Welcome to our CBDistillery review!
After a collaborative effort involving product sampling, correspondence with the CBDistillery team, and plenty of virtual tire-kicking around the brand’s website, the CBD Insider editorial team has arrived at a final score for CBDistillery.
Our final score for CBDistillery is 97.4/100, which earns them entry into our highest tier of brands.
Speaking of, we use a 27-item assessment to ensure our reviews are as comprehensive as possible, so every brand has the chance to be rewarded for its unique offerings.
Everything from the seemingly mundane (e.g., shipping & return policies) to the crowd-pleasing gimmicks is fair game for our evaluation, which we divide into these categories:
Before we break down CBDistillery’s score, a quick introduction of some of our favorite CBDistillery products, starting with their highly touted Unwind Synergy+ THC & CBD Gummies.
CBDistillery’s Daily Unwind Synergy CBD Gummies utilize a 5:1 ratio of CBD to THC for more potent calming and discomfort-relieving effects.
A robust, full-spectrum hemp extract loaded with supporting cannabinoids further strengthens this synergy via the entourage effect.
Our testers unanimously confirmed the above-average potency of these gummies as it concerns the calming effect.
For a tasty departure from the usual hemp flavor that doesn’t compromise potency, we found the 1000mg Full-Spectrum CBD Mango Tincture to be highly effective.
This tincture offers a well-balanced blend of CBD, minor cannabinoids, and terpenes for a fair price.
We enjoyed the subtle mango flavor, and the 33mg/mL concentration is perfect for twice-a-day use.
Most of all, this tincture produced noticeable calming effects, also assisting with minor muscle pain and inflammation.
Speaking of pain and inflammation, we found the CBDol Topical CBD Salve to be surprisingly effective in this regard.
The first thing we noticed about this salve was the huge ingredient list filled with natural botanicals.
As soon as we applied it to our sore joints, we felt the heating and cooling effect cut down the pain almost instantly.
Best of all, this salve is non-greasy, pleasant-smelling, and economical.
A subsidiary of Balanced Health Botanicals (BHB), CBDistillery was formed in 2016, when cannabidiol was experiencing a strong surge in public interest and consumption.
BHB CEO Chase Terwilliger, co-founder Andrew Papilion, and the rest of the CBDistillery team have been vocally opposed to the “gimmicky” side of the CBD industry since the company’s inception, and have used their strong standing in the market to educate and advocate for consumers.
Meanwhile, they amassed one of the largest product catalogs within the CBD space, including CBD oils, gummies, softgels, powders, and topical products of various strengths and formulation types.
Today, CBDistillery holds a dominant position in the market, with two million customers and tens of thousands of verified reviews.
As part of their effort to part the fog of misinformation that still affects CBD consumers (and even producers) to this day, CBDistillery has dramatically upstaged the competition in the consumer education vein with their Gimmick-Free CBD campaign.
This 2019 campaign went far beyond hashtags and blog posts—it was launched with seven-billboard displays in Times Square comparing CBD-infused pillows and other gimmicks to CBDistillery’s gimmick-free products.
As we’ll explore shortly, CBDistillery also created the #CBDMOVEMENT, and their Ultimate CBD User Guide has been downloaded more than 40,000 times.
The attitude we picked up on through our personal correspondence with CBDistillery is reflected in this call for clarity: it’s not about new and shiny, it’s about empowering the consumer with knowledge and high-quality products.
In the words of Tony Schwartz, Director of Affiliate and Strategic Partnerships at Balanced Health Botanicals, “We’ve chosen to invest resources in publishing data that can help any CBD customer, not just our own customers.”
But these claims are just claims without an investigation into everything CBDistillery has to offer, so investigate we did.
Here’s what we found.
Each of the following criteria were assessed using a combination of our personal experiences with the products/website and communication with CBDistillery representatives.
Scores for each criterion are weighted based on their importance to the overall consumer experience, contributing to a maximum overall rating of 100 points.
For more information on how we rate brands, we invite you to check out our scoring guide.
Let’s begin with the heaviest influencer: quality.
Max score = 35 points.
CBDistillery = 34.625 points.
End product quality is the result of a joint effort between testing and quality control protocols, packaging and labeling, formulation quality, and much more.
As such, we make sure to dive much deeper than raw product effectiveness when evaluating across this criterion.
The first thing everyone notices is the packaging, which, in CBDistillery’s case, is among the best we’ve seen for two major reasons.
First, most of their tinctures, softgels, and balms come in small boxes that provide a well-above-average amount of information about the brand, the products, the endocannabinoid system, and more.
CBDistillery even inserts miniature pamphlets into the boxes that provide more information about the entourage effect, differences between formulation types (isolate vs broad-spectrum vs full-spectrum), and more, a testament to their pledge to educate customers.
Also, both the boxes and the containers within them have QR codes that link to lab reports so consumers can quickly access information pertaining to the safety and potency of their products.
As for extract/formulation quality and variety, CBDistillery offers several isolate, broad-spectrum, and full-spectrum CBD products.
They have the three popular formulation types we look for – “relief + relax,” “sleep,” and “active” – when topicals are also taken into account.
The only preservatives we found were in the gummies and topicals, as expected, and all the other product types had zero artificial ingredients, earning full marks for use of natural ingredients.
Finally, the hemp itself is sourced from Oregon farms that are compliant with the State Department of Agriculture, and farms are subject to soil testing and biomass testing before/after growth.
In addition to soil testing and other assessments performed at the source, CBDistillery sends their extracts to be tested by a well-established third-party lab, ACS Laboratory.
ACS tests for all the major substances that we look for, including cannabinoid potency, residual solvents, heavy metals, pesticides, microbes, and terpenes, earning full marks for testing.
As for certifications, Balanced Health Botanicals was an early recipient of the U.S. Hemp Authority Seal of Approval.
They also hold self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status and Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) certifications, and their products are compliant with ISO 9001 standards.
Needless to say, CBDistillery earned full marks for testing and certification.
CBD extraction refers to the process by which a manufacturer removes the CBD from the raw plant material.
Not all methods are created equal in their ability to efficiently extract CBD and supporting cannabinoids/terpenes without leaving residue.
CBDistillery uses the CO2 extraction method, which is considered the gold standard for its safety and efficiency, earning full marks here.
Max score = 12.5 points.
CBDistillery = 12.25 points.
Trust is built on transparency—it’s a natural law that pervades all relationships, not just those between consumers and brands.
Simply put, the more a brand is willing to share about its personnel, processes, products, and anything else, the more we trust and reward them.
As mentioned, the QR codes on the packaging allow for quick and easy access to certificates of analysis (COAs) from ACL Laboratory.
We made a small deduction because we had to input the batch number after scanning—it may be nitpicky, but some brands have refined this down to a one-step process.
As for product information, both the packaging and the website provide ample, easily accessible information about the products, how to use them, benefits, and even some of the physiology behind CBD’s effects.
It’s also refreshing to see a robust “about us” page complete with plenty of background information on the company as well as a full breakdown of the leadership team, complete with headshots and bio links—top marks here to be sure.
Where does CBDistillery source their hemp from?
Where does it go from the farm?
How much oversight does CBDistillery exercise over the various points in their supply chain?
These questions should be considered mandatory by any brand that wants to reach a high level of authority and trust.
Also on their about us page, CBDistillery has a professionally filmed and produced video explaining where the hemp goes, when hemp/extracts are tested, and what standards the products have to meet in order to make it through the supply chain.
Max points = 7.5
CBDistillery = 7.5
Nowadays, there’s no excuse for being taken out of your ecommerce experience because of oddly structured sales and/or checkout pages, bugs, poor design, or whatever else.
In order to review the ecommerce experience as well as the general site content (informational blogs, resources, etc.), we split this criterion in two.
The product and category pages were logically arranged with helpful filters, tabbed content boxes, FAQ, and anything else you would need to find and learn about a CBDistillery product.
The flow from browsing to purchasing was seamless; adding something to the cart doesn’t divert you onto a random page.
We were hard-pressed to find a flaw after plenty of browsing around, so it’s full marks here.
Without question, CBDistillery’s more than 200 blog posts, recipes, and educational articles earns the brand a perfect score when it comes to general site content.
Max score = 10 points.
CBDistillery = 9.75 points.
We grade customer service based on how many contact options a brand has (phone, messenger, and email for full points), how accessible and responsive these options are, and the flexibility of shipping and return policies.
CBDistillery has email and live chat support services.
We made a deduction for the lack of a customer service phone number, but considering the slow migration of many companies away from phone support, it was a small deduction.
The messenger was fast and accommodating, sufficiently answering our questions within a minute or two.
Customers have up to 60 days from the time of delivery to exchange their CBD products or replace them for a full refund.
Considering most brands allow up to 30 days, this is worthy of a perfect score for this subcriteria.
Max score = 10 points
CBDistillery = 8.31 points
The distinction between price and value is highly important for CBD consumers; cheaper isn’t always better.
In order to reward brands for value over price, we’ve set up two subcriteria: one that measures price, and the other that sets the ingredient quality against the price.
In our latest consumer survey, we asked current CBD users how much CBD they took per dose, how many doses they did in a day, and what they thought a reasonable price for a month’s supply of CBD was.
We used these figures to determine the average monthly amount consumed as well as the average (desirable) price for a one-month supply.
Products from reviewed brands are then compared against these baselines and scored accordingly.
CBDistillery is by no means in the most expensive tier, but since the competition is so thick (some high-quality brands charge as low as $0.02/mg), they took a significant hit in this department—40/100 for the subcriteria of price.
However, the ingredient quality relative to price is still very high, earning them 95/100 for the second subcriteria.
Max score = 25 points.
CBDistillery = 25 points.
What would happen to the CBD industry (and the world at large) if CBDistillery were suddenly wiped from existence?
Dramatic, we know, but it’s the easiest way to capture brand value in a single throw.
A brand that influences the industry by pushing new product innovations, supporting local and global communities, participating in research initiatives, and so on is considered highly valuable because it creates growth and opportunity for everyone.
Here’s how CBDistillery measures up in this regard.
If doing what everyone else does, but better is to be considered innovation, then CBDistillery flies over the bar here—especially since they were fairly early to the party.
No, they don’t have CBD toilet paper or toothpicks, but their formulations are highly effective, their prices are fair, and most distinctly, their consumer education is off the charts.
Few brands, if any, have made as much of an impact on their communities, CBD research, and pro-CBD legislation as CBDistillery.
As Tony Schwartz explained to us, “CBDistillery is actively involved in research studies that will push the industry forward by providing the FDA with the needed information to create clearer regulatory paths.”
He’s referring in this case to an industry-wide study that CBDistillery contributed to using ValidCare, a market intelligence platform, so the FDA could have the data it needs to build said regulatory paths.
CBDistillery will also conduct 8 qualitative studies this year in partnership with the mobile app Releaf.
As the world struggled to respond to COVID-19 in 2020, CBDistillery made a move on food insecurity.
“When we heard that our customers are concerned with food security issues in the United States, we got to work,” Tony said.
“We partnered with Grammy-nominated Beth Hart and Boulder-based nonprofit Conscious Alliance to help feed hungry people in America through the sale of our CBD products.”
They also donated generously to the Saint Francis Homelessness Challenge via San Francisco non-profit organization Intersection for the Arts.
Hence, a well-deserved 25/25 for brand value.
All tallied, CBDistillery earned an overall rating of 97.44/100.
Here are some key takeaways to sum up our review:
The thing that impressed us the most was the effort CBDistillery invests on educating and informing their customers.
We tested the 30mg full-spectrum CBDistillery softgels—they offer broad-spectrum and full-spectrum in 30- and 60-count bottles (all 30mg/capsule).
The COA for our product reported the following (per capsule):
As usual, the CBD content is slightly higher than advertised, supporting cannabinoids make an appearance, and the THC content stays well below the federally mandated limit.
At $60 for 900mg of CBD (though it’s really closer to 1000mg), the 30-count container of capsules is slightly pricier than the 1000mg oil at $0.067/mg.
That said, this jump isn’t quite enough for us to label them as expensive; they’re still in the middle of the road.
The packaging was consistent with the tincture, with the exception of the lid.
All of the durable packaging material was intact upon receipt, and the box, labeling, and insert were highly informative.
In addition to the full-spectrum hemp extract, these softgels contain the following ingredients: fractionated coconut oil and shell (gelatin, glycerin, water).
Once again, we were pleased to see effective and all-natural ingredients.
In the case of capsules and/or softgels, taste is mostly moot.
However, some softgels can leave a residual aftertaste or a bitter impression on the tongue, neither of which occurred with these softgels.
We noticed very little difference in effectiveness between this product and the tincture, a level of consistency indicating strong quality control.
As before, this product helped with stress and sleep, and for one of our testers, mild hip and knee pain.
Pros:
Cons:
We sampled the 30mg Sleep CBD Gummies with melatonin; CBDistillery also carries Relax CBD gummies designed for anytime use.
The COA for our particular product reported the following (per gummy):
*The minimum detectable amount of THC, i.e., the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.001%, so there may be a smaller percentage of THC present.
Per 30-count container, that’s 1,149.93mg of CBD and 12.96mg of supporting cannabinoids.
Almost every brand is at least two or three milligrams per milliliter/gram/piece over the labeled CBD content, but we were impressed by how much CBDistillery overshot this mark.
At the same time, even safe and non-intoxicating CBD can have some side effects, so it’s important for brands not to overshoot the claim on the label by too much.
Surprisingly, the price-per-milligram difference between CBDistillery’s oil and gummies was virtually nonexistent, unlike the majority of brands.
The oil is $60 for 1000mg of CBD while the 30-count gummies are technically $60 for 900mg of CBD, but considering the fact that our gummies had over 1,100mg of CBD, we’re willing to call it even.
Indeed, these gummies earned fourth place for value in our cheapest CBD products article.
The gummies didn’t come with the usual box and insert, but the size of the jar allowed ample space for a squint-free ingredients list, supplement facts, warnings, etc.
As usual, the seal and child-proof lid (push down and turn) were durable, functional, and intact upon receipt.
In addition to the hemp extract, the CBDistillery Sleep Gummies contained the following ingredients: tapioca syrup, cane sugar, pectin, citric acid, sodium citrate dihydrate, less than 2% of: malic acid, natural flavor, fruit juice.
This is fairly consistent with the high-quality brands, the key distinctions being cane sugar over high-fructose corn syrup, natural flavors over artificial flavors, and sparing use of natural additives (e.g., malic acid).
Each gummy contains two grams of added sugar, which is also fairly standard—anything more, and we start to shave off points in our reviews.
We realized soon after the first sample that mixed berry is a smart choice for the CBDistillery Sleep Gummies (or their oils) because the natural bitterness of berries is fairly similar to that of the hemp extract.
In other words, the gummies didn’t taste like berry flavoring and hemp—they just tasted like mixed berries.
In its own right, the flavor was pleasant and not oversweet.
These gummies were definitely effective in helping us sleep, though we wouldn’t argue they were more potent in this regard than the Relief + Relax tincture and softgels.
This may result from the use of the supporting cannabinoid CBN—a natural sedative—in those products.
Still, the gummies did what they promised to do, helping us fall asleep faster without feeling drowsy.
Pros:
Cons:
We tested the 500mg CBDol balm, which comes in a one-ounce container.
The COA for our product reported the following:
The CBD content exceeded that claimed by the label, and the THC content was well below the federal limit, so all is well here.
CBDistillery is currently charging $50 for the 500mg balm we sampled, which, like their oil, is a moderate price point ($0.10/mg) for the product type.
A really cheap topical would land somewhere closer to a nickel a milligram (or even less), but a dime a milligram certainly isn’t on the overpriced side, either.
The balm comes in a small container, complete with the outer box and insert.
As usual, packaging was durable and fully intact upon receipt.
Here are the ingredients for our CBDol CBD Balm: butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, cetearyl alcohol, sodium cetearyl sulfate, cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil, magnesium hydroxide, water, cera alba (beeswax), gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen) leaf oil, cannabis sativa (hemp) full spectrum extract, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower oil, eucalyptus globulus leaf oil, cinnamomum camphora (camphor) bark oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, arnica montana flower oil, boswellia carterii (frankincense) oil, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, lactobacillus ferment, lactobacillus, cocos nucifera (coconut) fruit extract, citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel extract, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon) leaf oil, salix nigra (willow) bark extract, populus tremuloides (aspen) bark extract, lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) extract, aloe barbadensis (aloe) extract.
It is sadly a conditioned impulse to see an ingredient list this long and assume the product has a ton of preservatives, but closer inspection reveals a formulation filled with essential oils and other natural ingredients.
Like many over-the-counter analgesics, but with the added benefit of CBD, this product helped relieve neck and lower back pain with cooling and warming sensations.
The relief lasted for about half the day, and the smell was pleasant, but not overpowering.
Considering how little is required for each application, this product is as economical as it is effective.
Pros:
Cons:
There’s plenty of room in CBDistillery for CBD veterans and rookies alike; the following recommended products have something to offer for all kinds of consumers.
The familiar delivery system and THC-free formulation make these capsules perfect for beginners.
With broad-spectrum, you still receive the synergistic benefits of CBD combined with minor cannabinoids and terpenes.
Plus, these capsules make it super easy to measure doses, and taking them with food is a simple way to increase absorption.
Boasting an uncommonly high (1:3) ratio of the natural sedative CBN (cannabinol) to CBD, this tincture is among the most powerful sleep CBD products we’ve seen.
When taken in the late afternoon or early evening, this tincture gently encourages your brain to initiate sleep without the jarring effects of prescription sleep aids.
If it takes you more than 20 minutes to fall asleep, this product may significantly shrink that window, adding precious time to your sleep schedule.
A rare find, this CBD isolate powder provides an easy method for working pure CBD isolate into your regular dietary choices.
The tub contains 1 gram/970+mg of pure CBD isolate powder that effortlessly blends/dissolves into food and drink for your convenience.
Plus, at less than $0.03/mg, this powder is a great value.
CBDistillery has built a fairly diverse product catalog since their inception over four years ago, including various formulation types (active, sleep, etc.), product types, concentrations, and extract (isolate, broad-spectrum, and full-spectrum available).
Currently, they offer the following types of CBD products:
-Oils
-Softgels
-Gummies
-Topicals
-Powders
Like most brands, CBDistillery’s most popular products include their full-spectrum oils and gummies.
Let’s start our comprehensive listing with their CBD oils.
CBDistillery is one of the select brands to offer isolate, broad-spectrum, and full-spectrum CBD oils.
They also include CBG, CBN, melatonin, and other supporting cannabinoids/ingredients in several of their oils to support functional benefits.
Finally, their available concentrations range from 450mg to 5000mg, affording samplers and more experienced bulk buyers the opportunity to access the quantities that best suit them.
Best Use: CBD oils generally offer the greatest variety of strengths and formulation types, so consumers who don’t mind a bit of hemp flavor can rely on oils to address their specific health and wellness goals.
CBDistillery has 0% THC broad-spectrum softgels as well as full-spectrum softgels, both available in 30-count or 60-count containers.
All softgels are currently offered at a 30mg/serving (one softgel) concentration.
Best Use: Softgels/capsules allow CBD consumers to work around the hemp taste while still enjoying the convenience of an easily measurable dose.
Gummies are quickly gaining popularity as a tasty alternative to oil that can deliver the same high-quality formulations.
CBDistillery carries three kinds of CBD gummies, each with their unique flavor: the Broad-Spectrum CBD Sleep Gummies + Melatonin in Mixed Berry, the Broad-Spectrum CBD Anytime Gummies in Tropical Fruit, and the Unwind Synergy+ THC & CBD Gummies in Berry.
We want to call special attention to the Unwind Synergy gummies, which were among the most effective and enjoyable we’ve tried from any brand.
We attribute the potency of the Unwind Synergy gummies to the above-average ratio of THC to CBD (1:5), but beyond raw potency, only a well-balanced full-spectrum extract can promote relief, calmness, and positive mood so effectively.
Especially if you’re newer to hemp products and/or higher-THC CBD products, we concur with CBDistillery’s recommendation as far as taking the Unwind Synergy gummies in the evening (and starting out with one).
At 25mg of CBD and 5 grams of THC per gummy, the concentration is fitting for a beginner (taking one per day) as well as a more experienced hemp user (two or three).
Best Use: Like capsules, gummies provide easily measurable doses without the hemp flavor, but in a more familiar and enjoyable format.
Cannabidiol-infused balms, lotions, roll-ons, and other topicals allow users to directly apply CBD to specific areas affected by inflammation and pain.
CBDistillery carries a large variety of isolate, broad-spectrum, and full-spectrum CBD topicals.
Best Use: It’s much harder to measure exactly how much you’re using, but for greater and more targeted relief of stubborn joint, neck, or back pain, CBD topicals can generally outperform oils and other product types.
Though they may require a little bit of upfront work, CBD powders are actually the most versatile product type when it comes to working CBD into your daily routine.
For example, CBDistillery offers full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate CBD powders that can be directly consumed, mixed in with food or beverages, or even made into an oil.
Best Use: CBD powders are an excellent option for anyone who wants to create their own CBD-infused foods and/or beverages while still receiving the benefits of high-quality formulations of all types.
CBDistillery enjoys their strong position in the market for several reasons.
In addition to their broad range of clean, effective, well-tested hemp products, they lead the industry in consumer education and advocacy.
They not only contribute significant portions of their proceeds to worthy causes, but they give their customers a voice in deciding what those causes will be.
Finally, CBDistillery is a crucial ally in the fight against CBD gimmicks, and their dedicated social engineering has inspired customers to clean up the industry from within.