3 Things To Remember While Shopping for Kratom

While Kratom can serve multiple purposes for people who are interested in enhancing well-being, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and boosting motivation, there are some risks to be aware of when it comes to obtaining Kratom.

Let’s take a look at the three most important things to remember when shopping for Kratom, whether you’re buying Kratom online or from a brick-and-mortar store.

#1: Not All Kratom is Created Equal

This is probably the most commonly misunderstood fact about Kratom.

If you think Kratom is the same across-the-board, you’re in for a surprise: some Kratom strains will have higher alkaloid concentrations than others, while yet other Kratom products can be largely ineffective due to cultivation and harvesting practices used in sourcing it.

While there is only one Mitragyna Speciosa species of Kratom tree, there are three common leaf vein colorations that naturally reveal themselves through various techniques used in the drying process. These leaf vein colorations are Red Vein, White Vein, and Green Vein.

Harvesting

As with the different vein classifications used to categorize Kratom, there is also the variable of harvesting. The Kratom tree goes through a life cycle that is very similar to other plants in the coffee family. Starting from when the tree is just a sapling, there is a period of time that must elapse before the tree is ideally suited for harvesting its leaves.

The time when Kratom leaves are harvested from the Kratom tree actually has a lot to do with how potent the resulting powder will be.

Harvest the leaves too early, and there may not be enough alkaloids within the plant matter.

Harvest the leaves too late, and yields can be significantly reduced because of natural weathering and wilting.

In this way, Kratom powders can vary widely.

Processing (Drying, Pulverizing)

Kratom can also vary according to how the leaves are dried after harvesting. Some cultivators use indoor UV lights and forced air to dry their leaves. Others rely on the natural energy of the sun to dry the leaves. Then there are those cultivators who use a hybrid processing method that incorporates both UV and sunlight exposure.

The differences between these methods of drying can seem too subtle to matter for some users, whereas others swear by sun-drying vs. indoor drying, etc.

After the leaves are dried, they are often ground up into a fine powder. The finer the powder, the easier the Kratom can be dissolved into a liquid. A finer Kratom powder also results in faster absorption of the herb-derived alkaloids.

High-quality Kratom will be ultra-fine in consistency, almost resembling baking flour. Coarser Kratom can be desirable for some who want more of an extended release of the alkaloids after ingestion. However, coarsely ground Kratom can be more difficult to dose with.

Packaging and Shipping

Packaging and shipping is where a lot of the better Kratom vendors separate themselves from the pack. It’s very easy to cut corners with packaging by using cheap, porous packaging material that doesn’t do a sufficient job of protecting the Kratom inside. A good example is uncoated paper packaging that doesn’t have a press-lock seal.

And, believe it or not, the shipping method matters! This is especially true for the trip that the Kratom needs to take from southeast Asia to the United States. Higher-quality vendors will insist on insured, reliable international shipping companies that they can trust, whereas inferior vendors will simply select the lowest-cost option.

The key to obtaining consistent, high-quality Kratom is to deal with a reputable, proven vendor that has an established history of bringing top-tier Kratom products to the market. One of the ways you can vet out the best Kratom vendors is to read the online reviews for them. There, you’re bound to find objective, third-party feedback related to the potency, cleanliness, and overall quality of any Kratom you’re considering buying.

#2: Cheaper Kratom Isn’t Always Better Kratom

If you look hard enough, you’re bound to find a Kratom vendor that is willing to sell you Kratom at absurdly low prices. Often, the reason why these vendors can offer such low prices is because they cut corners when it comes to sourcing, testing, and packaging their Kratom products.

Here’s a fun fact about Kratom: all Kratom that is sold in the United States is imported from southeast Asia, where the Kratom tree grows natively. Because of this, there are big challenges involved in shipping bulk Kratom overseas, challenges that are costly to overcome.

Kat’s Botanicals invests heavily in a ‘full-spectrum’ quality assurance process that covers every detail related to supplying only the purest, cleanest Kratom available, anywhere.

While you could save some money by giving your business to an obscure, little-known ‘company’, you’d be running a risk in doing so—a risk that might not be worth the drop in quality you’re likely to experience.

Why Not Deal Directly with the Farmers?

We hear this question a lot. Considering the preponderance of Kratom farmers that make their living in southeast Asia, why wouldn’t a US Kratom consumer just cut out the middleman and go straight to the source? After all, they’d be sure to save some money in doing so.

There are multiple issues with doing this:

1. There’s likely to be a language barrier.
2. Bulk minimums will often be required.
3. The Kratom you buy probably will not be lab-tested for contamination or purity.
4. Shipping will often be expensive and lengthy.
5. There’s not always recourse for the buyer in cases of lost shipments or damaged goods.
6. Customer service can be highly variable.
7. Kratom lab testing credentials can be difficult to come by.

As a US-based supplier of Kratom sourced in southeast Asia, Kats Botanicals takes on the responsibility of addressing these issues. We apply an extra layer of quality assurance (including independent lab testing!) so that our customers can have confidence that the Kratom they’re buying is as pure, potent, and genuine as possible.

#3: Who You Buy Your Kratom from Matters

Just like not all Kratom is created equal, not all Kratom vendors are created equal, either. It seems like every few weeks, a new Kratom vendor makes its way into the market, often advertising Kratom at very low prices and making outrageous claims.

Considering the unregulated status of Kratom in the United States, there’s no objective quality standard that is enforced on Kratom imports. This paves the way for just about anyone to be able to obtain Kratom from a farmer, slap a label on it, and sell it to whomever is willing to pay for it.

Needless to say, this is reckless and potentially dangerous for the consumer. If cleanliness and testing standards are ignored, Kratom can be defiled with mold spores, heavy metals, pathogens, and other possibly harmful contaminants.

A good Kratom vendor should be able to hit the mark in all four of the following categories:

• Kratom Purity. Kratom should be just Kratom. Nothing else.
• Kratom Potency. Good Kratom provides noticeable benefits. Subpar Kratom does not.
• Customer Service. You should feel respected and valued as a customer every time you do business with a Kratom vendor.
• Price. High-quality Kratom should come at a price that is affordable and realistic, not artificially inflated for the sake of driving profits.

Just as with any other unregulated substance, any vendor can obtain Kratom from a wholesaler, set up a website, and call themselves an online Kratom store. That’s why it’s advisable to seek out a Kratom vendor that has an established track record, plenty of positive customer reviews, and lab testing documents they’re willing to share with you on request.

There’s a lot of variation in the quality you’ll find with any company selling Kratom, whether it’s online or in a retail, brick-and-mortar store. Be sure to do your research beforehand, and know exactly who you’re dealing with before you decide to put your money on the table and make a purchase.

It’s your health, and it deserves the very best.

At Kat’s Botanicals, We’re Kratom Connoisseurs!

We understand how frustrating it can be to locate an online Kratom supplier that consistently provides a high-quality, potent Kratom product. So many ‘Mom-and-Pop’ suppliers are sprouting up all the time, saturating the market and making the shopping process altogether overwhelming for newer Kratom users.

Only Kat’s Botanicals has the pedigree and proven track record of supplying world-class Kratom in a variety of strains, formats, and quantities.

When you’re ready to deal with a trusted online Kratom vendor that puts the Kratom user first, contact us. We look forward to being your Kratom vendor of choice for years to come!