Culturelle vs Hiya: Which Kids Probiotic Is Better?

Despite generally being healthy eaters, there are days when my kids experience stomach aches or general discomfort. Also, there are the constant germs that seem to flow in and out of this house when school is in session. Our family’s pediatrician recently spoke to us about the use of probiotics for both of our kids, who are eight and five. We were told that not only would a probiotic help with digestion, it would be a great way to support the body’s natural immune response.

I was given samples for a couple of different products, which I’d like to review here for you. Let’s take a look at Hiya Kids Probiotic and Culturelle’s products for kids. We’ll talk about their formulas, what to expect, why one is better than the other and more.

Key Factors To Know Before Buying Hiya Probiotics or Culturelle

All About Hiya Kids Probiotic

Hiya has a Kids Daily Probiotic supplement that is chewable, healthy and safe. It contains 10 billion live cultures in addition to prebiotic fiber that will help beneficial bacteria thrive in the gut. This product has been designed so that it can be properly absorbed, helping with digestion, immune function and healthy bowel movements.

Important Facts

My Kids’ Experience With Hiya Kids Probiotic

When we first received our package of Hiya Kids Probiotics, my kids were excited to see the bottles and stickers. They were very willing to decorate their own bottles however they wanted. Once that was done, they were interested in finding out how the supplement tasted. We jumped right into the process, giving each child their first dose of Hiya Kids Probiotic.

This supplement is naturally sweetened without the use of any artificial ingredients. Both kids thought it tasted really good, with my oldest being a little more apprehensive. Our son is definitely the more opinionated of the two when it comes to different foods.

I was happy to see that taking Hiya daily didn’t cause any uncomfortable symptoms for our kids. There wasn’t any bloating or discomfort to worry about. After a couple of weeks, it seemed like they were experiencing more regularity. We have only experienced one or two mild colds go through the house since starting Hiya, so hopefully their probiotic intake has contributed to that.

All About Culturelle Kids Probiotic

Culturelle has a few different probiotic products for children, but we opted for their Kids Purely Probiotics Chewables. We didn’t use this product at the same time as Hiya’s version. Rather, this was the first supplement that we tried before settling on Hiya.

Kids Purely Probiotics Chewables are designed for kids between the ages of 3 and 12, so both of our kids could use the same supplement. It’s designed to help you get your child’s digestion back on track, especially if they experience occasional GI issues. Unfortunately, Culturelle’s probiotic supplement only contains 5 billion CFUs in each dose, which is half the amount that is in Hiya. Its formula focuses on just Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.

Important Facts

My Kids’ Experience With Culturelle Kids Probiotic

This is the first probiotic product that we tried after speaking with the pediatrician. There was a lot less excitement with this product. It’s amazing how much impact a decorative bottle can make! That being said, our kids really liked the flavor of Hiya’s Kids Probiotic better.

Each dose of this product has to be removed from its individual packaging. This is to help keep everything fresh and potent, but it adds to the time it takes to hand out doses. With two kids, we’re looking for something that’s much faster.

We noticed that our children didn’t really complain of any GI issues when they first started taking Culturelle Kids Probiotic. That being said, we didn’t notice much of a difference in their gut health in general. It may have been helping, but there wasn’t any kind of significant difference. We attribute this to the fact that it’s not a very diverse probiotic supplement.

Comparing Culturelle vs. Hiya Probiotics

Taste and Texture

Taste is a big factor when you’re trying to give small children a daily supplement. Luckily, neither of these products posed an issue.

Hiya Taste Rating

• My Daughter’s Rating: 5/5
• My Son’s Rating: 4.5/5

Our children definitely liked the taste of Hiya’s probiotic better. As parents, we like that it is naturally sweetened and not full of added sugar.

Culturelle Taste Rating

• My Daughter’s Rating: 4/5
• My Son’s Rating: 4/5

Our kids reported that Culturelle’s chewable tablets also tasted pretty good, but they seemed to like Hiya’s product far better.

Formulas

These two products have different formulas, though each is designed to provide roughly the same benefits.

Hiya Formula Rating: 4.6/5

Hiya contains three different probiotic strains and one prebiotic ingredient. In addition to Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which is also featured in Culturelle’s product, Hiya has also added Lactobacillus paracasei and Bacillus lactis. Larch tree fiber is the prebiotic. The diversity of this product’s formula is nice, with more than one strain covering different health benefits.

Culturelle Formula Rating: 4/5

Culturelle Kids Purely Probiotics contain the scientifically studied strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Prebiotics have not been added.

Results

The purpose of giving our kids probiotics was to help boost their gut health and immune response. Did either of these products accomplish this task?

Hiya Results Rating: 4.5/5

I would have to give Hiya an excellent rating in regard to how effective it is. We still use it for our kids to this day, and they honestly don’t really experience any GI issues on a regular basis. We very rarely have a stomach bug go through the house, and stomach aches are few and far between.

Culturelle Results Rating: 3.5/5

I didn’t see a huge change in our children when they were trying this product. They didn’t necessarily complain of any discomfort, but I also can’t say that they seemed to be thriving all of a sudden after starting a daily dose.

Pricing and Value

When you have to buy daily supplements for multiple children, pricing and value are important.

Hiya Value Rating: 4.5/5

Hiya retails for $33 for two children. You save 50% on your first order. There are multiple strains of probiotics in each dose and 10 billion active live cultures. We like the clean formula and are willing to pay for it.

Culturelle Value Rating: 4/5

Culturelle Kids Purely Probiotic costs $18.89 for 30 doses. We had to purchase two of these each month. Seeing as Culturelle only includes one strain of probiotics in their supplement, I would have to give it a lower rating than Hiya. Hiya offers more and is more affordable, especially if you’re purchasing for multiple children.

Which Kids Probiotics Did My Kiddos Like Better - Culturelle or Hiya?

Our kids are definitely a bigger fan of Hiya’s probiotic product. It’s been really easy to get them to take this product daily. The flavor of the product is pleasant, and it’s nice that we aren’t giving them a high-in-sugar gummy each day. As parents, we like the results that Hiya has provided for both kids.

My Recommendation