The Best Kratom Vendors

How to Choose the Best Kratom Vendors

High Quality Kratom

A good proxy for the best kratom vendors is, of course, the quality of their kratom.  It’s just not worth taking a risk with a dodgy vendor, especially given potential risks to heart health from sub-standard kratom.  But this can be difficult to judge objectively—especially without the help of sophisticated lab tests.  Luckily there are some industry certifications that serve as good proxies.

The highest certification in the industry is the AKA’s GMP standards, which establishes robust requirements regarding operating procedures, record keeping, adverse event reporting, recalls, marketing practices and requires third-party auditing of compliance.  

The AKA’s GMP standards are modeled after the FDA’s requirements for dietary supplements, which are stringent.

The full list of vendors who have achieved GMP standards certification can be found here.

Another marker of a high-quality kratom vendor is membership in the American Herbal Products Association.  The AHPA is a broader trade association for herbal products, but many of the more legitimate kratom vendors have joined.  The fill list of vendors can be found here.

We also like suppliers that specialize in kratom and aren’t heavily involved in marijuana products (who needs a failed drug test test these days?).

Length of Time in Business

Kratom dates back thousands of years, but only recently has become more popular in Western countries.  This has resulted in many new entrants to the market, some of whom are simply looking to make a quick buck.

One way to identify the best kratom vendors, therefore, is to check the length of time they’ve been in business.  Some good choices include:

• Kratora (in business since 2012)
• PurKratom (in business since 2013)
• Happy Hippo Herbals (in business since 2015)
• Coastline Kratom (in business since 2015)
• Mitragaia (in business since 2015; previously known as Gaia Ethnobotanical)

Range of Strains and Products

Another way to determine the quality of the various brands (and their commitment to customers) is the range of strains it carries.  Different strains and veins of kratom have different effects—for example, a green Malay strain will provide different effects than a white Thai strain.  Various other strains offer pain relief, energy, euphoria, insomnia cures, reduced anxiety and sedation.  Good kratom suppliers know these differences and do not attempt to pass off generic “kratom” as a one-size-fits-all product.

The best kratom vendors also carry a range of product types—for example, powder, capsules, teas, extracts and even bulk options—to suit its customers’ varying preferences.  Many kratom brands also carry kratom alternatives like CBD oil and other botanicals. In terms of pure variety of strains and product types, our favorites are PurKratom, Coastline Kratom and Mitragaia.

Sourcing Location and Methods

As noted above, kratom has been popular in Southeast Asia for thousands of years.  This is no accident, as Southeast Asia’s tropical climate produces the highest quality kratom, and its natives are among the most skilled kratom harvesters on Earth.

It only makes sense, then, that your kratom should be sourced from Southeast Asia.  Don’t experiment!  Be extremely wary of kratom grown elsewhere in the world (e.g., Canada), as these locales simply do not have the conditions necessary to produce the highest quality kratom leaf.  Non-Southeast Asian brands have frequently been in the news (or reported on Reddit) as providing substandard, and in some cases, tainted kratom.

You might also want to look for vendors who work with indigenous tribes to harvest kratom.  Indigenous tribes typically use more sustainable harvesting methods that foreign commercial operations, and you will be supporting the local economy.  The best choices for vendors that both source solely from Southeast Asia and work with indigenous tribes are PurKratom and Coastline Kratom.

Shipping and Refund Policies

If you want to save yourself a trip to the local headshop, a range of shipping options is important, and free shipping options are critical as shipping costs can add up over time.  Guarantees are also a significant consideration.  Though most vendors in the industry offer some sort of guarantee, you’ll want to look for the longest possible refund period, with the minimum number of hoops to jump through (notably, ever shop we recommend offers quick shipping within the USA, as well as full refunds for at least 30 days and for any reason).

The best overall choice in terms of shipping and refund policies is clearly PurKratom.  They are the only major vendor to offer free shipping on all orders regardless of weight (along with a number of paid options for faster shipping), and fill refunds within 30 days for any reason whatsoever.

Honorable mention goes to Coastline Kratom, which offers full refunds for any reason with no time limit.

Vendor Loyalty Programs and Discounts

If you are a repeat purchaser, savings from loyalty programs and other discounts can really add up over time.  The best choices we’ve found are:

• The Golden Monk, Kratora, Super Speciosa and Mitragaia all have points-based reward programs that ultimate result in savings of approximately 10%.
• Happy Hippo Herbals offers discounts of 10-25% for paying via eCheck, mobile check or Bitcoin.
• Honorable mention to Kraken Kratom, which frequently makes coupons available on its home page.