The tagline adopted by ZenBears is ‘UK’s #1-rated CBD gummies’, so they’ve immediately set the bar high. ZenBears only produce one product and they aim to do it to an impressive standard. One jar of gummies comes with thirty bears in four different colours each with a guaranteed 20mg of CBD.
The glass jar has a simple yet informative label with just enough of the glass remaining visible so you can see the gummies themselves. They are made in the UK from CO2 extracted hemp and claim to be THC-free.
CBD gummies are very popular, but they’re notoriously tricky to get right. Often, they have a slightly odd texture and bitter hemp after taste, so I was keen to see how ‘the UK’s favourite bears’ measured up.
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Contents
Who are ZenBears?
ZenBears are a one product brand from Holistic Wellness LTD, they are the company behind CBD Shopy. They’ve used their experience in the UK industry to precisely formulate an all-natural CBD gummy that ticks all the boxes including flavour, texture, quality and potency.
The hemp used in these bears is grown organically on farms in Oregon, USA. A range of beneficial active ingredients, including CBD, are then extracted from the hemp in an ISO-certified facility. Finally, the extract is shipped to the UK, where it is used to produce the final Zen Bears.
3rd Party Lab Tests
ZenBears send each jar with a number so you can find the third-party lab results that apply specifically to the batch it’s from. Mine came from batch 3012, which is currently the only one they’ve made. Still, the lab results page has been set out to show where the results from each new batch will be found when they’re produced.
When you visit the ZenBears site, the certificates are easy to find from the product page or the main menu. The certificates are simple and only show which cannabinoids the sample contained. The best certificates, like those provided by Endoca, also include a terpene profile and screening for contaminants.
The cannabinoid profile shows that, in each bear, the analysis detected:
CBD = 20.1423mg
CBDa = < 0.0005mg (Not detected)
CBDV < 0.0005mg (Not detected)
CBDVa < 0.0005mg (Not detected)
CBG = 0.1346mg
CBGa < 0.0005mg (Not detected)
CBN < 0.0024mg
THCa < 0.0005mg (Not detected)
THCV < 0.0005mg (Not detected)
THCVa < 0.0005mg (Not detected)
Δ9-THC < 0.0005mg (Not detected)
Δ8-THC < 0.0005mg (Not detected)
CBC < 0.0031mg
CBCa < 0.0005mg (Not detected)
The amount of CBD in this batch is slightly higher than the 20mg per bear on the packaging. The range of other cannabinoids in the sample indicates that it is likely to be a full or broad-spectrum extract. Although there are only a few shown in the analysis, the others are likely present in the sample, but in undetectable traces.
The lab results show that the combined amount of THC is likely to be less than 0.001mg per bear. This is a very low level of THC but doesn’t completely corroborate the claim of ‘THC-Free’. Most lab tests aren’t sensitive enough to prove that it’s been completely removed.
Ease of Use
Gummies are a convenient and delicious way to take CBD. Although this jar is slightly too large to carry with you in a pocket, you could easily put it in a bag and have one wherever you go. Because the lid to the jar is wide, it makes it easy to select which specific bear or colour you want and pick it out without having to tip them onto your hand.
The instructions are simple, but who really needs directions on how to eat a gummy bear? The label suggests that you could suck or chew them, but every time I ate one, I felt compelled to bite its gummy head off within a couple of seconds. I did try to see if I could chew the gummy and then hold it under my tongue to improve the absorption of the CBD. It worked but it was quite tricky, so every other time I just chewed as usual.
ZenBears Taste
The flavour and texture of these bears are hands down the best I’ve ever tried from a CBD gummy. They’re close to identical in flavour to a standard fruit gummy and there is no detectable taste of hemp. The bears come in four flavours which although quite similar, each is delectably different. They are pleasant to chew and aren’t slimy or too soft like some others I’ve tried.
The major drawback I found with these is that they are just too good for a food supplement. Once you’ve eaten one, it’s impossible to leave them alone and stop yourself from eating more. The best, although the most unhealthy, way that I found to deal with this was also to open a pack of wine gums or normal gummies. First, take one ZenBear and then feed your sweet tooth by following it up with a few standard gummies.
Potency/Effectiveness
With 20mg per bear, these are particularly potent gummies. When I first tried them, I was lured in by the flavour and had a couple at a time. Once regained control, I took the recommended two per day, one in the morning and one in the evening.
Although I didn’t notice any particular sensations or differences immediately, I soon noticed a significant improvement in my sleep pattern. I usually struggle to nod off, but during the time I was consuming the gummies, I fell asleep quickly on most nights.
Once I’d finished the 30 gummies, I looked back and realised that I’d also seen an improvement in relaxation and anxiety. Previously, I’ve never noticed a considerable effect from gummies, so these impressed me.
Value for Money
One jar of ZenBears delivers 600mg of CBD, evenly shared between 30 delicious gummies for less than £40. At this price, they are slightly more expensive than some other gummies and other 600mg CBD products. However, they offer several advantages that other products don’t.
ZenBears are suitable for vegans, made with all-natural ingredients and packed full of flavour. There are more affordable ways to consume CBD, but often they come with a bitter hemp flavour. If you’ve got a sweet tooth or can’t stand the taste of hemp, then these bears are the ideal solution.
Ultimately, it would be good to see more details added to the lab certificates and for them to drop claims that are hard to prove like ‘THC-Free’, but these are the tastiest most effective CBD gummies I’ve tried so far.
Would I Buy Them Again?
If you are looking for full-spectrum CBD gummies, I would definitely recommend ZenBears. They appear in our best CBD gummies list as the best full-spectrum and are currently ranked number 1 overall.
ZenBears CBD Gummies Final Scores
ZenBears CBD Gummies
Overall
These incredible gummy bears are packed full of flavour and contain 20mg of CBD each. They’re made with all-natural ingredients and you can check the cannabinoid content for each batch using third-party lab certificates. The hemp is organically farmed in Oregon USA and the bears are produced in the UK. Despite paying a little more for them compared to some other CBD gummies, the quality and flavour make these well worth it.
Third-party lab tests
8
Ease of use
9
Taste
10
Potency/ effectiveness
7
Value for money
8.5
Pros
Less than 0.001mg of THC per bear
They come in a sturdy, glass jar
20mg of CBD per bear
Incredible fruity flavours with no hemp taste
Suitable for vegans
Lab certificates are available for every batch
Cons
It’s not possible to verify the THC-free claim
It would be useful to see more detail on the third-party lab certificate.
