Holland & Barrett
Folic Acid 400ug Tablets
7.7/10 overallAround £2 for 90 tablets
Plain 400mcg folic acid tablets — the specific NHS-recommended dose for anyone trying to conceive, at the lowest price in the category.
The verdict
Boots' plain 400mcg folic acid tablets meet the exact NHS-recommended dose for anyone trying to conceive, at the lowest price in the category. Best if budget is the deciding factor and you don't need extras like zinc or CoQ10. It has no additional nutrients, so a separate vitamin D supplement is recommended alongside it per NHS guidance.
The NHS's actual recommendation for anyone trying to conceive is simple: 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, ideally starting before you start trying and continuing until 12 weeks pregnant. This product is exactly that, without any of the additional ingredients found in Pregnacare Conception, Zita West or Conceive Plus's formulas already in this category — which makes it the cheapest way to meet the one piece of conception supplementation advice that has strong, direct NHS backing.
The honest trade-off: the multi-ingredient products in this category include additional nutrients (zinc, selenium, CoQ10, vitamin D) that may offer some general health benefit but don't have the same specific NHS conception guidance behind them. If budget is a genuine constraint, this alone meets the core recommendation; if you'd like broader nutritional coverage as well, one of the fuller formulas is worth the extra cost.
Is the Folic Acid 400ug Tablets worth it?
- Meets the exact NHS-recommended dose for trying to conceive
- Lowest cost by a wide margin in the category
- No unnecessary extra ingredients to consider
What are the downsides of the Folic Acid 400ug Tablets?
- No additional nutrients like zinc, vitamin D or CoQ10
- Doesn't cover general pregnancy-prep nutrition beyond folic acid
- Separate vitamin D supplement recommended alongside, per NHS guidance
Specs
- Dosage
- One tablet daily
- Format
- Small tablet
- Dietary
- Vegan, gluten-free
- Folic acid
- 400mcg (NHS-recommended dose)
- Additional actives
- None
How we scored it
Nutrient Completeness
Coverage of folic acid, zinc, vitamin D and other conception-relevant nutrients at recommended doses.
Covers exactly the NHS-recommended folic acid dose, nothing beyond it.
Tolerability
How easy the supplement is to take and digest without side effects.
Single-ingredient tablet, minimal risk of digestive complaints.
Value for Money
Cost per month relative to what you get.
Lowest cost in the category by a wide margin for the one nutrient with direct NHS backing.
Weighted by importance for this category — see our editorial policy for how we test.
How this review was done
We haven't used the Folic Acid 400ug Tablets ourselves yet. This review is built from Holland & Barrett's published specifications and product information, and scored the same way as everything else on the site. We'll update it, and the badge above, once we've tested it hands-on.
How it compares
|  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Around £2 for 90 tablets | Around £30 for a month's supply | £38.00 (30-day supply) | £12.99 (30 tablets) |
| Overall score | 7.7/10 | 7.2/10 | 7/10 | 7.7/10 |
| Dosage | One tablet daily | As per pack instructions | As directed, typically 3-4 tablets daily | 1 tablet daily |
| Format | Small tablet | Capsules | — | — |
| Folic acid | 400mcg (NHS-recommended dose) | 400mcg | — | 400mcg |
Frequently asked questions
Does this meet the NHS conception recommendation?+
Yes, exactly — the NHS's actual recommendation for anyone trying to conceive is 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, ideally starting before you start trying and continuing until 12 weeks pregnant, and that's exactly what this product is, with no additional ingredients.
Is it worth paying more for a multi-ingredient conception vitamin instead?+
The multi-ingredient products in this category include additional nutrients (zinc, selenium, CoQ10, vitamin D) that may offer some general health benefit but don't have the same specific NHS conception guidance behind folic acid. If budget is a genuine constraint, this alone meets the core recommendation.
Do I need to take anything else alongside it?+
A separate vitamin D supplement is recommended alongside it, per NHS guidance, since this product covers folic acid only and nothing beyond it. It also doesn't cover general pregnancy-prep nutrition — it's specifically the one nutrient with direct NHS conception backing.
Is it suitable for vegans, and how much does it cost?+
Yes — it's vegan and gluten-free, taken as one small tablet daily at exactly the NHS-recommended 400mcg dose, and it's the lowest cost option in the category by a wide margin — no unnecessary extra ingredients to consider or pay for.
Guides that mention this
Reviewed by
Sepehr
Software engineer, soon-to-be dad, uncle to four — the tech-obsessed half of the two of us testing this stuff. Currently building this site with my wife, ahead of our own baby arriving.