Thorne vs Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glycinate (2026)
Buy Thorne. Both capsules hold 120 mg of magnesium as glycinate, but only Thorne’s is on a testing list (NSF/ANSI 173). Pure Encapsulations is on none of the 5 we searched. Thorne also costs a little less: $0.72 against $0.75 for 300 mg of magnesium at list price.
Fewer additives
Pure Encapsulations
- Cost
- $0.75 for 300 mg
- Testing
- Not on the 5 lists we checked
Want the fewest added ingredients? Buy Pure Encapsulations. It is the same 120 mg of magnesium as glycinate in a capsule, with only ascorbyl palmitate added, and the label says hypoallergenic. It costs about $10 more a year at 300 mg a day. What it lacks: an outside list that checks the capsule.
The numbers, side by side
| Thorne | Pure Encapsulations | |
|---|---|---|
| Testing list | NSF/ANSI 173 | Not on the 5 lists we checked |
| Cost of 300 mg of magnesium | $0.72 | $0.75 |
| Best for | An outside check of what is in the capsule | The fewest added ingredients |
| Magnesium a serving | 120 mg in 1 capsule | 120 mg in 1 capsule |
| Form on the label | Magnesium glycinate | Magnesium glycinate |
| Other ingredients | Hypromellose capsule, silicon dioxide, MCT oil | Cellulose capsule, ascorbyl palmitate |
| Label directions | 1 to 4 capsules a day | 1 to 4 capsules a day, with food |
| Bottle | 90-serving bottle, $26.00 | 90-serving bottle, $27.00 |
| A year at 300 mg a day | $264 | $274 |
How each one is checked
Thorne’s capsules are on NSF/ANSI 173. NSF’s list names “Thorne Magnesium Glycinate, capsule, serving 4 capsules.” NSF checks that the product holds what the label says and has no unsafe levels of contaminants, and it retests from time to time. It is not a test for drugs banned in sport.
Pure Encapsulations is on none of the 5 lists we searched (NSF/ANSI 173, NSF Certified for Sport, USP Verified, Informed Choice and Informed Sport, October 27, 2026). That does not mean it failed a test. Brands pay to join these programs, and many do not. It means no outside group lists it for you to check. Its label does carry a gluten-free certification, which checks for gluten, not the amount of magnesium.
Drug-tested athletes: neither capsule is NSF Certified for Sport, the list that also screens for banned drugs. Thorne’s powder, shown above, is. See every tested magnesium glycinate.
What the labels say
Both labels say the same thing on the magnesium line: 120 mg of magnesium as magnesium glycinate in each capsule, which is magnesium bound to the amino acid glycine (NIH label 219667 for Pure Encapsulations). Some sites call it bisglycinate; it is the same compound. No study compares the two brands. Neither label lists magnesium oxide, the cheap form that the body absorbs less well (NIH).
The difference is what else goes in the capsule. Besides the capsule itself, Pure Encapsulations adds one ingredient (ascorbyl palmitate) and Thorne adds two (silicon dioxide and MCT oil).
What the price gap costs you
We price every magnesium per 300 mg, so you can line up any brand. With these 120 mg capsules, 300 mg is 2½ capsules. One capsule costs $0.29 (Thorne) or $0.30 (Pure Encapsulations) at list price. Two capsules (240 mg) is the most you can take and stay under the 350 mg limit, and that costs $0.58 or $0.60 a day. See what every magnesium glycinate costs.
How the two scored
Thorne scores 6.5 out of 10 and Pure Encapsulations 3.5. The whole gap is testing, which counts for 3 of the 10 points: a product on a public list gets all 3. They tie on dose (one 120 mg capsule is below the 200 mg our score counts in full), on cost, on the label and on recalls. Read how we score.
Who should buy which
- You want one of these twoThorne
1 or 2 capsules (120 or 240 mg) a day keeps you under the limit. Check the price.
- You want our top glycinate pickRevive MD
Revive MD Magnesium Glycinate: on the Informed Sport list, $0.50 for 300 mg at Revive MD’s own price (best magnesium glycinate). Check the price.
- You have kidney diseaseAsk your doctor first
If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor before you take magnesium. Weak kidneys cannot clear the extra, so it can build up (NIH).
Questions
Is Thorne or Pure Encapsulations magnesium glycinate better?
No study compares the two, and both hold 120 mg of magnesium as glycinate per capsule. Thorne is the one an outside list (NSF/ANSI 173) checks, and it costs a little less at list price.
Which one absorbs better?
No trial has compared them, so no one can say. Both labels name the same form, magnesium glycinate (magnesium bound to the amino acid glycine), at the same amount.
Is Pure Encapsulations magnesium hypoallergenic? What else is in each capsule?
Pure Encapsulations’ label says “Gluten-free, Non-GMO & Hypoallergenic” and carries a certified gluten-free mark. Besides the magnesium, it has only the capsule (cellulose and water) and ascorbyl palmitate, a form of vitamin C used to keep the contents fresh. Thorne’s capsule is hypromellose (from cellulose), with silicon dioxide and medium chain triglyceride oil added; Thorne lists it as gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free.
How many capsules should I take?
Keep magnesium from supplements at or under 350 mg a day (NIH). With either brand that is 2 capsules (240 mg); 3 capsules is 360 mg. Both labels allow up to 4 capsules (480 mg), which is over the limit.
Is the bigger bottle cheaper?
A little. The 180-capsule bottles cost $46.00 (Thorne) and $46.50 (Pure Encapsulations), which is $0.64 and $0.65 for 300 mg. Pure Encapsulations also sells 30 capsules for $12.50, if you want to try it first.
Is magnesium glycinate gentle on the stomach?
In the one trial that compared glycinate with oxide at the same dose (100 mg, in 12 people who had part of their small bowel removed), overall absorption was about the same (23.5% vs 22.8%), and glycinate was better tolerated by every patient (Schuette 1994). Too much magnesium from pills most often causes diarrhea, sometimes with nausea and stomach cramps. That is why the limit is set where it is (NIH). With either brand, staying at 2 capsules a day keeps you under that limit.
More: Thorne vs Doctor’s Best · best magnesium glycinate · third-party tested glycinate · how much magnesium per day.
Sources
- NSF/ANSI 173 dietary supplement listings (info.nsf.org, current as of October 27, 2026): “Thorne Magnesium Glycinate,” capsule, serving 4 capsules; no listings for Pure Encapsulations. NSF Certified for Sport, USP Verified, Informed Choice and Informed Sport searched October 27, 2026.
- Labels: Thorne Magnesium Glycinate (120 mg per capsule, 1 to 4 a day; hypromellose capsule, silicon dioxide, MCT oil) and Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (glycinate), NIH label 219667 (120 mg per capsule as magnesium glycinate, 1 to 4 a day with food; cellulose capsule, ascorbyl palmitate).
- Prices: each brand’s own list price, checked October 27, 2026: thorne.com and pureforyou.com, the store Pure Encapsulations links to for shoppers. We quote no Amazon prices.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium fact sheet for health professionals (updated January 6, 2026).
- Schuette SA, et al. Bioavailability of magnesium diglycinate vs magnesium oxide in patients with ileal resection. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, 1994.