Cleanest Vegan Protein Powder That’s Third-Party Tested

The demand for clean protein powder is rising fast, and for good reasons.

Heavy metals, toxins, and chemicals in protein powder are alarming concerns that shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s not just the budget brands that neglect third-party testing. 

Some of the most widely known brands have been called out for selling protein powder with high amounts of heavy metals and contaminants–like lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, BPA, and glyphosate.

This has spurred quite the push for purity in the supplement space and a mounting call to action for cleaner protein powder that’s third-party tested and transparent about its heavy metal content.

But even for the most discerning consumers, the genuinely transparent brands are few and far between. Having invested a lot of research on this topic, here I’ve distilled seven of the cleanest protein powders that I confidently stand behind.

Criteria for Identifying Clean Protein Powder

When seeking the protein powder with clean ingredients, several criteria should be considered. Here are a few vital factors to keep in mind:

• Third-party testing: Look for products that are third-party lab-tested for heavy metals and other contaminants. This ensures an independent assessment of the product’s safety and quality, not just in-house claims that may be skewed. This info should be published on the brand’s website.
• Transparency and certifications: Choose brands that are transparent about their testing and sourcing practices. Certifications like Clean Label Project Certified, ISO-Certified, Informed Choice, and NSF Certified for Sport are a few examples that indicate a commitment to quality and safety.
• Quality of ingredients: Prioritize products made with high-quality, clean ingredients. Vegan, non-GMO, and organic are a good place to start, but this alone doesn’t guarantee lower heavy metal content.

Also, look for products made without sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, and synthetic additives. This, along with the criteria above, makes for a truly clean protein powder that you can trust. 

7 Best Clean Protein Powders Tested for Heavy Metals

With the help of the criteria above, I’ve identified and tried some of the best clean protein powder products that are mostly devoid of heavy metals and other contamination. Below are the top picks worth trying.

1. Wholier Organic Plant Protein

Wholier is another underrated brand that deserves high accolades for the level of purity and cleanliness of its products. 

Wholier takes the quality of its protein powder supplements very seriously and ensures that each batch is third-party tested multiple times during the manufacturing process, which involves analytical, microbiological, and heavy metal testing.

This certified USDA organic protein powder offers a complete blend of brown rice, yellow pea, flaxseed, pumpkin seed, and sunflower seed protein. Wholier Organic Plant Protein also provides a simple prebiotic blend to aid with digestion.

One serving contains 2g of coconut sugar, but it’s also flavored with monk fruit extract, cacao powder, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract powder, and Himalayan salt.

This clean plant protein powder for Wholier delivers 21g of protein powder per serving, providing 4g of BCAAs. It’s a junk-free option with no bloat-causing additives like fillers, emulsifiers, and gums.

2. Completement Organic Protein

Complement Organic Protein is a chalk-free, delicious-tasting plant-based protein powder that’s the epitome of clean. Third-party tested and fully transparent about it, Complement discloses its test results on its website and calls out its competitors with no remorse.

Made from an all-organic combination of yellow pea, pumpkin seed, almond, sunflower seed, and chia seed protein, Complement delivers a diverse amino acid profile from some of the cleanest protein sources.

A single serving provides 15g of protein in less than 90 calories. It’s a low-carb, keto-friendly protein powder that caters to a wide range of dietary and performance needs.

Available in unflavored (the minimalist option) and chocolate (flavored with cocoa powder and monk fruit sweetener), Complement is a low-ingredient, low-calorie protein powder that’s nutritionally clean and environmentally sustainable.

3. VIVO Life Perform Raw Plant Protein & BCAA

VIVO Life is one of the cleanest yet underrated protein powder brands that uses third-party testing for heavy metals and other contaminants. 

VIVO Life tests its products at the point of formulation for heavy metals, herbicides, and pesticides, and then sends the finished products for third-party analysis (via LabDoor) to be tested again for contaminants.

VIVO Life Perform is the brand’s flagship raw vegan protein powder product that’s made from fermented yellow pea protein and cold processed hemp protein, providing 25g of plant protein per serving.

In addition to being clean and heavy metal-free, the protein powder contains a BCAA blend that packs 6g per serving for enhanced recovery. The added reishi mushrooms and turmeric extract provide anti-inflammatory properties.

VIVO Life Perform is sugar-free but it does contain stevia leaf as a sweetener. It’s not the cheapest protein powder, but it is a premium option worth checking out.

4. Truvani Plant-Based Protein

Another top-tier option in the protein powder space, Truvani is a dependable brand that conducts third-party testing and monitoring for heavy metals in its protein powder. 

Certified organic and non-GMO, Truvani’s ingredients and finished products are regularly tested for mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and glyphosate according to Good Manufacturing Practices and Prop 65 compliance. 

Truvani is the equivalent of clean, trusted protein powder. The ingredients list is recognizable foods and spices; no artificial sweeteners, additives, or fillers. 

The beauty of Truvani protein powder is its simple ingredient blend. The protein powder is made from pea, pumpkin seed, and chia seed protein. Each of the 9 distinct flavors contains unique ingredients, from chia and matcha green tea to peanuts and pumpkin spice.

Truvani is a truly clean and balanced protein powder with 20g of protein per serving. It’s low carb with minimal sugar and a modest amount of fiber. 

5. Ora So Lean & So Clean

Ora Organic is a conscious brand that invests in third-party tests for ingredient potency, heavy metal content, microbial contaminants, and pathogens (see the results).

Vegan, non-GMO, and certified organic, Ora also screens its products annually for supplement fact verification, pesticides, and allergens, including gluten, dairy, peanut, and soy.

Ora’s So Lean & So Clean is the brand’s flagship vegan protein powder. There are 4 flavors, Vanilla, Chocolate, Vanilla Chia, and Unflavored. 

While all of them are sugar-free, the unflavored option has only 1g of carbs, making it a great keto option. The other three use stevia and monk fruit extract, including other natural flavors.

The Ora Protein, Superfood & Greens Blend contains an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Pea and rice make up the primary protein sources, providing all essential amino acids. 

Free from fillers, gums, and unwanted additives, So Lean & So Clean should be high on your list for ingredient-safe clean protein powder.

6. Garden of Life Sport Protein Powder

Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein is a high-quality protein powder that’s well-suited for athletic performance. It’s certified Organic, non-GMO, NSF Certified for Sport, and Informed-Choice for Sport Certified. This means it’s free of any banned substances and contains only whole, organic plant-based ingredients.

Made from a variety of (mostly sprouted) vegan protein sources–including peas, garbanzo beans, navy beans, lentils, and cranberry seed protein–Garden of Life Sport protein delivers an abundant amino acid profile, including 5.5g of BCAAs and 5g of glutamine per serving.

Beyond clean, amino-rich protein, Garden of Life Sport also contains a muscle recovery blend featuring antioxidants like organic tart cherries, apples, turmeric, goji berries, and blueberries. These antioxidants are known to promote faster muscle recovery. Add 2 billion CFU of clinically studied probiotics, and this protein also provides immunity support.

Garden of Life Sport protein powder is the GOAT of clean protein powder and it’s my go-to choice. The taste is very mellow and not overly sweet despite using stevia. I enjoy both the vanilla and chocolate options (and while I usually prefer vanilla, here the chocolate is better.)

7. Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Protein

Sunwarrior is a larger player in the protein powder space, but unlike the big brands, they don’t compromise on quality over quantity production.

As part of the company’s commitment to quality and sustainability, Sunwarrior utilizes an ISO-Certified, third-party lab to conduct heavy metals and micros testing on their products. Their protein powders are USDA certified Organic, non-GMO, and consistently meet EU, WHO, and FDA safety standards.

While Sunwarrior makes several vegan protein powders, Warrior Blend is a top-tier favorite. It’s made from pea, goji berry, and hemp seed protein, and contains no artificial ingredients or sugar alcohols. In turn, I rank it as one of the best keto protein powders, as it won’t elevate blood sugars and is truly diabetic-friendly.

Warrior Blend contains stevia leaf (with no erythritol), but if you’re sensitive to this natural sweetener, there is an unflavored/unsweetened version of this protein powder that’s stevia-free. 

In addition to its purity, I love this protein powder for many reasons. It’s delicious tasting and comes in many different flavor options. I’ve conducted a thorough review of this product if you wish to learn more about Warrior Blend.

Science Behind Protein Powders and Heavy Metals

Perhaps the most groundbreaking study on protein powders containing heavy metals was done by the Clean Label Project. The study examined 134 of the top protein powder products lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic, as well as BPA and other contaminants. 

The study shockingly revealed that 75% of the products had measurable levels of lead. 

What’s even more alarming is that certified organic products averaged double the amount of heavy metals and plant-based protein powders contained twice the amount of lead per serving compared to other products. 

The same study revealed that 55% of the 134 products tested had measurable levels of BPA. Collectively, these contaminated products made up 53 of the leading protein powder brands. 

A related study validated these concerns by reporting that 40% of 133 protein powder products tested had elevated levels of heavy metals.^[1]

The presence of unhealthy contaminants and heavy metals in protein powders has escalated the concerns about potential health risks associated with their consumption.

In turn, these issues are a call to protein powder brands to step up their quality control, manufacturing processes, and third-party testing.

You Might Also Like

• How is Protein Powder Made? An In-depth Look
• Best Protein Powders Worth Buying
• Is Protein Powder Bad for Your Kidneys?
• What’s the Best Gluten-Free Protein Powder? (Vegan)

About the Author

This article is by Tyler Tafelsky, the lead editor at the Vegan Protein Powder Review. Endurance athlete and experienced health writer in the nutrition space, Tyler has tried hundreds of plant-based nutritional products and writes about his favorites here on this blog. View Tyler’s author bio or follow him on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. You can also visit his site to see what he’s up to.

Scientific References

1. Bandara SB, Towle KM, Monnot AD. A human health risk assessment of heavy metal ingestion among consumers of protein powder supplements. Toxicol Rep. 2020 Aug 21;7:1255-1262. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2020.08.001. PMID: 33005567; PMCID: PMC7509468.