Our dietitians and medical team vetted the best multivitamins for women based on age, lifestyle, dietary preferences, and more. We then put our top picks — including several women-founded brands — to the test.
In a Healthline survey of 1,142 adults, we found that 43% of respondents were currently taking or were interested in taking a multivitamin. But with so many options, how do you know which product to choose?
Multivitamins are designed to bridge nutrient gaps in your diet. Because nutrient needs vary by stage of life, activity level, and typical diet, there’s no one best product for everyone.
That’s why our editors, dietitians, and Medical Standards and Insights team took the time to vet more than 100 products to decide on the best options for women. (Note that sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article uses “women” to refer to a person’s sex assigned at birth.)
Below are our picks of the best multivitamins for women of all types, along with tips from a dietitian on what to look for.
Disclaimer: Some of the products tested below were provided for free to Healthline editors or writers. Our opinions are ours alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the product manufacturers.
A note on price
- $ = under $0.50 per serving
- $$ = $0.50 to $1.50 per serving
- $$$ = over $1.50 per serving
Here’s another multivitamin we considered but that didn’t quite make the cut:
- Love Wellness Daily Love Multivitamin: This woman-owned brand is third-party tested and easy to find online. However, our tester ultimately preferred other brands over this one, and our dietician commented it has very high doses of some vitamins. Additionally, it contains chasteberry, an herbal supplement that can interact with common medications like birth control pills, as well as ashwagandha, which isn’t safe for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Smartypants Women’s Multi: These gummy vitamins have a subtle orange flavor that our tester enjoyed. They’re another good option if you’re looking for a gummy rather than a pill or capsule.
Here’s a quick look at how our top picks compare:
We rounded up the best multivitamins for women based on the following criteria that we believe to be important indicators of safety, quality, and transparency:
- Nutrient quality: We looked for products that use highly absorbable forms of nutrients.
- Ingredients: We included products made from quality ingredients and free of artificial additives. We also paid close attention to the types and amounts of nutrients included in each product.
- Health concerns: We looked for products to suit a variety of needs.
- Quality testing: We prioritized products tested for purity and potency, ideally by a third-party lab.
- Brand reputation: Every product on our list is produced by a medically credible company. We also ensured that every brand is compliant with labeling requirements per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Vetting: All the multivitamins on our list have been vetted to ensure they align with Healthline’s brand integrity standards and approach to well-being. You can read more about our vetting process.
Once we had our list, we had testers try each vitamin for at least a week, if not longer, so they could comment on things like pill size and any positive or negative effects.
Our Medical Standards and Insights team has carefully researched and vetted over 11,000 products and services. We fact-check health claims, evaluate ingredients, and look into each brand’s reputation before sharing products and services on Healthline.
To choose the products on this page, we considered all the multivitamins that passed our vetting process. Then, we personally tested some of them to narrow down our list even further.
With so many multivitamins available, choosing a product can feel overwhelming. Here are a few factors to consider:
- Age and life stage: Because nutrient needs change as you age, some multivitamins are made specifically for certain age groups. Similarly, people who are pregnant or nursing should opt for a product specifically formulated to meet prenatal or postnatal needs.
- Dietary restrictions or allergies: Be sure to carefully read ingredient labels if you have a food allergy or dietary restriction.
- Amounts of nutrients provided: It’s typically best to avoid products that contain very high doses of any nutrients unless a healthcare professional has recommended them to you.
- Number of pills: If you have difficulty remembering to take your vitamins, opt for a product that’s taken once per day. Additionally, if you don’t like swallowing pills, consider a gummy, chewable, or drink powder option instead.
- Budget: Be sure to consider the price per serving when determining whether a supplement fits your budget.
- Quality: Choose products that are third-party tested by organizations such as USP, NSF International, and ConsumerLab.
Which vitamins should women take daily?
Before beginning any new supplement, we recommend talking with a healthcare professional. Not everyone needs to take multivitamins, and your doctor may recommend a single-nutrient vitamin instead.
There are many essential nutrients. However, some are particularly important to look for in a multivitamin, either because the nutrients play a key role in women’s health specifically, or because women are more likely to consume inadequate amounts of them in their diets.
These nutrients include:
Still, keep in mind that depending on your diet, you may not need a supplement that contains all the nutrients listed above. Additionally, nutrient needs and amounts vary depending on your stage of life, among other factors.
Other useful supplements
Looking to round out your wellness routine? Or didn’t see what you were looking for? Be sure to check out our other supplement roundups for women’s health:
Healthline’s top picks for women’s multivitamin brands include Garden of Life, Perelel, and Ritual.
These brands offer high ingredient quality, nutrient potency, and third-party testing on various products to suit different needs.
Multivitamins can help certain people meet their nutrient needs. However, they also can increase nutrient intakes beyond the levels that are considered safe.
In terms of improving overall health and preventing chronic diseases, multivitamins may play a role, but more research is needed.
Research has also shown that healthy people are more likely to regularly take a multivitamin than those who have nutritional deficiencies. For this reason, the research on whether a multivitamin can improve health outcomes is inconclusive.
However, a doctor may still recommend a multivitamin to help fill any nutrient gaps in your diet.
Studies have shown that taking a multivitamin daily can help some people meet their needs while in others it may lead to excessive intake of nutrients.
For this reason, it’s important to carefully read supplement labels and identify any nutrients you’re already consuming regularly, either through your diet or through other supplements.
It’s a good idea to check with a healthcare professional before beginning any new supplement, including a multivitamin.
Some vitamins, such as water-soluble vitamins, can be absorbed on an empty stomach. However, multivitamins also typically contain fat-soluble vitamins, which require dietary fat for absorption, so it’s best to take them with a meal or snack.
To make it easier to remember to take your multivitamin, try taking your vitamin with the same meal each day.
Multivitamins can help fill nutritional gaps for people who have difficulty meeting their nutrient needs through diet alone, as well as for people who are pregnant or nursing or have certain dietary restrictions.
But not everyone needs a multivitamin, and regularly consuming some nutrients in excess can be detrimental to overall health. Also, keep in mind that multivitamins have the potential to interact with other supplements or prescription medications.
Be sure to check with a healthcare professional before beginning any new supplements, including a multivitamin.
