It seems like most supplements are now up to 50% less expensive on iHerb (for me). I live in Hong Kong so prices do vary.
I used to always use iHerb as they always had 20% off promotions which made them less expensive than Amazon.
However, about a year ago, Amazon prices became cheaper than iHerb even with any discounts that iHerb tacked on. They also carried brands like BulkSupplements that I couldn’t get on iHerb.
However, starting this year, iHerb has taken the lead as the least expensive as prices on Amazon have shot up. Now it’s about a 70/30 split where iHerb is cheaper most of the time. Amazon is still better due to BulkSupplements which doesn’t sell on iHerb. Most of the supplements I get on iHerb are NOW or Nutricost.
One last thing is that if the prices are close to each other, I always favor iHerb. This is because Amazon may have fake supplements as it is a marketplace of vendors. IHerb is one company that sources directly from suppliers so there are no fake products. Amazon has to be cheaper by 10% or more for me to consider using them.
Of course, this is all data for shipping to Hong Kong. I wonder if this is true for the USA or EU?
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Bicep
#2
Just checked because I’m buying Lutein and Zeaxanthin:
Amazon now brand 60 softgels—15.99
Iherb identical product-------------- 18.37
Unless there are discounts I don’t know about and it’s very possible. Im not a good shopper.
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Beth
#3
I just checked amazon vs iherb for NOW 1000mg taurine 250 pills
Amazon is 17.14 with a 10% off for subscriptions for 15.43
Iherb is the same 17.14, but for a subscription, it is 20% off for the first order at 13.71 and then 10% off after that.
Also Rakuten has cash back right now of 6% if you buy from iherb.
@bicep, stick with me kid, I’m a great shopper!!!
I also try to avoid amazon when possible. Do you know if things can still be fake when you buy them from the company’s store? I have assumed that is an exception .
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IHerb always has coupon codes or discounts from 10-20%. First order is 20%, so make it a big one. You need to use a code though.
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No wonder they run out of stock regularly…
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I don’t trust Amazon for supplements. To much fake stuff. I prefer to pay more € on iHerb but knowing that it was correctly stocked and that the product I buy is a real.
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Amazon supplements are upwards of 50% or even more off during prime days. I use that to purchase 6 months worth at a time to make it to the next prime day.
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I only buy brands that I trust and/or have been verified by ConsumerLabs. However, I had not considered the potential issue of “correctly stocked”.
Do you (or anyone else) have any information on iHerb’s stocking/storage practices?
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Beth
#9
I don’t know the answer but I trust iherb much more than Amazon. I know Bezos only added a/c for the wellbeing of employees after a lot of internal pressure. I figure if he doesn’t care about humans, then he will try to get away with what he can get away with.
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IHerb 10% off discount code.
GAC612
From Ryker Black.
DrT
#11
Hi Beth,
Why do you pay for taurine in tablets?
I just buy the powder…cheaper. I just dunk it into my coffee every morning.
I’m not paying a premium for someone to form it into tablets.
Cheers
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Beth
#12
Great question and point @DrT because I hate choking down those SIX pills.
I haven’t tried it, but based on my hating the taste of creatine (that most people can’t taste), I have assumed I won’t like the taste of taurine. Google told me it was slightly bitter?
I do put glycine and lysine powder in my protein shakes and don’t taste those.
I find it very bitter. I do put it in my coffee.
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Beth
#14
If your tough self finds it bitter, I’ll keep on choking down the pills!
While I have your attention…. I know some people take it before bed and others in their coffee first thing in the morning.
Is there any pro or con of deciding when to take it? Do most people take it all at once?
Bicep
#15
I didn’t sleep well after taking in the evening, switched to first thing in the morning and have had no trouble. I take 5g all at once. I may increase a little more. Have slowly been increasing.
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I split the dose. I put taurine powder in my coffee in the morning and I take taurine in capsules before bedtime.
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Exactly my approach. Powdered taurine in my morning drink mixture (taurine, FOS, cranberry extract, blueberry extract, dissolved in green tea), first thing I drink after waking up. After dinner, taurine capsules (usually taken with my cholesterol meds). I don’t think I can taste the taurine powder, but in any case, my green tea with the berry extracts and FOS has a nice flavor (to me!).
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Why bedtime? I only take it in the morning.
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Because taurine has a short half-life and some report it helps with sleep.
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DrT
#20
Well, I can’t taste it. In any case, isn’t coffee also bitter? (Maybe just bad coffee, LOL!)
I used to take NAC and that has a really sulfurous taste so I used to mix that into fruit juice.
Maybe try taurine in fruit juice?
Cheers
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