For most adults, multivitamins are an insurance plan, filling the nutritional gaps that even a balanced diet might miss. When it comes to our kids though, it’s important to consider overall diet, medical conditions, and nutrient deficiencies.

We enlisted the help of Rachel Rothman (MS, RD, CLEC), a pediatric nutrition expert and registered dietitian, to help us understand when children should take multivitamins, and the factors that actually matter when choosing one. After all, more than 90% of children don’t eat the recommended levels of fruits and vegetables, major sources of vitamins and minerals in our diet.¹

Combining Rothman’s expertise with hands-on reviews by TCD staff parents, we’ve evaluated four leading children's multivitamin brands – Hiya, Olly, First Day, and Smarty Pants. We’ll help you make an informed choice for your kids’ health

One clear winner stood out in terms of nutrient balance, quality, and safety. Read on to find out which.

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Should My Child Take a Multivitamin?

We asked Rothman if parents should supplement their kid’s diet with a multivitamin. In short: probably.

“Many children ages 2+ do not meet their nutrient needs from food and beverage intake,” she explained. “Whether it’s poor diet, picky eating, food allergies, food intolerances or autoimmune disorders like celiac—supplementing with multivitamins helps them get the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.”

It’s crucial to look at the age statement for vitamins. While children as young as 2 can benefit from vitamins, only one brand, Hiya, is  recommended for that age. More on that below.

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Choosing the Right Multivitamin

What should you look for when choosing a children’s multivitamin? For Rothman, it’s a combination of ingredients, dosage form, and taste:

• On nutrients: “Should contain a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to ensure kids get the full spectrum of nutrients they need.”
• On additives: “Should include only safe ingredients for children, with minimal additives and preservatives."
• On added sugar: “Avoid multivitamins with added sugar; they have excess calories, get stuck in teeth, and lead to cavities.”
• On taste: “Taste and form should be enjoyable enough for kids to actually take their vitamin regularly.

How do Hiya, Olly, First Day, and Smarty Pants compare on ingredients, taste, dosage form (and more)? Let’s find out.

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Multivitamins Compared:

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The Ingredients:

Hiya’s Multivitamin with Zero Added Sugar Wins

Multivitamin ingredient statements are intimidating and hard to pronounce. But there’s one ingredient we always recommend you avoid: sugar. Many brands load their multivitamins with sugar, sometimes resembling more candy than vitamin. According to pediatric dentists, added sugars in gummies lead to cavities and can encourage unhealthy sweet preferences at an early age.²

Hiya stands out as the one multivitamin with zero added sugar. Hiya’s chewable tablet uses natural sweeteners like monk fruit, and has zero grams of added sugar. Smarty Pants has 5g added sugar, Olly has 4g, and First Day has 2g. These “other ingredients” lists start with sugar, tapioca syrup, or glucose syrup—sweeteners to be cautious of for toddlers and young children.

Hiya also packs its benefits into a single daily chewable tablet. Olly and First Day serving sizes are two gummies per day and Smarty Pants is four. But despite its single tablet serving, Hiya delivers more vitamins and minerals (15) than the others: Olly (12), First Day, (9) and Smarty Pants (14).

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For us, the trade-off is simple. Hiya delivers 15 essential vitamins and minerals in a single, chewable tablet with 0g added sugar. Olly, First Day, and Smarty Pants lean on added sugar and multiple-gummy serving sizes.

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Rothman adds, “Hiya's well-rounded vitamin & mineral profile and zero sugar make it an excellent choice for parents concerned about their child's nutrition."

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Form Factor: Chewable Tablets vs. Gummies

Hiya’s Tablet  Wins

In addition to taste, it’s important to consider dosage form. Hiya multivitamins are chewable, easy-to-consume tablets.

Olly, First Day, and Smarty Pants are gummies. Gummies are notoriously unstable in their vitamin levels – sometimes leading manufacturers to add more vitamins above the listed amount. Children can be particularly sensitive to these quantities.³

Rothman explains, “Gummies get stuck in children's’ teeth and lead to cavities. Plus, they're a choking hazard in children under 4.”

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Promoting Healthy Habits

Hiya and First Day Win

Beyond the stats and science, we also evaluated materials, “fun factor” (important when it comes to adhering to a schedule), and impact on the environment. In short, which brand is your child going to enjoy taking every day? Which  can you feel good about buying regularly?

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Smarty Pants and Olly deliver a typical drugstore product: a plastic bottle of sugary gummy vitamins. First Day and Hiya have lower or no sugar, and reusable containers that drastically reduce landfill waste.

Hiya gets points for the premium glass container and stickers they send with your first order. We love the letter stickers that encourage kids to personalize their bottles.

As mentioned, it's so important that Hiya multivitamins can be taken by children ages 2+ (Smarty Pants, Olly, and First Day gummies should only be given to children 4+).

Rothman adds, “Many kids go through a natural 'picky eating' phase around age 2. For a parent with nutrition concerns, this multivitamin provides comfort. Reducing mealtime stress lets families re-focus on connection, helping children develop a healthy relationship with food.”

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The Overall Winner: Hiya

Which multivitamin is best for your child? After our thorough testing and analysis, we recommend the multivitamin that has zero sugar, is a chewable tablet for children as young as 2, and comes with fun, planet-friendly packaging. And that’s Hiya.

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Rothman, our pediatric nutrition expert, agrees. “I absolutely love that Hiya has no added sugar, contains a blend of fruits and vegetables, and has a taste kids love. Hiya is my go-to recommendation when it comes to kids’ vitamins.”

Ready to try Hiya? With TCD, save 50% on your first order plus get free shipping. Hiya also offers discounts for families with more than one child.

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