Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It's a vital building block for skin, bones and muscle. As we age, our bodies produce less collagen, and this can contribute to ageing.

Taking a collagen supplement has many benefits. It improves skin elasticity and helps our skin rebuild and repair. However, with so many collagen powders on the market – many of them fairly expensive – it can be hard to know which supplements are the best, and which are worth the investment.

We put top brands to the test, marking them on flavour and quality of ingredients, so you can make informed choices when you buy. Read on the find out the best bovine, marine and vegan collagen powders.

Visit our review section to find more health-related reviews, including the best protein bars, best vegan protein powders and our favourite meal prep containers. Next, read which supplements should I take?

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Best collagen supplements at a glance

  • Best vegan collagen: Shreddy superskin collagen powder, £38
  • Best overall flavour collagen: Hunter & Gather rise and glow collagen daily beauty tonic, £38
  • Best unflavoured collagen: NaturePlus collagen peptides, £30.95
  • Best unflavoured vegan collagen: Ancient and Brave vegan naked collagyn, £37
  • Best bovine collagen: Ancient and Brave cacao and collagen, £24
  • Best marine collagen: JSHealth Vitality X + Collagen Nourish + Glow, £39.99
  • Best collagen sachets: Revive Collagen hydrolysed marine collagen drink, £33.99
  • Best flavoured vegan collagen: Feel strawberry peach vegan collagen powder, £56.43
  • Best collagen powder: Sixways raspberry flavour marine collagen, £42
  • Best collagen creamer: JSHealth Beauty Collagen Creamer+ in creamy vanilla, £34.99

Jump to section:

Best collagen supplements to buy 2024

Shreddy superskin collagen powder

Shreddy vegan collagen with five star badge

Best vegan collagen

Score: 5/5

Top marks for this collagen powder. It tastes exactly like sweet iced tea; we'd even go as far to say it's refreshing and would happily sip this on a daily basis. Testers noted there was a slight film coating in the mouth – this is most likely due to the sweetener sucralose, which is common in many supplements. A pro for us was the additional nutrients: you'll hit your needs for vitamin C and get a dose of hyaluronic acid as well, an ingredient that's popular in skin-enhancing beauty products.

One thing to consider is that this supplement is formulated with a plant-based collagen alternative – but if you're vegan or just trying to cut down on animal products in general, this is a smart choice.

Available from:

Hunter & Gather Rise & Glow Collagen Daily Beauty Tonic

Five star badge Hunter & Gather collagen berries

Best overall flavour

Score: 5/5

This was our favourite collagen for fruity flavour. Despite being made with marine collagen, there's absolutely no fishy taste. It's disguised by a blend of acai, acerola, blueberry, blackcurrant and raspberry powder, which also means it's packed with vitamin C. With the addition of hibiscus and baobab powder the overall flavour is tangy, tart, sweet and slightly floral. Whereas most other collagens are best added to a juice or smoothie, this can be taken with water.

Hunter & Gather also offers a bovine version, as well as cacao and vanilla creamers with added collagen.

Available from:

NaturePlus collagen peptides

Nature Plus collagen with badge

Best unflavoured collagen

Score: 4.5/5

Impressively, this collagen is made from a unique blend of four sources: grass-fed beef, wild-caught cod, free-range chicken and eggshell membrane. It's free from additives and flavourings, with only a slight crisp, clean taste. We tried lots of other collagens that claim to be flavourless but left a strange aftertaste; however, this one really achieves it. The powder was slightly lumpy after mixing, so we marked it down for this.

Available from:
Nature Plus £30.95
Healf £29.95

Ancient and Brave vegan naked collagyn

Naked vegan collagyn

Best unflavoured vegan collagen

Score: 5/5

This so-called 'naked' collagen is supposed to be neutral in flavour. We think it has a subtle crisp, clear taste (similar to cucumber water) that we really enjoy drinking. It would be a great option for those who don't like sweet supplements. If you do have a sweet tooth, you could blend it into smoothies.

This powder is packed with extra nutrients in the form of MCT, MCM, glucosamine and plant proteins – making it the perfect choice for pre- or post-workout. It's also rich in fibre, so will support a healthy gut, as well as amino acids and vitamin C.

Available from:

Ancient and Brave cacao and collagen

Ancient and Brace collagen

Best bovine collagen

Score: 5/5

If you want the benefits of bovine collagen without the unpleasant flavour, this luxurious blend is for you. It's combined with raw Peruvian cacao, so it's bursting with antioxidants, as well hydrolysed collagen peptides (this makes them easier for your body to absorb). It's earthy and chocolatey, with a touch of spicy sweetness thanks to baobab, beetroot, carob and cinnamon.

Calming ashwaganda means sipping a mug of this could soothe stress, so turn your morning cuppa into a ritual. Alternatively, one of our tasters enjoyed blitzing it with avocado, vanilla extract and honey to make a healthy chocolate mousse.

You get a fairly decent quantity for the price as well, so we imagine it would last you a while.

Available from:

JSHealth Vitality X + Collagen Nourish +Glow

JS health and vitality collagen

Best marine collagen

Score 5/5

We were pleasantly surprised by the fruitiness of this powder. Some tasters were skeptical about its marine origins and worried it would taste fishy, but that certainly isn't the case. It has a blueberry-like sweetness, with a touch of tropical fruit and hit of acidity that covers up any collagen flavour.

It's made from 100 per cent pure, sustainably sourced, wild deep sea cod skin. That might not sound like something you want to drink, but it means the collagen is primarily type 1 – the most abundant collagen in the body and vital for healthy bones and skin. Blend into smoothies or other cold drinks to reap the benefits.

The products from JSHealth are on the expensive side, but the quality of this powder is impressive.

Available from:

Revive Collagen hydrolysed marine collagen drink

Revive collagen enhanced plus

Best collagen sachets

Score: 4/5

The strong, syrupy consistency of the gel in these sachets reminded us of neat squash, and the flavour is pleasant. There's a lemony taste that hides the collagen well, and these could easily be added to smoothies or water to dilute it. The gel is free from artificial flavours, colours and added sugar. Impressively, these sachets also contain retinol and hydrolysed keratin, two ingredients well-known for their skin-plumping benefits.

The sachets come in a box of 14, which doesn't seem like a lot as it's only two weeks worth – but you can helpfully buy 14 or 28 days supply and have it delivered automatically, meaning you'll never run out.

Available from:

Feel strawberry peach vegan collagen powder

Screenshot

Best flavoured vegan collagen

Score: 4/5

Feel's vegan collagen tastes like strawberry sweets with a sour tang, similar to sherbet. It's designed to cleverly mimic the amino acid profile found in human collagen. It's combined with gotu kola, an ancient herb that promotes skin healing. This allows it to boost collagen production, helping smooth wrinkles and fine lines. We think the flavour is much better than other collagen powders, and would happily drink a daily glass.

This was the most expensive product we tried. However, we feel that extra steps have been taken to make this a higher-quality supplement.

Available from:

Sixways raspberry flavour marine collagen

Sixways collagen powder with badge

Best collagen powder

Score 4/5

If you're someone who usually goes out of your way to eat good-quality, sustainable fish, then applying the same rules to your collagen powder is a must. This marine collagen is made using wild-caught fish rather than farmed, which means there's no added antibiotics. It has a strong raspberry flavour, which testers felt masked the flavour of the fish really well. When mixed with water, it's quite sweet, similar to squash – not such a bad thing!

You get 28 servings per bag, so it works out to around a once-a-month purchase – there's no getting around that it's quite an expensive product that won't be affordable for everyone.

Available from:

JSHealth Beauty Collagen Creamer+ in creamy vanilla

JS Healthy beauty collagen creamer taste tested

Best collagen creamer

Score 4/5

If you're someone who likes to make it as easy as possible to take your supplements, this could be the collagen for you. Skin-plumping marine collagen and coconut milk combine to make a fine powder that gives tea, coffee or any hot drink a nourishing boost. There's no dairy or refined sugar, but the creamy flavouring makes your drink taste like a vanilla latte. What's not to love?

One thing we should note is that the tub is quite small – if you added this to your drink every morning, it wouldn't last long.

Available from:

Bovine, marine or vegan collagen?

If you're new to collagen supplements, drinking a powder of bovine or marine origins might sound strange. However, these sources are used because they're the closest match to human collagen. This means our bodies can absorb and use it easily.

Both have their own benefits. Bovine collagen comes from cows, and is the closest match to the collagen in our bodies. Marine collagen is made from fish and contains smaller molecules, potentially allowing the body to better absorb it. Both may help to delay signs of ageing, smooth fine wrinkles and support healthy joints.

There are some vegan options on the market. If you're considering one of these, be aware these these don't contain standard collagen (as in, what we have in our bodies) because collagen can't be vegan. These products will most likely contain vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, which help fuel collagen production in the body.

You might find you prefer one flavour over the other, or that you're able to digest one type more easily.

What we looked for in collagen supplements

  • Taste: is the flavour pleasant? Does it have an overwhelming or artificial taste?
  • Type of collagen: bovine, marine or vegan?
  • Nutrient profile: are there any added sugars or extra nutrients?
  • Type of sweetener: does it contain sugars or artificial sweeteners?
  • Dietary requirements: is it vegan or vegetarian?
  • Value for money: how does it compare to others on a cost-per-use basis?

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Do you buy collagen supplements? Leave a comment and tell us your favourite below.

If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

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All health content on Good Food is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

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