Iron labels look interchangeable until you line up the numbers. One label measures out 10 milligrams of iron in a 10 ml pour, the next packs 125 milligrams into a 5 ml teaspoon. One tablet is a single mineral, the next adds vitamin C, folate, B12 or a probiotic blend. Form matters alongside dose, because ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, bisglycinate and carbonyl iron carry different amounts of elemental iron per milligram of compound, and labels set different serving sizes.
This lineup covers the full spread: pharmacy staples, store brands, chelated capsules, slow-release tablets, two liquids and one fast-dissolving melt. The cards go deep on each bottle; the table right below keeps the label numbers side by side first, so you can shortlist by dose and form before reading a word of prose.
The Labels, Side by Side
Doses below are elemental iron per serving as printed on each label, which is the only number worth comparing across forms. Extras lists only what the label itself adds.
| Supplement | Iron form | Elemental iron per label serving | Pack | On the label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature Made Iron | Ferrous sulfate | 65 mg | 190 tablets | Single mineral, daily |
| Spring Valley Iron | Ferrous sulfate | 65 mg | 200 tablets | Twin-pack value size |
| Garden of Life RAW Iron | Brown rice chelate | 22 mg | 30 capsules | C, folate, B12, probiotics |
| BariMelts Iron + C | Carbonyl iron | 54 mg | 90 melt-tabs | 90 mg vitamin C |
| Thorne Iron Bisglycinate | Bisglycinate | 25 mg | 60 capsules | Single-ingredient capsule |
| Solgar Gentle Iron | Bisglycinate | 25 mg | 180 capsules | Vegan; no gluten, wheat, dairy or soy per label |
| Vitron-C | Carbonyl iron | 65 mg | 60 tablets | 125 mg vitamin C |
| MegaFood Blood Builder | Bisglycinate | 26 mg | 90 tablets | C, folate, B12, beet root |
| Floradix Iron + Herbs | Ferrous gluconate | 10 mg per 10 ml | 8.5 fl oz | B complex, C, herbs |
| 21st Century Slow Release | Ferrous sulfate | 45 mg | 60 tablets | Gradual-release tablet |
| NovaFerrum Wow 125 | Polysaccharide-iron | 125 mg per 5 ml | 2 x 6 fl oz | Sugar-free liquid |
| 365 Chelated Iron | Bisglycinate | 18 mg | 100 capsules | Vegan house label |
| Slow Fe | Ferrous sulfate | 45 mg | 60 tablets | Coated slow release |
| Nature's Bounty Gentle | Iron glycinate | 28 mg | 90 capsules | C, folic acid, B-12 |
| Ritual Iron BioSeries | Bisglycinate | 60 mg | 15 capsules | Every-other-day dosing |
Forms, Doses and What They Mean
Four forms show up across these labels. Ferrous sulfate is the form behind the 65 mg ferrous sulfate tablets here, and ferrous gluconate appears in one of the two liquids. Bisglycinate and glycinate chelates bind iron to amino acids, and carbonyl iron is a refined elemental powder; both turn up in capsules and dissolvable tablets. Form alone does not settle dose or tolerability, which is why the number worth comparing is elemental iron per label serving.
The right dose is a conversation for your own bloodwork, not a label contest, and if you do not already know your numbers, that conversation starts with a clinician. Iron is one supplement where more is not better on its own: confirming whether you need it, and at what dose, comes before picking the biggest number on the shelf. What the label can tell you is how the dose arrives: one concentrated tablet a day, a smaller capsule with co-nutrients, a measured spoonful, or a capsule on an every-other-day schedule. Serving size deserves a second look everywhere: a bottle that says 54 mg per serving may mean three tablets, while another means one.
What shares the serving matters too: several labels here pair iron with vitamin C, folate or B12. Labels commonly advise taking iron apart from calcium supplements, coffee and tea, but the spacing that applies to you can depend on your other medications, so the instructions on your own bottles and your clinician's guidance come first.
Bottle math deserves its own minute. A count on the front is tablets or capsules, not servings: the melt-tab bottle lists 54 mg per three-tablet serving, so a 90-count bottle is 30 servings. Liquids run on volume, so a 250 ml bottle at a 10 ml serving is 25 servings, and directions that call for two servings a day halve the calendar. The concentrated liquid in this lineup lists 36 servings per bottle on its label. Doing this division once, before checkout, tells you which bottle is a month and which is half a year.
Nature Made Iron 65 mg (190 Tablets)
The pharmacy-shelf standard: 65 mg of elemental iron from 325 mg of ferrous sulfate per tablet, one tablet a day, in a 190-count bottle that covers about six months.
- 65 mg elemental iron from ferrous sulfate
- One tablet daily; 190-count bottle
- Single-ingredient mineral formula
Spring Valley Iron 65 mg, Twin Pack (200 Tablets)
The store-brand value twin pack: 200 tablets of 65 mg iron from ferrous sulfate under Walmart's own supplement label, built for long stretches of daily use.
- 65 mg iron from ferrous sulfate
- Twin pack, 200 tablets total
- Walmart's store-brand supplement line
Garden of Life Vitamin Code RAW Iron (30 Capsules)
The whole-food pick: 22 mg of iron from a brown rice chelate with vitamin C, folate and B12 grown in a culture blend, plus a raw organic fruit-and-vegetable blend and live probiotics with enzymes.
- 22 mg iron from brown rice chelate
- C, folate and B12 from cultured blend
- Non-GMO Project Verified, vegan, kosher
BariMelts Iron with Vitamin C (90 Fast-Dissolving Tablets)
The dissolvable option: a melt-in-your-mouth tablet with 54 mg of carbonyl iron and 90 mg of vitamin C per three-tablet serving, sugar-free and orange-flavored, from a brand line built around bariatric-friendly formats and made in an NSF-certified GMP facility per the brand.
- 54 mg carbonyl iron + 90 mg vitamin C per serving
- Fast-dissolving, sugar-free orange tablets
- Follows ASMBS guidelines per the brand
Thorne Iron Bisglycinate (60 Capsules)
The minimalist capsule: 25 mg of elemental iron as ferrous bisglycinate, one capsule per serving, with no artificial flavors and free of gluten, soy and dairy per the label.
- 25 mg iron as ferrous bisglycinate
- 60 capsules, one per serving
- Gluten-, soy- and dairy-free per label
Solgar Gentle Iron 25 mg (180 Vegetable Capsules)
The 180-serving bottle: 25 mg of iron bisglycinate in a vegan vegetable capsule, free of gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, yeast, sugar and artificial additives per the label.
- 25 mg iron bisglycinate per capsule
- 180 vegan capsules per bottle
- Kosher; free of common allergens per label
Vitron-C Iron Plus Vitamin C (60 Coated Tablets)
The high-potency pair: 65 mg of elemental iron with 125 mg of vitamin C in one coated tablet, a once-daily format that is gluten-free and made without artificial colors or flavors.
- 65 mg elemental iron + 125 mg vitamin C
- 60 coated tablets, once daily
- No artificial colors or flavors per label
MegaFood Blood Builder (90 Tablets)
The food-paired tablet: 26 mg of iron per serving alongside vitamin C, folate, B12 and beet root, Non-GMO Project Verified, vegan and kosher, and tested for 150 chemical substances per the brand.
- 26 mg iron per tablet with C, folate, B12
- 90 tablets, flexible once-daily timing
- Non-GMO Project Verified, vegan, kosher
Floradix Iron + Herbs Liquid (8.5 fl oz)
The liquid option: 10 mg of iron from ferrous gluconate per 10 ml serving with B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, herbal extracts and fruit juices, in a vegetarian, alcohol-free, lactose-free formula.
- 10 mg iron per 10 ml liquid serving
- B vitamins and C in an herbal juice base
- Vegetarian, non-GMO, alcohol-free
21st Century Slow Release Iron 45 mg (60 Tablets)
The budget slow-release: 45 mg of elemental iron, equivalent to 142 mg of ferrous sulfate per the label, in a gradual-release tablet that is gluten-free with no added yeast, made in the USA.
- 45 mg elemental iron per tablet
- Slow-release format, 60 tablets
- Gluten-free, no added yeast, made in USA
NovaFerrum Wow 125 Liquid Iron (2-Pack)
The concentrated liquid: 125 mg of iron per 5 ml dose, raspberry-grape flavored, sugar-free and alcohol-free, certified gluten-free and verified vegan per the label, sold here as a two-bottle pack.
- 125 mg iron per 5 ml liquid dose
- Raspberry-grape flavor; sugar-free
- Certified gluten-free, vegan verified per label
365 by Whole Foods Market Chelated Iron 18 mg (100 Capsules)
The store-brand chelate: 18 mg of ferrous bisglycinate per vegetarian capsule, 100 to a bottle, sold under the Whole Foods Market house label.
- 18 mg iron as ferrous bisglycinate
- 100 vegetarian capsules
- House-label formula standards per brand
Slow Fe 45 mg Slow Release (60 Tablets)
The original slow-release: 45 mg of elemental iron, equivalent to 142 mg of ferrous sulfate per the label, in a small coated tablet designed for gradual delivery, one per day.
- 45 mg elemental iron per tablet
- Slow-release coated tablet, 60 count
- One tablet daily per label
Nature's Bounty Gentle Iron 28 mg (90 Capsules)
The mid-dose blend: 28 mg of iron glycinate per capsule with vitamin C, folic acid and vitamin B-12 on the label, non-GMO and gluten-free, in a 90-count bottle.
- 28 mg iron glycinate per capsule
- With vitamin C, folic acid and B-12
- Non-GMO, gluten-free per label
Ritual Iron BioSeries 60 mg (15 Capsules)
The timed-release design: 60 mg of ferrous bisglycinate in a capsule holding three tablets that release in phases, dosed every other day, with vitamin A and vitamin C on the label and a citrus-scented tab per the brand.
- 60 mg ferrous bisglycinate per capsule
- Three-phase release; every-other-day dosing
- Vegan; vitamin A and C included
Pros
- Chelated and slow-release formats give sensitive stomachs a way in
- Liquids and melt-tabs work for anyone who cannot swallow pills
- Store brands put a six-month supply within easy reach
- Labels pairing iron with vitamin C save a separate supplement
Cons
- High-dose salts remain the most complained-about format for digestion
- Liquids need measuring and can stain teeth without a rinse after
- Every-other-day and three-tablet servings are easy to misread as one-a-day
- Iron competes with calcium, coffee and tea at the same meal
Storage and Daily Habits
Iron is one supplement where the child-warning on every label is earned: keep bottles genuinely out of reach, because iron tablets can look like candy and the dose that helps an adult is dangerous to a small child. Beyond that, store bottles dry and capped, since bathrooms add moisture that tablets do not love, and keep liquids refrigerated after opening when the label says so.
For the daily routine, the label's own directions rule: some of these want an empty stomach, some are fine with food, and the slow-release and timed formats only work as designed when taken whole. Whatever the bottle, give iron its own window away from calcium supplements and the morning coffee, and the format you chose can do its job.
One more line earns a look on every panel: the % Daily Value. Iron labels reference a Daily Value of 18 mg, so a 65 mg tablet reads roughly 360 percent and an 18 mg capsule reads a clean 100. That percentage is not a target to chase; it is a reference scale printed from the elemental number, useful for seeing at a glance how far above the baseline a serving sits.
The Bottom Line
Start with the number your own situation calls for, then pick the format you will actually take. If a plain high-dose tablet is the assignment, the ferrous sulfate staples and their slow-release siblings deliver it. If one form has not agreed with you before, the chelate capsules and the carbonyl melt-tab are the other formats on the shelf. If swallowing pills is the real obstacle, the two liquids skip it entirely, one dosed at 10 mg per 10 ml and the other at 125 mg per 5 ml.
Co-nutrients are the tiebreaker: several bottles here fold vitamin C, folate and B12 into the same serving, which simplifies the cabinet. Read the serving size line twice, follow the spacing instructions on your own bottles, and the right bottle is the one whose label matches the number you were given.
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