Our verdict
NOW Magnesium Glycinate tablets supply 200 mg of elemental magnesium from 2,000 mg of Albion magnesium bisglycinate per two tablets. At $19.59 for 180 tablets from Vitacost, that's about $0.11 per 100 mg, the lowest in our comparison. NOW says it tests supplements for purity and potency, but we found no product-level results to check, so it sits on tier 3. Note the directions: two tablets one to two times daily allows 400 mg, above the 350 mg adult upper limit.
Best for: Budget shoppers who stick to one serving a day.
Check NOW Foods's current price, shipping and return terms on the seller's site. Status on our check date: temporarily unavailable at vitacost.
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Our rating method is independent of compensation.
Dose, formula and the elemental magnesium calculation
The label lists 200 mg of elemental magnesium from 2,000 mg of magnesium bisglycinate (Albion) per two-tablet serving, 48% DV, with 90 servings in a 180-tablet bottle.
The directions say two tablets one to two times daily with food. Taking the maximum is 400 mg, above the 350 mg adult upper limit for supplemental magnesium. Stick to one serving unless a clinician advises otherwise. Reviewers often mention that the tablets are large.
Testing and manufacturing: what has actually been verified?
NOW says its products are made and quality tested in the USA, in a GMP facility, and that it tests for purity and potency. We didn't find product-specific or lot-specific results for this item.
That places it on tier 3 of our evidence ladder. In-house quality control can be good; the point is that readers can't check it.
Evidence tiers: tier 1 is publicly verifiable, product-specific evidence; tier 2 is product-specific evidence our editors verified privately; tier 3 is manufacturer-level information without finished-product results; tier 4 is unverified. Full definitions.
Price and value: the fair way to compare
| Option | Price | Per serving | Per 100 mg |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-time, 180 tablets | $19.59 | $0.22 | $0.11 |
NOW's own site blocked our price check, so we used Vitacost's one-time price; the item showed as temporarily unavailable there. A 90-tablet size is also sold. We compare one-time prices on the same date across brands, never a sale price against another brand's list price. Cost per 100 mg is a comparison tool, not a dose recommendation.
Cost per 100 mg across all eight
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Our rating method is independent of compensation.
Customer reviews, reputation and support
Vitacost showed 4.8 stars from 7,611 reviews for this product, the largest sample in our comparison. Retailer reviews are a useful signal for tolerability and tablet size, not for potency.
We weigh verified-purchase feedback, sample size, review dates and repeated complaints such as tablet size, stomach upset or shipping delays. We don't treat self-reported sleep changes or a five-star average as clinical evidence.
Claims check
NOW's claims are modest: nervous system support and a highly absorbable form. Glycinate is generally well tolerated, but no human trial shows it is the best-absorbed form for everyone.
Who should consider it, and who might choose an alternative?
Pros
- About $0.11 per 100 mg, the lowest here
- Albion bisglycinate with elemental and compound amounts stated
- Huge retailer review sample
Cons
- Directions allow 400 mg a day, above the upper limit
- No product-level test results found
- Large tablets
Alternatives worth comparing
Frequently asked questions
How much elemental magnesium does NOW Foods provide?
200 mg of elemental magnesium from 2,000 mg of magnesium bisglycinate per two-tablet serving.
Is NOW Foods magnesium third-party tested?
NOW describes in-house testing for purity and potency. We didn't find product-specific results we could check.
Is it safe to take two servings a day?
Two servings is 400 mg, above the 350 mg adult upper limit for supplemental magnesium. Ask a clinician first.
Is NOW Foods the best value?
At about $0.11 per 100 mg it was the lowest we found, though it was temporarily unavailable at Vitacost.
How we reviewed NOW Foods
We reviewed the product page, Supplement Facts, price and any testing documents on November 10, 2026, and compared them with the published human research. We have not lab tested this product ourselves. Rankings follow how we score supplement quality, and the same criteria apply to every brand. Read our affiliate disclosure, magnesium glycinate versus other forms, magnesium glycinate sleep evidence and magnesium for muscle and exercise.
Sources
- nowfoods.com product page, checked Nov 10, 2026
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
- Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Drummond PD. Magnesium Supplementation for Sleep in Adults: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2026.
- Schuster J, Cycelskij I, Lopresti A, Hahn A. Magnesium Bisglycinate Supplementation in Healthy Adults Reporting Poor Sleep: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nature and Science of Sleep, 2025.
Last source review: November 10, 2026. Next scheduled price check: December 2026. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.