The 4 Best Cheap CBD Oils To Try In 2023

Hemp CBD has only been recently legal across the United States since December 2018, so it’s no surprise that many people are still confused about how to shop for the best CBD products—let alone how to determine what counts as a “good value” in the hemp CBD world.

The good news? The continued expansion and competition seen in hemp farming and the hemp CBD market means the prices should only get cheaper with time, making hemp CBD more affordable than ever.

The bad news is that this same rapid growth makes it harder to decipher what’s actually worth your money. 

Similar to any other product, quality is often one of the first things to decrease with hemp CBD when a company wants to save.

As a result, it’s important to consider the quality, sourcing, and formulation of the hemp CBD product that you plan to purchase. 

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the main cannabinoids in the industrial hemp Cannabis sativa plant, along with trace levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC (i.e., less than 0.3% THC by dry weight per U.S. law).

Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t have any psychoactive effects. However, hemp CBD does support the endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for maintaining the body’s homeostasis across most if not all the body’s organs and physiological functions.*

Similar to shopping for any other supplement, it’s important to do research into the brands you plan to support. Transparency around sourcing, production practices, and testing (i.e., for purity and potency) is the best way to ensure you’re getting a quality product that’s worth the price. 

In the hemp CBD world, this includes finding brands that reveal their growing location and share farming practices (preferably organic). The product page should ideally link to a Certificate of Analysis (COA).

These reports from accredited labs provide the chemical analysis of a hemp extract or oil, giving details about the potency of the product’s ingredients (e.g., confirming CBD dose and trace levels of THC), as well as confirming that contaminants, such as pesticides or heavy metals, are absent or present in negligible residual levels.

Like any other product, quality is often reflected in the price. Of course price and value should be viewed holistically. This means considering the product in its totality—its active ingredients, excipients (i.e., “other ingredients” list), and packaging materials. 

While high-quality hemp and transparent sourcing may seem like features that would jack up the price of a CBD oil, our list proves otherwise. You can certainly find reputable CBD brands that make trustworthy products at a reasonable price.

Lazarus Naturals (on our list) is one of the most affordable brands out there and they're extremely proud of both their organic farming and accessible pricing and financial assistance programs.

The factor that plays the largest role in the pricing of CBD is the product's potency, or how much cannabidiol is actually inside an oil's formula. Higher-potency products tend to be more expensive than lower-potency products.

There are three main types of hemp: full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate. Full-spectrum hemp contains all the terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids (including THC) that come from the aerial parts of the hemp plant (i.e., leaves, flowers, and stems).

Registered RDN and certified holistic cannabis practitioner Emily Kyle, M.S., previously told mbg this is often considered the best option due to the possible “entourage effect2.”

Broad-spectrum mimics full-spectrum hemp with all the same compounds sans THC. This type of hemp is best for anyone who is looking for a combined effect from the plant compounds, but would rather stay away from THC completely.

As the name suggests, CBD isolates only deliver cannabidiol, so you don’t get any other cannabinoids or terpenes. You still reap the benefits of the hemp CBD, but you won’t get the entourage effect. 

Third-party testing is vital to ensuring that you’re getting a pure product and one that aligns with its label in terms of potency (i.e., CBD strength and trace THC levels).

Look for a company that sends each batch (sometimes referred to as a “lot”) off for third-party testing and then makes those test results readily available on its website.

When choosing a hemp CBD oil, make sure it’s made with high-quality hemp. Ideally, the hemp will be organic (a major plus if it's also sourced locally!), or at the very least, it should be non-GMO. 

The inactive ingredients are important, too. “Consider the diluent oil, is it a high-quality organic coconut oil, organic hempseed oil, organic EVOO, or something like that? That’s important for the overall quality assessment of a hemp CBD oil tincture,” explains mindbodygreen vice president of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN.

Read the full ingredient lists to ensure there are no artificial flavors or sweeteners, synthetic dyes, or chemical preservatives. 

Strength, aka potency or dose, can vary between hemp CBD oils. Most commonly, you’ll see 10 to 50 mg of CBD per serving. If you’re new to CBD oil or you prefer a gentle dose, you might want to stick with up to 20 mg of CBD per serving.

If you want a moderate dose, aim for 20 to 40 mg of CBD per serving. Anything over 40 mg of CBD per serving is considered a strong dose. 

Of course, every person is unique, and botanical extracts often require a personalized approach alongside a great healthcare partner.

Keep in mind that stronger hemp CBD oils may seem more expensive, but you’ll be getting more active ingredients per dose. “Higher potency hemp CBD extracts are a literal, more-bang-for-your-buck scenario,” explains Ferira.

The right hemp CBD dosage for you depends on why you’re taking it (e.g., calm, sleep, joint support, etc.), your size (e.g., weight), and how experienced you are with the supplement.* Generally, you want to start off at lower doses and then work your way up to find your own sweet spot. 

As we mentioned above, research around hemp CBD is still in the early days. However, the evidence around the benefits of cannabinol is promising. And, with the recent surge in interest around hemp CBD products, it seems like there's a new brand popping up every day.

What's important, though, is that you find a CBD brand that works for you—both in terms of your health and your budget. Health and wellness products can get pricey, but there are a handful of companies that don't compromise on quality without charging an arm and a leg.

When shopping for an affordable hemp CBD oil, you don’t want to buy the cheapest one you can find. Instead, you want to find a good balance of quality and price.

The best cheap hemp CBD oils are made with organic and/or non-GMO hemp, and they don’t contain any artificial ingredients.