Kristen's Kratom Reviews

Kristen and fellow I <3 kratom members,

I am all about kratom reviews myself, as I have been a kratom enthusiast and active consumer since 2009 and have tested many different suppliers, websites, brand names, strains, and almost every other variety one could mention. Today, I wanted to showcase that experience by taking a series of photographs of the packaging, from almost $80-85% of product I have ever tested.

Here is a link to my official publication on this:
http://www.zbestkratom.com/best-kratom-product-selection-collection/

Welcome, zbestkratom Enthusiast, to the ILK family.
Although I was unable to open the link for some reason, [please try again] it's impressive that you've managed to put together quite the collection. Good job! 😛

Just like the rest of us, at the beginning of my journey I too scoured the Internet, performed my own pain staking research and Guinea Pig tests, and maniacally read just about ANY forum thread about people's experiences, from glowing obviously paid reviews ("it blew my mind!") to horrifying ones ("Kratom made me speak in tongues and cry out Make It Stop!!!")
Laurie has pretty much hit the nail on the head when she has raised a very valid point: vendor reliability, since so many vendors have gone out of business, became reborn under a different name, or went from excellent quality to subpar quality under the new management. Just because there WAS an excellent feedback on a vendor in 2009, sadly it means very little in today's market, unfortunately today it's become completely OBSOLETE and irrelevant.

What we need under these ever-changing-conditions, is a unified format for quality control; Kratom blacklist; and Verified List which must be constantly updated. Just like a background check on a person - REverification is required once every so often, allowing newcomers and vendors with low rankings, to come up; and veteran vendors with high rankings would be motivated to "keep up the good work", prompting them to grow, improve and develop an even better product for the consumer. (Or risk falling down in rankings).

Thanks everyone for participating - your input was invaluable!!! I have *many more* Kratom vendors coming up next week - which means you will get more of me, more of my attention and more delicious discussion coming up!!!

Signing off for today, with a valuable lesson/food for thought -
Your friend,
Kristen.

Really clear and professional reviews Kristen. Some of the best I've read.

How are you all doing, Kratom family! :-h

Today, I will be posting a few "leftover reviews", and tomorrow I'll add a new vendor some of you have asked me to review. SO BE READY ~ I WILL BE POSTING VERY INTERESTING NEW REVIEWS THIS WEEK!!!

...I will now commence with the last of the Relax Remedy roundup.
(c) THE BATTLE OF THE STRAINS : RED BULL VS GREEN ELEPHANT.
(aka loser vs loser).
So, Green Elephant strain has won after the promotional marketing campaign aka "battle" via user reviews, and therefore was awarded a spot on the Relax Remedy website... BUT, I am not going to post a review (even though I still have the majority of it in the bag). In my honest opinion, both bull and elephant strains did not deserve to stay - in fact when I didn't see them on the site for a few days, I was almost certain that both didn't make the cut. 😕

...If I am not posting a review, folks, then there's simply not much to be said about that particular strain, I am partial to it, "not my cup of tea". This doesn't mean that it won't be right for your: as I said before and will keep saying it again, we are all different. I am not here to bash or leave negative reviews, but rather recommend strains that work for ME and hopefully point you in the right direction.

TIP#1: to increase the effectiveness of any "gentle strain", you will need to gradually increase the usual 5 g (~1 heaping teaspoon) dose by adding another 2,5 g in half an hour and if you still feel nothing, repeat another 2.5 mg in 30 min. Gradual and slow increase is best with Kratom to find your optimal doze, for max effect and minimum nausea.

tip #2: you will get the max experience from Kratom in the morning, or on an empty stomach. So the Green Elephant indo strain earns a "Morning Spirit" nickname from me, for that reason.

For the Premium Malay strain from Coastal Kratom, who have changed their name to "Blue River Wellness"...

EXCELLENT KRATOM !. Two thumbs up. Just one...ahem.. hiccup to bear in mind: I was a little bit surprised that I didn't receive ANY "thank you", nor reward points, nor even a single sample bag (this is highly unusual in the Kratom world) - which is quite strange since its commonplace and we, Kratom users, have become quite accustomed to receiving samples as a way to advertise and introduce us/ tempt to a new strain.

(Kristen going on a tangent..)
Once I have even received a free pencil in addition to my free samples. Happy Hippo routinely sends samples and cute pink hippo stickers. Many vendors have reward programs - for example you get discount coupons in the email, or in case with Relax Remedy you get "relax points" for example to get various size discounts. GREAT strategy, reminds me of Starbucks star system a little. To all these vendors we send a big MAHALO and gratitude for keeping us happy. =D>

To all new vendors take note: Free samples are not just some unnecessary "handouts". It's a powerful marketing tool and a great way to earn more business, get people hooked on new strains which they would not normally order, or even a way get new CUSTOMER$$$ since these samples can be easily shared between friends & family. (Tip: I really don't care about packaging of the main product that much. But it makes more sense to actually invest into sample bags for promotion and to make them attractive. They make great gifts, people will ask questions about them and kratom in general) Just my $ 0.2. Additionally, free samples display your confidence in your product, create a buzz about it , and shows your generosity. Its a win-win! :-h

Other than that - reliable vendor, reasonable prices, prompt in response and shipping.

(c) Premium Green Malay from Blue Wellness River
Nickname - Royal Tea
This very potent aroma leaves little to be desired - pleasant flavor, beautiful quick action, I can testify that it is indeed a very high quality powder, in fact upon opening the bag be careful not to inhale your kratom, that's how fine it is! 😛

Euphoria: A+
Speed: Mildly Fast
Focus: Mildly Increased
Duration: 4-5 hrs
Confidence: Moderate Increase
Anxiety: Great anxiety reliever
Potency:10
What's to like about the strain: this feels like a premium, expensive product at an affordable price; well balanced, "perfect speed" .
What's not to like: this bag will not last long! 😛

(c) Mu Synergetics Horned Green Borneo.
Nickname: Surprise Ride.

This strain was sent to me by a happy accident - in fact it was REALLY sent to me by accident instead of Green Thai Kratom. When I first realized this mistake, I complained via email and customer service got back to me lightning-fast and reassured me that my Green Thai was being shipped to me the same day, and in the meantime I could keep the "accident" and give it a try. After I've calmed down and actually tried it, I was blown away - the potency was stronger than that of Green Thai, which was a great discovery.

Euphoria: A+
Speed: Mildly Fast
Focus: Mildly Increased
Duration: 5 hrs
Confidence: High Increase
Anxiety: Decrease
Potency: 10 (out of 10)
What to like about it: Very smooth and fast onset of euphoria might make it many people's favorite.
What not to like about it: It's almost never available on the site, and when it does become available, it quickly runs out.

(c) Malaysian Kratom by Remarkable Herbs
This one I got at the local headshop which I visited w my friend, it was a 3oz bag bought for $35. Since it was to be bought at the physical store, it had amazing packaging - there's a photograph of a beautiful rainforest on it, very professional and fancy looking indeed. The disclaimer on it doesn't say "Not for human consumption". Instead, it says: Guaranteed 100% all natural. Only to use as a botanical specimen. Not for sale to minors.
Now that we got that out of the way, on to the review:

Euphoria: B
Speed: Very Fast
Focus: Slight decrease
Duration: 4 hrs
Confidence:Minute increase, if any
Anxiety: Mild Increase
Potency 9,
What's to like about it: packaging is very attractive! It's a fast paced energetic strain, could be good for multi tasking.
What's not to like about it: its VERY bitter - more bitter than any Maeng Da I 've ever tried. It does a number on your brain as It decreases focus, making one absent-minded, reflective, lazy and scattered. (but not forgetful).

Excellent Reviews Kristen! Really enjoyed reading them. One thing is that you said mg in Tip#1 & I think you meant Gram instead. Just seeing if you caught that mistake yet. I wish I could write reviews as good as you. Well Done. A+ 100/100

Hello and welcome to my room 🙂

@MadMax - I stand corrected. Thanks!

Today, as promised, I will be reviewing a new Kratom vendor - Amazing Kratom. Clean website, easy ordering, fast shipping and AMAZING low prices make this vendor very attractive. The prices are amongst the lowest in the industry, so it naturally made my already suspicious mind even MORE suspicious. Are these introductory prices?.. Thinking I was up for an icy review, I patiently awaited some alone time just in case I had to say certain things (=spell them backwards) - I have a child and a dog, and they are both underage !..
...These worries quickly dissipated just like the first strain did in a pot of boiling water! (c) The value of this Kratom is incredible and possibly, unbeatable!.. Read on for my honest review:

(L) White Leaf Sumatra.
The winner of the batch, white leaf sumatra is possibly amongst the fastest strains I've ever tried, minus the jitters. A lot can be accomplished under effects of this one, let me tell you. Against your own will, you may find yourself spring-cleaning the house, cooking 3 course meals, organizing closets, flying around the Earth, and accomplishing loads of work on autopilot. 👿

Nickname: Speedy Gonzales. (ridiculously fast)
Euphoria: A
Speed: Ferrari-Fast...you might need a helmet LOL
Focus: Moderate to High Increase
Mood: Moderate Boost
Confidence: Moderate to High Boost
Anxiety: Reduction
Potency: 10
What to like about it: Price is unheard of. Speed is slightly faster than that of Maeng Da, minus the anxiety. Not only it increased my focus, but gave me motivation and got me going like a motorized device making this a great procrastination killer.
What no to like about it: You will not be able to sleep on it, so daytime use recommended.

(L) Green Vein Thai Powder by Amazing Kratom
I am partial to Green Vein Thai in general, and this strain didn't disappoint. The potency is there, this moderately speedy strain is a classic.

Nickname: The Waltz (for classic and smooth)
Euphoria: A
Speed: Moderately Fast
Focus: Mild Increase
Mood: High Boost
Confidence: Moderate Boost
Anxiety: Mild Reduction
Potency: 10
What to like about it: price, great daytime strain, very classic smooth effects, high quality strain.
What not to like about it: nothing to complain about. If I had to nit-pick, the bags are super-tight, they are packaged exactly to size so be careful not to spill/prepare your workspace accordingly.

To be continued...

Kristen, I happened to catch your (very well written) review of Amazing Kratom. Brian voluntarily sent some samples my way and I can verify your praise + concur with your assessment. High quality product at great value. They're up for a more detailed review on my blog after Indo Elephant and Zippy Kratom are covered. Keep writing! :-bd

Thank you, Kristen! You don't have to tell me twice! I ordered these and a $1 sample TODAY, so hopefully it's out of the same batch!
Good reviews (what else is new? 😉
Much Thanks,
Laurie

Great review!! I am going to try the white sumatra. :-bd

I snatched some up right after I read Kristen's review. All I can say is, use the smallest measuring spoon you can find, or spin out. LOL
IT WORKS AS DESCRIBED, I had more agitation, jitteriness and anxiety, but, it lives up to the review! I'm a lousy kratom measurer, so I am my own worst enemy, much of the time. I also got some green vein Thai from AMAZING KRATOM and it's more my speed. There is NO WAY my body can have proper energy, other than diet and exercise and repeat. I'm using a 1/3 teaspoon of the white stuff - still too much KICK. For my metabolism. I had a great experience with amazing kratom, And got two nice samples to try and am enjoying them, Green Vein Indo and Super Green Malay. Love them both. Not low cost, not high. I will keep them in mind for future orders.
Another good review, Kristen, THANKS!

Hey guys, Brian here, owner of AmazingKratom.com 🙂 First time on the forum. Kristen, amazing writing skills! Enjoyed your review a lot! It really makes my day reading this kind of feedback from our customers. We have been in business for about two years now and our hope is to continue supplying top quality products with exceptional customer service. Thank you all for the great reviews!

Hey Brian...glad you came in. I did a few searches for Amazing Kratom reviews and you might want to head over to Redit. Some folks had some problems with their orders. You only allow for one $1 sample. Why not loosen up here. I agree with Kristen, if not free, then $1 is OK, but I want to try several. If they are good, I'm in! I hate looking for good kratom. Once I find it, I stick. Just sayin'

I agree with Pocketplayer. I wanted to order one of each. Sampling is easier to find your "regular" for return business. If the baggies cost too much, raise the fee to whatever to let us choose 10 samples (only with an order). I clicked on the first one and went back, nope. That was a letdown. If it's too costly, don't offer ANY. I do know my favorite vendors and strains have ALL been samples as part of an order. Then I need to order the larger size of the sample. That's just one client's opinion, glad you caught the reviews (I bet you noticed an odd increase in business recently?!). Thanks, Pocketplayer for reminding me to read Reddit!

Hey Pocketplayer, It seems that person over at reddit had an issue with their sample taking too long to arrive. These samples ship with a stamp and sometimes do end up getting lost in transit. Whenever someone tells us they didn't receive it we always replace them right away. We can offer larger and customized sample packs if you are interested. Most people who order those contact us directly via our onsite live chat or via email. I will consider making a larger sample pack readily available for purchase onsite. Thanks for the suggestion.

UPDATE: WOW...a little big brother thing happening...I
JUST posted this and Amazing Kratom buzzed in to this thread.
Kinda...weird. Will try soon, but I did go elsewhere this time.

Concerned with Amazing Kratoms site...I get a warning;
Your connection is not secure

The owner of amazingkratom.com has configured their website
improperly. To protect your information from being stolen,
Firefox has not connected to this website.

Only site that has this warning not just for Kratom, but any
site I visit. Hmmmm. Not so good.

Just ordered from Relax Remedy based on Kristen's review;
Green Malay, Red Borneo, White Sumatran

Don't usually go for white, but will try based on review.

It just occurred to me...The RNC is just like Kratom vendors...
everyone is the best and greatest. How to get a crowd to cheer?
Americans love their country more than anyone alive!

Really? In order to develop unity, we have to be the greatest lovers
of our country compared to others who evidently do not love their
country more than... After all the education on that stage, the level
of motivation is no different than a 3rd grade classroom teacher.

"Who's the best 3rd grade class in the whole school?"

YEAH...YEAH...YEAH Can we have our pizza party now?

I digress...

Hey Pocketplayer, We are currently updating our SSL certificate which expired yesterday. Website should be up and running as normal within 1-2 hours. Thanks for the heads up.

Kaycee777 Thanks for the feedback, Enjoy 😀

@AmazingKratom: that's what we call great customer service! Keep up the good work.
@PocketPlayer: Please remember this is a general thread meant for unbiased and honest kratom reviews. For any technical questions please defer to that vendor customer service. No need to spam the thread - that makes it hard for people to read the actual reviews.
@Kaycee777: glad my reviews were helpful to you! I will try and post a kratom mixology thread to elaborate more on Kratom blends. But, Looks like you're on the right track in your Kratom journey ;l 😛
@Everybody else: let me know who would you like me to review next?

Now that's out of the way, my disclaimer: kratom acts differently on different people therefore reading that a certain strain has a certain effect, doesn't guarantee that it will have that same effect on you. Proceed with caution, as kratom can be quite powerful even in small doses: to avoid nausea and other adverse effects, dont exceed 5 mg dose in a 5 hr period, and for petes sake don't mix with other substances. Use common sense.

Red Vein Thai by A.K. - if every chain has a weak link, then this red Thai is IT for Amazing Kratom. In comparison with some other strains (reds from other vendors) it's very mild in action - good for bedtime, but don't expect it to rock your world.

Euphoria : D (it won't give you a buzz)
Potency: D
Speed: Moderately Slow (but don't expect it to slow you down. It can still be used during the day)
Duration: 4 hrs
Confidence: no effect
Anxiety: no effect
Focus: no effect
What to like about it: for new Kratom users it's very mild action may take off the edge at the end of their day
What's not to like: not for seasoned Kratom users

White Leaf Indo from AK
If you are familiar with Indo strains then you know that they can be quite potent. This strain is no exception and very enjoyable for a variety of reasons. If you need to take your mind off something, this baby has the ability to make problems seem small. You'll be able to take on the world!

Euphoria : A+ - trippy
Speed: It's BOTH fast and slow! To me it's definitely more slow with a hint of fast... Glossy eyes and it's a bit like being drunk. Has the ability to slow your mental capacity. It makes it easy to tackle any problem as suddenly nothing seems important and you become brave. Everything seems easy!
Confidence: Big increase. Nothing seems important.
Focus: mild decrease
Anxiety: A+. relief
Duration: 4 hrs
What to like about it: this is overall a winner. It has properties of both fast and slow strains, leaning more towards slow, happy/euphoric with ability to relieve any worry/anxiety. A good strain to take after work as it dulls your mental capacity like alcohol.

What not to like about it: if you are new Kratom user, this one might be too powerful and put you right to sleep! So you might want to start a smaller dose (2,5 mg) and then follow up a remainder 2,5 mg in 2 hours.

All right folks, ending for today - short thread; thanks for following me and reading me, see you tomorrow; READ and take care, ❤️ you all.
Kristen

UPDATE: There seems to a real difference between the potency
of the Green Bali and the other three strains. Green Bali
is very potent using the toss n wash method. Sumatran
seemed to lump together with almost no bitter taste. Similar
w/t Maeng Da. Almost immediately I feel the Green Bali.

Relax Remedy Variety Pack
Impressive price and quality. Came with two free samples
of Maeng Da Nectar (5g) and Maeng Da capsules (5).
The Maeng Da Nectar as noted is sweetened and very tasty.
Surprised this hasn't caught on in the Kratom world since
many hate the taste. Four (25mg) bags covering all four
strains (red, green, white and Maenga Da)which averages
$7.25 ea. Excellent shipping package, very well wrapped
and fast. Usually I like vendors that allow me to select
the strains, but they cover it all well here!

On a practical note, the packaging is excellent, but the
last 20% gets stuck in the bottom due to the plastic fold.
I transfer all Kratom to plastic containers slowly right out
of the shipping bag to avoid having to spoon into those tiny bags
and never spill a drop. I'm cheap, so I take all four bags
after transfer into plastic containers and add a little water
to ea, shake and mix. The remaining kratom (which usually
would be thrown out) actually is like one extra free dose.
Amazing how much gets stuck in the corners of those bags! lol

I had similar experience as Kristen w/t White Sumatran last order.
Same w/t green. The Maeng Da not so much, but I have yet
to find one that works for me. Red Borneo was the weakest
for me. I do not amp up the dose if the burn is not what I want.
I usually do 3-5mg, then add 2mg 30 mins later. Then I stop.
7mg is my limit or I get very tired and need to sleep.

I usually only do a morning burn on empty stomach and switch
strains daily. When I first started Kratom I would get 'monkey
mind' at times which was very disturbing. That seems to be gone now
but I keep the dose lower as well to avoid that experience at all
costs. Rarely do I get an energy boost that makes me want to
play drums all day long. I also have been experimenting with my
morning coffee. I watched a review and the guy was drinking coffee
and didn't seem aware how that will impact his Kratom experience.
Thus, I stopped coffee (usually one cup) with Kratom only. Then
tried with one cup of coffee on a lower dose. Been playing around to
get the right mix w/ea strain. A work in progress.

http://www.relaxremedy.com/m-speciosa-variety-pack/

Dear Kratom Friend!
If you are reading this "letter from the dead", it means so much has poured over from "the great beyond". As you know the world of Kratom has been abruptly shocked and shattered by unnecessary ban - and nearly every site related to kratom was shut down, including this very site. While this moment we stand before you and greet you from beyond the grave, we have come back, writing to you in much dismay and disbelief. One of the vendors still accepting orders and impressing my socks off was Relax Remedy. THANKS RR! My hat goes off to you. Amazingly, they have survived through the ban without a glitch, and have been faithfully shipping my last few orders. Another vendor still open and still unaffected was the HappyHippo brand. Again, thank you - from my heart to yours. Selection and price hasn't been affected, unlike that of Amazing Kratom, whose prices immediately skyrocketed TWICE its normal range. A small 1 oz bag was upwards $20.(it is now back to normal but selection is much smaller now). This is in contrast to many websites and vendors who shockingly went under or removed/replaced kratom completely. Some sites are no longer with us, you can only find "site for sale" sign in their wake. RIP to those sites who didn't survive! 🙁 You will be greatly missed.

Now, that we have temporarily WON over this crazy ban, your average Kratom fan can turn back to his regular, busy-as-ever vendors, giving thanks where thanks are due.
SO...For those of you who have bravely fought with us through this ban and senseless war on kratom, who have kept their doors open through the anguish and prevailed over fear: THANKS! We give you thanks during this Thanksgiving season, for bringing us this wonderful natures gift, a mild and relaxing KRATOM TEA!!!. (c)
Sure, I have tried alternatives such as the blue lotus (which gave me weird chills) and none have come close to coffee like energizing aroma of kratom: for me, it also helped to relieve me of allergy and I don't have to take my daily Benadryl anymore. Benadryl "the pink wonder" gave me horrible anxiety and restlessness, and I couldn't sleep. With Kratom, I have sniffles and runny nose no more!. For that, I am incredibly THANKFUL. 😡

Today, I am thankful for this moment, for being alive and well, for you and me meeting once more (or maybe for the first time). Thank you for your visit. Don't forget to return, when we have many more positive news to report! GOD BLESS my friends, to you and your families. :-h