Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules vs Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules
Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules (#3) vs Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules (#5): in our Gentle Iron Supplements scoring the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules totals 6.9/10 and the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules 6.3/10.
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TopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules | Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | $26 |
| Iron Form | Iron bisglycinate chelate | Ferrochel ferrous bisglycinate chelate |
| Elemental Iron | 25 mg | 36 mg |
| Vitamin C | None | 15 mg as ascorbic acid |
| Serving Size | 1 vegetable capsule | 1 capsule |
| Servings Per Container | 180 | 60 |
| Other Active Ingredients | None | Vitamin B6 5 mg P-5-P; folate 667 mcg DFE as L-5-MTHF; vitamin B12 300 mcg as methylcobalamin |
| Other Ingredients | Microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable cellulose, vegetable magnesium stearate | Hypromellose capsule, microcrystalline cellulose, leucine, silicon dioxide |
| Testing / Certification | Certified Gluten Free; Kosher Parve; no listed product-specific potency certification | No listed USP, NSF or public product-specific certificate of analysis |
How they differ in real use
Built from our gentle iron supplements scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules and the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules made our Top 5 Gentle Iron Supplements, at #3 and #5. Among the uncertified options, its short excipient list, research-aligned dose and strong bottle value produce the best weighted score. Its roughly 47,000 reviews and 3,000+ recent sales also win the close popularity tiebreaker. The cofactor formula is the most comprehensive and its 5,000+ recent sales show strong demand, but the fixed scoring penalizes its lack of product-specific external certification and the list's highest active-ingredient cost. Popularity cannot outweigh those heavier criteria.
We score gentle iron supplements on Third-Party Testing (30%), Form & Bioavailability (25%), Dose vs Research (20%), Label Transparency (15%) and Value (10%). On that basis the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules totals 6.9 out of 10 and the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules 6.3. The widest gap is Value, where the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules scores 9 against 3 for the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules — cost per unit of active ingredient. Dose vs Research also separates them: 9 for the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules versus 8 for the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules. The Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules claws back ground on Label Transparency.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Iron Form — Iron bisglycinate chelate on the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules versus Ferrochel ferrous bisglycinate chelate on the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules; Elemental Iron — 25 mg on the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules versus 36 mg on the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules; Vitamin C — None on the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules versus 15 mg as ascorbic acid on the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules; Serving Size — 1 vegetable capsule on the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules versus 1 capsule on the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules; Servings Per Container — 180 on the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules versus 60 on the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules; Other Active Ingredients — None on the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules versus Vitamin B6 5 mg P-5-P; folate 667 mcg DFE as L-5-MTHF; vitamin B12 300 mcg as methylcobalamin on the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules.
The Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules lists at $26; the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules's current price is on the merchant page. Owners praise the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules for 25 mg elemental iron as bisglycinate matches the cited randomized pregnancy-trial dose and 180 one-capsule servings at about $0.09 each; the most common complaint is no vitamin C appears on the Supplement Facts panel. Owners praise the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules for 36 mg elemental iron as Ferrochel ferrous bisglycinate chelate and includes 15 mg vitamin C plus disclosed active forms of vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12; the most common complaint is no USP, NSF or public product-specific certificate of analysis is shown for this product.
Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules
- 25 mg elemental iron as bisglycinate matches the cited randomized pregnancy-trial dose
- 180 one-capsule servings at about $0.09 each
- Label lists Certified Gluten Free, vegan and Kosher Parve attributes
- No vitamin C appears on the Supplement Facts panel
- No USP, NSF or public product-specific certificate of analysis is shown on the iHerb page
Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules
- 36 mg elemental iron as Ferrochel ferrous bisglycinate chelate
- Includes 15 mg vitamin C plus disclosed active forms of vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12
- No proprietary blend; every active amount is stated
- No USP, NSF or public product-specific certificate of analysis is shown for this product
- $0.43 per serving and about $0.0120 per mg of elemental iron are the highest costs in the list
Which should you buy?
The Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules is the better fit for buyers wanting a 180-serving bottle and vegan buyers seeking certified gluten-free and kosher labeling — it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Value and Dose vs Research. The Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules is the better fit for buyers wanting vitamin C and B-vitamin cofactors in one capsule and buyers preferring methylfolate and methylcobalamin forms, and the stronger choice if Label Transparency matters more to you than the overall score. The Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules is a poor fit for buyers requiring USP or NSF product certification; the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules is a poor fit for budget-focused shoppers.
Choose the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules if
- Buyers wanting a 180-serving bottle
- Vegan buyers seeking certified gluten-free and kosher labeling
Skip it if
- Buyers requiring USP or NSF product certification
- Buyers wanting vitamin C in the same capsule
Choose the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules if
- Buyers wanting vitamin C and B-vitamin cofactors in one capsule
- Buyers preferring methylfolate and methylcobalamin forms
Skip it if
- Budget-focused shoppers
- Buyers wanting a single-active iron formula
Common questions
Is the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules better than the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules?
In our Gentle Iron Supplements ranking the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules scores higher overall, 6.9 to 6.3, with the biggest advantage in Value. The Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules is stronger on Label Transparency, so it is the better pick if that matters most to you.
What is the main difference between the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules and the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules?
The headline spec difference is Iron Form: Iron bisglycinate chelate on the Solgar, Gentle Iron, 25 mg, 180 Capsules versus Ferrochel ferrous bisglycinate chelate on the Thorne, Advanced Iron Complex, 60 Capsules. In use, the gap that matters most is Value (9 vs 3 in our scoring): cost per unit of active ingredient.