Which astaxanthin brands are third-party tested?
Buy Double Wood Astaxanthin 12 mg: it costs $25.95 for 60 softgels, posts a lab report for its lots, and held its label amount in ConsumerLab’s 2026 test. One astaxanthin is on NSF’s list and two are on Informed Choice.
By Erin Rose Updated November 5, 2026 How we score
Our recommendation
Buy Double Wood Astaxanthin 12 mg
Its lot report checks the amount, heavy metals and microbes. The lot we read held 13.3 mg in a 12 mg softgel. It uses AstaReal, a branded algae source.
Buy on Amazon · $25.95- Want the one on NSF’s list? We Like Vitamins Astaxanthin 10 mg is on NSF/ANSI 173 and costs $0.18 per 12 mg.
Astaxanthin with a testing listing or lab report (3)
Each of these is on a testing program’s list or posts a lab report. Tap a badge to open it.
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Our pick
Double Wood Astaxanthin 12 mg
Lab report by lotIn ConsumerLab’s 2026 test
Posts lab reports by lot number. The report for lot 25083002 (April 2025) found 13.3 mg of astaxanthin against 12 mg on the label, and checks heavy metals and microbes. It does not name the lab.
$0.43 per 12 mg
Buy on Amazon · $25.95 -
We Like Vitamins Astaxanthin 10 mg
The only astaxanthin on NSF/ANSI 173, listed as “We Like Vitamins Astaxanthin”, 1 softgel. NSF’s listing gives no strength or bottle size, so we match it by name. In 2023 NOW Foods, which sells a rival product, reported that one lot it tested held far less than its label; NSF lists the product today.
$0.18 per 12 mg
Buy on Amazon · $26.99 -
Nutrex Hawaii BioAstin 12 mg
Informed ChoiceIn ConsumerLab’s 2026 test
Informed Choice lists “BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin 12 mg Gelcaps”, the gel cap we link. Informed Choice tests for substances banned in sport, not the amount of astaxanthin.
$0.69 per 12 mg
Buy on Amazon · $34.49
In ConsumerLab’s 2026 test (4)
ConsumerLab bought these and tested them in 2026. It says every brand it tested held its label amount; its full results are for members.
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Sports Research Astaxanthin 12 mg
ConsumerLab names “Sports Research Astaxanthin” but not the strength. The brand says “third-party tested” and posts no report.
$0.45 per 12 mg
Buy on Amazon · $26.95 -
NOW Astaxanthin 4 mg
ConsumerLab names “NOW Astaxanthin 4 mg”, this product. NOW tests in its own labs and posts no outside report.
$0.56 per 12 mg
Buy on Amazon · $16.88 -
Nutricost Astaxanthin 12 mg
ConsumerLab names “Nutricost Astaxanthin”. Nutricost says independent labs test its products and posts no report.
$0.23 per 12 mg
Buy on Amazon · $27.95 -
BulkSupplements Astaxanthin 10 mg
ConsumerLab names “BulkSupplements.com Astaxanthin Softgels”. The brand sends a lab report if you ask. Amazon lists 10 mg a softgel; an NIH label record says 12 mg. We price it at 10 mg.
$0.21 per 12 mg
Buy on Amazon · $31.97
Cost per 12 mg of astaxanthin uses Amazon’s price over the softgels in the bottle, checked November 6, 2026 or later. Lists and lab reports read November 5, 2026.
How do the 9 astaxanthin brands compare on testing?
3 of the 9 have a testing listing or a lab report, and 6 were in ConsumerLab’s 2026 test. Double Wood and BioAstin have both. The other 2 rely on the maker’s word.
| Product | Listing or report | ConsumerLab | Per 12 mg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double Wood Astaxanthin 12 mg | Lab report | In test | $0.43 |
| We Like Vitamins Astaxanthin 10 mg | NSF/ANSI 173 | No | $0.18 |
| Nutrex Hawaii BioAstin 12 mg | Informed Choice | In test | $0.69 |
| Sports Research Astaxanthin 12 mg | Not posted | In test | $0.45 |
| NOW Astaxanthin 4 mg | Not posted | In test | $0.56 |
| Nutricost Astaxanthin 12 mg | Not posted | In test | $0.23 |
| BulkSupplements Astaxanthin 10 mg | Not posted | In test | $0.21 |
| Doctor’s Best Astaxanthin 6 mg | Not posted | No | $0.58 |
| Micro Ingredients Astaxanthin 12 mg | Not posted | No | $0.29 |
Maker claim only (2)
We checked these 2 too. The brand says its oil is tested, but we found no report or listing.
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Doctor’s Best Astaxanthin 6 mg
Maker claim only
Maker claim: “rigorously tested”. We found no lab report and no listing.
$0.58 per 12 mg
Buy on Amazon · $25.99 -
Micro Ingredients Astaxanthin 12 mg
Maker claim only
Maker claim: “Third-party lab tested”. We found no lab report and no listing.
$0.29 per 12 mg
Buy on Amazon · $34.95
Why is our pick not the one on NSF’s list?
Because Double Wood shows more of its testing. We Like Vitamins is the only astaxanthin on NSF/ANSI 173, which checks that the bottle holds what the label says. That is a strong listing, and at $0.18 per 12 mg it costs less than half as much; our best astaxanthin ranking picks it on cost.
Double Wood costs 2.4 times as much per 12 mg. For that you get a report you can read yourself: the amount found, heavy metals and microbes for a named lot. ConsumerLab also tested Double Wood in 2026 and did not test We Like Vitamins, and NSF’s listing for We Like Vitamins does not give its strength. If you want the lowest cost on a public list, buy We Like Vitamins. If you want to see the numbers, buy Double Wood.
What does each testing program check?
NSF/ANSI 173 checks the amount on the label; Informed Choice checks for banned substances; ConsumerLab buys products and tests the amount itself.
- NSF/ANSI 173. NSF checks that what is in the bottle matches the label, with nothing hidden and no unsafe level of contaminants, and audits the maker every year. NSF’s astaxanthin listing.
- Informed Choice. Tests products each month for substances banned in sport. It does not check the amount of astaxanthin. Informed Choice list.
- USP Verified. Checks the amount, purity and how the product is made. One astaxanthin is listed: trunature 6 mg, sold at Costco.
- ConsumerLab. Buys products itself and sends them to labs. Its 2026 astaxanthin review, updated July 30, 2026, tested 9 products.
What did ConsumerLab find in astaxanthin?
Every brand ConsumerLab tested held its label amount: it writes that the brands it chose “contained their listed amounts” or more. It also says the same amount of astaxanthin can cost less than half as much from one brand as from another.
It names the 9 products it tested: AX3 Bio-Pure Astaxanthin, BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin, BulkSupplements.com Astaxanthin Softgels, California Gold Nutrition Astaxanthin, Double Wood Astaxanthin AstaReal, Life Extension Astaxanthin 4 mg With Phospholipids, NOW Astaxanthin 4 mg, Nutricost Astaxanthin, Sports Research Astaxanthin. 6 of them are on this page. Which ones it rates best is for members only.
What should I look for on an astaxanthin label?
- Milligrams per softgel. Products here range from 4 mg to 12 mg, so compare cost per 12 mg, not per bottle. The cheapest per 12 mg on this page is We Like Vitamins Astaxanthin 10 mg, at $0.18.
- The source. Most use the algae Haematococcus pluvialis. Some name a branded form: AstaReal (Double Wood, Doctor’s Best), AstaLif (Sports Research) or BioAstin (Nutrex).
- An oil base. Astaxanthin dissolves in fat, so softgels carry it in oil. Several labels here say to take it with a meal.
- A lot number. You need it to look up a lab report, as Double Wood allows, or to ask a brand for one.
For how much to take, see the astaxanthin dosage guide.
Does “third-party tested” on an astaxanthin label mean anything?
On its own, not much. Sports Research, Micro Ingredients and Nutrex all say it on Amazon. The phrase does not name a lab, a lot or what was checked, so a buyer has no way to check it. A listing on NSF’s or Informed Choice’s own site, a lot report you can open, or a ConsumerLab test tells you more.
How do I check my own bottle?
- Look for the NSF mark, and search NSF’s list for the exact product name.
- Find the lot number on the bottle. Look it up on the brand’s report page, like Double Wood’s, or email the brand for that lot’s report.
- Check that the report gives milligrams of astaxanthin found, not just a pass mark, and lists heavy metals.
Which other astaxanthin products are on a list?
These are listed too, but we link a different form or did not find them as a single bottle on Amazon. Lists read November 5, 2026.
- USP Verified: trunature Astaxanthin 6 mg Softgels (sold at Costco)
- Informed Choice: Nature Made Astaxanthin
- Informed Choice: BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin 12mg Softgel (Vegan)
Questions
Is Double Wood astaxanthin third-party tested?
It posts lab reports you can look up by lot number. The one we read, lot 25083002 from April 2025, found 13.3 mg of astaxanthin in a 12 mg softgel and checks heavy metals and microbes; it does not name the lab. ConsumerLab also tested Double Wood in 2026.
Is any astaxanthin NSF certified?
One. NSF/ANSI 173 lists We Like Vitamins Astaxanthin (we read the list on November 5, 2026). No astaxanthin is on NSF Certified for Sport.
Is BioAstin third-party tested?
Informed Choice lists the BioAstin 12 mg gel caps and the vegan softgels. That program tests for substances banned in sport. ConsumerLab also tested BioAstin in 2026.
Do astaxanthin supplements contain what the label says?
In ConsumerLab’s 2026 test, yes: it says every brand it chose “contained their listed amounts” or more. Earlier reports found some online brands with far less, so a listing or a lot report still matters for brands it did not test.
Is AstaReal better than other astaxanthin?
AstaReal is a branded astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis algae, made by Fuji Chemical. Double Wood and Doctor’s Best use it. Testing tells you whether the bottle holds what it says; the brand of the raw material does not.
Sources
- NSF International. NSF/ANSI 173 listings for astaxanthin, current as of November 5, 2026. info.nsf.org
- Informed Choice certified products, read November 5, 2026. choice.wetestyoutrust.com
- USP Verified products list, read November 5, 2026. quality-supplements.org
- ConsumerLab. Astaxanthin Supplements Review (updated July 30, 2026). consumerlab.com
- Double Wood Supplements. Certificate of analysis lookup (lot 25083002). doublewoodsupplements.com
- NOW Foods. Testing results for astaxanthin products, August 2023 (22 brands, one lot each, tested by a company that sells astaxanthin). nowfoods.com
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database, astaxanthin labels. dsld.od.nih.gov