The short answer
Joint supplements almost all rely on the same pairing, glucosamine and chondroitin, whose effect remains debated: the large American GAIT trial showed no clear benefit on knee pain for patients as a whole. If you still want to try, look at two things: the actual dose, almost always lower than in the trials, and the price per day, which ranges from 0.21 to 1.15 EUR. Nutrimea offers the best compromise of dose and price; no product we checked reaches the doses studied.
The products compared, dose by dose
| Product | Glucosamine / day | Chondroitin / day | Other ingredients | Format and price | Price per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensilab, Essentials Glucosamine + Chondroitin + MSM | 187.5 mg (sulphate) | 312.5 mg | MSM 500 mg, vitamin C 55 mg | 240 capsules, 24.99 EUR (2 per day) | 0.21 EUR |
| Nat&Form, Glucosamine Chondroïtine | 500 mg (hydrochloride) | 500 mg (shark) | vitamin C 12 mg | 60 capsules, 17.20 EUR (2 per day) | 0.57 EUR |
| Nutrimea, Glucosamine Chondroïtine MSM | 720 mg (sulphate) | 500 mg (fish) | MSM 30 mg, manganese | 90 capsules, 18.90 EUR (3 per day) | 0.63 EUR |
| Novoma, Formule Articulations | 500 mg (sulphate, plant fermentation) | none: 400 mg of Phytodroitin (algae) | bamboo, devil’s claw, turmeric | 90 capsules, 24.90 EUR (3 per day) | 0.83 EUR |
| Dynveo, Glucosamine Chondroïtine, 180 capsules | sulphate, dose not recorded | 300 mg claimed (Mythocondro) | none | 180 capsules, 64.90 EUR (3 per day) | 1.08 EUR |
| Dynveo, Glucosamine Chondroïtine, 60 capsules | 1,125 mg (sulphate) | none: 900 mg of Phytodroitin (algae) | none | 60 capsules, 22.90 EUR (3 per day) | 1.15 EUR |
What the science establishes
The GAIT trial, funded by the US National Institutes of Health and published in 2006 in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed nearly 1,600 people with knee osteoarthritis. Neither glucosamine, nor chondroitin, nor the two combined reduced pain significantly compared with placebo for the participants as a whole; a favourable signal appeared only in the subgroup with moderate to severe pain (Clegg et al., 2006, PMID 16495392).
This result explains why medical opinions remain divided. It also provides the only useful numerical benchmark for judging a product: 1,500 mg of glucosamine and 1,200 mg of chondroitin per day, the doses tested. A supplement that provides a third of that cannot promise what the trials did not already show at full dose.
No product reaches the doses studied
This is the main finding of this comparison. The highest in glucosamine, Dynveo in 60 capsules, provides 1,125 mg, three quarters of the trial dose. The highest in chondroitin, Nutrimea and Nat&Form, provide 500 mg, less than half. Nutrimea is the only one to offer both at a reasonable level (720 and 500 mg) for 0.63 EUR per day: it is our choice if you want to try.
Sensilab is at the other end: 0.21 EUR per day, but 187.5 mg of glucosamine and 312.5 mg of chondroitin, which is 12.5% and 26% of the trial doses. With this product, the low price comes first from the low dose.
Phytodroitin is not chondroitin
Novoma and Dynveo, in its 60-capsule format, replace chondroitin with Phytodroitin, an algae blend presented as a plant-based alternative. This is a sensible choice for vegetarians and people allergic to fish or shellfish, but it is not the molecule studied in the trials: its effect cannot be compared on the basis of public data.
Sulphate or hydrochloride
Glucosamine comes in two forms. The sulphate is the one used in the most favourable European trials; the hydrochloride, used by Nat&Form, is cheaper to produce. At the scale of this comparison, it is a secondary criterion next to the difference in dose.
Who should take care
Glucosamine is often extracted from shellfish shells, chondroitin from fish or shark cartilage: the Nat&Form and Nutrimea labels mention this, so check if you have an allergy. Sensilab’s glucosamine comes from maize fermentation, but its capsule is made of bovine gelatine and the source of its chondroitin is not stated on the page. Medical advice is needed if you take an anticoagulant, if you have diabetes or if you are pregnant. And persistent joint pain deserves a diagnosis before any supplement.
For collagen, often sold for the joints, our marine collagen comparison compares prices per kilo.
Our sources
- Official Nat&Form, Nutrimea, Novoma and Dynveo pages, consulted on 23/10/2026: doses, forms, ingredients, formats and prices.
- Official Sensilab page, consulted on 27/10/2026: doses, ingredients, format and price.
- Clegg D.O. et al., Glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and the two in combination for painful knee osteoarthritis, New England Journal of Medicine, 2006 (PMID 16495392).