CBD Life Review
CBD Life launched in 2015 and are one of the founding members of the Cannabis Trades Association UK (CTA UK), offering a wide range of CBD products. But should you buy your CBD oil products from them? We take a detailed look at the most important aspects of this major CBD company, taking into account research, direct interviews and product testing.
YES:
✅ Well-established
✅ Extensive range of products
✅ Founder member of the CTA UK
✅ Competitive pricing
NO:
❌ Single hemp strain
❌ Not completely organic (yet)
❌ Do not sell CBD paste
CBD Life Review: Assessment Points
When choosing a CBD brand there are some important points to take into consideration. We’ve chosen the most vital aspects to be aware of, such as how the hemp is farmed, and how the CBD products are created, while also focusing on safety and the purity of the CBD products.
It’s especially important to look at the details about the manufacturing process of CBD (cannabidiol). If a company doesn’t apply high standards when growing hemp or creating CBD products, this could result in inferior CBD items that may break the law or put the consumer’s health at risk.
White label or direct manufacturer
Reassuringly, CBD Life are a direct manufacturer. They source their hemp from farms around the European Union and create their products in manufacturing facilities based in the coastal town of South Shields in the North East of the UK.
ISO certified
CBD Life moved into new facilities in July 2019 following a need for expansion. They’ve been working on their quality management system since then and are in the final stages of HACCP and ISO9001 accreditation, which is due to be completed in early 2020. This is a very high standard, which many of their rivals in the UK CBD industry fail to match up to.
Organic
CBD Life don’t claim their hemp is organic, as not every farm they use to supply hemp has organic certification. However, all the other ingredients they use are certified organic. Also, they informed us that they have recently partnered with a large farm in Lithuania that will be able to supply all the hemp we need. Their plan is to gain organic certification in 2020, and when this comes to fruition CBD Life can confidently claim all their products are made with entirely organic ingredients.
Same strain of hemp
Due to the size of the extraction, there are many strains used in the CBD products sold by CBD Life. The reasoning behind this is that it provides a wider range of cannabinoids and terpenes. However, there is a lack of reliability when using multiple strains rather than a single type of hemp. The latter has predictable levels of CBD and other cannabinoids, whereas using multiple strains increases the likelihood of these levels varying from product to product.
Ingredients
CBD Life sell a wide range of products, and overall we were impressed with the ingredients used in each item. Their CBD is extracted from hemp using state-of-the-art CO2 techniques, making for a clean final product. When it comes to the CBD oil, the base carrier is MCT oil, which is an ideal choice for suspending CBD, with near-zero risk of allergic reaction. Interestingly, they sell a variety known as ‘Aqua Drops’, which are water-soluble and offer enhanced bioavailability.
The capsules are vegan-friendly and contain CBD mixed with coconut oil - no other additives. Similarly, the CBD ejuice contain nothing but CBD extract, vegetable glycerine, propylene glycol and natural flavourings. This is precisely what you find in other safe e-liquid products available in the UK.
CBD Life are one of the few major UK CBD companies to sell edibles, in this case CBD gummies. As you’d expect from gummy sweets, they contain gelatin and citric acid, so aren’t necessarily a healthy option, but other than natural colouring, there aren’t any added nasties, so make a good choice for those averse to the potent taste of CBD oil.
Their CBD balm is made with natural, non-toxic ingredients, such as coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax, plus lavender essential oil to give it a pleasant aroma.
Lab tests
Most items on their store section link directly to a detailed certificate of analysis from Phytovista Laboratories, one of the industry’s most respected testing labs. This report shows the complete chemical profile of the product, including the percentage of CBD, CBG, THC and all other relevant cannabinoids. Unusually, lab reports for the CBD capsules weren’t available but it’s fair to assume this was an oversight as lab reports are available for all other items. Happily, QR Codes can be found on the packaging of each item which lead directly to the relevant lab reports.
Communication
CBD Life perform well in this aspect. They’re active on social media, and generally respond to email queries quickly and clearly. The website has a good FAQ section, explaining many common questions about CBD and adhering to MHRA guidelines. They give clear advice on each product they sell, explaining how much CBD each contains and the recommended amount to consume in a particular time frame.
They were keen and enthusiastic during the interview we conducted for this profile, even inviting us along to visit their facilities. We will update this review accordingly following this visit.
Customer Feedback
Arguably the most significant factor about a business is whether their customers are happy. A happy consumer is a strong indicator that the company is doing the right thing. Pleasingly, CBD Life have a great reputation in this regard. They have a stellar 4.9 out of 5 rating on Facebook and a similarly impressive 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot. The sample group in both case isn’t huge, numbering in the dozens rather than hundreds, but they suggest that CBD Life customers are very happy with their products and services - this is vital in an industry which is becoming rife with scammers. Overall, when it comes to customer feedback, CBD Life appear to be a trustworthy and reliable option for your CBD purchases.
CBD Life Products Review
Product Range – CBD Life have a very wide range of products available for purchase, including items that you won’t find at any of the other major UK CBD retailers. They have all the standard CBD products that you’d expect, including CBD oil, capsules and ejuice; but you’ll also find edibles in the form of gummy sweets, wax/crumble and isolate (which have various uses, such as making DIY e-juice, dabbing, making edibles, and more) and even a range of clothing (although these don’t appear to be made from hemp).
Within these options there are further varieties. CBD oils can be purchased either as a spray or as a dropper, giving the customer more choice over how they like to consume CBD. Further still, they sell 400mg CBD ‘Aqua Drops’ which are water-soluble, meaning they are absorbed quicker and can be added to a drink or taken under the tongue as normal.
When it comes to strengths, there is yet more choice, albeit maybe not as much as other vendors. There are two CBD strengths for the capsules, 10mg or 25mg, with similar choice across CBD oils and e-liquids, with two or three different strengths available. CBD oil can be bought with a dropper at an impressively high 2000mg per bottle - one of the strongest CBD oils available in the UK.
The site doesn’t have a direct link to CBD balm, but with a little digging it can be found. It’s on the weaker side of CBD balm, at just 100mg per 30ml tub, and it would be nice to have the option of buying stronger varieties. They are also working on many new cosmetic formulations, such as massage oils, body butter, day and night creams, and more.
Oddly, considering this extensive range, they have stopped selling whole plant paste, which is a syringe containing highly concentrated CBD extract. This isn’t the most common form of CBD product, but can be bought from other businesses with smaller ranges of products. However, when asked about this they told us they were developing a terpene-infused broad spectrum paste, which is due to be released in early 2020.
Similarly, when it comes to capsules they are working on a new powder formulation capsule with the intention of adding a range of capsules with botanical ingredients. Again, these should go on sale in early 2020.
Product Prices – CBD Life stand up very well when it comes to price. The most potent product, the 2000mg CBD Hemp Oil Drops work out at a bargain £0.045 per mg of CBD, which is one of the lowest prices available in the UK from a reliable high-profile company. As you’d expect, the price per mg of CBD increases across other products, such as e-juice, balm and the weaker oil products, but this is to be expected - to make the greatest savings, it makes sense to purchase the most potent products and use wisely. As mentioned earlier, the CBD balm is one of the weaker varieties on the market, at just 100mg CBD per tub, but this is reflected in the price which is around half the price of similar-sized (but stronger) tubs available elsewhere online - and much cheaper than the expensive products available on the high street at places like Holland & Barrett. If CBD Life’s 100mg strength balm is suitable for your needs, it would make a cost-effective purchase compared to topical products available from other CBD companies.
Product Packaging – CBD Life use clean and simple design for all their products, making sure they’re a sophisticated product geared towards adults and not playing on cheap ‘marijuana’ style imagery. Droppers are unpopular with some consumers, due to the mess they can cause, so it’s pleasing to see CBD oil can be bought with a spray. However, some people do prefer droppers so keeping the choice of this is another smart consumer-focused move on their part.
The high-quality standards behind CBD Life’s product range has earned them a spot on two of our top CBD products list.
CBD Life Website Review
Content – CBD Life’s website is a little tricky to navigate at times. It’s difficult to find some products, such as their CBD balm, and there is an option in the sidebar for CBD paste but no link. The capsules page lacks a link to lab reports, though this is a simple mistake on their part (they sent the lab reports over when asked), plus all other products have a direct link to them. The FAQ page addresses many common queries, but it’d be nice to see some more background information, such as where their facilities are based and where their hemp is sourced. On a happier note, the information on the product pages is comprehensive, with a full list of ingredients, information about how to use each product and a recommendation of how much to use for each item - something lacking from many major UK CBD retailers. There’s also a blog page that covers a wide range of stories, including more in-depth information about CBD and hemp, details of sportsmen they sponsor, and even recipes for CBD edibles.
Tone – The writing across all sections of the CBD Life website is clear and helpful, offering up a wealth of information without ever burying the reader with jargon and confusing terminology. They offer detailed instructions about dosage and how each product is absorbed, as well as comprehensive information about the contents of each product.
Offers – CBD Life circulate offers once or twice a month via their newsletter and on social media. They also have a refer-a-friend offer and an affiliate scheme for those looking to earn money for referrals. As well as this, they offer social seller schemes, wholesale options and white/private label service, plus a section of the blog which is dedicated to discount codes for particular seasonal events.
CBD Life Company Background
Who are CBD Life? - CBD Life are a UK manufacturer of CBD products based in South Shields. Founded in 2015 by two brothers after seeing the life-changing effects of CBD on a family member, they have been at the heart of the UK CBD industry for several years and offer a wide range of products including oils, capsules, topicals, pastes, edibles and e-liquids. They sponsor several high-profile athletes in the mixed martial arts world and have a large following on social media, plus an excellent Trustpilot rating.
Trade bodies – They’re a founder member of the Cannabis Trades Association (CTA), a trade association that works with the UK government on establishing good practice when it comes to legal cannabis and hemp products in the UK.
USP – We asked CBD Life what makes their brand different to all the hundreds of other CBD companies on the market. They replied, “We provide unique products manufactured inhouse for a wide range of applications, all at competitive pricing. The customer’s experience and product quality are of the utmost importance to us.”
CBD Shopy Conclusion
CBD Life are one of the UK’s leading CBD businesses for a reason. They’re a family-run business, inspired by personal experience with CBD. Their dedication to the customer experience is shown by the many positive reviews online and healthy following on social media, and they proved to be generous with their time when it comes to both our questions and those of their customers. Their near-perfect ratings on both Facebook and Trustpilot speak for themselves.
However, they aren’t perfect. The website is a little unfinished in parts, with key parts missing and it’s not always easy to find the exact product you like. Realistically, this doesn’t impact on the level of service they provide or the quality of the products sold but it would be nice if they address these minor mistakes over the coming months. These missteps aside, the website content is largely impressive. They have a FAQ and blog section which covers a lot of the common questions about CBD and hemp, written simply while maintaining MHRA standards.
Where CBD Life shine is the sheer range of products. You can find anything from e-juice to edibles, with all the most common CBD products available, at some of the best prices found in the UK. Not only this, they sell uncommon items such as CBD isolates for people looking to create their own DIY CBD products, along with high bioavailability Aqua Drops, plus they’re developing forward-thinking variations on CBD paste and CBD capsules. If you’re struggling to find a particular type of CBD product it’s highly likely CBD Life will stock it.
And it bears repeating: the prices are very good indeed, particularly when you buy the higher strength items, and even more so when combined with the various discount offers they have dotted around their website and on social media.
In summary, CBD Life are one of the top-performing CBD companies in the UK and you’re likely to be very satisfied with your purchases from them. The sheer breadth of products and competitive pricing are the main reasons to choose them, but the high level of customer service and clear and simple information will keep you returning for more.
