For years, I’ve navigated the often-frustrating world of bulking as a “hard gainer” with specific dietary needs. The challenge is twofold: consuming enough calories to move the scale without feeling perpetually stuffed, and finding a product that aligns with a clean-eating, plant-based philosophy. So many weight gainers on the market are a minefield of artificial sweeteners, dairy derivatives that wreak havoc on my digestion, and proprietary blends that hide what you’re actually consuming. The search for a high-calorie, high-protein supplement with a transparent, minimal ingredient list felt like a quest for a unicorn. This struggle is real for many athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and individuals simply trying to build mass on a vegan diet. It’s not just about calories; it’s about the *quality* of those calories and trusting the brand behind them. This is the exact problem the NAKED Vegan Mass Chocolate Weight Gainer 8LB promises to solve, and why we were so eager to put it to the test.
- ONLY FIVE INGREDIENTS: Pea Protein Powder, Organic Rice Protein Powder, Organic Maltodextrin (made from gluten free organic tapioca) Organic Coconut Sugar and Organic Cacao. Chocolate Naked Vegan Mass...
- VEGAN NUTRITION: Each serving of our chocolate vegan weight gain powder contains 50g of Protein, 237g of Complex Carbs, and 1,280 Calories. To ensure a complete amino acid profile, the ratio of pea to...
- PREMIUM COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES: Unlike other chocolate vegan weight gainer supplements, Chocolate Naked Vegan Mass does not use wheat based carbohydrates, instead using gluten-free organic tapioca...
What to Consider Before Buying a Sports Nutrition Weight Gainer
A sports nutrition weight gainer is more than just a tub of powder; it’s a key solution for anyone struggling to meet their daily caloric and macronutrient targets for muscle growth and weight gain. It bridges the gap between what you can comfortably eat and what your body needs to build mass. The main benefits are convenience and caloric density, allowing you to consume over 1,000 calories and 50 grams of protein in a single, easy-to-drink shake, a feat that would otherwise require a massive, often inconvenient meal. This is a game-changer for those with fast metabolisms, small appetites, or demanding schedules that make frequent, large meals impractical.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing challenges in gaining weight—the classic “hard gainer” or ectomorph—as well as athletes in a bulking phase who need to maintain a significant calorie surplus. It’s also an excellent tool for individuals with dietary restrictions, like vegans, who may find it harder to source high concentrations of plant-based protein and calories. However, it might not be suitable for those aiming for weight loss or individuals who can easily meet their caloric needs through whole foods. If your goal is simply to add a small protein boost post-workout, a standard protein powder would be a more appropriate and lower-calorie choice.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Ingredient Quality & Source: Look beyond the calorie count. Where do the carbohydrates and proteins come from? We favor complex carbohydrates like organic tapioca maltodextrin over simple sugars like fructose. For protein, a blend of sources (like pea and rice) is crucial for a complete amino acid profile, which is essential for muscle protein synthesis.
- Macronutrient Ratio: Calorie density is key, but the ratio of protein to carbohydrates matters. A good mass gainer should provide a substantial protein dose (typically 50g or more per serving) to support muscle repair and growth, not just empty calories. The carbohydrate content fuels your workouts and replenishes glycogen stores.
- Digestibility & Allergens: Many traditional gainers are loaded with whey, casein, and lactose, which can cause digestive distress for many. A product like the NAKED Vegan Mass Chocolate Weight Gainer 8LB is specifically formulated to be free from common allergens like dairy, soy, and gluten, making it a much safer bet for those with sensitivities.
- Mixability & Taste: A gainer is useless if you can’t stand to drink it. Due to the sheer volume of powder per serving, mixability can be a challenge. Look for powders that dissolve well without excessive clumping. Taste is subjective, but products with natural sweeteners and flavors, like organic cacao and coconut sugar, are often more palatable and less likely to cause flavor fatigue.
Understanding these factors will empower you to choose a product that not only helps you reach your weight goals but also supports your overall health and well-being.
While the NAKED Vegan Mass Chocolate Weight Gainer 8LB is an excellent choice on paper, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- HIGH CALORIE WEIGHT GAINER: More than 1,200 calories per 2-scoop serving
- 52G PROTEIN: Every servings contains 52g of protein to support muscle growth, repair, and recovery. If your goal is gaining muscle size and strenth, then SMG is your perfect workout parther. while...
- High Protein Weight Gainer and Muscle Mass Gainer*
First Impressions: Minimalist Branding and a Whole Lot of Powder
The NAKED Vegan Mass Chocolate Weight Gainer 8LB arrives in a massive 8-pound tub, true to the brand’s minimalist ethos. The label is clean, black and white, and proudly displays its short, five-ingredient list. There are no flashy graphics or exaggerated claims, which immediately instills a sense of confidence in the product’s transparency. Opening the tub reveals a fine, dark powder with a pleasant, authentic cacao aroma—not the sickly sweet smell of artificially flavored competitors. The included scoop is large, which is expected for a product packing over 1,200 calories per serving. However, this is where we encountered our first point of confusion, one echoed by many long-time users. The label instructions on our recent tub differed from older versions we’ve seen, creating immediate questions about serving size and consistency—a concern we’ll dissect in detail later.
Key Benefits
- Formulated with only five clean, natural ingredients.
- Excellent for vegans and those with dairy, soy, or gluten sensitivities.
- High caloric density with 1,280 calories per serving.
- Uses complex carbohydrates from organic tapioca maltodextrin.
Limitations
- Inconsistent and confusing serving size instructions on labels.
- Extremely concerning third-party reports of high lead content.
A Deep Dive into NAKED Vegan Mass: Performance, Promises, and Problems
A mass gainer’s worth is measured in more than just calories. It’s about the quality of its formula, its real-world usability, and above all, the trustworthiness of the company producing it. We put the NAKED Vegan Mass Chocolate Weight Gainer 8LB through rigorous testing, and what we found was a product of stark contrasts: a brilliant concept shadowed by serious, unavoidable concerns.
Ingredient Profile & The “Clean” Promise
On paper, the formula is precisely what a health-conscious hard gainer dreams of. NAKED Nutrition built its brand on transparency, and this product is the flagship example. It contains just five ingredients: Pea Protein, Organic Rice Protein, Organic Tapioca Maltodextrin, Organic Coconut Sugar, and Organic Cacao. This is a masterclass in simplicity. The protein comes from a 2:1 blend of pea and rice, a classic vegan combination that provides a complete amino acid profile necessary for muscle protein synthesis. This is a crucial detail, as many single-source plant proteins are incomplete. At 50 grams of protein per serving, it delivers a potent dose for muscle repair and growth.
The carbohydrate source is equally impressive. Instead of cheap corn-based sugars or wheat, NAKED uses Organic Tapioca Maltodextrin. This is a gluten-free, complex carbohydrate that provides sustained energy without the dramatic insulin spike and subsequent crash associated with simple sugars. The flavor is derived from organic cacao and organic coconut sugar, lending a mild, natural sweetness that avoids the chemical aftertaste of sucralose or acesulfame potassium found in so many other gainers. For anyone looking to avoid GMOs, soy, dairy, and artificial junk, this ingredient list is, in theory, a massive win and a primary reason many, including us, were drawn to this premium vegan gainer.
Taste, Mixability, and Real-World Digestibility
For a product that requires you to consume a massive 300+ gram serving, taste and mixability are paramount. We tested the NAKED Vegan Mass Chocolate Weight Gainer 8LB in various ways. Mixed with just water in a standard shaker bottle, it’s palatable but not exceptional. The chocolate flavor is authentic, like dark cocoa, not milk chocolate. As many users noted, and as we confirmed, there is a slightly grainy or earthy texture. This is very common with pea and rice protein blends and wasn’t a deal-breaker for us, but those accustomed to silky-smooth whey isolates should be aware. It’s a small trade-off for a clean, dairy-free formula.
However, this gainer truly shines when used as a smoothie base. Blending a full or half serving with almond milk, a banana, and a scoop of peanut butter transforms it into a thick, delicious, and calorically supercharged meal. The mild flavor profile is a huge asset here, as it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients. Most importantly, we experienced zero digestive distress. No bloating, no gas—a stark contrast to our experiences with many dairy-based mass gainers. One user review captured this perfectly: “I have GI issues and trouble getting food down when I’m having a flair so this is a lifesaver!” This is a huge selling point for those with sensitive stomachs, making the daily calorie surplus goal far more achievable.
The Elephant in the Room: Labeling, Servings, and A Crisis of Trust
Here is where our review takes a sharp, concerning turn. A product’s integrity rests on the accuracy of its label, and this is where NAKED Nutrition appears to have failed its customers spectacularly. For years, the serving size was listed as 4 scoops. Recently, as countless frustrated customers have reported, the label changed to 6, and in some cases even 7 scoops, to achieve the same nutritional value. The tub size, net weight, and scoop itself remained unchanged. We investigated this ourselves and found the user complaints to be entirely valid. This is not a simple “matter of weight vs volume” as the company reportedly claimed in unhelpful customer service responses. It’s a confusing and frankly misleading change that erodes trust.
One loyal customer who bought the product 28 times lamented, “They have not given a straight answer and stopped responding. Definitely concerning and sketchy.” Another user correctly pointed out the absurdity: “who genuinely thought 6 large scoops of powder with water/milk can fit in a normal bottle?” Worse still, some users have presented photographic evidence of newer labels showing a reduced protein content, dropping from 50g down to 39g per serving. This is a bait-and-switch, reducing the quality of the product while keeping the price the same or even increasing it. For a brand named “NAKED,” these actions feel like the opposite of transparency. This inconsistency makes it impossible for a consumer to track their macros accurately and calls the entire formulation into question. It’s a significant betrayal of the trust the brand’s minimalist marketing is designed to build.
A Critical Health Warning: The Consumer Reports Lead Findings
The labeling issue, while serious, pales in comparison to the final, critical flaw we must address. A recent, widely circulated Consumer Reports study investigated heavy metals in protein powders. Their findings for this specific product were shocking and deeply disturbing. The report states, “Naked Nutrition’s Mass Gainer powder contained 7.7 micrograms of lead per serving, which is roughly 1,570 percent of CR’s level of concern for the heavy metal.” This is not a minor infraction; it is a major health and safety red flag.
Heavy metals like lead can accumulate in the body over time and pose serious health risks. For a product marketed as “clean” and made with minimal, natural ingredients, this level of contamination is unacceptable and frankly, horrifying. Users who chose this product for its perceived purity feel, justifiably, betrayed. As one devastated user wrote, “I chose this brand specifically because of its minimal and ‘clean’ ingredients… I feel completely betrayed.” We share this sentiment. The entire premise of the NAKED brand is trust and purity. This report shatters that premise. Until NAKED Nutrition publicly addresses this report, provides third-party testing to refute it or confirms they have rectified the issue with their sourcing and manufacturing, we cannot look past this critical safety concern.
What Other Users Are Saying
The user feedback landscape for the NAKED Vegan Mass Chocolate Weight Gainer 8LB is a dramatic story of a beloved product falling from grace. On one hand, you have scores of positive comments from users who successfully gained weight and loved the product’s clean formula and mild taste. One happy customer noted, “This is my first time trying a vegan mass gainer and it’s been great so far! Doesn’t upset my stomach at all.” Another praised its effectiveness, saying, “I recently lost a lot of weight and was having trouble gaining… This stuff really worked on me!”
However, these positive sentiments are now almost completely overshadowed by a tidal wave of recent, highly critical reviews. The primary complaints center on the three major issues we uncovered. The confusing shift in serving size from 4 to 6 scoops without explanation has left long-time buyers feeling “scammed.” The alleged reduction in protein content is seen as a “ripoff.” But the most damning feedback comes from users citing the Consumer Reports study on lead contamination. A formerly loyal customer stated, “unfortunately I’ll be tossing what I have left and not purchasing again until the lead contamination is addressed. Extremely reckless and dishonest business practices.” This feedback is not just negative; it’s a warning from a community that feels their health and trust have been compromised.
How Does NAKED Vegan Mass Compare to the Alternatives?
Given the serious concerns with the NAKED Vegan Mass Chocolate Weight Gainer 8LB, exploring alternatives is not just a suggestion; it’s a necessity. Here’s how it stacks up against three other popular options.
1. Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass Weight Gainer Protein Powder
- HIGH CALORIE WEIGHT GAINER: More than 1,200 calories per 2-scoop serving
- 50 grams of blended protein per 2-scoop serving
- Over 250 grams of carbohydrates per 2-scoop serving
Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass is the industry’s heavyweight champion for a reason. It’s a calorie behemoth, often packing around 1,250 calories per serving, 50g of protein, and over 250g of carbs. Unlike NAKED’s clean formula, Serious Mass contains a long list of ingredients, including whey protein concentrate, artificial sweeteners (sucralose), and various vitamin/mineral blends. This is the ideal choice for someone without dairy or dietary sensitivities whose primary goal is maximum calorie intake for the lowest price. It’s less of a “clean” gainer and more of a pure bulking tool. If you can digest dairy well and don’t mind artificial ingredients, Serious Mass offers proven results and great value.
2. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pro Gainer Weight Gainer Protein Powder
- High Protein Weight Gainer and Muscle Mass Gainer*
- 650 CALORIES PER SERVING - delivering calories that count to support your gains
- 60G OF PROTEIN BLEND PER SERVING- support your mass gaining goals with high-quality protein
The Pro Gainer is Optimum Nutrition’s leaner, more protein-focused option. It delivers fewer calories per serving (around 650) but a higher protein content (60g) and a more moderate carbohydrate count (85g). This makes it a better fit for athletes looking to build lean muscle with less fat gain, as opposed to the “bulk at all costs” approach of Serious Mass. It uses a blend of high-quality dairy proteins and complex carbs. For someone who found NAKED’s calorie count to be too extreme, or who wants a higher protein-to-carb ratio without sacrificing the reliability of a major brand, the Pro Gainer is an excellent middle-ground, provided dairy is not an issue.
3. NAKED Chocolate Mass Gainer 8lb
- ONLY FIVE INGREDIENTS: Naked Whey, Naked Casein, Organic Maltodextrin (made from gluten free organic tapioca), Organic Coconut Sugar, and Organic Raw Cacao. Naked Mass contains no artificial...
- MAXIMUM NUTRITION: 50g of Protein, 251g of Carbs, 1,360 Calories, 11.6g of BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) per serving and only 5g sugar - compare vs other weight gain supplements for bulking.
- MULTI-PHASE CLEAN PROTEIN: MULTI-PHASE CLEAN PROTEIN: All natural whey and casein provides your body with healthy amino acids to keep protein synthesis up throughout the day. Combine with a...
This is the direct, dairy-based counterpart from the same brand. The NAKED Mass (Whey) gainer shares the same philosophy as the vegan version: a minimal, clean ingredient list. It uses whey concentrate, casein, and organic maltodextrin to deliver slightly more calories (1,360) and the same 50g of protein. For non-vegans who love the “NAKED” concept of no artificial additives, this would seem like the perfect alternative. However, we must issue a strong word of caution. The issues of labeling inconsistency and, more importantly, the heavy metal contamination reported in the vegan line, raise serious questions about the company’s quality control across all its products. While its formula is theoretically sound, we would be hesitant to recommend it until the company resolves these overarching transparency and safety issues.
Final Verdict: A Great Idea Undone by Critical Flaws
The NAKED Vegan Mass Chocolate Weight Gainer 8LB is a product we desperately wanted to love. The concept is brilliant: a high-calorie, effective weight gainer built on a foundation of clean, simple, plant-based ingredients. For a market saturated with artificial and allergen-laden formulas, its promise was a breath of fresh air. It tastes decent for a gainer, mixes well in smoothies, and is incredibly gentle on the digestive system.
However, a product cannot be recommended on its concept alone. The execution and the integrity of the company matter more. The confusing and misleading changes to its serving size and protein content have severely damaged customer trust. But the findings from Consumer Reports regarding dangerous levels of lead are simply unforgivable for a health supplement. It represents a critical failure in quality control and a betrayal of the brand’s core “clean” promise. Therefore, despite its theoretical advantages, we cannot in good conscience recommend this product at this time. We strongly urge potential buyers to consider safer, more transparent alternatives until NAKED Nutrition addresses these serious safety and transparency issues head-on. If you are still considering it, we advise you to thoroughly review the latest product information and user feedback before making a decision.
Last update on 2025-11-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API