Best Protein Powder Without Heavy Metals
The best protein powder without heavy metals is one that carries an outside certification and publishes lab results for the batch in your tub. Of the powders we have vetted, Legion Whey+ is our top pick for most people, and five others clear the same bar for specific needs.
This page covers lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury together. If lead is your only concern, start with our full list of protein powders tested for lead and heavy metals.
What the testing found
The Clean Label Project tested 134 top-selling protein powders at an outside lab, Ellipse Analytics, for lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and BPA. As reported by Nutraceuticals World, about 75% of plant-based powders had measurable lead, and certified organic products averaged roughly twice as much heavy metal as the rest. About 10% of whey powders exceeded lead health guidelines, and no egg-based powder had detectable lead. The study was reported as peer-review pending.
Consumer Reports tested 23 protein powders and shakes for lead, starting in November 2024. More than two-thirds had more lead in a single serving than its experts consider safe for a whole day. Plant-based products had about nine times the lead of dairy-based ones, with beef-based powders in between. It named seven "better choices" for daily use and twelve it called "okay to eat occasionally."
Consumer Reports measured lead only. For arsenic, cadmium and mercury, the Clean Label Project data and each brand's own certificate of analysis (COA) are the evidence available.
Why the protein source matters
Plants take up metals from the soil they grow in. Rice is the usual arsenic concern, and cocoa is a known accumulator, which is why chocolate flavors deserve a second look. Animal proteins tend to test lower, though not at zero.
That pattern is why the picks below lean toward whey and beef, with one plant option held to a stricter standard.
The picks, ranked
- Best overall: Legion Whey+ Protein. Grass-fed whey isolate from Irish dairy, Informed Sport certified, with heavy metal and banned-substance testing on every batch.
- Best for published lab results: Momentous Essential Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate. NSF Certified for Sport, with a certificate of analysis for every batch.
- Best short label: Klean Athlete Klean Isolate. Whey protein isolate and sunflower lecithin, NSF Certified for Sport.
- Best single-ingredient whey: NAKED 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder. One ingredient and an NSF Certified mark. It is a concentrate, so it carries more lactose than the isolates above.
- Best plant-based: NAKED Pea Protein Powder. One ingredient, NSF Contents Certified. Because plant powders test highest as a group, the certification and the COA matter more here than anywhere else on this list.
- Best dairy-free single ingredient: Equip Foods Prime Protein. Grass-fed beef protein isolate and nothing else. One caveat you should know: Consumer Reports placed it in its "okay to eat occasionally" tier for lead, not its "better choices" tier. We still list it because the label is a single ingredient and it is one of few dairy-free options we have vetted, but it is not the pick if you drink protein daily.
| Product | Form | Independent testing | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legion Whey+ | Whey isolate | Informed Sport | Whey isolate, stevia, natural flavors |
| Momentous Essential Whey Isolate | Whey isolate | NSF Certified for Sport | Whey isolate, ProHydrolase |
| Klean Isolate | Whey isolate | NSF Certified for Sport | Whey isolate, sunflower lecithin |
| NAKED Grass-Fed Whey | Whey concentrate | NSF Certified | Whey concentrate |
| NAKED Pea Protein | Pea protein | NSF Contents Certified | Pea protein |
| Equip Prime Protein | Beef protein isolate | None listed | Beef protein isolate |
What did not make the list
We did not rank any rice-based or rice-blend powder. Rice is the standard arsenic concern, and we could not find published third-party results for a rice powder we would stand behind. That is a gap in the evidence we could find, and it is not a verdict on any product.
What this means for a buyer
A certification covers verification of the label and a contaminant screen. A COA covers the lot. The strongest combination is both, and Legion and Momentous are the two on this list that describe testing on every batch.
If you use protein daily, choose whey or a certified single-ingredient powder over a plant blend. If you avoid dairy, accept that your options test higher as a group and lean on the COA.
How to check any tub
- Look for Informed Sport or NSF on the label, then confirm the product on the certifier's own site.
- Find the brand's COA page and look for lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury figures for your lot.
- Check that the certification covers your flavor, since flavored versions add ingredients.
- If the brand publishes neither, treat "tested" as unverified.
For whey alone, see our whey-only ranking, and for how certification lists compare, see which protein powders are Clean Label Project certified. Everything else we have vetted is on our supplements recommendations page.
Bottom line
Pick a powder with a named outside certification and a short label, and check the COA for the exact tub you buy. Plant-based powders carry the most risk as a group, so hold them to the stricter standard.