Before you buy
Here is the real decision, and it is not which gummy tastes better. It is whether a gummy prenatal can carry your pregnancy at all.
The honest answer: a gummy is a supplement, not a complete prenatal. Both Olly and SmartyPants leave out iron entirely, and both run lighter on DHA than most capsule prenatals. That is not a flaw in one brand – it is what happens when you put a multivitamin into a chewy candy base.
So pick a gummy because you will actually take it, not because you think it covers everything. The mom who chokes down a horse-pill prenatal twice and quits is worse off than the mom who happily eats a gummy every morning and adds a small iron pill. Adherence is the whole game.
This comparison assumes you have already talked to your OB or midwife about iron. If you have not, do that first – the gummy choice is the easy part.
What each gummy actually delivers
Both products are real prenatal multivitamins, not vitamin candy with a label trick. But they make different tradeoffs, and the folate form is the clearest split.
SmartyPants uses L-methylfolate, the already-active form of folate. Olly uses folic acid, which your body has to convert. For most people folic acid works fine, and it is the form with the longest track record for preventing neural-tube defects. If you carry an MTHFR variant or just prefer the active form, SmartyPants has the edge here. Both deliver folate in the range a prenatal should.
On the omega-3 side, the gap is wider than the marketing suggests:
- Olly lists 200 mg of DHA per 2-gummy serving, from a marine source.
- SmartyPants lists roughly 114 mg of combined EPA and DHA per serving, from algal oil (a vegetarian source).
So Olly carries more DHA per day, and SmartyPants spreads a smaller omega dose across more gummies. Neither hits the 200 to 300 mg of DHA per day that many obstetric guidelines point to once you account for the rest of your diet, so expect to top up DHA either way if you are not eating fish.
Iodine and choline: SmartyPants pulls ahead
Iodine and choline are the two nutrients people forget, and they matter for fetal brain development.
- SmartyPants provides about 290 mcg of iodine and roughly 55 mg of choline per serving.
- Olly provides about 150 mcg of iodine and only around 10 mg of choline per serving.
That choline gap is real. The reference intake in pregnancy is 450 mg per day, so neither gummy gets you close – but SmartyPants at least makes a dent while Olly barely registers. Plan to get most of your choline from eggs and food regardless.
The gummy limitation nobody puts on the front label
Here is the part that should drive your decision. Neither Olly nor SmartyPants contains any iron.
That is not an oversight. Iron tastes metallic and discolors gummies, and a chewable base cannot hold the dose a pregnant body needs. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists notes in its guidance on nutrition during pregnancy that if you choose a gummy prenatal you will likely need a separate iron supplement, because gummies cannot carry the same iron as standard prenatals.
Iron demand climbs sharply in pregnancy to support expanded blood volume, and iron-deficiency anemia is common. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements pregnancy fact sheet puts the recommended intake at 27 mg per day during pregnancy – more than most diets supply on their own.
So the practical rule is simple. If your only prenatal is a gummy, you are running an iron deficit unless you add iron or your OB has tested you and said you are fine. Some people with good iron stores in the first trimester are; many are not. Get a ferritin check rather than guessing.
This is also why our guide to a prenatal vitamin without iron exists – going iron-free can be the right call for someone with high stores or iron sensitivity, but it is a deliberate choice made with your provider, not a default you back into because you liked the flavor.
Taste, sugar, and how many you chew
This is where Olly earns its fans, and it is a legitimate reason to choose it.
- Olly is 2 gummies per day, sweet citrus, with about 4 g of added sugar per serving. Reviewers consistently rate the taste highly, and two gummies is an easy habit.
- SmartyPants is 3 to 4 gummies per day depending on the formula, in mixed fruit flavors, with around 6 g of added sugar in the standard version (the brand also sells a reduced-sugar and a zero-sugar prenatal).
So Olly is the lower-sugar, fewer-gummy option in their standard lineups, which matters when nausea makes four chewy gummies a chore. If first-trimester queasiness is your enemy, Olly's 2-a-day citrus is the friendlier ask.
A note on sugar: 4 to 6 g per day is small in the scope of a whole diet, but it is still candy you are eating for nutrients. If you are managing gestational diabetes, the gummy format may be the wrong tool entirely – talk to your care team about a capsule.
Third-party testing and quality
Quality testing is where SmartyPants makes its strongest case.
SmartyPants carries the Clean Label Project Purity Award, is NSF Contents Certified, and is third-party lab tested for contaminants and heavy metals. The Clean Label Project screens products against a large panel of environmental and industrial contaminants, which is a meaningful extra check for anything you take daily in pregnancy.
Olly states its products are NSF certified for quality, safety, and label-claim accuracy on its official prenatal page. NSF certification confirms what is on the label is in the bottle and screens for certain contaminants, which is solid – though it is a different program than the Clean Label Project contaminant panel.
The takeaway: both brands do real third-party verification, but SmartyPants stacks more of it. If contaminant testing is a priority, that is a point in its column.
Cost per day compared
Price is close once you account for serving size. These are approximate and move often, so check current price before you buy.
| Product | Folate form | DHA/omega-3 per day | Iodine / choline | Iron | Gummies/day | Approx. price (30 days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olly Essential Prenatal | Folic acid, ~667 mcg DFE | ~200 mg DHA | ~150 mcg / ~10 mg | None | 2 | around $14 |
| SmartyPants Prenatal Plus | L-methylfolate, ~600 mcg DFE | ~114 mg EPA+DHA | ~290 mcg / ~55 mg | None | 3-4 | around $25-35 |
So Olly is the cheaper daily cost and SmartyPants is the fuller formula. SmartyPants is usually cheaper on Amazon than at the brand site, which closes some of the gap.
Which to buy, and the better picks
For a gummy, here is how we would call it.
- Choose SmartyPants if you want the methylfolate form, more iodine and choline, and the extra contaminant testing, and you do not mind 3 to 4 gummies.
- Choose Olly if taste, lower sugar, and a 2-a-day habit are what keep you consistent, and you are happy to add DHA and iron separately.
But be honest about the ceiling. A capsule prenatal covers iron, more DHA, and more choline in one product – which is why many people who can tolerate pills end up there. Our Needed prenatal review and the Needed vs FullWell comparison walk through the fuller-coverage options, and if you want a drugstore capsule, the Nature Made vs One A Day prenatal breakdown covers the budget tier.
As an Amazon Associate, UsefulVitamins.com earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
UsefulVitamins may earn a commission from purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This never changes our verdicts.
FAQ
Do Olly or SmartyPants prenatal gummies contain iron? No. Both are iron-free, so if a gummy is your only prenatal you will likely need a separate iron supplement. Ask your OB for a ferritin check first.
Which has better folate? SmartyPants uses L-methylfolate, the active form, while Olly uses folic acid. Both prevent neural-tube defects when taken consistently; methylfolate is the preference for people with MTHFR variants or who simply want the active form.
Are gummy prenatals as good as capsules? Not quite. Gummies cannot carry iron and usually run lower on DHA and choline. Their advantage is that people actually take them, which beats a capsule that gets skipped.
How much DHA do these gummies provide? Olly lists about 200 mg of DHA per serving and SmartyPants about 114 mg of combined EPA and DHA. If you do not eat fish, you may want to top up to reach roughly 200 to 300 mg of DHA per day.
Are they third-party tested? Yes. SmartyPants carries the Clean Label Project Purity Award and is NSF Contents Certified, while Olly states it is NSF certified for quality and label accuracy. SmartyPants stacks more testing programs.
Can I take a gummy prenatal with gestational diabetes? Talk to your care team. These gummies carry 4 to 6 g of added sugar per day, and a sugar-free capsule may be the better fit for blood-sugar management.
The verdict
If you are choosing only between these two, SmartyPants is the stronger formula and Olly is the easier daily habit. SmartyPants gives you active folate, more iodine and choline, and more third-party testing; Olly gives you better taste, fewer gummies, less sugar, and a lower price.
Neither one is a complete prenatal. Both skip iron, and both run light on DHA, so plan to add iron and likely some DHA whichever you pick – after a quick conversation with your OB about your iron status.
Your next step: if you can tolerate a capsule, price out an iron-containing one before defaulting to a gummy. If you cannot, buy the gummy you will actually take every day, then add a separate iron supplement and a DHA softgel to close the gap. Consistency with a supported gummy beats a perfect prenatal you abandon.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Supplement needs in pregnancy vary, and you should confirm your prenatal, iron, and DHA plan with your obstetrician or midwife before making changes.
Reviewed by the UsefulVitamins Editorial Team.
