Cannabidiol (CBD) is the primary active ingredient in the hemp plant. It’s completely non-psychoactive (doesn’t make you high), and has a long list of associated health benefits.
CBD oil is made by dissolving a CBD extract into an oil to make it easier to use. You only need a few drops of a good, high-potency CBD oil to start experiencing all the benefits this supplement has to offer.
Unfortunately, there are more low-quality CBD oils on the market than not — and they all look the same on the surface.
Keep reading to learn how to tell the difference between CBD oils and how to find value in CBD products.
Let’s start by covering the top three best CBD oils on the market for 2020.
Top Three CBD Oils — High-Quality, Full-Spectrum CBD Oils:
1. Royal CBD Oil — Editor’s Pick
Royal CBD is our number one CBD oil pick for three reasons:
- They’re available in potencies ranging from 250 mg up to 2500 mg
- They’re one of the most highly-recommended brands in America
- All oils come backed by current third-party testing & a 30-day satisfaction guarantee
Royal CBD oils are the number one recommended product by several prominent media outlets — including SF Examiner, Observer, LA Weekly, SF Weekly, and Orlando Weekly. These oils also have countless positive reviews published on forums and review sites online.
These oils are some of the most versatile CBD products on the market. It contains the entire spectrum of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other phytochemicals produced by the hemp plant. Many of these compounds offer therapeutic benefits on their own, which boosts the impact of CBD.
For example, these oils are especially high in the terpenes bisabolol and myrcene. Both of these terpenes are potent anti-inflammatories and analgesics (painkillers) on their own.
You can get these oils in four different potencies:
- 250 mg CBD oil — low-potency
- 500 mg CBD oil — medium potency
- 1000 mg CBD oil — high potency
- 2500 mg CBD oil — ultra-high potency
All four of these oils come with your choice of flavor — berry, vanilla, mint, or unflavored.
You can also buy this oil in CBD capsules or CBD oils designed specifically for pets.
Overall, these oils are well worth the money for the quality, potency, and diversity in hemp-derived phytochemicals you get with each bottle.
Pros:
- Available in ultra-high potency formula (2500 mg full-spectrum extract)
- Backed by a generous 30-day money-back guarantee
- Available in multiple different flavors and potencies
Cons:
- Only available on the official website (not sold in-store or on marketplaces)
2. Gold Bee CBD Oil — Best Value
Gold Bee is best known for having an impressive terpene content in its oils. The extraction team at Gold Bee uses a unique extraction method to preserve as much of the active terpenes in the oil as possible.
Terpenes are small and highly sensitive molecules. Any changes in temperature, pH, or exposure to oxygen or UV light will destroy them. Gold Bee employs a high-tech, slow drip process to remove the cannabinoids and terpenes from the hemp flower intact.
These oils are particularly high in linalool, caryophyllene, and lavender — which offer additional support for chronic stress, anxiety, or sleep.
You can order Gold Bee oils in three different potencies:
- 300 mg CBD oil — low-potency
- 600 mg CBD oil — medium potency
- 1200 mg CBD oil — high potency
All Gold Bee CBD oils come in an unflavored version or a unique 0-calorie honey flavor. You can find links to the most recent third-party test results associated with each product. They also offer a generous 30-day money-back guarantee for anybody not completely satisfied with their order.
This brand has been mentioned a few times among the top-rated CBD oils in the United States. A few examples include VentureBeat, CityBeat, We Be High, CFAH, and more.
Pros:
- Offered in a delicious and unique honey flavor
- Made from organically-grown hemp plants
- Provides an impressive array of active terpenes
Cons:
- High demand means these oils may temporarily sell out
3. CBD Pure Oil — Runner Up
CBD Pure is a company based out of Washington. They offer a variety of high-quality CBD products, including oils, capsules, and topicals.
The company’s oils are particularly notable for their use of organic hemp and potencies much higher than average.
The lowest potency CBD oil this company offers provides 50 milligrams of pure CBD per milliliter of oil. This is already a particularly strong CBD product, but it only goes up from here. The strongest oil in this range provides an incredible 180 milligrams of CBD for every milliliter of oil.
CBD Pure dropper bottles dispense roughly 30 drops for every milliliter, which brings the potency of each drop just over 6 milligrams of CBD.
Even larger individuals or people with a lot of experience using CBD will only need a few drops of this oil for a potent dose.
You can buy these oils in three different potencies:
- 300 mg CBD oil — medium potency
- 600 mg CBD oil — high potency
- 1000 mg CBD oil — ultra-high potency
Like any of the top-rated brands on our list, this oil comes backed by a satisfaction guarantee and a full-panel of independent lab testing.
We’ve included them on our list as an option for people living outside the United States (neither Royal CBD nor Gold Bee ship internationally).
Pros:
- Made from organic hemp plants
- Powerful full-spectrum CBD oil (up to 180 mg/mL)
-
Backed by independent testing & a money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Only available in non-flavor
How to Tell the Difference Between High-Grade and Low-Grade CBD Oil
There are so many different CBD companies on the market today it can seem daunting to have to choose which one to order from — especially when the upfront cost of CBD is relatively high compared to other health supplements.
Here, we’ll cover four tips for getting the best value for your money and avoid wasting money on ineffective CBD products.
A) Read Customer Reviews
The easiest way to find out if a company is meeting its expectations or not is to read what other customers say about them. You can also look for brand mentions on reputable websites to find brands with a good track record.
Do a quick Google search for the brand you’re interested in buying from and see what the general sentiment is around the brand.
If you can’t find any mention of the company online, it could be a sign the company is a scam or simply isn’t as big as they claim.
B) Check the Ingredients List
The FDA does very little to regulate CBD products. This allows a lot of unethical manufacturers to sell “fake” CBD products — especially on marketplaces like Amazon or eBay (where CBD products are banned).
These companies will position their products as though they’re made from a CBD oil but are instead selling hemp seed oil — which contains no active CBD at all.
Always check the ingredients list before you buy to confirm the oil contains active CBD.
While you’re at it, make sure the CBD oil on the label matches what’s advertised. It’s common for CBD companies to list something like “500 mg” on the front of the label — which implies the oil contains 500 mg of CBD. But when you read the fine print, you’ll find the 500 mg only refers to the hemp extract itself — the actual CBD content will be substantially lower.
Some CBD supplements are formulated with other ingredients to make them more specific for a certain condition of symptoms. For example, CBD oil and kava extracts are better for managing anxiety or insomnia than a simple CBD oil. Another common example is CBD and curcumin for managing inflammation and joint pain.
In most cases, these added ingredients are a good thing, but some supplements may not be suitable for you, so always double-check the ingredients list before you buy.
C) Consider the Value Over the Cost
It’s easy to get caught up looking at the price of a CBD oil. While this is important, it’s a poor indicator of the actual value of the oil.
A better metric to assess value is to find the cost for each milligram of CBD in the bottle.
To find this number, divide the total cost of the oil by the total CBD content. If you have a medium to high-quality oil, the price should be below $0.18 per milligram of CBD.
Low-value CBD oils will usually have a low initial cost (between $24 and $40) but cost more than $0.25 per milligram of CBD. Even with a premium-quality CBD oil, this is considered low value.
It almost always pays to put a little more money down upfront to get a product with better value when it comes to CBD. Each dose of CBD will be cheaper, and the bottle will last much longer.
D) Look for Third-Party Testing (COAs)
Third-party testing is the only way to provide transparency regarding the potency and purity of a CBD oil.
Any lab with no direct affiliation with the CBD manufacturer is considered a “third-party” or “independent” lab.
CBD companies will voluntarily send samples of recent extraction runs to these labs for testing. The labs run tests on the sample to check for the following:
- Measure the total CBD content
- Measure other cannabinoid levels
- Check the terpene profiles
- Check for contaminants in the oil
The results of the tests are sent back to the manufacturer. A reputable manufacturer will post the results live on its website to provide undeniable proof for its claims. Low-grade CBD companies that either don’t order these tests at all or received a failing score will avoid posting these results.
Whenever buying CBD online, make sure there’s evidence of third-party testing first.
How Much CBD Oil Should I Use?
There isn’t a specific dose of CBD oil to use — it depends on factors such as:
- The potency of the oil you’ve purchased
- Your size & weight
- The severity of your symptoms
- Your genetics
- The status of your gut health (affects absorption)
- Combination with other supplements
- And much more
The best way to find the ideal dose for your body is to start with a low dose of oil and increase gradually over time. When you begin to notice an improvement in your symptoms, you’ve found the right dose.
With that said, most people find a dose equivalent to around 10 mg of CBD is an excellent place to start. From here, you can increase at a rate of 2 – 5 mg per day until you find what works best for you. The average dose is 25 mg.
Some people find a larger dose of around 40 or 50 mg of CBD is necessary (especially larger individuals or those with more severe symptoms).
How to Use Cannabis Terpenes
Using cannabis terpene extracts is becoming increasingly popular these days. Here’s how it works.
Terpenes are the aromatic fraction of the cannabis plant. They also offer a wide range of health benefits on their own — such as reducing inflammation, easing chronic pain, and alleviating anxiety.
A high-quality full-spectrum CBD oil has a relatively high terpene concentration on its own. The same can’t be said for cheap extracts or CBD isolate oils.
Final Thoughts: Best CBD Oil Brands in 2020
CBD oil is very popular these days. It’s used to support anxiety, inflammation, chronic pain, and more.
Unfortunately, many low-grade CBD companies on the market today sell products that either don’t provide enough CBD to be effective or contain harmful contaminants that can make symptoms even worse.
It’s important only to order CBD oils from reputable brands. Check for positive customer reviews, industry-expert recommendations, and evidence of third-party testing.
If you’re unsure where to start, I recommend you go for the full-spectrum CBD oils offered by Royal CBD. The most popular potency is the 1000 mg oil, but it also comes in an ultra-high potency bottle with 2500 mg of CBD.
To see the lowest prices, click here.
