of all biotin pills from the third party supplement testing company Labdoor — a high standard to reach.
Solgar received full marks for purity and label accuracy from third party testing, plus it's non-GMO and vegan friendly.
The pills are non-GMO, gluten free, and vegan friendly which makes them compatible with a wide variety of diets and supplement regimens.
Who Should Buy Solgar Super Potency Biotin
- Those who want flexibility in their biotin dosage.
- People who appreciate the highest purity rating from independent testing company Labdoor.
- Anyone who follows a vegan diet.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Solgar Super Potency Biotin
- Anyone who needs to maintain a less expensive supplement cabinet.
The only real knock that we could find against this product was the price tag when compared to other top options. Considering there wasn’t much else to deduct points from this product in our rankings, it earned the top spot.
Most Transparent
Amazon Elements’ biotin is vegan friendly, contains no binders, and it’s gluten free. But our favorite aspect is that you can scan a QR code on your bottle to see its certificate of analysis for yourself.
This company lets you view the product's certificate of analysis for yourself, making it a very transparent regarding the production of the pill.
Although it seems like it should be commonplace if there is an analysis certificate available that consumers have easy access to it, but what Amazon Elements does is actually quite unique. That kind of transparency is excellent as you can be certain the product was, in fact, tested properly, and that they are confident enough in the results that they actively want you to see them.
Who Should Buy Amazon Elements Biotin
- Those who value product transparency.
- Anyone who follows a vegan diet.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Amazon Elements Biotin
- Anyone who would rather support products produced entirely in the USA.
The biotin itself is sourced from China, which may be important information for consumers who prefer all-American supplements. That didn’t cause a huge knock in our rankings as buying from USA based manufacturers isn’t necessarily going to impact the quality of the product. Additionally, the transparency offered by the product should offer some solid consumer confidence in what they are getting.
We thought of USA versus internationally sourced products similarly to the sumo deadlift versus conventional deadlift debate. Many people would rather competitions only support conventional deadlifts, but sumo is fair game and isn’t any better or worse than conventional.
Best For Hair Growth
Zhou has produced something of a premium pill for hair growth, delivering 5,000 micrograms of biotin along with other ingredients linked to hair growth like keratin and collagen. It’s not a “pure” biotin supplement and it’s about ten times more expensive (per microgram) than leading biotin pills, but if you’re looking for a full service supplement then this might be for you.
In addition to a big hit of biotin, Hairfluence contains some other compounds that might help with hair growth, like keratin and collagen.
Who Should Buy Zhou Nutrition Hairfluence
- Those who are looking for a hair growth support supplement.
- People who want their supplements properly tested for purity and potency.
- Anyone who follows a vegetarian diet.
Who Shouldn’t Buy
- Hairfluence is considerably more expensive than other biotin supplements.
There were some downsides we found that kept Hairfluence from being our top pick. The first being how heavy it weighs on the wallet. As this product was so much more expensive on a per dosage basis to other comparable options on the market, we had to take note of it. Additonally, Vitamin D3 is often sourced from sheep’s wool, so it may not be vegan friendly.
Best Bulk Buy
As the name implies, Nutricost produces some of the most inexpensive supplements around, but that doesn’t mean it’s low quality. This biotin is made in the USA, third party tested, and non-GMO.
Extraordinarily inexpensive, Nutricost's Biotin is also third party tested, made in the USA, and non-GMO.
Who Should Buy Nutricost Biotin
- Anyone looking to buy biotin on the cheap.
- Folks who will only use third party tested products for proper purity standards.
- People who are gluten free.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Nutricost Biotin
- Vegan and vegetarian diets are not compatible as the biotin in encased in gelatin.
- Folks who have a hard time swallowing larger pills.
The main issue with Nutricost’s Biotin is that it is unfortunately not for vegetarians as the pills have gelatin. That isn’t surprising as many pills are often made with gelatin, but it is a big consideration since nothing else about the product matters if a consumer is unable to consume them from a given circumstance. Beyond that, the size of each individual pill was quite big. If you’re a large powerlifter who can squat heavy, that probably isn’t an issue, but not everyone is comfortable swallowing large pills.
Overall, this is still an excellent pick for anyone who isn’t vegetarian as the price is right, the quality is there, and the convenience of a pill is tough to beat.
Best Multivitamin With Biotin
This multivitamin supplies legitimate doses of over 20 different vitamins and minerals. Included in that is Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, 300 micrograms of biotin, and more. The serving size is on the higher side at eight pills, but one container provides 30 servings.
This multivitamin sports a whopping 300 micrograms of biotin. That is 1000 percent of the daily recommended value in addition to a plethora of other vitamins.
The product is Labdoor certified, made with 100 percent natural ingredients, and is made in the USA. According to their site, their ingredient choices are determined via “peer-reviewed scientific research and is included at clinically effective levels.”
Who Should Buy Legion Triumph Multivitamin
- Athletes who are in need of a supplement that can potentially aid recovery.
- Those who are happy to have additional vitamins and minerals included with their biotin.
- Anyone who prefers consuming their supplements in pill form.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Triumph Multivitamin
- People who only want a pure biotin supplement.
- Anyone who doesn’t want to consume any products with soy.
- Those who need to keep their supplements budget down.
Overall, this is a solid multivitamin to consider. The fact that there is a really nice amount of biotin per serving is nice for those who are looking for that specifically. Some strength athletes might be concerned about negative effects soy could have on testosterone levels, but studies on soy have shown that there are no such negative effects when consumed at certain levels.
The price tag compared to other multivitamins and biotin supplements on the market is pretty high and should give you pause if you are concerned about your budget. If not, this product should be a part of your considerations.
[Related: The 5 Best Women’s Multivitamins Reviewed]
Best Dissolve Tablets
Made in an FDA approved, GMP certified facility, Nature’s Wonder came up with a reasonably priced pill that easily dissolves in water — or you can pop it in your mouth like a candy. These tablets have a tasty natural grape flavor which can help those who have difficulty swallowing pills.
A tasty, grape-flavored biotin that dissolves easily and is made in an FDA-approved facility in the United States.
The coloring is sourced naturally from beets and the pills are made in the USA in FDA approved facilities. There are no gelatin or animal products used in their manufacturing making them more compatible with a wider range of diets.
Who Should Buy Nature’s Wonder Biotin
- Anyone who likes natural grape flavor.
- Those who want to buy USA-manufactured products.
- People who want to exclude gelatin or animal products from their diets.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Nature’s Wonder Biotin
- Those who want clear calorie information on the label.
- Folks to steer clear of artificial sweeteners.
Unfortunately, there’s no calorie information on the bottle and this lack of label accuracy can be off-putting for some consumers, particularly those who are trying to count calories. Additionally, although it says the grape flavor is natural, it is unclear as to why the product contains sucralose, an artificial sweetener. Due to this lack of clarity, this didn’t secure our highest rank. However, the product was good enough to stay in our top picks as this was a quality dissolvable biotin tablet.
Best Gummies
With a great cost per serving, Nutra Champs has the best gummies. It’s vegetarian friendly, third party tested, plus Nutra Champs donates a portion of every sale to Vitamin Angels, who provide micronutrient supplements to mothers and children at risk of malnutrition.
One of the few gummy products that's vegetarian friendly, Nutra Champs' product is also third party testing and they donate a portion of their profits to charity.
These gummies are made from citrus pectin and are free of all major allergens, making them more compatible with a wider range of diets.
Who Should Buy Nutra Champs Biotin Gummies
- Anyone following a vegetarian diet.
- People who would be happy that a portion of their purchase is donated to charity.
- Folks who appreciate thoroughly third-part tested products.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Nutra Champs Biotin Gummies
- Anyone who wants to keep as minimal a budget as possible.
- Those who are trying to keep their sugar intake low.
- Those who prefer their supplements in pill form.
This product is well priced, but it’s a few more cents per serving than your regular, non-vegetarian biotin gummies. There isn’t much else to say against it other than if you dislike gummies, you should look elsewhere. The biggest potential game changer is that each serving is three grams of sugar, which doesn’t seem like a lot but taken daily, that’s 21 additional grams of sugar or 84 additional calories on what is essentially candy with some health benefits.
How We Decided Our Picks
Evidence is limited, but some research suggests that supplementing biotin may help to thicken hair and strengthen nails, particularly if a person’s diet is low in this important B-vitamin.(1)(2) So how do you choose the best biotin supplement?
Third Party Testing
Supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, so many consumers have concerns about label accuracy. This is why we favored companies that employ a third party to test their product to ensure purity, an absence of heavy metals, and so on.
Cost
These supplements vary by dosage and the number of pills you get in a bottle, so it can be tough to know how to weigh the cost of competing products. We figured out the cost per microgram, with most reputable biotin supplements cost between two and seven cents per 5,000 micrograms. Using this scale, we were able to ascertain which products are reasonably priced.
Animal Products
Oftentimes, the pills are encased in gelatin, taking them off the menu for vegans, vegetarians, and usually people who keep kosher or halal. This doesn’t mean the product is bad, but we made sure to include it when determining its usefulness.
Ingredient Sourcing
Many consumers value products that are confirmed to be non-GMO and free from allergens, so we included this information where relevant. We also took into account whether or not a product is made in the United States; there’s no evidence foreign made biotin is lower quality, particularly if the company does third party testing, but since some consumers prioritize keeping their money within the U.S. we mentioned this where appropriate.
BarBend Tips
Some users report that high amounts of biotin can cause acne or digestive issues, so it’s worth starting with smaller doses of 2,000 to 5,000 micrograms to see how your body responds.
A lot of the evidence that biotin improves your hair is anecdotal, as very few clinical studies have been performed in this regard. This doesn’t mean it won’t have an effect, but temper your expectations when you start.
Take your supplement with a meal to help improve absorption.
Wrapping Up
Thinning hair and brittle nails can have a variety of causes and there’s no guarantee that biotin is the right solution for you. But it’s an important nutrient and there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence supporting its use — just start at a smaller dose and see how you feel.
References
1. Glynis A. A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study Evaluating the Efficacy of an Oral Supplement in Women with Self-perceived Thinning Hair. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2012 Nov;5(11):28-34.
2. Patel DP, et al. A Review of the Use of Biotin for Hair Loss. Skin Appendage Disord. 2017 Aug;3(3):166-169.