What are the Best Multivitamins for Kids? First Day vs. Hiya vs. Smartypants

Last Updated on July 10, 2023

With so many multivitamins for kids on the market, it can be difficult to pick the best vitamins for your child. I get it. I have kids of my own and there is definitely a lot of noise out there when it comes to the multivitamin conversation.

So today, I am laying out the facts for you. We’re putting three kids’ vitamin brands up against each other in a Versus Battle to help you decide which would be the best fit for your family.

This is an unbiased assessment of each brand of vitamins so you can trust that you’re getting the information you really need. As an added bonus, I have included a comparison chart for not only the three brands battling it out today but some other popular vitamin brands on the market as well. So make sure you check that out.

*Post contains affiliate links. You can view full disclosure here. 

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Best Vitamins for Kids: Let The Battle Begin! ⚔️

In today’s Versus Battle, we will look at several different aspects of each of the multivitamin gummies. And don’t worry, this will be an honest no-fluff assessment. So let’s see if First Day, Hiya, or Smartypants will come out on top.

Ingredients & Nutrients

Looking for healthy gummy vitamins? I mean, that would totally make sense right? But if you look at the nutrition label on many top-brand multivitamins, you will discover that there’s often a ton of junk listed in the ingredients. You may even see that they’re missing several key nutrients. And I don’t know about you, but I’m actually trying to improve my kid’s health when starting them on a multivitamin supplement. So let’s see what our three featured brands include in their vitamins.

First Day

First Day’s Kids Daily Essential gummy multivitamin is made using organic fruits and veggies and contains NO artificial ingredients or additives.

Their supplements include all of the following:

• Vitamin A (14% DV)
• Vitamin C (22% DV)
• Vitamin D3 (50% DV)
• Vitamin K (21% DV)
• Vitamin B1 (25% DV)
• Vitamin B2 (26% DV)
• Vitamin B6 (22% DV)
• Vitamin B12 (75% DV)
• Folate (20% DV)

I do want to mention that when I first looked into First Day as a supplement for my own kids, I was wondering why they had so little of certain nutrients and minerals in a single serving. I first presented this question to my kids’ pediatrician, and she explained that many of these vitamins our kids already get through their diet alone. So, it was likely that the brand was trying to avoid over-supplementation.

I did my own research on First Day and vitamins for children and what the pediatrician said does indeed seem to be the case. First Day is using safe limits for their multivitamins to avoid toxicity in our children.

More Details:

Organic Fruit and Veggie Blend: Apple, Kale, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrot, Parsley, Beet, Green Cabbage, Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Tomato

Other Ingredients: Tapioca Syrup, Cane Sugar, Water, Pectin, Citric Acid, Natural Colors, Natural Flavors, Organic Fruit, and Vegetable Blend, Sunflower Oil, Carnauba Wax

Another important point to mention about First Day’s multivitamins is that although they are gummy vitamins, they DO NOT contain gelatin or excessive amounts of sugar typically found in gummy vitamins. They actually use natural organic sugar so that our kids’ bodies can easily process this sugar.

Hiya

Hiya’s Kids Daily Multivitamin is NOT a gummy vitamin (Sorry, kiddos). It is a chewable tablet that is made with organic fruits and vegetables and contains all of the following:

*Please note the %DV I have listed here is for children over the age of 4

• Vitamin A (40% DV)
• Vitamin B1 -Thiamin (42% DV)
• Vitamin B2- Riboflavin (46% DV)
• Vitamin B12 (83% DV)
• Vitamin C (44% DV)
• Vitamin D (125% DV)
• Vitamin E (23% DV)
• Folate (50% DV)
• Biotin (83% DV)
• Calcium (<2% DV)
• Iodine (33% DV)
• Zinc (27% DV)
• Selenium (27% DV)
• Manganese (65% DV)

It is important to note that the amount of Vitamin A, D, and Zinc in the Hiya is a little high for a kid’s supplement. According to the National Institute of Health, “Most people in the United States get enough vitamin A from the foods they eat, and vitamin A deficiency is rare.” Vitamin A is found naturally in many foods and is even added to many foods including fortified breakfast cereals, many vegetables and fruits, and dairy products.

I also recommend checking out this fact sheet on Zinc to get a better understanding of how much Zinc your child needs as well as which foods have Zinc. The National Institute of Health claims that most people in the U.S actually get enough Zinc from the foods they eat. This fact sheet will also discuss the risks of getting too much Zinc. Too much Zinc can lead to: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, headaches, etc.

So as always, do your research and consult with a physician before making a decision on any supplement. I did want to include these notes here for you just as a heads up and to assist with your decision-making.

Hiya also sweetens their vitamins with monk fruit and mannitol instead of sugar. Monk fruit has not been studied for safety in children at this point in time. There are no known risks, but there are also no scientific studies on its long-term use. I had no idea what mannitol was so I looked it up and I see they use it as a medication for various ailments but many people also use it as a sugar substitute.

More Details:

Organic Fruit and Veggie Blend: Apple, Beet, Broccoli, Carrot, Green Cabbage, Kale, Parsley, Spinach, Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Tomato

Other Ingredients: Monk Fruit extract, mannitol, plant fiber blend, coconut oil powder, vegetable fatty acids, plant-based extracts, organic rice extra blend, and organic rice hull concentrate

Smartypants

Smartypants’ Kids Formula vitamin is another gummy vitamin that is free of artificial flavors, synthetic colors, and preservatives. It also contains the following:

• Vitamin A (20% DV)
• Vitamin B1- Thiamin (8% DV)
• Vitamin B2- Riboflavin (12% DV)
• Vitamin B6 (59% DV)
• Vitamin B12 (100% DV)
• Vitamin C (50% DV)
• Vitamin D (100% DV)
• Vitamin E (44% DV)
• Vitamin K (10% DV)
• Folate (63% DV)
• Biotin (53% DV)
• Iodine (60% DV)
• Zinc (15% DV)
• Fish Oil- 340 mg
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids -100mg
• EPA and DHA- 100mg

Same as what I mentioned with the Hiya vitamins, Smartypants has high levels of Vitamin A, D, and Zinc for children. You can refer back to my previous note on this subject for more info.

It is important to note that, Smartypants vitamins do contain gelatin.

More Details:

Other Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Gelatin, Pectin, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Colors Added (Organic Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, Organic Turmeric

How Much Sugar?

Another important part of this conversation is how much sugar is in each of the gummies.

First Day contains 2g of sugar per serving. Hiya contains 0g of sugar per serving. Smartypants contains 5g of sugar per serving.

Again, as I mentioned previously, First Day uses natural organic sugar to sweeten their gummies. Hiya uses Monk Fruit. Smartypants also uses organic sugar.

Allergy-Friendly?

Let’s talk allergies.

First Day is looking pretty good in this area as they are free of all the common allergens and are also gluten-free. Their vitamins contain:

❌ NO Tree Nuts

❌ NO Fish

❌ NO Milk

❌ NO Eggs

❌ NO Shellfish

❌ NO Peanuts

❌ NO Wheat

❌ NO Soy

Hiya didn’t have their excluded allergens listed on their website or on the packaging. But I do see that they are dairy-free and gluten-free.

Smartypants claims to be free of 8 major allergens. Their vitamins contain:

❌ NO Tree Nuts

❌ NO Egg

❌ NO Shellfish

❌ NO Peanuts

❌ NO Fish Allergens (not sure how this works with the fish ingredients in the vitamins, but this is what they say)

❌ NO Milk

❌ NO Wheat

Vegan Friendly?

Both First Day and Hiya are vegan-friendly. Smartypants vitamins ARE NOT vegan-friendly.

Science-Backed?

First Day works with scientific advisors whom they name and discuss directly on their website – Dr. Ed Giovannucci, MD, MPH, ScD from Harvard University and Dr. Lei Chen, MD, MHS from Yale University. Their vitamins are formulated around the vitamins we most commonly lack and they rely on pediatric studies for their children’s multivitamins. They also utilize information gathered from the latest clinical studies and take advantage of the latest science to ensure they are using the most absorbable ingredients best suited for the human body.

Hiya’s website does state that their vitamins are formulated by pediatricians but that’s about as far as that information goes.

Smartypants states on their website, “Each formula is rigorously reviewed by our Scientific Advisory Board…” I did not see any additional details as far as who is on this board, however. But they are formulating their vitamins based on science at least to some extent.

Eco-Friendly?

First Day uses a refillable bottle and recyclable refill pouches for subscriptions. So yes, it is definitely eco-friendly!

Hiya vitamins come with a super cute refillable child-proof glass bottle and recyclable refill pouches. Also, eco-friendly! I also love that the kids can decorate and personalize these bottles.

Smartypants states on their website “all of our supplements use bottles made from 80 – 100% post-consumer resin (PCR). Just by taking your vitamins (and remembering to recycle your bottles), you’re helping us transform landfill waste into something that supports good health for you, your family, and our planet.” So they’re also taking steps to be more eco-friendly.

Are Gummy Vitamins Available for Both Kids AND Adults?

First Day offers vitamins for kids, teens, men, and women. Hiya only has an option for kids at this time from what I saw. Smartypants has options for toddlers/babies, kids, teens, men, and women.

Let’s Talk Cost

The cost of these vitamins are likely another important factor when it comes to your multivitamin purchasing decisions. So let’s discuss.

First Day

• One-Time Purchase- $36 for a 30-day supply
• Subscribe & Save- $30 for a 30-day supply
• There is an additional discount for multiple children ‼️

Hiya

• $30 for a 30-day supply
• There is an additional discount for multiple children ‼️

Smartypants

• About $20 for a 30-day supply
• Subscribe & Save- VARIES

What’s the Verdict?

Now that you have all of this information in front of you, it is time for YOU to be the judge. Which of these brands do you believe offers the best multivitamin for kids? Leave a comment below with your personal pick and tell us why you say that particular brand wins today’s Versus Battle.