Essential takeaways

• The right manuka honey strength depends on what you want it to do. Higher UMF™ means more MGO, the natural compound behind manuka's unique activity, in every spoonful.
• UMF™ 15+ and 20+ are made for daily wellness, and UMF™ 20+ and 24+ are our go-to strengths for gut health, immunity and skincare. UMF™ 24+ and up suit workouts and winter wellness, and UMF™ 24+ and 26+ are our picks for wound care.
• Whatever you choose, look for UMF™ certification and a QR code you can trace back to the hive. That's how you know it's the real deal.

One jar of manuka honey. Seven different numbers on the shelf.

Do you really need UMF™ 24+, or will UMF™ 10+ do the job? It's the question we get asked most.

Here's the good news: there's no single "best" strength. There's just the best strength for you. A spoonful in your morning tea asks something different of your honey than a dab on a grazed knee.

First Things First: How to Read the Numbers

Every jar of New Zealand Honey Co. manuka honey carries two numbers: UMF™ and MGO.

MGO (methylglyoxal) is the naturally occurring compound that gives manuka honey its special antibacterial strength. The MGO number tells you how much is in there, measured in mg per kg.

UMF™ (Unique Manuka Factor) is an independent grading system. It checks MGO, plus the markers that prove your honey is genuine, fresh and pure: leptosperin, DHA and HMF.

In short, UMF™ tells you it's real. MGO tells you how potent it is. The higher the number, the stronger (and rarer) the honey.

1 ingredient. 2000 natural compounds. Now let's match them to your needs.

The Best Manuka Honey Strength for Daily Wellness

Our pick: UMF™ 15+ | MGO 514+ or UMF™ 20+ | MGO 829+, with UMF™ 10+ | MGO 263+ as your kitchen staple

If you want a simple, delicious ritual that fits into everyday life, start here.

UMF™ 10+, The Anytime Honey, is our everyday jar: mild, mellow and made for daily use, with digestive balance and everyday energy as its key benefits. It's a pantry staple you'll reach for in tea, on toast or straight off the spoon. Like every grade in our range, it offers a lower GI energy release than refined sugar, plus gut and digestion support.*

Want a little more from your spoonful? UMF™ 15+, The Energiser, is a step up in strength and flavour and one of our most popular jars. It's made for people living an active lifestyle who care about what goes in (and on) their body.

Want more from your daily ritual? UMF™ 20+, The Enhancer, is crafted for those seeking maximum purity and potency for daily wellness. It's bold and rich, with a noticeably stronger manuka character.

How to enjoy it: ½ to 1 teaspoon a day. Stir it into warm (never boiling) drinks, drizzle it over yoghurt or oats, or blend it into your morning smoothie.

The Best Manuka Honey Strength for Immune Support

Our pick: UMF™ 20+ | MGO 829+ or UMF™ 24+ | MGO 1122+ for everyday immunity and cold and flu season, UMF™ 26+ | MGO 1282+ or UMF™ 28+ | MGO 1450+ for high strength

Immune support is where the numbers really start to matter.

For everyday immune support,* UMF™ 20+, The Enhancer, is where to start. Immune support sits right among its key benefits, and it pairs beautifully with a squeeze of lemon in warm water. (New to manuka? UMF™ 15+ is a gentler first step.)

For winter wellness, step up to UMF™ 24+, The Optimiser. It's powerfully active, sourced from wild and rugged corners of Aotearoa, and immune support and winter wellness sit right at the top of its key benefits. It's the jar to have in the cupboard when cold and flu season rolls around.

For high-strength immune support,* UMF™ 26+, The Force of Nature, brings premium strength in smaller batches, with superior daily defence as a key benefit. Want the most concentrated option? UMF™ 28+, The Ultra Honey, lists peak immune support among its recommended uses. At these grades, ½ to 1 teaspoon a day is plenty.

Tip: consistency beats quantity. Heading out the door? Our Single-Serve Packets come in UMF™ 20+, 24+ and 26+.

The Best Manuka Honey Strength for Gut Health

Our pick: UMF™ 20+ | MGO 829+ or UMF™ 24+ | MGO 1122+

Good days start in the gut. And when it comes to digestive comfort, these two strengths are where our customers land again and again.*

UMF™ 20+, The Enhancer, is our sweet spot for gut health: high natural activity in every daily spoonful, at a price that makes a daily ritual easy to keep.

UMF™ 24+, The Optimiser, is our best seller and the #1 gut health pick by customers. If you want the most MGO you can comfortably fit into an everyday routine, this is it.

Why these two? Every grade we sell offers gut and digestion support, but higher UMF™ means more MGO per spoonful. Researchers have studied manuka honey's activity against common gut bacteria in the lab, and a small 2023 human pilot study looked at manuka honey in people with reflux. It's early days for the science, and we'll always report it at the level each study reached. You can read more on our Gut Health page.

"I love this honey. I am taking 20+ 829+, and have been for over a year. It is keeping my stomach quiet and happy."

— Verified Buyer,, UMF™ 20+

Managing a medical condition, pregnant, or watching your blood sugar? Check in with your GP first. Honey is still a natural sugar.

The Best Manuka Honey Strength for Oral and Throat Health

Our pick: UMF™ 10+ | MGO 263+ for a healthy-mouth routine, UMF™ 20+ | MGO 829+ for throat relief, plus our Personal-Aid range on the go

Honey for your teeth? It sounds cheeky, we know.

But manuka honey's natural antibacterial and antioxidant properties make it a lovely complement to your oral-care routine (brushing and flossing still do the heavy lifting).

For everyday oral wellness, UMF™ 10+ is all you need. Many people enjoy a spoonful, massage a little into their gums, or whip up a simple manuka honey mouthwash with warm water. Want something more potent? UMF™ 15+ or 20+ are great step-ups.

For scratchy, sore throats, UMF™ 20+, The Enhancer, is our go-to jar, with throat relief right at the top of its key benefits. Let a spoonful dissolve slowly so it coats your throat, or sip it in warm water with lemon. For everyday dry throats, UMF™ 10+ does a lovely job too.

Out and about? Our Personal-Aid range keeps manuka in your pocket:

• Manuka Throat Spray: MGO 514+ with peppermint and propolis to support immunity.
• Manuka Soothing Drops with Lemon: MGO 250+ to coat and calm sore throats.
• Manuka Soothing Drops with Elderberry: with zinc and vitamin C to soothe sore throats.

Honey is still a sugar, so enjoy it in moderation, and always chat to your dentist about your own oral-care needs.

The Best Manuka Honey Strength for Post-Workout Recovery

Our pick: UMF™ 24+ | MGO 1122+, or UMF™ 26+ | MGO 1282+ and UMF™ 28+ | MGO 1450+ for advanced recovery

Workday or workout, manuka has your back.

Honey is mostly easy-to-digest carbohydrate, and it raises blood sugar more gently than refined sugar. That makes any grade a handy natural fuel before you train and a tasty way to top up afterwards.

But if you want your post-workout spoonful to work harder, UMF™ 24+ is where natural performance support begins in our range.* Performance sits right in its recommended uses, and every grade above it carries performance and recovery too.

Training hard, often? Step up to UMF™ 26+, The Force of Nature, or UMF™ 28+, The Ultra Honey, which lists advanced recovery among its recommended uses. Only a handful of harvests ever test this high, so a little goes a long way: ½ teaspoon a day is plenty.

Blend a teaspoon into your post-workout smoothie, or keep a Single-Serve Packet in your gym bag for a no-mess hit on the go.

For more ideas, check out our guide to manuka honey for energy.

The Best Manuka Honey Strength for Skin and Wound Care

Our pick: UMF™ 20+ | MGO 829+ for skincare, UMF™ 24+ | MGO 1122+ or UMF™ 26+ | MGO 1282+ for wound care

Manuka honey isn't just for eating. It's been used on skin for generations, and this is where higher grades really earn their keep.

For bio-active skincare, UMF™ 20+ is where it begins. Try it as a face mask, a spot treatment or a soothing balm for dry patches. (Have sensitive skin? UMF™ 15+ is a gentle place to start.)

For skin and minor wounds, UMF™ 24+ lists wound and skincare as a key benefit (as does UMF™ 26+). It complements your skin's natural functions and helps support everyday cuts, scrapes and minor burns.*

Want the strongest option? UMF™ 28+, The Ultra Honey, lists antimicrobial wound care among its recommended uses. It's one of the rarest grades you can buy, with professional-grade potency and powerful antioxidants.

How to apply it: clean the area, then spread a thin layer of honey onto a dressing (it's far less messy than applying it directly). Cover, and change the dressing regularly.

One honest note, because we only deal in real: jar honey is a food, not a sterile medical dressing. Deep, infected or slow-healing wounds and serious burns need a health professional. For everyday knocks and grazes, though, your jar is ready when you are.

Quick-Reference: Which Strength for Which Need?

Short on time? Here's the whole guide on one screen.

UMF™ 30+ sits at the very top of our range. It's exceptionally rare, in very limited supply, and made for those who want maximum potency in ½ a teaspoon or less a day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find Your Strength With New Zealand Honey Co.

Whatever your need, there's a jar with your name on it.

All our manuka honey is UMF™ certified, independently tested, traceable to the source, Non-GMO Project Verified, glyphosate residue free, halal and kosher. Nothing but honey, and zero compromise.

We only deal in real.

Shop the range here.

Still not sure which grade is right for you? Take our 30-second quiz and we'll match your strength to your needs and budget.

Suggested further reading:

• What Strength of Manuka Honey Should I Have? A Guide to UMF™ Ratings
• Manuka Honey for Teeth and Oral Health: Friend or Foe?
• UMF™ Comparison Guide

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Manuka honey is a food, not a dietary supplement or medicine. Individual results vary. Please consult a health professional before using manuka honey for any medical purpose.