Hiya Vitamins Reviews: Is Hiya Health Good For Kids?

If you're looking for the best kids multivitamin we think we've found it: Hiya Health!

That's right, Hiya Health's kids multivitamin is one of the best currently on the market. Discover in depth reviews of each of Hiya's vitamins for kids from their multivitamin, probiotic, and nightly essentials and how they compare to competitors below!

Our family is no stranger to kids supplements after my daughter landed in the ER due to an anaphylactic reaction right after her first birthday; which was only the beginning to a slew of health issues. Years later, we've tried and reviewed just about every kids supplement label on the market from Smarty Pants to Mary Ruth's to OLLY + more – and we can honestly say Hiya Health is one of the best multivitamins on the markets for kids! Their nightly essentials supplement is top in class and their probiotic is pretty good too (but not our favorite). Their unique formulas ditch the added sugar and packs in what kids need. Even better? They look and taste like candy!

Click here for 50% discount on your first order from Hiya!

I know that sounds impossible: No added sugar but tastes like candy? Yep! Discover how they do it below!

What is Hiya Health?

Hiya Health is a children's supplement company that currently makes a kids multivitamin, night time soother, and probiotic.

Their kids multivitamins are manufactured in a Certified Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) compliant, USA-based facility using individually selected, globally sourced ingredients for maximum absorption. 

Hiya vitamins undergo third-party testing to ensure they are free of allergens, heavy metals, and pathogens.

Who owns Hiya Health?

The Hiya Health founders are Darren Litt and Adam Gillman. Two dads who were shocked by the kid's vitamins available, basically concluding they are “candy in disguise.”

And they're not wrong. Studies show that 90% of kids today aren’t reaching the daily recommended intake of fruit (1.5 to 2 cups) and vegetables (~2.5 cups). In fact, the average 2-5 year old is consuming 13 teaspoons of refined white sugar a day. That's is MORE THAN TWICE the recommended limit of 6 teaspoons per day.

After that, the dads got to work. They spent over three years consulting with pediatricians, nutritionists, and scientists, to manufacture a delicious chewable multivitamin made with a blend of organic fruits and vegetables. Since then their product line continues to grow (click here for all current offerings).

Click here for 50% discount on your first order from Hiya Health!

How does Hiya work? Cost, packaging, etc…

Hiya Health is currently a subscription based model. Each month you'll get your order delivered right to your door. The first month you'll receive a heavy duty glass bottle with stickers for kids to decorate and a plastic-free pouch full of whatever supplement you ordered. Future orders you'll only receive the recyclable pouch.

I know there is some toddler mom reading this right now thinking “glass bottle?! NO!” – and as the mom of two toddlers, one being a very *lively* boy, I can say you have very little to worry about. The glass is so heavy I didn't even realize it was glass at first. The bottle has sustained it's fair shares of drops and tosses at this point too. And even better? The cap is childproof!

You can easily cancel your Hiya subscription at any time too.

Pricing depends on the number of kids you have/order for but generally ranges between $11.50 to $33.

Hiya Health Kids Daily Multivitamin Review:

★ 9 out of 10 ★

Hiya's chewable children's multivitamin is free of artificial sweeteners, fillers, sugar, and major allergens. It's also non-GMO and gluten free.

Are Hiya vitamins good or bad and why?

Hiya vitamins are good – in fact, I'd argue they are one of the best kids multivitamins on the market currently.

Featuring a whopping 15+ vitamins and essential nutrients made and a blend of 12 fruits and veggies, they are definitely one of the cleanest and most nutrient dense options on the market.

Click here for 50% discount on your first order from Hiya Health!

They board a zero added sugar, no artificial ingredients, non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, and dairy free label too.

Beyond that, they use the actual *quality* versions of their vitamins and nutrients.

For instance, cheap vitamins will typically opt for Vitamin A in the form of retinyl palmitate – but Hiya took it a step further and uses 46% beta-carotene.

This is huge for families looking to avoid vitamin A toxicity as the body only converts as much vitamin A from beta-carotene as it needs (source).

Additionally, most cheap supplements use ascorbic acid as their vitamin C, but Hiya uses calcium ascorbate and acerola fruit. Calcium ascorbate has been found to have the same antioxidant activity as ascorbic acid, but can alleviate the side effects of the vitamin C, such as gastric high acidity.

In other words: Hiya is opting for whole foods where they can, as well as bioavailable forms of vitamins with the lowest side effects.

Hiya vitamins are my kids preferred daily multivitamin as well as mine. Later in this post we'll look at competitors, but in terms of price, quality, and taste, they are a winner in our house!

Hiya Vitamins Bad Reviews:

I searched pretty much high and low and couldn't find any bad reviews on Hiya Vitamins (of course the occasional “my kids didn't like the taste”), so I'll give you my own criticisms / good to know thoughts:

Sweeteners

While Hiya vitamins have no added sugar, that doesn't mean they aren't sweet… remember in the opening of this I said they tasted kinda like a Sweet Tart.

They use a sweetener blend with monk fruit extract and mannitol.

• Monk fruit is a super fruit that gets its sweetness from the natural compounds called mogrosides which are produced as it fully ripens. The Mogrosides are even antioxidants!
• Mannitol is an all-natural sweetener found in fruits and vegetables (though it's also commercially produced). Mannitol is less sweet than other sugar alcohols and preferred amongst dentists and people with diabetes (source).

These are probably the best options, preferred by both dentists and pediatricians, you'll get when it comes to sweetners though.

Natural Flavors

Generally this is always a red flag in an ingredient label for me because it's a label that could mean just about anything. However, it's in just about every kids multivitamin. Additionally, they only want you to take one a day of these, I'm not worried about hidden additives behind this label. Their business model doesn't benefit off of you binge eating a bunch of vitamins; in fact, it'd likely hurt it.

So at this point we just need to rely on the “no added sugars” and read between the lines, assuming this is one of the best options out there.

Click here for 50% discount on your first order from Hiya Health!

No choline

Choline is an essential nutrient for children's brain development and has impacts on their nervous system, liver, and metabolism. It's one nutrient that's often overlooked – but if your child doesn't eat runny eggs or organ meats, there's a good chance they aren't getting enough. The NIH suggests 200 mg / day for toddlers.

Now with that said, this is often either skipped in kids vitamins, or put in at such a low dose it's relatively negligible.

For instance, Mary Ruth's includes a whopping .02 mg of Choline which is less than 1% of the daily value.

Personally, I prefer when brands skip it instead of include it at such a low amount. I get “the ick” when I see it how Mary Ruth's lays it out – like a checklist taking advantage of parents who “know” it should be on there, but it's not actually at a level to make much of an impact.

With that said, in 2023 Hiya released their new Kids Nightly Essentials supplement which does include choline and is a melatonin free, evening supplement to support sleep, brain health, and calmness.

Given that choline is more for the brain and nervous system, I'd prefer it in the daily multivitamin formula instead of having to supplement it separately, but happy to see it included somewhere.

Hiya Health Kids Daily Probiotic Review:

★ 7 out of 10 ★

Are Hiya probiotics good for kids?

Hiya uses a unique prebiotic and probiotic blend packed with 10 billion live cultures that support childhood immunity, nutrient absorption, and gut health.

The main strains included are Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus paracasei, and Bacillus lactis.

The combo of a prebiotic and probiotic is critical for maximum absorption and health benefits. The prebiotic essentially is the food for the probiotic to populate the gut with the good stuff. Having a probiotic without a prebiotic can limit its effectiveness.

With that said, health isn't one size fits all and you're best off consulting with your child's healthcare provider to ensure a probiotic makes sense. If your child has eczema, certain strains can aggravate it more too, so definitely consult with your healthcare team.

What age is Hiya probiotics for?

Hiya probiotics were designed for ages 2 years old and up.

Hiya kids probiotic ingredients:

Hiya probiotic reviews

Hiya kids probiotics pack a healthy dose of live cultures, we love the prebiotic and probiotic formula, and the taste is even better than their multivitamin.

However, I don't love the inactive ingredient list. I'm not totally sure why two products (their probiotic and multivitamin) can look so similar yet have such a different ingredient list… but I'm personally not a fan of the sunflower oil or gum arabic which make their probiotic a “skip” for us.

Granted, we use this probiotic with my daughter who had some pretty intense gut health issues, eczema, and other things going on. It's definitely not a probiotic for every kid! We are also fans of switching up our probiotics every so often for optimal gut health, so we use this one and this one too.

All of the above probiotics we do use, cost significantly more than Hiya's. But again, we are dealing with specific health issues for my daughter. For most families, Hiya's probiotic will probably be the perfect intersection of quality and price.

Additionally, Hiya's probiotic uses xylitol as the main sweetener, with monk fruit being listed last (meaning it's the smallest quantity) – whereas the multivitamin uses a monk fruit and mannitol blend as the first inactive ingredient. Personally, I don't like the taste of monk fruit actually, so the probitoic's sweetner blend tastes way better to me. And most importantly, my kids like both!

Hiya Health Kids Nightly Essentials Review:

★ 8 out of 10 ★

We are no strangers to nightly kids supplements. My daughter's health issues led us to some pretty dark places where she only slept 5 hours (not consecutively) in a 24 hour period for a while. As you can imagine, we looked into just about every kids night time supplement under the sun.

Ultimately, we switch off between this one (tastes great and more “regular” use) and this one (as needed on rough nights). The taste of the latter is pretty terrible and most kids won't love it. Which is why I'm thrilled about Hiya's new nighttime formula!

Who is Hiya's night time essentials for?

Hiya's night time essentials is for children ages 2 and up. While one serving size is a single tablet, they do include the daily values for children under four and children over four in two separate categories so you can adjust accordingly.

Personally, I'd say this supplement is good to have on hand during stressful times of the year like transitioning back to school, the holidays when schedules are a bit “off” and more chaotic or if your child is struggling with dysregulated emotions or difficult sleep.

What are Hiya's night time essentials ingredients?

While I don't love the inactive ingredient list – I am happy to see the primary use of coconut oil powder instead of sunflower oil. Additionally, the inactive ingredients end up not bothering as much given their active ingredient list is so good.

It's pretty rare to find such a complete formula of calming vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

When we were working with a gut practitioner at my daughter's “worst” days, she had us supplement an L-theanine and gaba supplement (for adults) for my daughter. So to find those, with the soothing effective of chamomile, and B6, choline, calcium, and magnesium is basically like hitting the jackpot! Especially when you cross check the price with the others I listed above.

Why isn't there melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone that's naturally occuring, which led to many assuming it was safe. In fact, melatonin supplements are the second most popular “natural” product parents give to their kids (multivitamins are first).

However, in recent years, there are growing reports of melatonin overdoses, calls to poison control, and emergency room visits. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) even released a warning statement, recommending parents to consult with healthcare professionals before giving melatonin to children.

Additionally, melatonin is a hormone, which means supplementing it can impact your child's natural ability to make it on their own.

Generally speaking, it should be avoided; and if needed it should only be used for a few nights. You're better off working with the sun and limiting their exposure to blue light at night by swapping out your light bulbs for these and setting them “red” at night to reset your child's natural melatonin production and circadian rhythm.

Hiya Health vs Competitors

For this section, I did a mix of kids vitamins and kids vitamin + probiotic combos to cover a similar product range as Hiya.

Hiya vs Mary Ruth's Organics:

While we do like some Mary Ruth's supplements, I've never been a fan of their multivitamin selection; especially the kids multivitamin gummies.

Mary Ruth's kids multivitamin gummies use vitamin A only in the form of palmitate – not beta-carotene. Their vitamin C is only ascorbic acid (no whole food blend).

Additionally, both brands do have natural flavors and sweeteners. Though, it seems like Mary Ruth has more (Isomalto-oligosaccharides, xylitol, erythritol, and stevia extract).

I also like to avoid sunflower oil on ingredient labels, which Mary Ruth's has. Price is comparable between the two brands too.

Winner: Hiya

Hiya vs Zarbee's Kid's Complete Daily Multivitamin + Probiotic:

Zarbee's Kid's Complete Daily Multivitamin + Probiotic features lower quality versions of vitamin A and C as well as one of the longer “filler” lists I've seen with corn starch, citric acid, pectin, cane sugar, and tapioca syrup. It features 2 grams of added sugar per gummy, with children 4 years old and up being recommended 2 gummies (~16% daily limit)

Winner: Hiya

Hiya Vitamins vs Smarty Pants:

Hiya beats out Smarty Pants vitamins with less sugar and a targeted formula for kids. Additionally, Smarty Pants requires kids to take 3-4 vitamins a day (depending on toddler or kids version), whereas Hiya health is only one. 

Smarty Pants toddler formula has 2 g of added sugar – which is nearly 1/2 a teaspoon or 8% of the daily recommended allowance.

While I do like the use of beta carotene and retinyl palmitate for vitamin A, it's solely uses ascorbic acid for vitamin C, and includes both sunflower oil and added sugar which are both “no's” for me.

Winner: Hiya

Hiya vs Llama Naturals:

Llama Naturals multivitamin gummies for kids are probably the best kids gummy option out there if your child doesn't like the chewables.

While these do include 2 grams of sugar per serving – at least it's from fruit and not added sugars. Additionally they use extra virgin olive oil as the emulsifier instead of sunflower oil.

They also boast no added sweeteners and focus on whole food ingredients. Truly, this is probably the best kids gummy multivitamin I've found!

With that said, I prefer the higher nutritional value you get with Hiya's multivitamin. Additionally, Llama Naturals doesn't share what forms of the vitamins comprise their formula. Due to the lower sugar content and higher nutritional value, Hiya is our winner here.

Winner: Hiya – but if you're kid will only do gummy vitamins, this is your winner!

Hiya Health vs Culturelle Kids Multivitamin:

Culturelle is generally considered a decent brand of supplements – not the worst quality or the best, and at a price point that's generally more accessible. Their kids multivitamin and probiotic chewable is a budget alternative to Hiya Health.

You do lose out on some of the higher quality versions of vitamins, as well as a broader range and real fruit and veggies in the blend – but you don't have to worry about added sugars. Additionally, Culturelle has more fillers.

Personally, the savings isn't significant enough that I'd sacrifice all of that for the lower price. I'd still go with Hiya.

Winner: Hiya

Renzo's vs Hiya Vitamins

Truthfully, Renzo's kids multivitamin is the only real contender/comparison to Hiya vitamins. It's chewable, no added sugars, vegan, no artificial flavors, allergen free, gluten free, and non-GMO.

The formulas are a little different though. Renzo uses vitamin K, while Hiya uses K2 (which is generally the preferred version by dentists as you need K2 for vitamin D to get into the tooth).

Renzo's does include chromium and iron though. Personally, we avoid supplements with iron. Most of the iron needs are fulfilled by the iron recycling system in the body (source). Iron is definitely one of those things you're better off talking with your healthcare provider about after getting bloodwork done.

Winner: Hiya; unless there is medical necessity for iron, in which case Renzo wins

Hiya vs First Day

First Day kids vitamins may look adorable, have sustainable packaging, organic ingredients, and aggressive Instagram ads, but that's about it.

In terms of their ingredient list, they have about half the vitamins and minerals of Hiya. They do use the higher quality version of vitamin A and lower quality version of vitamin C. Additionally, while they have D3, their vitamin K is K1, which isn't as desriable for tooth health.

Beyond that, their pricing is high and the inactive ingredient list isn't ideal. Coming in with 2 grams of added sugar from tapioca syrup and cane sugar plus highly processed sunflower oil and natural flavors we'd consider this a skip.

Winner: Hiya

Hiya Health vs OLLY:

While OLLY may be one of the top rated kids multivitamins on Amazon, I'd strongly recommend steering clear. They offer one of the worst formulas on the market in my opinion, made only worse by their “gummy worm” product.

Let's start there: kids should understand they are eating a vitamin NOT “candy.” The LAST thing you want is children thinking supplements/medications are candy and overdosing. This is a simple lesson in respect and body safety. Which is a bummer, because the gummy worm formula is a bit cleaner than their regular multi option and I'd choose it over the latter.

Second, while they may only have 2 grams of added sugar like other competitors, they do this via both sugar AND glucose syrup which seems like overkill. Additionally they have sunflower oil and citric acid and gelatin and pectin and natural flavors. It's kind of like they through the kitchen sink of fillers and emulsifiers in there.

Lastly, as expected, they use some of the cheapest forms of the included vitamins.

This is one of those situations where, even though they're cheap, it's better to skip it in my opinion.

Winner: Hiya

Hiya Vitamins Reviews

I'm not the only one raving about Hiya! See what others had to say:

FAQs on Hiya

Are Hiya kids vitamins healthy?

Yes! They are free of added sugars, dyes, and gummy additives. While including over 15 vitamins and minerals and a healthy mix of 12 organic fruits and veggies.

What vitamins and nutrients are included in Hiya’s multivitamin?

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Thiamin (B1)
• Riboflavin
• Folate (B9)
• Vitamin B12
• Biotin (B7)
• Pantothenic Acid (B5)
• Calcium
• Iodine
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Manganese
• Vitamin K

Are Hiya vitamins actually good?

Yes, Hiya vitamins are actually good. The ingredients are some of the cleanest on the market for kids vitamins. Beyond the quality, the taste is pretty good too.

They look like candy, and sort of taste like it too – but they are vitamins after all. I'd say they taste like a health brand remade Sweet Tarts (you know, how they did it to Snickers). Pretty similar, not quite the same though.

My 2 year old – like any 2 year old – goes through phases where he doesn't like the taste anymore, I just crush it in some OJ and he's good with it until the next week where he wants to chew it again.

Are Hiya vitamins safe?

Yes, Hiya vitamins are considered safe when taken as recommended.

Hiya Health focuses strongly on safety and quality. After all, it was founded by two dads looking for a better option for their kids. Aside from their clean kids multivitamin formula, they manufacture their supplements in a cGMP (Certified Good Manufacturing Practice) compliant, USA-based facility.

Their products also undergo 3rd party testing for trace amounts of pathogens, heavy metals, and allergens. This is something not required and most other vitamin companies do not do.

But you should always check with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement.

Are kids multivitamins necessary?

I'm a firm believer that you can't “out supplement” a solid foundation of whole foods.

Meaning, you can't eat fast and overly processed foods each day, pop a vitamin, and thing you're “good.”

But the reality is the average 2 to 5 year old is consuming 13 teaspoons of refined white sugar daily, which is over twice the recommended limit of 6 teaspoons per day. More than that, studies show that 90% of kids today aren’t reaching the daily recommended intake of fruit (1.5 to 2 cups) and vegetables (~2.5 cups).

In my opinion, we have to focus on both food AND a quality multivitamin for kids: enter Hiya Health.

What are the benefits a kids multivitamin?

A children's multivitamin can fill a nutritional gap the child may have while potentially supporting their growth or other common complaints like difficulty pooping, mooiness, sleep interruptions, poor growth, and more.

According to their website, Hiya kids vitamins help with:

• Growth and development
• Immunity and inflammation
• Focus, concentration, sleep, and mood
• Energy and cell growth
• Bones, teeth, and eyes

Where can I buy Hiya vitamins?

To keep costs low, Hiya Health sells direct to you via their website.

You can click here to receive a 50% discount on your first month of Hiya Health!

Are Hiya vitamins FDA approved? 

No; but that has nothing to do with Hiya Health. The FDA doesn't approve supplements at all (source).

What are the side effects of Hiya vitamins? 

If taken as recommended there should be no side effects of Hiya vitamins. Remember where I talked about the calcium ascorbate vs. ascorbic acid to deter even more side effects?!

With that said, if your child were to take more than the recommended amount of 1 per day, or has other health issues going on, potential side effects would be standard: headache, nausea, stomach upset.

Everyone's health history is unique, so we always suggest checking with your child's health care provider before starting any supplement.

Is Hiya legitimate? 

Yes, Hiya Health is legit! In fact, they are based in my hometown!

What age group is Hiya vitamins for?

Hiya vitamins age recommendation is 2 years old and up until mid-teens according to their website.

Don't children of different ages need different values?

“Hiya seems to sell the same multivitamin for children from ages 2 to 15. That can’t be right. Different ages need different values. Not sure if my child will get enough.”

It's true, kids have different nutritional needs at varying ages, however Hiya believes that before puberty, most kids have the same general needs. With their formula include water soluble vitamins and minerals, kids' bodies can just urinate out any excess.

After puberty, if you're nervous your child isn't getting enough, you could consult their pediatrician about doubling the dose.

With that said, their newest product, the night essentials, does include daily values for kids under four and kids over four, so they may start separating that out on labels.

What if my child doesn’t like certain colors in the Hiya vitamin pack?

You can email support@hiyahealth.com and request which color you'd like your pack. Typically their vitamin packs include pink, yellow, and green and I believe they'll just switch it to one color if your child has a strong preference.

How do I cancel my Hiya vitamin subscription?

Log into your account and click “Manage Account” to easily cancel your subscription. You can also email support@hiyahealth.com to cancel; keep in mind, it may take up to 48 business hours to hear a response.

Should Hiya vitamins be refrigerated?

No, you do not need to refrigerate Hiya vitamins.

Can adults take Hiya?

While the intended age range of Hiya is for kids 2 years old and up, you can take it as an adult. The daily recommendations may be different, but there isn't anything in there that you won't find (granted in smaller quantities) in an adult formula.

Do you have a Hiya Health discount code?

You can get a Hiya discount by clicking here for 50% off your first month!

Final thoughts on Hiya Vitamins

Hiya's kids vitamin is one of the best currently on the market. It has a healthy dose of many vitamins and minerals, while tasting great. We love the clean ingredient list as well as the reusable + sustainable packaging too.

Their night time essentials is another top in class for kids struggling with stress, mood swings, or sleep disturbances. If your child doesn't struggle with those things consistently, know the citric acid makes it shelf stable, so we think (despite the subscription model) it's good to have on hand for stressful times of the year (think transitions like back to school or the holidays when schedules are changing more often).

While their probiotic isn't our new favorite, it's certainly a leader in the kids probiotic space and should be considered by most families. Their unique prebiotic and probiotic formula ensures the good bacteria is actually able to populate the gut – and is probably why so many Hiya Health reviews said their kid was finally no longer constipated!

I still wish the inactive ingredient list was a bit cleaner, it still is one of the cleanest on the market at a reasonable price too!