Manuka honey is one of the healthiest foods you can buy. Beautifully tasting and useful for several medicinal and supplementary benefits, the best Manuka honey can utterly transform your life in one sweet, simple way.
Curing everything from colds, flu, and digestion issues, to healing wounds and sores, to be a central ingredient in beauty and cosmetic care – Manuka honey is one of the most versatile things you can buy.
Manuka knocks traditional honey out of the park in terms of quality, texture, and taste. And because of its popularity, many brands are specializing in Manuka honey and many more try to imitate its unique properties.
For that reason, there are several things to keep in mind when sourcing the best honey to buy. Specialized ratings can help you determine the quality of Manuka honey. They should also have verification and certification to give you peace of mind that the honey originates in New Zealand or Australia.
But to save you time and trouble, we’re here to help.
We’ve reviewed 10 of the very best Manuka honey brands you can buy. Each one meets the highest standards you can expect from the world’s most famous honey.
10 of the Best Manuka Honey Brands
1. Kiva Raw Manuka Honey, Certified UMF 20+ from New Zealand
With a beautiful taste and bursting with nutritional goodness, this raw Manuka honey from Kiva has everything you need to supplement your diet and kickstart your mornings.
The first thing you need to know is that this jar comes with its own UMF label, which offers great peace of mind. These labels can only be used by licensed users who meet the highest standards in Manuka honey production. These strict criteria include monitoring and auditing honey quality.
Each batch is independently tested, verified, and traceable, giving you the ultimate peace of mind that the Manuka honey you’re buying is world-class. From protein, fats, calories, and more, each jar is loaded with information, showcasing the nutritional facts, information, and health benefits of the Manuka honey.
Harvested and produced from the remote hills, forests, and coasts of New Zealand, buying this honey helps native beekeeping businesses throughout the country and supports local biodiversity.
Rest assured the honey will arrive in pristine condition, inside an attractive brown plastic jar that measures 250 ml. Honey is suitable for a multitude of uses, including home remedies, food supplements, and beauty care.
Benefits:
- High 20+ UMF label ensures purity and high-quality honey
- Suitable for multiple uses, including cold & flu, sore throat, wounds, digestion, and beauty care.
- Fully traceable with nutritional information on the label
- Jars are independently tested and verified
2. 100% Pure Manuka Health (MGO 400+) from New Zealand Honey, 8.8 Ounce
Delicious, smooth, and incredibly nutritious, this Manuka honey from Manuka Health is one of the best honey brands you can buy on the market and is the perfect way to jump-start your day!
Why? Firstly, the ingredients of this honey set it apart from competitors. Each jar contains a minimum of 400mg/kg methylglyoxal. Methylglyoxal is a naturally occurring compound that is only present in the best Manuka Honey, and which has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant benefits.
With this honey, you’ll not only be able to supplement a healthy diet, but also quell any colds, flu, sore throats, and more. It’s incredibly versatile.
The UMF rating is a useful guide on judging the quality, texture, and validity of Manuka honey. This jar scores an impressive 13+, ensuring that you’re receiving high-quality, world-class honey straight from New Zealand.
This honey is fully traceable back to the beehives of New Zealand. Each honey jar undergoes independent quality testing in an accredited laboratory to ensure high quality, purity, safety, and premium health benefits.
The 250ml reusable jar is an ideal size for a breakfast bar or any healthcare remedies you wish to make. Each label showcases the nutritional benefits of your jar.
Benefits:
- High 13+ UMF label ensures purity and high-quality honey
- Contains methylglyoxal, which is a natural anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antioxidant compound
- Fully traceable back to the beehives of New Zeland
- 250 ml jar is reusable
3. Wedderspoon Raw Premium Unpasteurized Manuka Honey, KFactor 16, 8.8 Oz
Raw, unpasteurized, and bursting full of nutrition, this Manuka honey from Wedderspoon is another high-quality, pristine, premium honey product you should consider.
Fully traceable from hive to home, this honey arrives in a BPA-free, non-leaching poly jar, ensuring that taste, texture, and nutritional benefits are never affected. It’s suitable for DIY beauty regimes, to supplement your diet and naturally bolster your immune system.
From mountain ranges and low-lying pastures, this monofloral honey is rich in taste and never undergoes boiling, fire, or any purifying technique that alters its texture.
And as part of the non-GMO project, you can rest assured honey is free from antibiotics, glyphosates, pesticides, and more, for a truly natural, unique, and beautiful taste.
We also love that it’s fully authentic and genuine. This honey is all sourced, packed, and sealed in New Zealand. The beekeepers who supply the honey all exercise sustainable practices to reduce honeybee stress and improve local biodiversity.
Each jar is fully traceable back to the hives, ensuring quality and peace of mind with every purchase.
Benefits:
- Fully traceable back to beekeeper and hive
- Versatile honey that can be used in food, beauty care, and home remedies
- Part of the non-GMO project, so free from antibiotics, glyphosates, pesticides, and more
- Non-leaching, BPA-free jar
- Nupasterized, never boiled so retains its unique Manuka taste
- Sourced, sealed, and packed in New Zealand
4. Manukora UMF 20+/MGO 850+ Raw Mānuka Honey (250g/8.8oz), Traceable from Hive to Hand
With medicinal benefits galore, this Manuka honey from Manuka is the perfect supplement for your everyday needs.
The first impressive feature of this honey is most definitely its high UMF number. With a rating of 20+, you can rest assured this Manuka honey is pure and high-quality.
Every jar is produced with a HACCP-certified honey facility, allowing for industry-leading traceability that lets you see the product from hive to hand. We think you’ll agree the unique QR code on each product that traces where the honey came from is very impressive and ensures its authenticity.
Not only that, but the code also details the real lab results from when the honey was certified and locates the beehive from which it came.
Now let’s talk about how this high-quality honey is collected. Because Manuka honey is seasonally dependent, it’s sourced from a small selection of remote locations around New Zealand to ensure a pure, raw, and dark flavor.
The honey contains up to 850 mg of methylglyoxal, which means it has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant properties, too. For that reason, you can use this honey in a variety of ways, including for meals, drinks, food supplements, skin care regimes, and wound care applications.
With an MGO cert, this honey has a seal of approval ensuring sound scientific, precise, and transparent production. It is both antibiotic-free and glyphosate residue-free, too.
Lastly, this is one of the best presented Manuka honey products. With a signature black jar and gold insignia and high-quality finish, it can make for the perfect gift.
Benefits:
- HACCP-certified with unique QR code traceability features
- High 20+ UMF label ensures purity and high-quality honey
- Contains methylglyoxal, which is a natural anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antioxidant compound
- MGO cert ensures high-quality, transparent production
- Beautifully presented in a black jar with golden insignia
- Versatile honey that can be used in food, beauty care, and home remedies
5. Manuka Honey MGO 850+ (NPA 20+) High-Grade Medicinal Strength
With every single batch tested and accredited for purity and nutrition, this Manuka honey from Good Natured Store is a sweet deal.
One of the signature selling points of this Manuka honey, in particular, is the cold extraction method used in production. This preserves the special properties of the honey, protecting its natural taste, texture, and medicinal benefits.
You’ll be glad to hear the bees sourced in making this honey all come from natural, organic apiaries and aren’t fed any sugar, treated by chemicals or pharmaceuticals. The jar is also BPA-free, ensuring a rich, natural taste to the honey.
Furthermore, this honey tests high in MGO levels with a rating of 850+. MGO is a marker used for quality, purity, and authenticity, and ensures the honey you’re purchasing is the real deal.
Bees work off native Leptospermum plants which help create signature medicinal properties. No additives. No fillers. No preservatives, and no stabilizers. Just pure, delicious, textured Manuka honey.
Lastly, you’ll be happy to know that the entire production facility is 100% solar-powered, and meets all HACCP protocols.
Benefits:
- The cold extraction method preserves honey’s natural taste, texture, and purity
- Made from Leptospermum plants which have heightened medicinal properties
- Production facility powered by solar energy and meets all HACCP protocols
- NPA-free jar and with no additives, preservatives, or stabilizers
6. New Zealand Manuka Honey Certified UMF 10+, 8.8oz(250g)
Do you want delicious, pure, and authentic Manuka honey? Do you want certainty that it comes only from New Zealand? In that case, we highly recommend this 250g jar of Manuka honey from Mother Earth.
Firstly, let’s talk about its unique properties. As with all manuka honey, the UMF rating is a standardized system that rates quality, texture, purity, and authenticity. This jar scores an impressive 10+, which means it’s genuine, authentic, and has unique medicinal properties.
We especially like the medicinal use of this Manuka honey, which includes everything from treating sore throats, mouth ulcers, as well as helping with sleep patterns, acne, eczema, and improving digestion.
Sourced, sealed, and jarred in New Zealand, all of this honey’s impressive nutritional information is displayed clearly on the label. And with a BPA-free plastic jar, you’ll never have to worry that its taste or texture will be affected.
Benefits:
- All sourcing, production, and sealing takes place in New Zealand
- 10+ UMF label ensures purity and high-quality honey
- Cleanly designed jar
- Can be used for several things including food supplement or medical reasons
7. New Zealand Honey Co. Raw Manuka Honey UMF 24+ / MGO 1122+ , 8.8oz / 250g
With one of the highest UMF ratings on the market, this raw Manuka honey from New Zealand Honey Co. is one of the purest products you can buy.
The UMF honey association certification provides confidence that the Manuka honey you are purchasing is 100% authentic. And with a high score of 24+, you can be assured it has the pristine quality and unmatched taste of premium honey.
We love that this honey is 100% organic and contains natural pollens and enzymes which emphasize its nutritional and medicinal capabilities. It can be used in food production, as part of smoothies or fitness shakes, as well as for skincare, beauty treats, and wound healing.
Jars are made of PETE recyclable material and are all BPA-free. This means it won’t affect the honey’s taste or texture.
Benefits:
- One of the highest ratings of UMF at 24+
- Testing certifications available for each jar
- All honey is sourced, harvested, packed, and tested in New Zealand
- Jars are PETE recyclable and BPA-free
- Can be used for several things including food supplements or medical reasons
8. Steens Raw Manuka Honey (UMF 20 / MGO 829+, 8.8oz.) – Traceable Back to the Hive
Do you want Manuka honey that’s fully traceable? With effective honey extraction methods that don’t compromise on taste? Then this raw Manuka honey from Steens is the real deal.
We also love the simple but effective honey extraction, which ensures that quality is consistent all the way through. The honey is collected through proprietary whole comb technology, which scrapes the honey frames rather than pricking them.
The result? Honey retains comb pollen which in turn improves taste and texture. Minimal processing and low-temperature techniques do not denature or spoil the honey’s natural properties, either, and ensure enhanced nutritional and medicinal capabilities.
Furthermore, the producers employ a unique filtering system that retains ‘bee bread’ in the honey, a food rich in B vitamins and amino acids.
Another impressive feature of this Manuka honey is the quality assurance. This honey has been independently verified for purity, potency, and quality based on the Manuka definition published by the Ministry of Primary Industries. It scores an impressive 829 MGO, too.
You can trace where your honey comes from, including where the bees collected the pollen and more. Simply follow the trace code of the label! This proves the authenticity that honey comes from New Zealand.
Lastly, given its high-quality and medicinal makeup, the Manuka Honey has multiple uses, including as a homemade remedy for dry skin and DIY beauty regimes as a face scrub, and as a food supplement. The jars are all made from BPA-free materials, ensuring they are reusable and won’t affect honey’s taste when stored.
Benefits:
- Effective honey extraction – comb technology that preserves flavor and texture
- Independently verified for purity, potency, and quality
- At least 829+ MGO
- Can be used for several things including food supplements or medical reasons
- Fully traceable on each label
9. Manuka Doctor Pure New Zealand Honey, 8.75 oz
With a rating of 80+ MGO, each spoonful of this Manuka honey from Manuka doctor is a sure-fire way of bolstering your immune system and improving sleep, skin, and digestion in one easy way.
We especially love the peace of mind this Manuka honey offers you. It is tested and verified thoroughly at independent laboratories in New Zealand, where it is also packed.
This ensures each jar is the real deal. Furthermore, each jar of honey is guaranteed to reach the New Zealand Ministry for Prime Industries definition of Manuka honey and is both
Jars are made from BPA-free materials, ensuring that the honey’s taste will never be affected or altered when being stored.
And with 20 beekeepers employed, which look after over 60,000 beehives over the North and South islands of New Zealand, you can rest assured that by buying this Manuka honey you are directly supporting local enterprise and biodiversity across the country.
Benefits:
- 80+ MGO rating
- Independently tested in laboratories in New Zealand
- Passes regulations for the definition of Manuka honey
- Jars used are all BPA-free
- Directly supports over 60,000 beehives in New Zealand
Things to consider:
- Multifloral, meaning other flowers’ pollen may be present
- TA rating is not commonly used, and hard to compare against other brands
10. PRI Manuka Honey 20+ 1.1lbs. (MGO 200+)
Do you want to lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, or treat diabetes? Or perhaps heal a wound, mend a sinus infection, and a plethora of other ailments? Well, what if we told you that you can do that and more with just one purchase?
With an impressive MGO 200+ rating, this Manuka honey is high-quality, pure, and has added health benefits versus rival brands.
We also love that this honey can be sourced straight back to the hills of New Zealand and its native Leptospermum scoparium plants. How? You can request a certificate of authenticity with every batch, offering you peace of mind that this honey is legitimate.
If honey becomes too hot, naturally occurring enzymes will change, affecting both its taste and purity. This brand of Manuka honey uses cool processing to ensure honey retains all its unique, natural properties.
It’s no surprise then, that this Manuka honey reaches all the standards set in classifying monofloral honey. Additionally, honey is extracted from sustainable beekeepers, with no antibiotics used to treat bees for diseases.
And to sweeten the deal even further, a portion of every purchase is donated to promote local biodiversity and bee sustainability.
Benefits:
- An impressive MGO 200+ rating ensures purity and high-quality
- Can be sourced with certification of authenticity
- Cool processing protects naturally occurring enzymes specific to Manuka honey
- Directly supports organic beekeeping
- Independently verified for purity, potency, and quality
- A portion of purchases are donated to bee-sustainability
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of Manuka honey?
There are several benefits to Manuka honey, which is the primary reason for it being famous worldwide. Simply put – it helps with everything. From digestion issues, lowering cholesterol, and fighting infections, to treating skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and treating ailing wounds.
Manuka honey is also incredibly useful in soothing sore throats and ulcers and boosts the body’s immune system tenfold.
What makes it so special?
Manuka honey comes from the world-famous Manuka plant. One of the signature features that set it apart from any other honey is that contains an active compound called Methylglyoxal.
Methylglyoxal has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant benefits. Additionally, the honey is both antibacterial and bacterial resistant.
Where does Manuka honey come from?
Manuka honey can come from two countries, namely Australia and New Zealand. These two places are where bees pollinate the native Leptospermum scoparium bush (Manuka plant).
For this reason, Manuka brands put a large emphasis on tracing – so that customers know they are buying products sourced from Australia/New Zealand.
What does Manuka honey look like?
Manuka honey has a special appearance that is very distinctive and can easily separate it from traditional honey. Manuka honey is thicker, with a more distinct orange, brown color.
Is Manuka honey treated or specially produced?
To retain its texture, purity, and medicinal benefits, Manuka honey is carefully sourced, extracted, and packaged in a specific way versus traditional honey. Manuka honey will not undergo any heat or heavy filtration to ensure it remains pure.
Manuka Honey Buying Guide
Manuka honey is one of the premium supplement foods you can buy. But finding the best brand, the best value, and the best honey can be difficult with so much choice.
With that in mind, here are some things you should consider when reviewing Manuka honey:
Traceability
What makes Manuka honey so signature and special is its origins, that being Australia and New Zealand.
To trust a Manuka honey brand, you must be able to track, trace, and source where the product comes from. Many of the best brands give you certifications, unique QR codes, and more to help give you this peace of mind.
Remember, Manuka honey cannot come from anywhere else in the world – so it’s important to prioritize brands that can authentic their origins.
Quality rating
There are two main ways of assessing the quality of Manuka honey. Some jars may only cite one, or use both. Either way, they’re a useful indication of both the honey’s purity, richness, texture, and medicinal benefits, and are another important factor to consider when choosing which brand to buy.
UMF – Manuka honey is often ranked on labels using the “Unique Manuka Factor”, UMF rating. These labels can be used only by licensed manufacturers who meet the highest standards in honey production and are essentially a seal of approval.
The strict criteria include monitoring and auditing honey quality and sourcing its origins. Many of the brands we’ve recommended are at least UMF 10+, with some reaching as high as 25+.
MGO – Manuka honey contains a compound known as methylglyoxal, which gives the honey its signature antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. The higher the MGO rating, the more health benefits you can expect from your jar of honey.
KFactor – used by selected brands, this rating system ranks the amount of pollen found in honey samples. Because it does not rank or rate antibacterial levels, it’s not a great indication of the general quality of Manuka honey.
TA rating –otherwise known as total activity rating. This rates a honey’s naturally occurring peroxide activity levels. Essentially the higher the TA level, the higher the antibacterial strength of the honey is. Because not many brands adopt this rating, it can be hard to draw comparisons with.
Organic
Manuka honey is all about being high-quality and natural. Organic beekeeping ensures that the honey in every jar is free from any harsh chemicals, pesticides, and more. Additionally, it means that bees have not been fed an artificial sugar or supplement, thus containing the quality of their honey.
Organic beekeeping is also environmentally friendly.
Processing
Speaking of organic, the best Manuka honey will go through minimal filtration and minimal changes during processing and sealing.
One of the major factors to consider is if heat is used. Heat can affect the natural enzymes present in the honey, destabilize it ad reduce its medicinal qualities. Many Manuka brands use a cold extraction method to prevent any changes from occurring.
Another novel technique is filtering. Some Manuka honey brands use a unique filtering system that retains ‘bee bread’. Bee bread is a natural food used by bees that is rich in B vitamins and amino acids.
Monofloral
Pollen count determines how many flowers and plants (and their type), a bee visits during the honey-making process.
To ensure Manuka honey is legitimate and pure, any brands verify pollen count to assure customers that only Leptospermum plants have been used. If you want pure, raw Manuka honey with no filler, prioritize batches that tell you pollen data.
Jars – is one enough?
As you may have noticed throughout our reviews, most Manuka honey is sold in singular jars. Each jar ranges in size, but the most common measures are 250 ml.
So long as you keep it in a cool, shaded space, your Manuka honey has an incredibly long shelf life. For that reason, one jar should suffice.
Always ensure that jars are made of BPA-free plastics, as this ensures harsh chemicals won’t leech into honey and affect taste and purity levels. We always recommend using honey dispensers to store honey.
Conclusion
Honey is one of the healthiest, most nutritious foods you can buy. But if you want prime honey, you must consider the world-famous, world-class, Manuka honey.
Famous for curing a variety of ailments, bolstering our immune systems, and improving everything from sleep to digestion and more, it’s a versatile food, to say the least.
Not only that but its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties make it versatile and suitable for anyone wanting a helping hand with their health. And with a library full of scientific research, you can rest assured the honey works!
But as with any purchase, you need to invest in the best to expect the best. And there will of course be certain brands that outshine the others.
The best Manuka honey will be certified and above all else, traceable back to Australia and New Zealand. This peace of mind will give you confidence that the honey you are buying is legitimate Manuka honey. Additionally, it should have a host of nutritional information clearly on its label, as well as a high rating over a variety of criteria.
The best Manuka honey is akin to a secret weapon – that can help boost your body’s natural defenses, help supplement your diet, sweeten your every day-to-day, and much, much more. It’s famous for a reason – time to order it and find out why.
