According to Dave Herman, chairman of the American Kratom Association, an estimated 3-5 million people worldwide are on the kratom bandwagon.

Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia.

Although today, high-quality kratom is everywhere. Tobacco or vape shops, gas station convenience stores, and online specialty shops.

With Covid-19 an ongoing threat, many are buying Kratom online; where shoppers are besieged by an overwhelming number of sellers, strains, and products.

Not all Kratom is created equal. Products vary greatly in quality, and some vendors aren’t reputable.

Finding the best quality Kratom doesn’t have to be difficult and you don’t have to break the bank.

Read on and we’ll tell you how.

Find Reliable Kratom Sources

Quality really matters with Kratom. Make a bad purchase and it could taint your experience with the stuff forever. But how do you know if the product you purchase is legit?

There are a few things you’d be well advised to look for when sourcing Kratom.

Does the Vendor Guarantee Their Product?

Vendors with a solid product aren’t afraid to issue guarantees. Usually in the form of money-back guarantees and quality guarantees.

If the shop you’re considering buying from doesn’t, you may need to keep looking.

Third-Party Lab Testing

Has the vendor tested their product via a third-party, independent lab? Have they made these results available to the public?

Each batch of Kratom should be tested by a lab for quality and those results should be available on their website.

If that is lacking, you may consider moving on.

Where Is the Strain From?

Reputable vendors pride themselves in having a solid product from the region it grows in. Therefore, telling shoppers where they source their Kratom is important information to look for.

Some vendors will not mention where they source, which means it’s probably not the best product. Don’t waste your money.

What Does the Website Look Like?

If the front-facing business page is a hot mess, it’s likely their products will also be subpar.

If it’s obvious that time and care has gone into the development of the website, including testing results, source information, guarantees, and a history of the company, it’s likely safe to proceed.

As more and more commerce moves online, having a professional website is important to develop and maintain a good reputation.

What Are Other People Saying?

Don’t just take the company’s word on their products. Have a look at any reviews they may have posted, but you can also do a little digging to find additional customer reviews on the products. For example on a site like Reddit.

Often companies only publish the most glowing reviews. If the company is true to its word, other reviews offsite should be consistent.

If the vendor you are shopping falls short in any of these areas,  you may want to reconsider purchasing from them.

Is It High-Quality Kratom?

Perhaps you’re beyond the looking phase and you’ve made a purchase. How do you know if what you have is a high-quality kratom?

There are a few key things to look for:

Packaging

The product is packaged and packed well. There should be no loose items, and the packaging should be more substantial than just a Ziploc bag.

If there is no label on the product at all, then it may be best to chalk that up as a loss and keep shopping.

Freshness

The product you purchased is dated and has a batch number. This will tell you how fresh it is and how long it should last. The batch number will allow you easily solve any problems if they arise with the product.

If there is no date visible on your purchase you may want to contact the seller to get more information about the batch.

Smell and Color

Once you open your product, which has come in professional packaging, with a date, and batch number, it should have an earthy smell to it.

If it smells more like a perfume it may be an old batch that was tampered with to hide something, like mold or staleness.

The color should look like the color of the leaves it came from. A nice green shade indicates freshness, a dull brown or tan could indicate an older, less fresh product.

Texture

A high-quality kratom should have a little body to it, not a light, powdery dust. The texture should be consistent, with no large particles.

In short, it shouldn’t be gritty. A smooth, consistent texture lets you know it was processed using the appropriate machinery.

If your source meets the criteria we laid out, and the purchased product checks off all or most of these key things, you likely made a good choice.

Different Kratom Strains

Kratom comes in three strains; red, white, and green, as identified by the veins of the plant. The colors let you know where the plant was in its life cycle when harvested, and what sort of effects you can expect from a product.

In addition to colors, Kratom is also marketed by region. Each region tends to have slightly different effects even among the same color veined plants.

There are also variances in how a product may have been harvested and processed for retail.

White Veins

These strains are usually harvested while the leaves of the kratom tree are still young and the veins are white. A really similar process to harvesting white tea leaves.

Once harvested, the leaves will be dried entirely indoors with no light on them. Making the white-veined strands some of the strongest.

Red Veins

These strains are the most popular across the board.

The leaves are harvested from the plant at its most mature are and is processed using lots of sunlight or a UV lamp during the drying process.

Green Veins

These strains are the middle ground between the red and white.

The leaves are harvested midway through the plant’s maturation process. They are dried indoors first, in a climate-controlled room, then moved outside to finish.

Ready to Buy High-Quality Kratom?

The cost of kratom can vary wildly from vendor to vendor. The good news is, as the plant has gained popularity high-quality kratom has become more accessible and affordable.

When shopping for bulk or smaller sized options be sure to check the reliability markers we discussed.

Pay attention to the packaging, and the presentation of the website you’re shopping for. They should look good.

Sample packs are often a great way to get good value, try different varieties, and even try multiple vendors to see which product is the best for you.