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For those who love vaping, cartridges offer a convenient option to enjoy CBD. Although they may be pricier than oils, not all carts are created equal. Some can have too little CBD or contain questionable ingredients.
With the vape shipment ban, it’s also becoming harder to find top-quality CBD cartridges. That’s why I compared over 15 brands on their lab results, effectiveness, price, hemp quality, customer feedback, and other key factors.
Here are my top picks for the best affordable CBD cartridges.
Table of Contents
3 Best Cheap CBD Vape Cartidges
I broke down my picks for cheap CBD vape carts into several categories to help everyone find the right fit.
- Best Overall: Extract Labs CBD Vape Cartridge | Full review
- Lowest Price: JustCBD CBD Vape Cartridge | Full review
- Highest Quality: Kiara Naturals Vape Pods | Full review
CBD Glossary
- Hemp: cannabis variety with high CBD and low THC levels (no more than 0.3%).
- Terpenes: aromatic plant compounds with various beneficial properties (1).
- Minor cannabinoids: CBN, CBG, CBC, and other beneficial cannabinoids found in smaller amounts in hemp. They may work in synergy with CBD.
- Full-spectrum: whole-plant hemp extract containing multiple cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. This form of CBD is about four times more potent than pure CBD (2).
- Broad-spectrum: whole-plant hemp extract similar to full-spectrum CBD, but with THC removed (may contain trace amounts).
- CBD isolate: pure CBD without any other hemp compounds.
Extract Labs CBD Vape Cartridge (Best Overall)
| Potency | ~85-95% (~50% CBD) |
| Size | 1 g |
| Total cannabinoids | ~975 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.04 |
| Type | Full-spectrum |
| Flavors | 3 |
| Third-Party Test | View report |
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Pros:
- High potency
- Three terpene flavors
- Good price
- Comprehensive third-party testing
Cons:
- Cannabinoid content not clearly listed
The overall best affordable CBD cartridges belong to Extract Labs, a reputable company based in Colorado. They contain not just CBD but also the minor cannabinoids CBG and CBT. This makes them more effective than carts made with CBD isolate.
They come in three terpene flavors inspired by popular cannabis strains — God’s Gift, Guava Jam, Blue and Dream. Extract Labs also sells its own vape battery.
My experience: I attached the blue dream tank to my rechargeable vape pen. I felt relaxed, mellow, and uplifted within a few puffs. The cart tastes hempy and earthy and looks and feels sturdy.
JustCBD CBD Vape Cartridge (Lowest Price)
| CBD Potency | ~95% (~89% CBD) |
| Volume | 1 ml |
| Total Cannabinoids | ~950 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.02 |
| Type | Full-spectrum |
| Flavors | 3 |
| Third-Party Tests | View report |
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Pros:
- Exceptionally low price
- High CBD potency
- Three flavor options
- Comprehensive third-party testing
Cons:
- Label says broad-spectrum but third-party tests show THC
If you’re looking for the most affordable CBD cartridge, you won’t find many cheaper options than JustCBD. Better yet, they contain multiple cannabinoids to strengthen the effects of CBD.
You can choose from three cannabis-inspired flavors: northern lights, pineapple express, and sour diesel. The only downside is that the product box says “broad-spectrum,” but the tests show THC, which means this is actually a full-spectrum CBD product.
My experience: I tried out the sour diesel CBD cart, attaching it to the rechargeable battery provided by JustCBD. It had an earthy, hempy taste and I started to feel relaxing effects after a few puffs. The cart has a wooden tip instead of the usual plastic, which felt nice.
Kiara Naturals Vape Pods (Best Quality)
| CBD Potency | ~55% |
| Volume | 1 ml |
| Total CBD | ~550 mg |
| Cost per mg | $0.06-0.07 |
| Type | Full-spectrum |
| Third-Party Test | View report |
Use coupon code CBDTHINKER for 10% off
Pros:
- Full-spectrum CBD
- Quality ingredients and construction
- Comprehensive third-party testing
Cons:
- Only one flavor
If you don’t mind paying a little more, Kiara Naturals’ vape cartridges are the highest-quality option.
They’re made by Ccell and contain full-spectrum CBD, so you’re getting greater benefits than CBD alone. They also clearly list the CBD content (unlike most companies) of 550 mg, so you know how much you’re paying per mg.
The carts have a natural hemp flavor and don’t contain any additives, not even VG or PG. The third-party tests confirm the presence of multiple cannabinoids (over 10%) and terpenes, which is a great result. Kiara Naturals is a reputable Swiss CBD brand with fast and often free international shipping.
My experience: I tried Kiara’s vape kit, which includes a small Ccell battery for the pod. This was the most convenient vape I’ve ever used. It’s small, super light, easy to carry, and has a simple magnetic attachment for the cartridge. I felt noticeable relaxing and uplifting effects after a few puffs. The taste is natural and hempy without any sweetness.
How to Save On CBD Vape Cartridges
First, you want to figure out the value you’re getting from CBD carts by dividing the price by the total amount of CBD or cannabinoids.
For example, a $30 vape cart with 500 mg of CBD costs 30/500 = $0.06 per milligram (mg) of CBD. This calculation helps you compare the value of different CBD products.
You can also use it to see whether the price is considered cheap, average, or expensive. Roughly speaking, CBD cartridge prices can be divided into three tiers:
- Cheap: up to $0.05 per mg
- Average: $0.06-0.11 per mg
- Expensive: $0.12+ per mg
In addition to looking for affordable carts, you can also save money by using coupon codes, subscription deals, discounts for buying multiple carts, and free shipping deals.
How I Choose CBD Vape Cartridges
The cartridges I reviewed offer the best combination of price and quality on the market. Although you might find cheaper cartridges from other vendors, they won’t match the quality and reputation of the brands I cover.
The CBD market is unregulated, so it’s worth paying slightly more to make sure that you’re getting a high-quality product that’s safe and contains as much CBD and other cannabinoids as it should.
I’ve tried CBD vape cartridges from dozens of leading brands. For this list, I chose the three best ones that come with an affordable price tag. Here are the precise criteria I considered:
- Effects (to make sure the cart works)
- Third-party test results (to verify the CBD content and lack of contaminants)
- Type of CBD (to get the best effects)
- Hemp source (to get a high-quality product)
- Company reputation (to verify that the company can be trusted)
- Price (to get a good deal)
- Flavors (for more variety)
Check below for more detailed tips.
Look for Third-Party Tested Brands
Third-party testing is when a CBD company sends its products to be tested by an independent laboratory. It’s the best way to confirm that you’re getting a safe and effective CBD product.
These tests check the potency of a product, which means measuring its levels of CBD and other cannabinoids.
There are also purity tests, which look for pesticides, heavy metals, and other potential contaminants. These tests are also important because hemp is a bioaccumulator which means it can absorb heavy metals from the soil (3).
Any reputable CBD brand will at least provide potency tests of its products. Ideally, finding a brand that tests for potency and contaminants is best.
But that’s only half the battle. I recommend that you actually look at the test results to confirm that you’re getting as much CBD (and other cannabinoids) as you paid for. You can also verify that there are no contaminants.
Consider the Type of CBD
As I mentioned earlier, there are three kinds of CBD: isolate, full-spectrum, and broad-spectrum.
Research has shown that whole-plant cannabis preparations, such as full-spectrum and, to a lesser extent, broad-spectrum CBD, are more effective than isolate.
To illustrate, one 2018 paper looking at epilepsy patients found that whole-plant CBD-rich cannabis extract was four times more potent and less likely to cause side effects than CBD isolate (2).
That’s why it’s best to use full-spectrum CBD cartridges to get the full benefits of hemp. However, if you need to avoid THC, you can also opt for a broad-spectrum product.
Check the Hemp Source
CBD comes from hemp, so it’s important to find brands that use high-quality plants. The best hemp in the US is organic and cultivated in states such as Colorado and Oregon, which have a favorable climate and farmer-friendly cultivation rules.
Hemp cultivated in European countries, such as the Netherlands or Denmark, is also of high quality. You should always choose CBD companies that clearly state where and how their hemp is grown.
Another great sign is if a company grows its hemp directly instead of buying it from other producers, which gives it more control over quality. USDA organic certification is also a good indicator of hemp quality.
Company Reputation
Company reputation is another important factor. I look for brands with many positive customer reviews to make sure that people find their products useful and don’t have any issues with shipping or other customer service concerns.
I also check for company transparency, including the availability of third-party lab test results, information about the people running the brand, and other details.
Price
For this particular list, I focused on the best affordable CBD cartridges, with a price of no more than 7 cents per mg of cannabinoids.
Flavors
While not a huge factor, flavor variety does matter for CBD cartridges. I prefer companies that offer at least two different flavors. Still, my go-to is natural hemp-flavored full-spectrum carts because I care most about getting the greatest effects & health benefits from the entourage effect.
Gleb is a freelance writer from Vancouver, Canada specializing in CBD and cannabis. He’s read thousands of studies on CBD and other supplements, helping him translate complex science into plain language. Gleb has tried and reviewed dozens of CBD brands and products, written third-party testing reports, and knows the CBD industry inside and out. When not writing, he likes to kickbox, travel, and tell everyone how awesome intermittent fasting is.
