Buying Whey Protein: What to Look For

You want to buy whey, but which one? Hundreds of options. Different types, brands, prices. Easy to make a wrong choice.

Here's what actually matters. No marketing fluff, just facts.

1. Protein percentage: the most important number

Check the protein percentage per 100 grams. Not per shake, per 100 grams of powder.

• Concentrate: 70-80% protein
• Isolate: 85-95% protein
• Blend: 75-85% (mix of both)

A 75% concentrate is fine. You're mainly paying for the extra 10-15% with isolate. Worth calculating? Compare price per gram of protein, not per kilo of powder.

2. Price per gram of protein

This is the fair comparison. Calculate: (price / grams of protein per package) x 100.

Example: $30 for 1kg with 75% protein = 750g protein. That's $4 per 100g protein.

An isolate at $50 for 1kg with 90% protein = 900g protein = $5.55 per 100g protein.

The concentrate is cheaper per gram of protein in this example.

3. Ingredients list: shorter is better

A good whey has a short list:

• Whey concentrate/isolate
• Flavoring
• Sweetener (sucralose or stevia)
• Soy lecithin (for mixing)

Watch out for: maltodextrin, sugar, or lots of thickeners. They bulk up the product but add nothing useful.

4. Choosing type: concentrate, isolate or blend?

Concentrate is fine for most people. Cheaper, often tastes better due to fat content, does what it needs to do.

Isolate makes sense if you're: lactose intolerant, counting every calorie, or simply want the highest protein percentage.

Blend tries to combine the best of both. Check the ratio though, some blends are 80% concentrate with a splash of isolate for marketing.

5. Flavor: personal, but check reviews

Chocolate and vanilla are safe bets. Exotic flavors are hit or miss.

Tip: order a smaller pack first to test before buying 5kg.

6. Certifications: when they matter

If you compete at a high level: check if the brand is Informed Sport certified. Means it's tested for banned substances.

Recreational training? Less relevant, the major brands are generally trustworthy.

7. Don't forget shipping costs

That $25 whey quickly becomes $35 with shipping. Check the total price including delivery before comparing.

Some shops offer free shipping above a certain amount. Consider combining with other products.

Conclusion

Focus on: protein percentage, price per gram of protein, and a short ingredients list. The rest is secondary.

Want to directly compare which whey has the best price per gram of protein? Check our whey comparison tool.