6 Best Toddler Multivitamins on the Market (2023)

I first started researching toddler vitamins when my daughter turned two and entered a picky eating stage. She was living off noodles and bread, refusing all the foods she once loved.

I, like many other parents of picky eaters, started worrying. Was she getting the vitamins and nutrients she needs to reach her full potential, both mentally and physically?

Over the past two years, I’ve researched and tested a multitude of toddler vitamin brands, and I’m eager to share the best toddler vitamins on the market in 2023. I’ve included my Top 3 choices along with 5 other honorable mentions.

Best Overall: Hiya Kids Daily Multivitamin

Hiya is a clear winner when it comes to toddler multivitamins. They look and taste like SweeTarts and have 0g of sugar. The packaging is eco-friendly, they have no gummy junk, and they include many vitamins other brands don’t.

For example, Hiya includes 25 mcg of vitamin D, which is more than the recommended daily dosage. Why? Because vitamin D deficiency is the most common deficiency among kids, especially among picky eaters.

Hiya also uses the natural form of folate (B9) instead of synthetic folic acid. Most breakfast cereals and many prominent children’s vitamins use the synthetic form of folic acid, but when unmetabolized, it can remain in your body for a long time.

You’ll also see Selenium in Hiya, which is an essential mineral that little bodies can’t make on their own, yet most kids’ multivitamins leave it out. Not Hiya!

Read the Full Review: Are Hiya Vitamins the Best Multivitamins for Kids?

Best on a Budget: Mary Ruth’s Liquid Morning Multivitamin

Mary Ruth’s Liquid Morning Multivitamin is unique in that it’s a liquid form instead of a chewable or a gummy.

The format allows the multivitamin to be delivered without all of the “gummy junk,” though it still has ingredients like vegetable glycerin (helps oil and water-based ingredients mix), xanthan gum (thickener), and potassium sorbate (preservative).

Another unique part of this multivitamin option is it’s suitable for kids ages 2+ as well as adults. You just adjust the serving size based on your age (2.5 mL for toddlers vs. 29.6 mL for adults).

For toddlers, a single bottle contains over 370 servings, making this the most cost-effective option on this list, although the initial price is higher.

Read More: Hiya vs Mary Ruth’s: Which Toddler Vitamin Is Better?

Best For Ages 4+: Ritual Multivitamin 4+

Ritual is a fantastic vitamin company that I’ve personally used for a long time. I love their prenatal and postnatal vitamins, and they actually helped me get my iron levels up in my third pregnancy.

Ritual also makes a multivitamin for kids ages 4-12, and it has a sweet orange flavor with no sugar or sugar alcohols added.

What makes Ritual a solid choice for kids is their transparency. This brand goes above and beyond as every ingredient is traceable and each batch is tested in a third-party lab for heavy metals, microbes, allergens, and other contaminants.

Explore sourcing, testing, and packaging details for every Ritual product with Ritual’s Certificate of Traceability

The drawback to this vitamin is it isn’t suitable for under 4 years old. For many of us, ages 2-3 is when the picky eating gets real, and this vitamin won’t work for that age. It also doesn’t come in an eco-friendly bottle – you’re shipped a new one each month. That said, this vitamin brand is rock solid, and I’d recommend it to everyone!

Llama Naturals Whole Fruit Gummy Vitamins

The whole fruit gummy vitamins from Llama Naturals have one of the best ingredient lists out of the bunch, with absolutely nothing suspect included. There’s no added sugar, but there is sugar from whole fruits.

A drawback of these vitamins, compared to some other brands on this list, is some kids report hating the taste and texture (my picky-eating 4-year-old included). These do have a stronger “vitamin” flavor, which can be offputting. And even though these are gummies, they don’t include sugar or syrups, so they’re a bit more gritty and dry. I personally think they taste kind of sour.

That said, if your child enjoys them, they’re a really solid vitamin choice. They’re made in the USA and are third-party tested for a variety of factors such as vitamin levels, heavy metal content, yeast & mold, and other microbials.

Related: Hiya vs Llama Naturals

Yumi Multivitamin Biteamin

Yumi, perhaps better known for their baby food blends, has a multivitamin called Biteamin.

It’s made from organic, whole foods and features 15 fruits and vegetables. It has 2g of sugar and includes iron, unlike most other options on this list.

Note: Iron is not included in many toddler vitamins as too much can lead to iron poisoning. If a child got their hands on a vitamin bottle and ate more than the serving size, they could have a medical emergency which could even lead to death.

Yumi’s multivitamins do have a few drawbacks, including big serving sizes (4-5 pieces per day) and a lack of transparency on their website about their ingredients and where they come from. You also get a new plastic bottle each month as opposed to some other brand’s refill packs.

That said, these vitamins are still a step above the stuff you can find in the grocery store.

Read the Full Review: Are Yumi Toddler & Kid Vitamins Worth It?

OLLY Kids Multi + Probiotic

The OLLY Kids Multivitamin + Probiotic is unique as it includes a probiotic in the same gummies as the multivitamin. Probiotics are great for gut health, and it can get expensive to purchase a multivitamin and a probiotic. The fact that OLLY Kids has combined them into one is really convenient.

Kids love the taste of these gummies, which have a Yum Berry Punch flavor. However, there are a few drawbacks to these vitamins.

First, the amount of probiotics included is very, very low. You get 250-500 Million CFU of one strain called Bacillus coagulans. In comparison, Hiya’s probiotic contains 10 Billion CFU, and it includes three different strains. In other words, Hiya’s probiotic contains 40x more probiotics than OLLY Kids. And it certainly isn’t 40x the price!

OLLY Kids also includes added cane sugar and “natural flavors.” Natural flavors can contain artificial chemicals and aren’t always better than artificial flavoring. Ultimately, we have no way of knowing what the “natural flavors” in this multivitamin are, as the company is not required to share that information on the label.

OLLY Kids also has a lack of transparency around the manufacturing of these vitamins. One consumer asked the company where these are made, and the company replied, “Hello! Please email us for more information.”

Several other companies on this list are very transparent about where their vitamins are made, and they’ll even send third-party lab testing to you for peace of mind. While OLLY Kids wouldn’t be my choice, it’s still a bit better than most options sitting on a shelf in a drugstore.

Why No SmartyPants?

SmartyPants is often the top choice from other bloggers, but I have a hard time recommending it here on my site. SmartyPants has 5g of added sugar – the vitamins are literally rolled in the stuff – so it’s no wonder kids love eating them.

According to the AAP, a toddler should aim for less than 25 grams of added sugar per day. That means this vitamin is already accounting for a fifth of their ideal sugar intake!

There are so many incredible toddler vitamins on the market – as shown above – so why settle for a vitamin that’s packed with so much sugar? I do believe that a SmartyPants vitamin is better than no vitamin, but there are so many other options available that aren’t packed with added sugars. I know it’s cheap, but there are other options in this post with a comparable price.

Another thing to consider, particularly if buying this off the drugstore shelf, is you have no idea how long that bottle of vitamins has been sitting there.

Supplements are not required by the FDA to include best-by or expiration dates. For vitamins that do add a best-by date – and they must perform tests to do this – they’re good for about 2 years.

But in most cases, you have no idea how long a vitamin has been sitting on the shelf. I much prefer Direct-to-Consumer companies like Hiya or Ritual, which ship their vitamins straight to your door. They don’t sit on a store shelf for an unknown amount of time before your kids take them.

And really, many of these Direct-to-Consumer vitamin companies have raised the bar in terms of transparency, quality, and sustainability (looking at you, Hiya!). They may cost a little more, but they have my vote.

Conclusion

Choosing a high-quality multivitamin for your toddler is a bit daunting. I know, I’ve been there.

But I’ve researched these top vitamin brands in every way imaginable – we’ve also tried them with our two toddlers – and I hope my commentary and analysis helps you choose one that works for your family.

In summary, I’d choose Hiya if you want the absolute best toddler multivitamin on the market. I’d choose Mary Ruth’s if you want a bargain and are interested in the liquid format. And lastly, I’d choose Ritual if you’re shopping for ages 4+. The others on this list would also be great choices if any of them stick out to you!

Here are more in-depth vitamin reviews and comparisons to check out next:

• Full Hiya review
• Hiya vs First Day Vitamins: Which One Is Better?
• Hiya Vitamins vs SmartyPants: Which One Is Better?
• Are Yumi Toddler & Kid Vitamins Worth It?
• Hiya Probiotics Review: Is It the Best Probiotic for Toddlers?