Straight away, brands that have all of these labels and certificates are trusted CBD brands. We think it also helps to shop from brands that have been in the business for a few years. A lot of the popular CBD brands you’ll see us recommending on our website have been making CBD for over 3 years. This has a couple of advantages. First, more established CBD brands generally have the necessary capital to invest in some great technological extraction equipment. And second, you can find a lot of independent, non-biased reviews for their products. That’s definitely a plus when it comes to choosing the best CBD products for your needs. 

Surefire signs of trusted CBD brands

As we’ve discussed before, trusted CBD brands should have certificates showing you that they’re organic, third-party tested, and GMO-free. But there are a couple more things we look for in a CBD brand. 

Hemp Quality

When you’re shopping for CBD products, the quality of the hemp that’s used should come first. We value trusted CBD brands that use local (for example U.S.-grown) hemp that’s also organic and GMO-free. 

Once the hemp has been collected, the way it’s processed also matters. There are a few different ways to extract CBD from hemp, including CO2 extraction and extraction using solvents. As much as possible, buy from brands that use CO2 extraction, as it provides a much better end product. 

Value for Money

It’s actually impressive to notice how much the price per milligram of CBD can change from brand to brand—even among popular CBD brands. Of course, it’s normal that some products are more expensive than others. For example, CBD cream that contains rare oils and plant extracts will be more expensive than a CBD tincture made only with coconut oil.

But in general, we recommend checking the price per milligram of CBD before getting a product to get a good sense of the value for money it offers. If you scroll down below, you’ll find a few reviews for our favorite CBD products, all of which indicate the price per milligram of CBD. 

Potency

When buying CBD products, too few people actually check how much CBD it contains. But that’s probably the most important thing about a product! All trusted CBD brands should make it clear how much CBD a product contains. And by how much CBD, we mean the number of milligrams, not just a number like 10%, which can be misleading.

That being said, higher potency doesn’t necessarily equal a better product. It all depends on your particular needs. But if you want to take CBD to relieve pain or anxiety, we highly recommend trying out some high potency products so you can feel a difference faster. 

The best brands of CBD oil for dogs: what to look for

When you’re shopping for CBD products for your pets, quality is more important than ever. The best brands of CBD oil for dogs can show organic certificates, independent lab tests, and high-quality extraction methods. But that’s not all. We also expect them to use all-natural ingredients (it’s important to read the ingredient list yourself) that are pet-friendly.

Ideally, the best brands of CBD oil for dogs have a veterinarian on their team who can review the product. And in some cases (as with Charlotte’s Web’s products), brands can even show a NASC (National Animal Supplement Council) certificate that attests to the products’ quality standards. 

What is the best brand of CBD oil? 

In general, we hesitate to name anyone brand the “best CBD brand”. At the end of the day, what really matters is how much the products of a particular brand can help you. Some brands specialize in simple products everyone can benefit from, for example, CBD tincture with just 1 to 3 ingredients.

But other brands have more specialized products, like CBD cream for pain or capsules that contain cannabinoids like CBG. So the best CBD brand for you will be the one that has the products you want—however simple or difficult they may be.