This site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. Read Our Disclosures
Each serving of Kirkland Signature Glucosamine is packed with 1500 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride, and 1500 mg of Methyl Sulfonylmethane (MSM). But how much is really needed to maintain joint health and optimum mobility? Is it safe to include this dosage in your current diet?
In this review we’ll look at how Kirkland tablets became one of the top rated glucosamine supplements on Amazon. A breakdown of each ingredient’s health benefits is included, as well as how long you need to be taking Kirkland Glucosamine before you should expect to see results.
We’ve also compared it to Move Free Glucosamine Chondroitin MSM, and Doctor’s Best Glucosamine Chondroitin MSM. These are two bestselling glucosamine supplements that directly compete with Kirkland. This means comparisons between the ingredients, dosages, price, and overall customer feedback (1400+ reviews), to guarantee you only buy the best glucosamine for your health needs.
Kirkland Signature Glucosamine Ingredients
Kirkland Signature provides you with a combination of glucosamine HCL and MSM in the same quantity as Schiff Glucosamine Plus MSM (1500 mg of each).
But the Schiff version also includes hyaluronic acid (HA), so which is better value for money?
At the time of writing, you could pick up a 375 count bottle of the Kirkland supplement for around $12. This gave an average cost per serving of $0.06. In comparison, the Schiff supplement was priced at $0.26 per serving, with the only noticeable difference being the 3.3 mg of added HA.
Unfortunately there isn’t much scientific evidence supporting the combination of glucosamine HCL and MSM. Most, either use glucosamine sulfate, or combine these two ingredients with a third – chondroitin sulfate.
One review of such studies, published in the Journal of Clinical Interventions in Aging, found little benefit to using glucosamine HCL alone for treatment of osteoarthritis (OA).
A separate GAIT (Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial), sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, had a similar conclusion. This was that glucosamine sulfate (but not glucosamine hydrochloride) and chondroitin sulfate have small-to-moderate symptomatic efficacy in the treatment of OA.
Highly rated bestseller on Amazon
In contrast to these studies, there’s no shortage of highly rated reviews for this supplement on Amazon, praising its ability to reduce joint pain in the knees and hips, and increase mobility.
Suitable for vegetarians?
Because the primary source of most glucosamine is the exoskeleton of shellfish, they’re not normally suitable for vegetarians. This is true of the Kirkland Signature supplement, but there is an option we can recommend for vegetarians and vegans.
DEVA Vegan provides you with 1500 mg of glucosamine HCL, but with half the amount of MSM compared to the Kirkland Signature supplement (750 mg).
Kirkland Glucosamine – Product Summary
- 2 tablets per serving. 187 servings per container
- Glucosamine hydrochloride 1.5 g
- MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) 1.5 g
- MSM is a bioavailable sulfur.
- Sulfur is a necessity.
- Component that works in conjunction with Glucosamine to provide the building blocks of collagen.
- Glucosamine is an important component of healthy joints and connective tissue.
Health benefits of Kirkland Glucosamine
For a comprehensive list of glucosamine health benefits, we recommend our Glucosamine Buying Guide.
When is the best time to take it?
Recommended use
Take two tablets daily, or as directed by a physician.
Kirkland vs. Move Free Glucosamine
Kirkland vs. Doctor’s Best Glucosamine
What sizes are available?
With a serving size of 2 tablets, each bottle provides you with 187 servings. By following the recommended daily dosage, it should be enough to last you around 6 months.
At the time of writing this review, the best value for money comes from the single bottle of 374 tablets. Each serving was priced at $0.07, compared to $0.23 per serving for the 5-pack multi deal. That’s why we always recommend calculating the average cost per serving, across all sizes, before making a final buying decision.
Who are Kirkland Signature?
Kirkland Signature is a line of private-label products, available at Costco. For over 20 years their name has been found on a wide range of product categories, from canned foods to automotive products.
They’ve also developed a highly popular line of health supplements, which includes fish oils, calcium, glucosamine, and multivitamins. Some of the current bestsellers are Extra Strength Glucosamine HCI and Fish Oil Concentrate with Omega 3 fatty acids, each of which has over 1,400 highly rated reviews on Amazon.
Kirkland Signature supplements are USP certified. This is a verified mark awarded to dietary supplement products when they successfully meet all requirements set by the USP Dietary Supplements Verification Process.
Review Overview
Overall Review Rating
4 / 5
We have two main issues with Kirkland Signature Glucosamine. Firstly, it doesn’t contain any chondroitin. From all of the research and scientific papers we’ve seen, the best results always come from study groups that combine glucosamine and chondroitin, paritculalry when treating knee osteoarthritis (OA).
The other problem we have is that glucosamine hydrochloride (HCL) has been used instead of glucosamine sulfate. Although we would like to see more large-scale comparisons, most of the evidence points to glucosamine sulfate being far superior for improving joint health and knee OA.
Kirkland Signature certainly aren’t alone in their use of HCL, which can also be found in the bestselling glucosamine supplements from Schiff. But given the choice, we would always prefer to take glucosamine sulfate.
However, it does have its benefits. You’re still getting the clinically proven 1500 mg of glucosamine, and a 1500 mg dose of MSM per serving. The cost isn’t bad either, at around $0.08 for a 2-tablet serving, but if you wanted to add chondroitin sulfate, you’ll struggle to find it as an isolated supplement in doses higher than 600 mg (NOW Foods Chondroitin).
There’s no sign of cGMP or NSF certification, but it does carry the USP Verified label, which essentially tests all the same things, from accuracy of ingredients, to quality of manufacturing processes.
Overall, Kirkland Signature Glucosamine is a good quality supplement. We’re just not convinced by the use of glucosamine HCL, or using it without chondroitin. Unless you’re on a tight budget, the Joint Support supplement from Zenwise Labs would be a better option.
USA Home Gym gives in-depth insights into gym equipment, supplements, and fitness training methods. The motivation behind USA Home Gym is to provide you with information that goes beyond what you can find in any user manual, customer review, or other online review sites.
We go to great lengths to ensure that our reviews are completely comprehensive, usually covering everything from the design features to the warranty coverage and exercise options. This is all to help guide you towards the home gym equipment that’s best suited to your goals and budget, whilst also being the highest quality option in your chosen price range.
