Best Multivitamins for Kids (2024)

Written by:

Maia James

Looking for a different guide?

With research provided by Michael Hopkins, Phd

Since we wrote our Adult Multivitamins Guide, you guys have been asking about the best multivitamins for kids. I called on Dr. Michael Hopkins to sort through the research and examine the brands we are asked about most.

This post breaks down what he found out; we hope it will help you EASILY choose the best multivitamins for your kids! Let’s get to it.

Cheat Sheet: What Is the Healthiest Multivitamin for Kids?

Hiya Makes the Best Multivitamins for Kids

Dr. Hopkins and I agree that the best multivitamins for kids are made by Hiya.

The Hiya multi contains the right nutrients in the right quantities, conducts third-party testing, and comes in sustainable packaging.

You’ll learn more about this brand–and six others–below.

Should a Child Take a Multivitamin?

The first thing I asked Dr. Hopkins to look into was if kids should take a multivitamin at all.

The unsurprising conclusion: The best way for kids to get critical nutrients is by eating diverse range of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, dairy, fish, etc. This goal might seem laughable if you’ve got a picky child or one who doesn’t eat a perfect diet. Moreover, many nutrients are lost during the processing of the food most Americans eat.

After looking at the science, our opinion is that high-quality multivitamins can make sense for kids who don’t eat a diverse diet.

What to Look for in the Best Multivitamins for Kids

In order to come up with a list of children’s multivitamin brands that we could confidently recommend, Dr. Hopkins and I considered the following factors:

  • Third-party lab testing. This is perhaps the single most important determinant when it comes to finding the best multivitamin. This is the only way to ensure your kids are getting what you want them to be getting.
  • The right kind of certain nutrients. The best multivitamins for kids will use methylated folate instead of folic acid (it’s better absorbed), D3 instead of D2 (because it’s more effective at raising vitamin D blood levels), and a mix of different vitamin As (because some people have a genetic polymorphism that prevents them from being able to natural vitamin A into its active form).
  • The inclusion of underrated nutrients. We gave extra credit to brands that included things like choline in their blends.

Ranking the Best Multivitamins for Kids

With this criteria in mind, Dr. Hopkins and I set out to rank the seven brands of kids multivitamins that you ask about most. Here is where we landed, from best to worst.

Best Stuff

Hiya Kids Daily Multivitamin

Pros:

  • Includes an organic fruit blend.
  • Contains 15 essentials.
  • Includes a combo of two types of vitamin A.
  • Uses methylated folate instead of folic acid.
  • Contains D3.
  • Conducts third-party testing, and makes COAs available.
  • Comes in a glass bottle with sustainable refills.
  • Contains sufficient amounts of critical nutrients: 3 mg of zinc, 360 mcg of vitamin A, 25 mcg of D3, and 2 mcg of B12.

Cons:

  • Limited flavor options.
  • Does not contain choline in its multi.

Cost for one-month supply: $15 for first month then $30

Llama Naturals Kids Multi Real Fruit Gummies

Pros:

  • Best tasting, according to my household.
  • Fruit-juice sweetened.
  • Includes a combo of types of vitamin A, and a sufficient amount of each.
  • Conducts third-party testing.

Cons:

  • Contains some D2.
  • Does not contain choline.
  • Does not contain calcium.
  • Somewhat low in B12.
  • Does not contain zinc.

Cost for one-month supply: $25

MegaFood Kids One Daily Multivitamin

Pros:

  • Contains the most choline of any brands (10% of daily needs).
  • Contains D3.
  • Conducts third-party testing.
  • Contains sufficient amounts of critical nutrients: 20 mcg of D3 and 1.8 mcg of B12.

Cons:

  • Contains only one type of vitamin A, which means it won’t be absorbed by some people.
  • Does not contain calcium.
  • Contains natural flavors.
  • Contains sunflower oil.
  • Low in zinc

Cost for one-month supply: $24

Good Stuff

Floradix Kinder Love Chilren’s Multivitamin Supplement Liquid

Pros:

  • Sweetened with only fruit juice.
  • Contains choline (4%).
  • Contains calcium (8%).
  • Contains D3.
  • No fillers or flavors.
  • Contains sufficient amounts of critical nutrients: 25 mcg of D3 and 2 mcg of B12.

Cons:

  • Contains only one type of vitamin A, which means it won’t be absorbed by some people.
  • Only conducts in-house testing, not third-party.
  • Not 100% organic.
  • Does not contain zinc.
  • Most expensive brand we reviewed.

Cost for one-month supply: $34

MaryRuth’s Kids Multivitamin Gummies

Pros:

  • Sweetened with only stevia and teeth-friendly xylitol.
  • Contains D3.
  • Conducts third-party testing.
  • The only brand with Clean Label Project certification.
  • No sugar.
  • Contains sufficient amounts of critical nutrients: 390 mcg of vitamin A and 2.6 mcg of B12.

Cons:

  • Contains only a tiny amount of choline.
  • Does not contain calcium.
  • Contains only one type of vitamin A, which means it won’t be absorbed by some people.
  • Contains natural flavors.
  • Very low amount of vitamin D.
  • Somewhat low in zinc.

Cost for one-month supply: $13

Okay Stuff

First Day Kids Multivitamin

Pros:

  • Contains D3 instead of D2.
  • Contains sufficient amounts of vitamin A. 
  • Uses organic ingredients. 
  • Contains cane sugar, but much smaller amounts than most multis. 
  • Contains a fruit and veggie blend.

Cons:

  • Contains only one type of vitamin A, which means it won’t be absorbed by some people.
  • Somewhat low in vitamin D. 
  • Does not contain zinc.
  • Contains natural flavors. 
  • We have not yet seen any third-party test results. 
  • Contains sunflower oil. 

Cost for one-month supply: $39

Naturelo Chewable Multivitamin for Children

Pros:

  • Contains D3.
  • Conducts third-party testing.
  • Contains sufficient amounts of critical nutrients: 2.2 mg of zinc, 18 mcg of D3, and 2.19 mcg of B12.

Cons:

  • Contains cane sugar.
  • Does not contain choline.
  • Contains only a tiny amount of calcium.
  • Contains only one type of vitamin A, which means it won’t be absorbed by some people.
  • Contains natural flavors.

Cost for one-month supply: $25

Bad Stuff

Flintstones Complete

Unfortunately, Flintstone vitamins are as bad as we feared, with ingredients ranging from sugar and corn syrup to artificial colorings and synthetic vitamin E.

Sneaky Stuff

Envitamin Kids Multivitamin Gummies

This brand contains glucose and sugar in its gummy.

Olly Kids Multi Gummy Worms

The first ingredient here is sugar. This also contains only synthetic vitamin A. 

Nature’s Truth Just 4 Kidz Multivitamin + Probiotic Gummies

This one is mostly glucose syrup and sugar. It also contains the wrong forms of vitamin A and folate to be easily absorbed by all kids.

Should a Kid’s Multivitamin Have Iron?

We don’t recommend giving iron to every kid. However, picky kids who don’t eat meat, beans, or other iron-rich foods could be deficient. In that case, we recommend a separate iron supplement, and we like the one by Hiya. You should definitely check with your pediatrician before starting your child on an iron supplement, as too much iron can be toxic.

What Other Nutrients Will a Picky Eater Lack?

It’s important to note that not all picky eaters will end up with nutritional deficiencies. White pasta has a fair amount of iron. Chicken nuggets are good sources of selenium, manganese, B vitamins, and niacin. Pizza will give you a lot of calcium and iron.

But in addition to iron, kids with very restrictive eating habits may wind up deficient in the following nutrients, so we looked for kids’ multivitamins with high levels of these, among others.

  • Zinc. Found in beans, meat, and poultry. We looked for multivitamins with around 3 mg of zinc.
  • Vitamin A. Kids can get this from kale, carrots, and squash. We looked for multivitamins with around 350 mcg, from a blend of retinyl palmitate and beta-carotene.
  • B12. Kids who don’t eat any animal products should take a B12 supplement. We looked for multivitamins with around 2 mcg of B12.

Also, most of us are low in vitamin D, which we get from sunshine, as well as mushrooms, oranges, and fish. The best multivitamins for kids will have at least 20 mcg of D3.

Please comment with questions about these kids multivitamin brands plus any others you may be wondering about!

Stay sane,

Maia, Founder & CEO

Note: This article contains affiliate links or sponsored content, which means that if you make a purchase, we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that meet our strict standards for non-toxicity and that we use (or want to use!) ourselves. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Good Stuff! 

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