Cibdol Review
Based in Switzerland, Cibdol was founded in 2014, they offer a wide range of products, many you won’t find anywhere else, with state-of-the-art filtration and production techniques, as well as promising superior customer service. But how does this Swiss brand compare to some of the other excellent CBD businesses available for UK consumers? We take a detailed look at Cibdol, using careful research, interviews and product testing to tell you everything you need to know about this major CBD brand.
YES:
✅ Direct manufacturer
✅ Lab test results available
✅ Trade Associations member
✅ Iso certified labs
✅ Unique products
✅ Cutting edge filtration technique
NO:
❌ Single hemp strain
❌ Lack some common CBD products
❌ Non-vegan gelatin used for their CBD capsules
Cibdol Review: Assessment Points
We’ve selected some of the key points to keep in mind of when deciding on a CBD brand. These factors look at how the hemp is grown and how the CBD products are manufactured by the company, with the priority on safety and a lack of additives and other unnecessary nasties.
When it comes to CBD (cannabidiol), information about the manufacturing process is vital. If a company is known to cut corners or take shortcuts when growing CBD or making products then you might be looking at low-quality CBD products that, at worst, prove hazardous to your health, rather than providing benefits.
White label or direct manufacturer
Cibdol are a direct manufacturer. They source their hemp from farms in Spain and Croatia, but their main source is Switzerland, where they are based as a company, as are their laboratories where they create their oils.
ISO certified
Cibdol have ISO grade laboratories, at an impressively high level: FSSC22000. They are one of the few companies we’ve looked at to reach this standard, which suggests safety and quality are of very high importance. They display this food safety certificate on their site here. Interestingly, their products are also Halal certified, meaning they have been approved according to Islamic food laws and are reassessed on a yearly basis by an audit from Halal International Control (HIC).
Organic
Organic is best when it comes to hemp. This reduces the number of contaminants in the final extract, which is important for CBD products that are designed to be consumed internally or used topically. After some discussion with Cibdol, we’re pleased to say that their hemp is organic. As proof they provided us with a declaration of conformity showing that at least 90% of the hemp they use are organic certified.
Same strain of hemp
We asked Cibdol whether they use the same kind of hemp in every batch when it comes to their CBD products. Cibdol told us they do not use the same strain every time. Rather, they use various farms, from Spain, Croatia and Switzerland, to supply their hemp, and this involves a mixture of strains. While this means the CBD strength - along with the ratio of other cannabinoids and terpenes - might vary from batch to batch, the flipside is that a mixture of strains means a more varied amount of these elements, with a subsequent boost to the ‘entourage effect’.
Ingredients
Disappointingly, Cibdol’s CBD capsules are made with gelatin, making them unsuitable for vegan and vegetarian consumers. Many other CBD companies use vegan-friendly capsules so we’d expect Cibdol make the change sooner rather than later. These capsules contain nothing more than olive oil, glycerine, water and, of course, hemp extract. Similarly, their CBD oil contains olive oil, hemp extract and terpenes, so you can be sure the ingredients are pared back to the essentials, with no unwanted extras.
They have a few products that push the boundaries of what you’d expect from CBD products, such as their Liposomal CBD oil, which contains alcohol and soy, with the reasoning that it absorbs directly into the bloodstream, taking effect quicker and making it “four times more effective than other oils”. This is an innovative concept that warrants more examination but could prove beneficial for users looking for more bang for their buck. However, the presence of soy means those with allergies or intolerance should avoid it, and the use of alcohol, although small (5% ethanol), means it isn’t suitable for children and pregnant women.
When it comes to their CBD oils, they use a filtration technique to remove all the waxes, fats and chlorophyll, resulting in a smooth golden oil - easier to consume and better-tasting than the black greasy oils from most CBD companies.
They also sell a number of topical products, including a heating balm and lip balm, and a nasal spray. Each of these has a fairly hefty list of ingredients, some organic, some chemical additives, and while in itself this isn’t a bad thing (some items require extra ingredients to work properly, such as the heat balm and the nasal spray) if you prefer to keep your products as natural as possible you might wish to avoid these items.
Lab tests
Every single item on their site links to comprehensive third party lab reports, from respected testing facility Fundacion CANNA. They have a page on their site going into more detail about these results and other official documents relating to safety and purity. Cibdol are very transparent about the make-up of their items, and it’s clear they take great pride in the safety profile of their CBD products. This is to be commended. If these issues are of great importance to you - and they should be - you won’t find a company more honest and open than Cibdol.
Communication
Cibdol are refreshingly good when it comes to communication. The website is full of clear guidance, and they respond quickly and politely to any questions through their social media pages.
Customer Feedback
In the world of CBD, the customer is king. Sadly, the industry is full of people looking to make a quick buck so one of the most important factors is how happy the customer is with the service provided. Happily, Cibdol come out very well indeed when it comes to customer satisfaction. They have well over 7,000 reviews on Trustpilot, with 96% of customers describing them as great or excellent, leading to a five-star rating.
Cibdol Products Review
Product Range – Cibdol offer a healthy range of products, many of which you won’t find anywhere else. They stock all the usual products, such as CBD oil in various strengths, softgel capsules, but you’ll find a lot more than this available on their site. However, it should be noted that they don’t sell CBD gummies or CBD ejuice for vaping. This might be a drawback for some users, but it suits their branding - they lean towards a more sophisticated line of products.
The standard CBD oil uses olive oil as the carrier and comes with a dropper. This CBD oil has undergone their cutting edge filtration system as described above, meaning a lighter, better-tasting product and has earned a position on our list of UK's best CBD oils. But alongside this, in the oils section, you’ll find options that use hemp seed oil and black cumin seed oil as the carrier. It’d be nice to have more science-based information about the benefits of CBD (cannabidiol), but it’s always welcome to have a choice of carrier for CBD. Also under the oils section is the Liposomal CBD oil, which employs soy and alcohol to create a quicker-absorbing product - up to four times more effective, according to Cibdol. As we said above, it’s an eye-catching claim and it’d be useful to see more detailed information about the science behind it.
In the creams section, there’s yet more choice. While some companies offer a standard catch-all CBD balm, here you can opt for creams to treat psoriasis, acne or eczema, as well as hand cream and an anti-ageing cream, all containing CBD. We haven’t seen this kind of range at any other CBD manufacturer, and each item has an informative explanation about what it contains.
In the ‘supplements’ section, you’ll find a long list of products, including lip balm, heat balm, nasal spray, meladol (a combination of melatonin and CBD, designed to aid sleep), and a couple of CBD-containing vitamin supplements. These are interesting products, though the fact that other CBD companies haven’t produced a vitamin supplement, for example, does raise some questions about how viable they actually are. It’d be nice to see more evidence about the efficacy of these products, but it’s hard to argue with the usefulness of combining melatonin with CBD to help sleep or using a blend of eucalyptus and capsaicin in the nasal spray to help clear congested airways. Of course, it might work out cheaper to simply buy the respective CBD-free items individually then combine with a standalone CBD oil, but the convenience of having both together shouldn’t be underestimated.
*Products & prices were accurate at time of writing. These lists are updated quarterly & CBD Shopy is not responsible for any price changes not reflected accurately.
Product Prices – Cibdol are around average when it comes to prices per mg of CBD, but they offer other advantages you might not find elsewhere. The strongest product, the 30ml bottle of 20% CBD hemp seed oil works out at a very reasonable £0.049 per mg of CBD, which isn’t quite as good as CBD Life, for example, but isn’t far off. However, it’s worth keeping in mind Cibdol do engage in very high manufacturing standards, which helps explain the slightly increased prices. Plus their advanced filtration system, which results in a cleaner, easier-to-consume CBD oil might justify those extra few pence for those who find the taste of standard CBD unpleasant.
When it comes to manufacturing and production, Cibdol are one of the more advanced companies we’ve come across, and their tagline of ‘Swiss Purity’ explains why you might want to pay a little extra for peace of mind. But these price variations are marginal, and they’re certainly a lot cheaper than many of the less effective products available on the high street. Plus, the extensive range of products, many of them unique and catering for specific ailments (such as the CBD nasal spray or the CBD acne cream) suggests they’re paving the way when it comes to designing targeted CBD products.
Product Packaging – Cibdol’s packaging certainly suits the brand. The tagline ‘Swiss Purity’ brings to mind a high-end skincare company, and the brand design matches up to this, with professional packaging and high-end design. Each item has the amount of CBD listed in mg on the label - very useful considering the confusion that surrounds the use of percentages when discussing CBD content. They steer clear of anything overtly cannabis-related, which is to be expected from a respected CBD brand.
Cibdol Website Review
Content – Cibdol’s website is one of the best out there. Everything is where it should be, with detailed instructions and explanations on each page, with a full list of ingredients accessed with a single click. Each product links to test results and has an easy-to-understand symbol guide that shows the vital information about each item in a single glance. They have a comprehensive blog, updated once or twice a week with well-researched information about topics such as CBD’s effect on heart disease, recipes for edibles, and well-written guides to common questions about CBD and the hemp plant. A lot of time and effort has gone into making their site a useful resource for all CBD consumers, regardless of level of expertise.
Tone – Cibdol get the tone exactly right. They offer up a wealth of information but manage to keep things clear and simple. It’s perfect for both beginners and advanced CBD users alike, with all manner of jargon-free information answering everything the typical customer would wish to know.
Offers – Cibdol have a good range of offers available. If you sign up to their newsletter you can save 10% off your first order, while you’ll find seasonal offers posted on their social media pages. They also offer an affiliate program for the business-minded user looking to step into the world of CBD marketing.
Cibdol Company Background
Who are Cibdol? – Formed in 2014, Cibdol are a CBD company based in Switzerland and were one of the earliest CBD companies to offer products to the UK market. Living up to the Swiss ideal of high-quality, they offer gold-standard products with high food safety standards, as well as providing Halal certified products. They sell a progressive range of CBD products, including a wide range of topical products geared towards treating specific skin issues and sell a unique formulation of filtered CBD oil using a range of carrier oils.
Trade bodies – They are members of the Cannabis Trade Association (CTA) and the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA), which was officially founded in 2005.
USP – We asked Cibdol what makes their brand stand out above the rest. They said simply “quality and transparency”, and it’s hard to argue with this. The tagline of ‘Swiss Purity’ applies to all their products, with detailed lab reports for every item, plus ISO-certified facilities. Most interestingly, they use cutting-edge filtration technology to produce a unique kind of CBD extract that removes all the potentially off-putting waxes, fats and chlorophyll found in many CBD items.
CBD Shopy Conclusion
This Swiss-based CBD company have a wealth of factors in their favour. They have excellent facilities and a dedication to purity and quality that surpasses practically all of their competitors in the CBD industry. This focus on quality has led to notable innovations such as their impressive purification technique which makes for a remarkably clean and easy to consume final product, plus some niche creams that are developed to work on specific issues. They offer a range of carrier oils, which might appeal more to certain consumers.
However, there are a few points that they could improve on. When it comes to their capsules, they use bovine gelatin, meaning they aren’t suitable for vegan or vegetarian CBD users. This is an easy fix, and indeed the majority of UK CBD businesses use vegan-friendly capsules. And while the website is largely comprehensive, with plenty of information about their manufacturing processes and about each product, it would be nice to have more details about the efficacy of certain products, such as the range of skin creams and hard facts about the benefits of one carrier oil over another. The hemp is organic and they test for heavy metals and other contaminants, which should provide peace of mind.
In the main, the prices are very good, especially considering the high manufacturing quality. As you’d expect, the price per mg of CBD reduces the more you buy, making them a viable choice for the dedicated CBD user who wants the very best quality CBD product.
Finally, customer feedback is very good indeed. Cibdol aren’t the kind of company who cut corners to save a few pence, they provide top-class products alongside a top-class customer experience. Accordingly, they have thousands of reviews on Trustpilot, the vast majority of which give them full marks.
Overall, Cibdol are one of the top CBD companies available to UK consumers. They take a professional and sophisticated attitude towards CBD, which suits their slogan of ‘Swiss Purity’. If you’re looking for the very best quality products, with a number of innovative items you won’t find anywhere else, you won’t be disappointed with your purchases from Cibdol.
