NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules vs Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g)
NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules (#2, best premium) vs Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) (#4): in our Collagen Peptides for Joints scoring the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules…
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NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules
$23.5Check price at iHerbRead full review
Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g)
$27.75Check price at iHerbRead full reviewTopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules | Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $23.5 | $27.75 |
| Collagen form | Undenatured Type II within standardized UC-II chicken cartilage | Hydrolyzed Types I, II and III peptide complex |
| Source | Chicken sternum cartilage | Bovine and chicken |
| Collagen per serving | 40 mg UC-II material, providing 10 mg total collagen | 11.1 g |
| Branded ingredient | UC-II; Aquamin | None |
| Other labeled actives | Aquamin 250 mg; calcium 80 mg | None; panel also lists 10 g protein and 30 mg sodium |
| Serving size | 1 capsule | 1 scoop (about 11 g) |
| Other ingredients | Hypromellose, microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch, potassium chloride, stearic acid, silicon dioxide | None |
| Testing evidence | GMP Quality Assured and company quality-tested; no USP, NSF or product-specific COA shown | Non-GMO LE Certified; no USP, NSF or product-specific COA shown |
How they differ in real use
Built from our collagen peptides for joints scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules and the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) made our Top 5 Collagen Peptides for Joints, at #2 (best premium) and #4. It ranks second because its joint-specific form and exact trial-matched dose are stronger than the lower-ranked peptide products, despite weak qualifying third-party evidence. One-capsule dosing and a low cost per researched dose reinforce the placement. The transparent one-ingredient formula, trial-scale dose and lowest cost per collagen gram are excellent, but the absence of qualifying finished-product testing keeps it below California Gold Nutrition under the fixed 30% testing weight.
We score collagen peptides for joints on Third-Party Testing (30%), Form & Bioavailability (25%), Dose vs Research (20%), Label Transparency (15%) and Value (10%). On that basis the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules totals 7.7 out of 10 and the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) 7.4. The widest gap is Form & Bioavailability, where the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules scores 10 against 8 for the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) — whether the chemical form is the well-absorbed one. Label Transparency also separates them: 10 for the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) versus 9 for the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules. The Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) claws back ground on Value.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Collagen form — Undenatured Type II within standardized UC-II chicken cartilage on the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules versus Hydrolyzed Types I, II and III peptide complex on the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g); Source — Chicken sternum cartilage on the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules versus Bovine and chicken on the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g); Collagen per serving — 40 mg UC-II material, providing 10 mg total collagen on the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules versus 11.1 g on the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g); Branded ingredient — UC-II; Aquamin on the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules versus None on the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g); Other labeled actives — Aquamin 250 mg; calcium 80 mg on the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules versus None; panel also lists 10 g protein and 30 mg sodium on the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g); Serving size — 1 capsule on the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules versus 1 scoop (about 11 g) on the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g).
Pricing as of August 5, 2026: $23.5 for the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules and $27.75 for the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g), a $4.25 difference in the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules's favor. Owners praise the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules for 40 mg UC-II standardized chicken cartilage in one capsule and label dose matches the 40 mg daily dose used in cited human trials; the most common complaint is no USP, NSF or published product-specific certificate of analysis is shown on the listing. Owners praise the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) for 11.1 g hydrolyzed collagen dose is close to the 10 g used in cited joint trials and includes fully disclosed Types I, II and III from bovine and chicken; the most common complaint is no USP, NSF or published product-specific COA is shown on the iHerb page.
NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules
- 40 mg UC-II standardized chicken cartilage in one capsule
- Label dose matches the 40 mg daily dose used in cited human trials
- Low $0.39 cost per complete label serving
- No USP, NSF or published product-specific certificate of analysis is shown on the listing
- Contains microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch, potassium chloride, stearic acid and silicon dioxide in addition to the capsule
Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g)
- 11.1 g hydrolyzed collagen dose is close to the 10 g used in cited joint trials
- Includes fully disclosed Types I, II and III from bovine and chicken
- No other ingredients listed
- No USP, NSF or published product-specific COA is shown on the iHerb page
- Animal sources include both bovine and chicken
Which should you buy?
The NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules is the better fit for buyers specifically choosing a 40 mg UC-II format and buyers who prefer one capsule per day — it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Form & Bioavailability. The Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) is the better fit for buyers wanting roughly 10 g of peptides per scoop and buyers wanting a powder with no inactive ingredients, and the stronger choice if Label Transparency and Value matter more to you than the overall score. Since the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules is both the higher scorer and $4.25 cheaper, the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) only makes sense for buyers wanting roughly 10 g of peptides per scoop. The NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules is a poor fit for vegetarians or buyers avoiding chicken-derived ingredients; the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) is a poor fit for buyers requiring external finished-product certification.
Choose the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules if
- Buyers specifically choosing a 40 mg UC-II format
- Buyers who prefer one capsule per day
Skip it if
- Vegetarians or buyers avoiding chicken-derived ingredients
- Buyers requiring USP, NSF or a public product-specific COA
Choose the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) if
- Buyers wanting roughly 10 g of peptides per scoop
- Buyers wanting a powder with no inactive ingredients
Skip it if
- Buyers requiring external finished-product certification
- Buyers avoiding bovine or chicken sources
Common questions
Is the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules better than the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g)?
In our Collagen Peptides for Joints ranking the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules scores higher overall, 7.7 to 7.4, with the biggest advantage in Form & Bioavailability. The Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) is stronger on Label Transparency and Value, so it is the better pick if those matter most to you.
How much more does the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) cost than the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules?
$4.25 more as of August 5, 2026: $27.75 for the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g) against $23.5 for the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules. Prices move, so the merchant page shows the current figure.
What is the main difference between the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules and the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g)?
The headline spec difference is Collagen form: Undenatured Type II within standardized UC-II chicken cartilage on the NOW Foods, UC-II Joint Health with Undenatured Type II Collagen, 60 Capsules versus Hydrolyzed Types I, II and III peptide complex on the Life Extension, Collagen Peptides for Skin & Joints, 12 oz (343 g). In use, the gap that matters most is Form & Bioavailability (10 vs 8 in our scoring): whether the chemical form is the well-absorbed one.