Shopping for CBD online can be confusing.
There are thousands of products available, and nearly every company seems to make similar promises. You’ll see claims about quality, strength, ingredients, testing, extraction methods, and everything else that supposedly makes one product better than another.
For someone buying CBD for the first time, it can be difficult to know where to begin.
One of the most useful resources is also one of the simplest:
What are actual customers saying?
Customer reviews aren’t a substitute for researching a product yourself, but they can provide information that you simply won’t find on the front of a label.
Here’s what I look for when reading reviews before purchasing a CBD product online.
Don’t Look Only at the Star Rating
It’s tempting to see a product with a 4.9-star rating and immediately assume it’s excellent.
But the number itself doesn’t tell you very much.
A product with five stars based on three reviews isn’t necessarily more convincing than a product with 4.7 stars based on several hundred reviews.
More importantly, the written reviews tell you why customers gave those ratings.
That’s the useful part.
When evaluating CBD products, read through the actual comments instead of relying entirely on the average score.
Look for Detailed Reviews
There’s a big difference between:
“Great product! Five stars!”
and a customer explaining what they purchased, why they selected that particular product, how they incorporated it into their routine, and whether they purchased it again.
Detailed reviews provide context.
This is particularly useful with CBD because products vary tremendously.
Two CBD creams might look nearly identical online while having dramatically different concentrations, textures, ingredients, scents, or cooling sensations.
Reading genuine CBD customer reviews can give shoppers another perspective on those differences before deciding what type of product might fit their preferences.
Customer experiences are subjective, of course, and shouldn’t be interpreted as guarantees that another person will have the same experience.
Repeat Customers Can Tell You Something
One thing I pay attention to when reading reviews is whether customers mention purchasing the product again.
A repeat purchase is interesting because the customer has already experienced the product.
They know:
- What it smells like
- What it feels like
- How it applies
- How long the container lasts for them
- Whether they liked the ingredients
- Whether they considered it worth the price
Then they made the decision to spend their money on it again.
That doesn’t prove the product will be right for everyone, but it’s a useful signal when evaluating customer satisfaction.
Look for Reviews Across Multiple Products
Don’t limit your research to one product.
If you’re considering buying from a company you’ve never used before, look around its website.
Read reviews for several different products.
This can give you a broader picture of the customer experience.
For example, if you’re considering a topical cream, look at reviews for different topical strengths or formulations from the same manufacturer.
Patterns may start to emerge.
Customers might repeatedly mention texture, cooling sensation, packaging, shipping, customer service, or other characteristics.
Those recurring observations can sometimes be more informative than one unusually positive or negative review.
Pay Attention to Product Strength
CBD products can vary enormously in concentration.
This is particularly noticeable with topical products.
One cream might contain a relatively small amount of CBD, while another might contain several thousand milligrams in a similar-sized container.
When reading reviews, make sure you’re looking at feedback for the specific strength you’re considering.
A review of a lower-strength product doesn’t necessarily tell you what the company’s higher-concentration formulation is like.
Also consider container size.
The milligram number by itself doesn’t provide a complete picture of concentration.
Cooling Ingredients Can Make a Big Difference
This is something that can easily be overlooked when shopping online.
Many topical products contain menthol or other ingredients designed to produce a cooling sensation.
Some people specifically want that.
Others strongly dislike it.
Customer reviews can be extremely useful here because shoppers often describe things that aren’t obvious from the product description.
They might mention whether the cooling sensation is mild or intense, whether the scent is noticeable, or whether they prefer a non-cooling version.
Those seemingly small details can determine whether someone enjoys using a product every day.
Reviews Can Reveal Texture and Application
You can’t feel a cream through a computer screen.
That’s another area where customer feedback becomes useful.
Does it spread easily?
Is it thick?
Does it feel greasy?
Does it absorb quickly?
Does a small amount cover a relatively large area?
These aren’t necessarily indicators of whether a product is “good” or “bad.” They’re preferences.
Someone may love a thick salve while another customer prefers a lightweight cream.
Reviews can help you identify those differences before purchasing.
Don’t Ignore Negative Reviews
Believe it or not, a negative review can sometimes make me trust a review section more.
No product is perfect for every person.
If hundreds of reviews are uniformly glowing and nobody has a single criticism, it’s reasonable to look a little closer.
Instead of automatically avoiding a product because you find a negative review, read what the person disliked.
Maybe they didn’t like the scent.
Maybe shipping took longer than expected.
Maybe they preferred a different texture.
Maybe the product simply didn’t meet their expectations.
Then look at how the company responded.
A professional response to criticism can tell you quite a bit about the business.
Reviews Shouldn’t Replace Third-Party Testing
Customer reviews are valuable, but there’s something they can’t tell you:
What’s actually in the product.
That’s where independent laboratory testing becomes important.
When evaluating CBD products, look for a Certificate of Analysis, commonly called a COA.
Depending on the testing performed, laboratory reports can provide information about cannabinoid content and other characteristics of the tested product.
Reviews tell you about customer experiences.
Laboratory testing tells you about the product itself.
Ideally, you want both.
Read the Ingredient List Too
Don’t become so focused on reviews that you forget the basics.
Read the ingredients.
This is especially important with topical products because the CBD is only one part of the formulation.
A cream, balm, or salve might also contain:
- Menthol
- Botanical extracts
- Essential oils
- Fragrances
- Carrier oils
- Waxes
- Moisturizing ingredients
If you have sensitive skin or known ingredient sensitivities, this becomes particularly important.
Even if hundreds of customers love a particular product, that doesn’t mean every ingredient will be appropriate for you.
Look for Patterns, Not Miracles
One dramatic testimonial shouldn’t determine your purchase.
Look for patterns across multiple reviews instead.
Are customers consistently mentioning the same positive characteristics?
Are several people complaining about the same issue?
Do customers frequently mention purchasing again?
Are reviews spread across a meaningful period of time?
That’s more useful than focusing on the most dramatic story you can find.
It’s also important to remember that testimonials represent individual experiences.
A customer’s experience isn’t scientific evidence and doesn’t guarantee that another customer will experience the same thing.
Consider How the Company Handles Feedback
Reviews aren’t only useful for evaluating products.
They can also reveal something about the company selling them.
Does the company respond to customers?
Does it answer questions?
Does it acknowledge criticism?
Can customers easily figure out how to contact someone?
Does the company appear interested in feedback after the sale?
These things matter, particularly when buying wellness products online.
A company shouldn’t disappear the moment your credit card is processed.
Be Skeptical of Extraordinary Claims
CBD marketing can sometimes get carried away.
If a company or review makes CBD sound like a guaranteed cure for a serious medical condition, be cautious.
CBD products aren’t magic.
Research continues to develop, and individual experiences can vary considerably.
Customer testimonials can help you understand why people purchase and continue using certain products, but they shouldn’t replace medical advice or established treatment.
If you’re dealing with persistent pain, neurological symptoms, a significant injury, or another medical problem, discuss it with an appropriate healthcare professional.
A Simple CBD Shopping Checklist
Before buying a CBD product online, consider checking several things:
- Customer reviews
- Repeat-purchase comments
- Product strength
- Container size
- Ingredient list
- Cooling or non-cooling formulation
- Third-party laboratory testing
- Return policy
- Company contact information
- Product directions and warnings
You don’t need to spend hours researching every purchase.
But taking a few minutes to check these details can help you make a much more informed decision.
The Bottom Line
Customer reviews can be extremely useful when shopping for CBD online, but the star rating shouldn’t be the only thing you consider.
Read what customers actually say.
Look for detailed experiences.
Pay attention to repeat purchasers.
Compare feedback across multiple products.
Then combine those observations with objective information such as ingredients, concentration, container size, and independent testing.
No review can tell you exactly how you’ll respond to a product.
But when genuine customer feedback is combined with transparent product information, it can make choosing among the enormous number of CBD products online considerably easier.