12 Best Protein Powders of 2024

Both Angie Asche, MS, RD, CSSD, owner of Eleat Sports Nutrition and author of Fuel Your Body: How to Cook and Eat for Peak Performance, and Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics and owner of Kelly Jones Nutrition and Student Athlete Nutrition, point to the third-party-certified brand Klean Athlete as a high-quality brand. Its Klean Isolate powder keeps things relatively simple—the ingredients list is short, and the flavor options are classic.

For an additional performance boost, this gluten-free powder also contains a little sodium, “which is important for rehydration and recovery after training,” Jones explains. And, from a totally practical standpoint, we like that this powder comes in a resealable bag, so it’s easy to pack up if you’re traveling or refueling at the gym.

Best Vegan: Garden of Life Sport Organic Vegan Protein Powder

Pros

• NSF Certified for Sport
• Informed Choice for Sport certified
• Complete protein profile
• Helpful added ingredients

Cons

• Limited flavor options
• Contains sugar substitutes

Garden of Life is another brand that comes highly recommended by multiple experts due to its reputable testing practices and third-party certifications, and it makes some of the best vegan protein powders you can try. The brand’s Sport variety has a high protein content per serving (with peas and beans as its sources) and includes a number of ingredients that may aid nutrition and fitness goals, like probiotics to support gut health and a blend of antioxidant-rich fruits like tart cherries and blueberries (which can help with muscle recovery). Reviewers report that it blends particularly well into smoothies with frozen fruit.

Best Budget: Orgain Organic Vegan Protein Powder

Pros

• Complete protein profile
• Lots of flavor options
• Reviewers report it has a smooth consistency

Cons

• Contains sugar substitutes
• Intense flavor

Jones likes Orgain’s organic plant-based powder for its lower price, availability (you can stock up at retailers like Target, Costco, and Amazon), and its blend of protein sources. It contains peas, brown rice, and chia seeds, which provide a complete amino acid profile.

This protein powder is also a good source of iron, which is a major plus in Jones’s book, especially for menstruating athletes who are at greater risk of developing an iron deficiency. For those concerned about texture, our tester notes that it makes a great smoothie. If she has one caveat, it’s how pronounced its “vanilla-ish” flavor can be: “The flavor is a little strong, so I try to balance it with other ingredients,” she says. And if you need inspo for your blend-ins, we have some ideas.

Best for Cooking: Now Sports Nutrition Pea Protein

Pros

• Easy to add to other flavors and ingredients
• Informed Choice for Sport certified

Cons

• Doesn’t have a complete protein profile
• Unflavored variety isn’t great for drinking straight

Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, founder of Greenletes and author of Planted Performance, likes Now Sports because it completes third-party testing on all its products. (Asche and Jones also recommend this brand for the same reasons.) This pea protein powder has literally one ingredient, and the fact that it’s unflavored makes it especially versatile—it’d make a great addition to your next high-protein baking project. If you actually want to taste your protein, Now’s Plant Protein Complex comes in delicious flavors like chocolate mocha.

Best Flavor Options: Ascent 100% Whey Protein Powder

Pros

• Convenient packaging
• Reviewers report it’s tasty
• Easy to mix
• Informed Choice for Sport Certified

Cons

• Contains sugar substitutes

Another preferred brand of Asche’s, Ascent, makes both whey and plant-based protein powders, so you should be able to find one that fits your preferences. The former features a unique combination of regular whey protein and native whey protein, which is less processed and may contain more of the milk’s protein.

These protein blends are overwhelmingly well-reviewed on the flavor front—reviewers call them “delicious,” “outstanding,” and “not too sweet.” They also come in a convenient bag that you can zip up and store without losing a ton of pantry space.

Best Higher Protein Option: Orgain Vanilla Sport Plant-Based Protein Powder

Pros

• Complete protein profile
• Formulated for recovery
• Simple ingredient list

Cons

• Limited flavor options
• Contains sugar alcohols
• Reviewers report a slightly chalky texture

Orgain’s sport powders contain more protein (30 grams) than the brand’s standard options (which clock in at 21 grams), making them an especially good option for anyone working to build muscle, Jones says. Plus, she adds, their ingredient lists are relatively simple, which is a rare—and welcome!—find in extra-high-protein supplements marketed for muscle growth. One thing the Sport Plant-Based Powder has in common with Orgain’s regular vegan powder is a decent amount of iron. It also contains recovery-boosting tart cherry and gut-soothing ginger.

Best for Additional Nutrients: Vega Sport Premium Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Powder

Pros

• NSF Certified for Sport
• Complete protein profile

Cons

• Contains sugar substitutes

Asche recommends Vega Sport’s plant-based protein powders to the athletes she works with because they’re NSF Certified. We think just about anyone should consider giving them a try, given their range of tasty flavors (hello, peanut butter), great texture, and nutritional perks. One of our testers, who prefers the brand’s vanilla flavor, can gladly speak to those first two benefits: “[Its] flavor is subtle with a touch of sweetness and thankfully lacks the nasty chalkiness and aftertaste that accompanies some powders. I use it in my breakfast smoothie every day—it’s my favorite meal of the day!”

From a nutritional standpoint, this vegan powder doesn’t just have a high protein content. It also contains a nice amount of calcium (15% of the recommended daily allowance, or RDA), iron (35% of the RDA), and ingredients that can help you recover from your workout, like tart cherry.

Best Texture, Whey: Thorne Whey Protein Isolate

Pros

• NSF Certified for Sport
• Blends smoothly
• Convenient packaging

Cons

• Limited flavor options
• Pricey
• Contains sugar substitutes that can skew sweet

Available in both animal-based and vegan versions, Thorne’s protein powder is another one of Asche’s favorites—especially since it’s NSF Certified. Its whey blend checks essential boxes, like a straightforward ingredient list and quick-dissolving texture (according to reviewers). And the brand thoroughly tests its products for efficacy in clinical trials and collaborates with the Mayo Clinic on nutritional research.