In this article, we’ll be listing the best fat burner supplements on the market.
However, there are some things that we feel are necessary to mention before doing so so that you have a better idea of what fat burner supplements are, their limitations, and if you should buy them.
While fat burner supplements certainly are effective, even the best fat burner supplements are not going to be a miracle cure for your weight loss woes. This may sound disappointing, but they should be thought of as part of an overall weight loss strategy to help you lose that last bit of weight to reach your weight loss goal.
With that disclaimer out of the way, we’ll get into some in-depth information on fat burner supplements and from there talk about our picks for the best fat burner supplements available today.
What Are Fat Burner Supplements?
The term ‘fat burner’ is a somewhat broad term when it comes to supplements, as it can mean that the supplement encourages getting rid of fat in a variety of ways.
Some of those ways include:
- Fat metabolism
- Increasing energy expenditure
- Discouraging fat absorption
- Increasing fat oxidation during weight loss
There is an equal variety in regards to the types of fat burner supplements, which will be covered in the next section.
Types of Fat Burners
There are several types of fat burners, with varying degrees of effectiveness.
You should also note that people’s bodies react differently to substances, so one person may benefit from a certain type of fat burner supplement while others won’t see the same results. For this reason, it’s a good idea to try them out and see for yourself.
Caffeine
Caffeine supplements are some of the highest selling on the market. There are some proven weight loss benefits from caffeine consumption.
For example, one study found that “caffeine intake was associated with weight loss through thermogenesis and fat oxidation”. (1) Another study with obese women as subjects found that a caffeine treatment resulted in “significantly decreased” body weight. (2)
The ways that caffeine does this is through burning fat and increasing metabolism. Studies have shown that caffeine can increase lipid oxidation (aka fat burning) by up to 29% and can boost metabolism by up to 11%. (3) (4)
However, caffeine supplementation is not without caveats and side effects.
The potential side effects of caffeine include insomnia, anxiety, addiction, increased heart rate, fatigue (after the initial jolt of energy wears off), digestive problems, muscle breakdown, and high blood pressure.
If you’re already a coffee drinker or drink any other caffeinated beverages routinely, then you won’t benefit much from taking a weight loss supplement that has caffeine as its active ingredient. There’s a limit to how much caffeine can promote fat burning, and at some point, the adverse side effects can put your health at risk.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is a fat burner supplement that has been gaining in popularity in recent years.
Green tea extract works as a fat burner in a couple of ways. One way is that it contains caffeine, so you can expect similar effects to what you’ll find in caffeine supplements.
The other main active ingredient in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, which is a potent antioxidant. EGCG is part of a group of antioxidants called catechins. There are other catechins in green tea, but EGCG is the most notable.
EGCG encourages fat burning by breaking down the hormone norepinephrine. (5)
L-Carnitine
L-carnitine is a derivative of amino acid that is naturally found within the human body. L-carnitine works by transporting fatty acids into cells where they’re broken down and burned for energy.
There are mixed results on l-carnitine as a weight loss supplement, but this meta-analysis of 9 studies found that the participants who received l-carnitine lost “significantly more weight” than the control who group who did not receive it.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
CLA is a fatty acid that’s naturally found in meat and dairy.
A meta-analysis of available studies found that CLA supplementation led to a modest amount of weight loss. (6)
Raspberry Ketones
Raspberry ketones are natural phenolic compounds and they’re what gives raspberries their distinctive scent.
Raspberry ketones are used to break down fat and stop fat accumulation. (7)
Glucomannon
Glucomannon is a water-soluble dietary fiber which is extracted from a tropical plant native to Africa and Asia, the elephant yam.
Glucomannon works in similar ways to other dietary fibers. They promote weight loss in a few ways:
- By taking up space in the stomach and delaying the emptying of the stomach, which promotes feelings of fullness
- It has very few calories
- Reduces fat and protein absorption
As far as studies go, the largest meta-analysis on glucomannon found that supplementation induced significant weight reduction in the participants. (8)
Yohimbe
Yohimbe is a supplement that comes from the bark of a type of African evergreen tree. The substance has been in use longer as an erectile dysfunction supplement, but in recent years researchers have uncovered what appear to be some weight loss benefits.
Yohimbe works by blocking alpha-2 adrenergic receptors that are found in fat cells.
There have been a couple of studies done on Yohimbe that showed weight loss, one in obese women and the other done in professional soccer players. (9) (10) However, study results have been mixed, as it didn’t make a difference in regards to weight loss in other studies. This indicates that both more testing should be done and that some individuals may benefit from it whereas others will not.
Chromium
Chromium is a mineral that is found in a variety of forms. There are many foods that contain it naturally.
The chromium picolinate form is the most easily absorbed by the body and so it can be found in many supplements. It’s considered an essential nutrient and is involved in several important physiological functions in the body.
Researchers have found that chromium supplementation is correlated with modest weight loss. (11) (12)
Chromium is worth considering for your specific situation, as even if it’s not effective for you for weight loss, it’s an essential nutrient that you need either way.
Forskolin
Forskolin is an active compound found in a tropical plant called Coleus forskohlii. Forskolin works by essentially forcing the release of fat that is stored in fat cells. (13) (14)
There’s still a lot to be learned about forskolin, but there have been some very promising study results that show how it promotes fat loss while preserving muscle. (15)
#1: Old School Vintage Burn Fat Burner
Old School claims that their Vintage Burn supplement “is a thermogenic fat burner specifically formulated to preserve muscle to give you real and continuing results”.
Old School prides themselves on not having “proprietary blends” in their products—aka each one of the ingredients that go into their supplements is listed on the label in the amount that’s in the supplement. While there are some good supplements out there with proprietary blends, it’s far more transparent and safer when you know exactly what you’re getting in a supplement.
Old School’s Vintage Burn supplement contains:
- 330 mg of green tea leaf extract
- 270 mg of green coffee bean extract
- 200 mg of raspberry ketones
- 160 mg of olive leaf extract: Supports weight management by regulating the genes that control weight gain. It may also be effective in reducing cancer risk, treating diabetes, lowering blood pressure, and improving heart health, among others.
- 150 mg of caffeine
- 130 mg of bacopa leaf extract: Promotes healthy blood pressure and is a nootropic that may boost brain function.
- 100 mg of garcinia fruit extract: Has weight loss properties by blocking fat production and reducing appetite. (16) (17) (18)
- 100 mg of chrysin: Chrysin is a flavonoid that has several health benefits. Chrysin has “including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiviral activities”. (19)
- 60 mg of forskohlii root extract
So in addition to several known fat-burning substances, you get several others that are effective in weight management and provide additional health benefits.
Pros:
- Has a good mixture of fat burner ingredients
- Formula encourages fat burning but maintaining muscle mass
- Made in a GMP certified manufacturing facility
- Vegan-friendly
- Gluten free
- Keto friendly
- non-GMO
Cons:
- Has caffeine, so it can cause anxiety, jitteriness, and other side effects, especially if you drink caffeinated beverages along with it
- Causes headaches in some
- Is a supplement “stack” which contains several fat burning ingredients, but if one of those ingredients causes an adverse reaction you won’t know which one it was from
- Can cause upset stomach
Active Ingredient Quality:
Price:
Average Consumer Rating:
- Burn Fat & Preserve Muscle: Stay in shape in and outside of the gym with the best thermogenic weight loss supplement on the market. Vintage Burn’s appetite suppressing and muscle-preserving features will help keep you in shape, even during a period of limited exercise. Its unique keto friendly, thermogenic weight loss formula puts it above other thermogenics by helping men and women burn fat for energy while preserving muscle, raise mental focus, mood, and curb appetite.
- Boost Energy & Suppress Appetite: The hand-selected premium ingredients in Vintage Burn help you maintain a steady energy throughout any activity, raise your mental focus at work or in the gym, and keep your mood elevated while you go about your day. Our repeat customers have praised Vintage Burn’s ability to significantly curb their appetite which helps keep calories in check.
- Tested & Trusted: Third-party tested thermogenic made exclusively with premium ingredients including green coffee bean extract, green tea extract, and raspberry ketones to help burn stubborn belly & abdominal fat. Unlike the other guys, Vintage Burn has zero preservatives, and ultra clean ingredients. Vintage Burn is the best thermogenic weight loss supplement on the market to support a solid diet program.
- GUARANTEED RESULTS OR YOUR MONEY BACK. Old School Labs firmly stands by the quality, effectiveness, and commitment to no proprietary blends as a brand standard. Vintage Burn Thermogenic Weight Loss, Vintage Blast Energy Pre-workout, Vintage Brawn Isolate Protein, Vintage Build Creatine & BCAA, Vintage Base Multivitamin & Probiotics as well the rest our line-up clearly display this. If you are not 100% satisfied with any OSL product, we will help you resolve your concern or provide a full refund.
- Old School Labs, 40 years in the making, formulated in California, and Made in the USA. Ultra-pure and clean supplements for physique perfection or life changing transformations. From pre-workouts, multivitamins, protein, to amino acids, greens, and thermogenic thermogenics, we have the right supplement and nutritional solution for you. We’re here to answer your questions via social media or email so that you can achieve your goals the Old School way. #oldschoollabs #teamosl #iamoldschool
#2: BURN-XT Thermogenic Fat Burner
Jacked Factory’s Burn-XT Thermogenic Fat Burner supplement comes at fat burning from a variety of angles. Much like the number one supplement on our list, it’s a supplement “stack” meaning it combines several ingredients that promote fat burning in different ways. Another thing it has in common with our number one pick is that it’s formulated to focus on burning fat but maintaining muscle mass.
This product contains:
- 700 mg of acetyl-l-carnitine HCI
- 450 mg of green tea leaf extract (98% polyphenols, 75% catechins, 45% EGCG)
- 270 mg of caffeine anhydrous
- 50 mg of Capsimax® cayenne pepper fruit extract: Promotes weight loss through burning calories, increasing metabolism, and suppressing appetite. (20) (21) (22)
- 5 mg of Bioperine® black pepper fruit extract: Used to increase the bioavailability of supplements.
This is a good mix of fat burning ingredients but as you can see, it’s not as comprehensive as Old School’s Vintage Fat Burner. However, that supplement is very cost-prohibitive for many consumers to take on a regular basis as it’s almost twice as expensive. You get what you pay for.
Pros:
- Solid mix of fat burning ingredients
- Contains Bioperine® for better absorption
Cons:
- Could have a more comprehensive mix of fat burning ingredients
- Contains a very concentrated amount of caffeine, which could keep you up at night or cause other side effects
- Can leave a strange aftertaste
- Can cause nausea and other side effects
Active Ingredient Quality:
Price:
Average Consumer Rating:
- Not a Miracle Supplement: Let’s be honest: no supplement will magically change your body overnight. But with the right diet and training plan in place, a properly formulated product like Burn-XT can help you reach your fitness goals while maintaining hard-earned muscle tissue.
- Clinically Studied Metabolism Booster & Appetite Suppressant: As one of few weight loss supplements for women and men that has been clinically shown to increase energy, focus, and metabolic rate, Burn-XT has set a new precedent for weight-loss support. Containing ingredients like caffeine and green tea extract, this high-stimulant fat burner can help support your fitness goals.
- Weight Loss Supplement for an Active Lifestyle: Burn-XT features a comprehensive science-driven formula designed to help active people lose weight (and keep it off). Each serving provides effective doses of evidence-based ingredients like Capsimax cayenne pepper extract, high-potency green tea leaf extract, caffeine, and more. No nonsense or harsh stimulants that do more harm than good.
- cGMP USA Manufacturing: All Jacked Factory supplements are manufactured in a state-of-the-art cGMP facility using premium raw materials that are tested for purity, potency, and authenticity. Be confident that each bottle of Burn-XT contains precisely what’s on the label and nothing more.
- Backed By Our 100% Money-Back Guarantee: We take your results seriously and back every bottle of Burn-XT with a 30 day money-back guarantee. If you aren’t satisfied with what Burn-XT has to offer, simply contact us and we’ll make things right! That’s how confident we are that you’ll love the results from Burn-XT.
#3: Evlution Nutrition Lean Mode Stimulant-Free Weight Loss Supplement
Evlution Nutrition’s Lean Mode Stimulant-Free Weight Loss Supplement is a great option if you prefer taking supplements in powder form or if you just don’t like taking pills. It’s also a good option if you already get caffeine from another source or if you have bad side effects from caffeine, as there is no caffeine in this supplement.
This product contains:
- 1000 mg of CLA
- 1000 mg of acetyl-l-carnitine
- 200 mg of green coffee bean extract: Has shown some weight loss properties but the amount of evidence is small.
- 200 mg of garcinia cambogia extract
- 100 mg of green tea leaf extract
It may not be entirely comprehensive, but this product has a nice mix of fat burner ingredients.
Evlution Nutrition‘s powder supplements taste pretty good, but you have to do quite a bit of stirring because otherwise, you can end up with a pretty chalky consistency. It mixes well if you make a smoothie with it.
A serving size of this supplement is one scoop. The product contains 30 servings for a month’s supply. It comes in 3 flavors: fruit punch, furious grape, and pink lemonade.
Pros:
- Contains multiple proven fat burner ingredients
- Does not contain caffeine which is good if you don’t tolerate it well
- Gives a boost of energy
Cons:
- Powder settles at the bottom of a drink if you leave it for more than a few minutes
- Some don’t like the taste
- Can cause stomach pain
Active Ingredient Quality:
Price:
Average Consumer Rating:
- 5 Leading Ingredients in 1 Complex - Forget about those simple weight loss supplements with proprietary blends and choose our 100% transparent stimulant free diet powder that includes the most popular single ingredients combined into 1 formula including Green Tea Leaf Extract, Green Coffee Bean, CLA, Acetyl L-Carnitine and Garcinia Cambogia
- Comprehensive Support - When you set a weight loss goal, it’s never easy and there are many steps to success including diet, nutrition, and supplements. LEANMODE’s stimulant-free ingredients help support the key areas critical to your success when used with diet and exercise
- Non-Stimulant Weight Management Support - Most Fat Burners contain stimulants like caffeine to support fat loss, but LEANMODE is stimulant free so there is no crash and it allows you to still use other caffeine based products like pre-workout supplements, energy and even fat burner pills
- Premium Formula - Unlike many popular fat burning pills on the market our formula was developed to include the best ingredients to support more key areas important to supporting your weight loss goals
- Why Evlution Nutrition - We fully disclose our ingredients because we are proud to use the highest quality third party tested formulas made in a plant that is certified for Good Manufacturing Practices
#4: Prime Labs Xtreme Slim Advanced Fat Burner
Prime Labs’ Extreme Slim Advanced Fat Burner supplement is a great option if you’re on a budget, as it’s the most affordable option on our list.
This is another “stacked” fat burner supplement that contains multiple fat burning ingredients. Those ingredients include:
- 130 mg of green coffee bean extract
- 130 mg of raspberry ketones
- 130 mg of garcinia cambogia
- 130 mg of caffeine anhydrous
- 130 mg of green tea
We like this supplement because it’s a relatively straightforward formula without any unnecessary added ingredients. It also comes in a cellulose vegetable capsule, so it’s vegetarian and vegan-friendly.
Pros:
- Has a nice supplement stack
- Doesn’t contain any binders, fillers, or any other unnecessary ingredients
- Is free of wheat, gluten, dairy, and other allergens
Cons:
- Contains a large amount of caffeine, which can cause unwanted side effects
- Can cause headaches in some
- Affordable
Active Ingredient Quality:
Price:
Average Consumer Rating:
- Xtreme Slim Advanced Fat Burner is the newest creation from Prime Labs. Itâ€s designed to give your body an extra boost so you can work towards reaching your ideal body weight.
- JAM-PACKED with all-natural ingredients. Inside youâ€ll find great ingredients like green tea, raspberry ketone, garcinia cambogia, and much more!
- Burn Fat - Boost Energy. Quality caffeine anhydrous in every veggie capsule. Feel the energy soar through you. Get your body moving and shed pounds.
- One Month Supply - Every bottle contains a one month supply of 60 capsules. Simply take 2 tablets throughout the day, preferably before meals, and experience results.
- Homegrown -- We bottle and product all of our supplements right here in the United States. We also use FDA registered facilities so we can delivery you top-quality, consistent supplements every single time.
#5: Sheer Strength Sheer Thermo Thermogenic
Sheer Strength’s Sheer Thermo Thermogenic supplement is a valid option. It contains several of the ingredients that have been covered here in this article but also has a couple of other ingredients that make it a unique supplement stack.
Sheer Strength Sheer Thermo Thermogenic contains:
- 300 mg of Rhodiola rosea extract: This ingredient isn’t a fat burner per se, but has been shown to increase exercise performance, both in short bursts and for endurance exercise. (23) (24)
- 300 mg of green tea extract
- 250 mg of coleus forksohlii (10% forskolin)
- 200 mg of caffeine (anhydrous)
- 200 mg of Bacopa monnieri (20% bacosides)
- 150 mg of 5-HTP: 5-HTP is an amino acid that’s naturally produced in the human body. It has a number of health benefits—the most relevant of which is decreasing appetite. (25)
- 3 mg of Yohimbine HCI: Yohimbine is the active ingredient found in the Yohimbe bark which was talked about in a previous section. There hasn’t been sufficient testing on this substance, but early study results indicate that it could promote weight loss.
This product contains 60 gluten-free, non-GMO vegetarian capsules. At two capsules per serving, it’s a one-month supply.
Unfortunately, this supplement does contain brown rice flour, which is usually used as a filler to dilute supplements.
Pros:
- Contains a decent fat burner supplement stack
- Is non-GMO
- Vegetarian/vegan-friendly
Cons:
- Contains fillers
- Contains a very high dosage of caffeine
Active Ingredient Quality:
Price:
Average Consumer Rating:
- Sheer Thermo is a premium thermogenic fat burner supplement designed to help you burn fat, boost energy levels, and enhance cognitive function as part of a healthy diet and exercise program.
- How it works: Promotes healthy weight loss, mental focus & clarity as part of a healthy diet & exercise program
- Formulated with fat-burning ingredients including 5-HTP, yohimbine, bacopa monnieri, green tea extract, and more
- Sheer Thermo comes with 60 easy-swallow, non-GMO, gluten-free veggie capsules, making it a great alternative to traditional weight loss pills, appetite suppressants, and diet pills.
- For fat-burning results: Start by taking 1 capsule with breakfast to assess tolerance.
Notable Mention Fat Burner Supplements
If you didn’t notice, the supplements that we’ve listed here as our picks for the best fat burner supplements are all “stacks”, i.e. they all include multiple fat burning ingredients rather than just one. However, we realize that these types of fat burner supplements have some limitations and are not ideal for absolutely everyone.
Some of the main reasons being you might have an adverse reaction to a certain ingredient or a certain ingredient is just not effective for you and your body specifically. Fat burner supplement stacks are great, but if you have an adverse reaction to one of these products, it’s difficult to pinpoint which ingredient it was because there are several.
For that reason, it may be a good idea to consider some single ingredient fat burner supplements as well.
That’s why we chose to include some additional products with closer to just one active ingredient to our list of the best fat burner supplements. Here they are:
- Zhou Green Tea Extract Supplement
- Bulk Supplements Acetyl L-Carnitine (ALCAR) Capsules
- Sports Research Max Potency CLA 1250
- NatureWise Raspberry Ketones Plus+
- Best Naturals Glucomannan Weight Loss Pure Powder
- Team Six Supplements Alpha Yohimbine
- Pure Chromium Polynicotinate Supplement
- Bio Schwartz Forskolin Extract for Weight Loss
Closing Thoughts
When it comes down to it, if you want to lose weight, you’ve got to put in the work and be disciplined. Fat burner supplements can help, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle.
On top of that, the best fat burner supplement is the one that’s most effective for you specifically. In other words, our bodies respond to these things differently, and it’s up to us to make note of what works and what doesn’t.
That’ll wrap it up for our picks of the best fat burner supplements. Do you have any experience with any of these supplements? We’d love to hear your feedback in the comments section.
Sources- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16076989
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8061728
- https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpendo.1995.269.4.e671
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2912010
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938410000703
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17490954
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20425690
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15614200
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1955308
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17214405
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24293292
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23495911
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1314877
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6289066
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16129715
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12953793
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24133059
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16366421
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29161583
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21093467
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14649970
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24630935
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23443221
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15256690
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2468734