Best CBD Oil UK: The best CBD oil brands, reviewed & compared

Unfortunately, the question still isn’t as easy to answer as it should be, and with CBD growing in popularity for a wide range of uses, it’s becoming more important than ever.

Just a few short years ago in the UK, CBD was considered at best a side product of an illegal recreational drug. Since then, growing acceptance in numerous countries along with myriad evidence supporting health benefits has transformed the perception of this herbal supplement across the world.

This is very promising, but the relatively new status of CBD still causes a lot of uncertainty. With regulations being in their infancy and differing wildly from country to country, the quality of CBD oil products available in the UK varies quite drastically too.

There are suppliers creating high quality products worthy of being called the best CBD in the UK. There are unfortunately also other suppliers who are just trying to cash in on the newly trending industry, often offering low quality CBD oil or even products that don’t contain any at all.

In this guide to the best CBD oil UK companies and the best products they’ve cooked up, we are going to break down the best options for you, including the why.

But if this is your first time reading up about CBD oil, you might be asking “why is this so important?”

Let’s start with the basics:

CBD is short for cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is a naturally occurring plant extract from the cannabis plant. It is due to cannabis’s long history of prohibition and the accompanying lack of research that CBD’s potential health benefits have only recently come to light.

On reading the above paragraph, you might be wondering if CBD is addictive, psychoactive or has any other issues related to the effects of smoking cannabis. You’ll be glad to know this isn’t the case whatsoever - those issues come from THC or tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is the psychoactive part of the cannabis plant and remains illegal for this reason. It may be present in some CBD products but THC content must legally be below 0.2%, too small a dose to cause any psychoactive effects.

CBD, therefore, is a completely harmless substance which, while extracted from the cannabis plant, does not provide any of the side effects experienced when recreationally smoking cannabis.

It does, however, come with a range of health benefits, and it is these benefits that have encouraged the growth in CBD related health supplements of late.

Evidence has been found to support CBD providing benefits for complaints and conditions such as:

And more!

Since THC and CBD are the cannabinoids that are most commonly talked about, you could be forgiven for assuming they are the only cannabinoids that exist.

In fact, the hemp and cannabis plants have over 120 cannabinoids. While most of the other cannabinoids are still relatively unknown, many have been found to be beneficial for health purposes.

Perhaps more important, is the “entourage effect”. This is the name given to the effect where the presence of all of these cannabinoids combined has been proved to increase the effects of CBD.

It is thought that this is due to the different cannabinoids and other beneficial ingredients being present in the natural quantities and ratios in which they occur within the hemp plant.

Names like “broad spectrum” or “full spectrum CBD oil” are used to describe the cannabinoid content of a product.

Full spectrum means that absolutely nothing has been removed. All cannabinoids exist in their naturally existing ratios. This includes THC.

Broad spectrum is the same as full spectrum but with THC removed. This is thought to be the best form of CBD oil to take for health purposes because it allows you to get the full benefit of the entourage effect without the potential psychoactive effects or issues around workplace drug testing that can come from ingesting THC.

CBD products that are neither labelled as broad spectrum or full spectrum more than likely only contain CBD isolate, with all other cannabinoids removed. This is not particularly useful for health purposes and should generally be avoided. While some of these products may advertise containing other cannabinoids, this would usually mean they’ve been added later and aren’t present in the naturally occurring ratios from the plants, which essentially means those products can be disregarded.

Now that the difference between CBD and THC has been made clear,  if you’re still here we can assume you’re potentially interested in experiencing some of these benefits. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the best CBD products money can buy:

This list of the best CBD oil in the UK has been updated for 2021 and moving into 2022. It is our comprehensive breakdown of the best CBD oil products in the country, including our reasons for the choices.
Let’s jump right in:

Evopure is an easy choice for our #1 spot and the best UK CBD oil as it’s hard to argue they aren’t doing everything right.

Firstly, their premiere CBD oil product is 100% organic, broad spectrum, and comes in 3 separate strengths allowing you to customise your dose based on your own specific needs. It is also sustainably grown and contains 0% THC. Full lab testing results are provided to back up all of these claims, too.

“Broad spectrum” means the product contains the entire spectrum of beneficial cannabinoids from the hemp plant as well as other beneficial ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, omega fatty acids, terpenes and flavonoids, with the only thing removed being THC. This has been proven to provide improved benefits over CBD alone in something known as “the entourage effect”, making broad spectrum CBD oil something you should always look for.

Evopure also elevates themselves above other brands by offering unique blends for specific complaints - such as their “Relief” CBD oil which combines the above full spectrum blend with other beneficial ingredients such as turmeric and black pepper to give an increased benefit for anti-inflammation. This would arguably be the best CBD oil for arthritis in the UK due to the combination of beneficial ingredients.

The brand also removes guilt from the process entirely by using carbon-neutral processes, using sustainable crop rotation practices and making the product completely organic and GMO-free.

When you combine the superlative ingredients, custom blends, and environmental focus with the fact that Evopure is a relatively new and independent UK company, they are a very strong contender and someone you can trust with your CBD products, UK and beyond. Whichever product you end up trying first, they are clearly one to watch for the future!

Holistic Hemp is a relatively small company in Scotland. They believe that handcrafted CBD oil products with a personal touch is the best way forward, which is hard to disagree with.

They lose out to Evopure due to having less options in terms of dose and custom blends, as well as having a much less clear environmental policy.

With that said, their products are extremely high quality, made from full spectrum hemp, and they offer a unique range of side products such as CBD coffee, massage oil and more. “Full spectrum” is similar to broad spectrum but means even the THC hasn’t been removed. If your job involves operating heavy machinery, driving, or you’re simply worried about psychoactive effects, Holistic Hemp should potentially be avoided for that reason - but they provide a very high quality product packed full of beneficial cannabinoids and do so from a small family run operation, making them easily earn second spot on our list, and our choice for the best full spectrum CBD oil.

Bud and Tender is significantly more pricey than both our #1 and #2 options, and is likely to appeal more to those looking for a premium product. This premium feel extends to packaging but they also offer a wide range of strengths and sizes, allowing you to essentially get as high of a CBD dose as you’re willing to pay for.

It is broad spectrum, fully lab tested, and made in the UK. It also has a fruity, floral taste compared to Evopure’s more natural herbal flavour.

This is a strong contender for the best CBD oil in the UK and would potentially be in a higher position if not for the high unit price. Regardless if you’re looking for a high quality UK based CBD oil product and have the money available to spend, you’ll struggle to do better than Bud & Tender.

CBD One is another premium UK based CBD oil manufacturer, although notably more affordable than Bud and Tender. They offer a range of basic CBD oils that are altered for specific uses, such as water soluble CBD oil for adding to drinks or slow release CBD patches.

Despite this, our favourite was their “Life” edition which is the most simple and lowest priced product. It is a full spectrum CBD oil with full lab testing results and a rice terpene profile making it excellent value.

If there is one downside about CBD One, it’s that their CBD oils are prepared using hempseed oil which only contains trace amounts of CBD and isn’t comparable to hemp oil or even other beneficial oils like MCT oil, however they remain an excellent option for the UK market and have received a variety of positive CBD oil reviews.

Vibes CBD is a relatively new UK based CBD supplier. As a result they have a no frills selection consisting of a CBD oil, CPD capsules and CBD gummies.

However, they manage to step above most of the competition with their high doses of very high quality broad spectrum CBD from organic hemp.

Vibes also offer a 2000mg CBD option for those willing to splash out to see if a significantly higher dose benefits them.

Something unique about Vibes’ CBD oil is that they have a fruit added flavour. In most cases, flavoured CBD oils are to be avoided as added flavouring is often used to mask low quality CBD (or simply a very low quantity of CBD).

In this case, the product suffers from no such issues and makes full use of the hemp plant, making Vibes arguably the best option for people who dislike the more natural and earthy flavour of pure CBD oil.

Brown’s CBD, like Holistic Hemp’s, is full spectrum, meaning you may want to avoid it if you are avoiding any THC content whatsoever (recommended if you are in a job that requires drug testing).

Brown’s is primarily a health supplement company but have expanded their knowledge into the CBD niche, leading to an extremely high quality and good value product.

The oil contains high doses of CBDA and smaller doses of other cannabinoids including CBG and CBC.

It is 100% natural and made from organically grown EU hemp.

Love Hemp is one of the most popular CBD brands in the UK. You’d be forgiven for expecting them to be our #1, but the simple fact is most of the products on this list provide higher quality and higher value.

However, Love Hemp wins a place regardless. This is partially due to their unique peppermint flavour which is added without reducing quality.

Their products are also 100% CBD free and sustainably sourced. Love Hemp’s CBD oil comes in premium packaging that feels similar to Bud and Tender for a significantly lower price.

They also have perhaps the largest range of products on the list, so while Evopure has them beat for pure CBD oil and CBD One has them beat for water soluble CBD, Love Hemp are your best choice if you’re looking to try some more “out there” products” such as CBD face masks, dark chocolate balls, jelly domes and more!

CBD works with our endocannabinoid system in a way that is still relatively unknown. What is known is that the endocannabinoid system interacts with other systems such as the immune system, endocrine system, and respiratory system in order to promote homeostasis.

CBD has been found to have numerous health benefits, most of which are thought to be achieved through its interactions with the endocannabinoid system.

These benefits can include helping to manage symptoms and conditions such as:

CBD helps to calm the body and mind by working with the endocannabinoid system to reduce the “fight or flight” response. This has been shown to help calm a busy mind and stimulate a good night’s sleep. The best CBD oil for sleep is full spectrum or broad spectrum, as the entourage effect can make a significant difference in results.

However, this benefit of CBD oil spreads beyond just insomnia. CBD’s calming properties can help to reduce symptoms associated with anxiety and stress too, making it a potentially powerful way to help manage the stresses of daily life and help you remain calm and serene.

It’s ability to manage anxiety doesn’t just apply to those suffering from anxiety disorder, either - CBD oil is growing in popularity as a supplement for helping to calm the nerves such as before a large event or speech.

CBD has been found to help manage chronic pain. This happens in numerous ways. Firstly CBD can interact with the endocannabinoid system to genuinely reduce severe pain, and is commonly used to help manage fibromyalgia symptoms.

However CBD also has an anti-inflammatory effect, making it just as useful for general aches and pains such as after a gym session, or health conditions related to inflammation such as arthritis.

Our choice for the best CBD for inflammation and pain management is Evopure’s Relief blend due to the high quality CBD content and added turmeric and black pepper.

CBD is 100% legal in the UK as long as THC content is either entirely removed or below 0.2%.

This means anybody can take CBD for any reason, and CBD oil products are openly available in stores and online.

However, it is important to stick to high quality CBD brands such as those shown on this list. Low quality or untrustworthy suppliers may provide products with very low CBD content or THC content above the above limit, which would make the product illegal and could lead to potential issues for yourself in the future.

Drug tests such as those in the workplace do not look for CBD, and as a result CBD products are generally safe for those who are regularly tested.

However, THC is checked for in many common drugs tests. As a result, CBD products with THC content pose a potential risk of a positive drugs test.

Anybody in a career that requires drug testing, anybody on probation for drug offenses, and anybody who regularly operates heavy machinery or vehicles should take caution when taking these products, or avoid them all together.

The range of CBD products available in the UK these days is huge. From chocolate balls to mineral water and from bath bombs to topical creams, you can sample the benefits of CBD in almost any way you like.

Here are some of the most common ways to take CBD oil, along with some of their pros and cons:

CBD Vapes and CBD E-liquid are an easy way to add CBD to your daily routine, especially if you already vape regularly. One downside is that e-liquids can only be made from CBD isolate and never benefit from the entourage effect, however this is offset slightly by the fact that vaping CBD provides higher bioavailability than ingesting it orally. It’s also worth mentioning that vaping CBD has been found to be an effective aid in the quitting of smoking cannabis.

CBD Capsules can be taken just like any other food supplement. They provide no significant benefits over CBD oil but no major downsides either, and may be the best option for people who struggle with the natural taste of CBD oil.

CBD edibles come in a huge range of products from brownies to gummy bears. They can be a more attractive option for taking CBD as part of your daily diet routine but are often the most expensive way to take CBD and can also often be high in sugar.

CBD oil tinctures are by far the most simple way to take CBD. They are simply pure CBD oil or CBD oil with a carrier in a bottle with dropper. This allows you to put CBD oil straight onto your tongue and ingest it with no other ingredients. It can also be used to make CBD edibles or to simply add CBD to meals and shakes. Since this is both the cheapest and most pure way to take CBD oil, and has none of the downsides associated with things like CBD e-liquids, it is by far the most versatile and best way to take CBD oil. This is why we have only included CBD oil tinctures on this list.