{"id":3365,"date":"2026-10-08T22:56:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T14:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bbautobattery.com\/blog\/?p=3365"},"modified":"2026-10-08T22:56:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T14:56:32","slug":"what-sizes-of-vegetable-capsules-are-available-4ab8-03a036","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bbautobattery.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/08\/what-sizes-of-vegetable-capsules-are-available-4ab8-03a036\/","title":{"rendered":"What sizes of vegetable capsules are available?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, if you\u2019ve ever shopped for plant-based supplements or medications, you\u2019ve probably stared at a shelf full of pills, thinking \u201cwhy do capsules come in so many sizes?\u201d As a vegetable capsules supplier, this is one of the most common questions I get from new brands, freelance formulators, and even people just picking up their own over-the-counter vitamins. Today, I\u2019m breaking down every size we stock, why they matter, and what you should actually pick for your next project. Vegetable Capsules<\/a><\/p>\n

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First, let\u2019s get one thing straight: vegetable capsules (veggie caps for short, since that\u2019s what we call \u2018em around the office) aren\u2019t just one-size-fits-all. Unlike generic gelatin capsules that\u2019ve been around forever, veggie caps come in specific, standardized sizes measured in \u201c000, 00, 0, 1, 2\u2026\u201d and so on. But here\u2019s the thing\u2014those numbers don\u2019t mean the same thing to everyone. I\u2019ve had a guy from a pet supplement brand call asking for a \u201csize 0 big enough to hold 2 grams of turkey powder,\u201d and I had to pull up our internal volume chart to confirm we had it. That\u2019s the stuff I\u2019ll get into later.<\/p>\n

Before we dive into sizes, quick context on what makes veggie caps different from the old gelatin ones. Most veggie caps we supply are made from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) or pullulan\u2014both plant-based, so they\u2019re great for vegans, people with religious dietary restrictions, or anyone avoiding animal products. That plant-based formula means the volume they can hold is slightly different than gelatin caps, which is why you can\u2019t just swap sizes between the two without adjusting your formulation. Worth noting, right? I\u2019ve seen small brands mess that up and end up with capsules that won\u2019t close, so I always mention that first when talking sizes.<\/p>\n

Okay, let\u2019s get to the sizes\u2014let\u2019s go from the smallest to the largest, because that\u2019s how most of our customers search. Size 5 is the tiny one. You know those little capsules that almost look like sprinkles? They\u2019re barely 11 mm long, and hold only ~130 mg of powder, or ~0.13 mL of liquid if you\u2019re filling liquids (we do liquid veggie caps too, fyi). Who uses size 5? Usually kids\u2019 supplements, or tiny, high-potency ingredients that don\u2019t need a big dose. Like, if you\u2019re making a vitamin B12 supplement that only needs 1 mg per capsule, size 5 is perfect. But I\u2019ll be real\u2014people struggle to swallow these sometimes. I get why brands love \u2018em for tiny doses, but I always warn: if your customer base is adults, size 5 might be too small. We\u2019ve had one brand that switched from size 5 to size 0 for their adult B12 because reviews kept saying \u201cI can\u2019t find that little pill!\u201d<\/p>\n

Next up, size 4. A little bigger at 14 mm long, holds ~200 mg. Similar use case to size 5, just a bit more room. Usually for things like herbal extracts that are a bit more concentrated, or tiny mineral doses. Still, pretty small\u2014most adults won\u2019t have issues, but it\u2019s not the go-to for most products. I\u2019d say size 4 is niche, mostly used for single-ingredient supplements, not complex blends.<\/p>\n

Size 3 is where things start getting more popular. 15 mm long, holds ~270 mg. This is the sweet spot for a lot of pet supplements, actually\u2014small dogs, cats, that kind of thing. Also, some smaller adult vitamins, like a multivitamin that\u2019s low-dose. I remember a formulator who came to us making a joint supplement for dogs, and she tested size 3, said it was \u201cthe perfect size for a Chihuahua\u2019s treat capsule.\u201d Makes sense. For humans, it\u2019s still a bit small for most daily multivitamins, but great for targeted doses like melatonin (1-10 mg is easy in size 3, no filler needed).<\/p>\n

Size 2: 18 mm long, holds ~350 mg. Now we\u2019re talking. This is one of our top sellers, actually. A lot of middle-of-the-road supplements use size 2\u2014daily multivitamins, herbal blends like ashwagandha or turmeric, that kind of thing. It\u2019s big enough to hold a decent dose but small enough that most adults can swallow it without gagging. I\u2019ve heard people complain about size 00, but size 2 is pretty unassuming. We supply a lot of startup brands with size 2, because it\u2019s versatile\u2014you can blend 350 mg of powder, no extra fillers needed. Bonus: it\u2019s easier to make than the bigger sizes, so more consistent in quality, which is a win for new brands that don\u2019t want formulation headaches.<\/p>\n

Size 1: 19 mm long, holds ~480 mg. Almost the same length as size 2, just a tiny bit wider, so it holds more. I\u2019d say size 1 is a step up for higher-dose products. If your blend is 500 mg total, size 1 is ideal. I\u2019ve seen it used for protein supplements? Wait, no\u2014wait, protein is usually powder that\u2019s bulkier, so people use bigger caps for that. But size 1 is perfect for things like magnesium glycinate, which is a heavy mineral, so a 400 mg dose fits nicely in size 1, no extra bulking agents. Also, some pre-workouts use size 1, because they have a mix of caffeine, beta-alanine, and creatine, total 450 mg or so. That works.<\/p>\n

Size 0: Now this is the classic \u201cstandard\u201d veggie cap. 21 mm long, holds ~580 mg. If you\u2019ve ever picked up a generic vitamin that\u2019s a normal size pill, it\u2019s probably a size 0 capsule. This is another top seller. A lot of brands use size 0 for full-spectrum daily multivitamins, or herbal blends that have more ingredients. Wait, but let\u2019s be real\u2014some people struggle to swallow size 0. I get that. I had a customer last month who said \u201cmy grandma can\u2019t swallow size 0, so can you make a smaller version?\u201d Turns out, she was using size 2 for her multivitamin, but for brands targeting older adults, we actually recommend size 1 or even size 2 over size 0. But for general adult products, size 0 is the go-to\u2014balances dose and swallowability perfectly.<\/p>\n

Size 00: Okay, the big one. 24 mm long, holds ~950 mg. That\u2019s almost a whole gram of powder. This is for high-dose supplements. Like, if you\u2019re making a creatine monohydrate supplement where people take 5 grams a day? No, wait\u20145 grams is too much for one, but if you\u2019re doing 1.5 grams of a concentrated herbal extract, or 2 grams of a bulkier powder like MCT oil powder, size 00 is your guy. I\u2019ve seen pet supplements for large dogs use size 00, because they need a bigger dose. Also, some pre-workouts that are high-stimulant use size 00, since they need a lot of active ingredients. Fair warning though: size 00 is big. We get a lot of feedback from customers that size 00 is hard to swallow. If you\u2019re targeting people with dysphagia or just anyone who doesn\u2019t like big pills, skip 00. But for bulk doses, it\u2019s non-negotiable.<\/p>\n

Size 000: The giant. 26 mm long, holds ~1,350 mg\u2014over 1.3 grams. I\u2019m not gonna lie, this is the least popular size we stock. Most people only use this for bulk pet supplements, or maybe large-dose specialty formulas, like a hemp extract capsule that needs a big dose. I remember a customer who was making a bulk powder supplement for gym rats that had 1 gram of L-arginine per capsule, so size 000 was the only way. But you\u2019d be shocked how many people think size 000 is for humans\u2014no way. Even most adults would struggle to get that down, and brands that target humans usually don\u2019t touch it. We stock a small amount of size 000 just for that niche, but I\u2019d say 9 out of 10 of our customers never ask for it.<\/p>\n

Wait, hold on\u2014what about liquid veggie capsules? We do those too, not just powder. And their sizes are a little different, because liquids take up more volume than powder. For example, a size 0 liquid cap holds ~700 mg, vs. 580 mg for powder. So if you\u2019re filling oils, extracts, or any liquid, you gotta adjust the size\u2014don\u2019t use the same volume chart as powder. That\u2019s a mistake a lot of new formulators make, so I always bring that up when talking sizes.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about how to pick the right size, because I don\u2019t want you guessing. First, calculate your total fill weight (or volume, if liquid) of your product. Don\u2019t forget about bulking agents! If your blend is 500 mg of active ingredients, you might need 100-200 mg of filler to make it flow properly into the capsule machine. So total fill weight is 600-700 mg\u2014so size 0, since it holds ~580 powder, wait no\u2014wait, size 0 holds ~580 powder, so if you need 700, you\u2019d go to size 1 (~480? No wait, no, let me check my chart again, I just mixed up\u2014wait size 0 is 580 mg powder, size 00 is 950 mg, right. So if total fill is 700, size 0 is too small, so size 00. Got it, my bad earlier, I should\u2019ve confirmed.<\/p>\n

Another tip: if your customers are the general public (not pets, not specialty groups), prioritize swallowability first. A lot of brands fixate on fitting a big dose, but if no one can swallow the capsule, they\u2019ll just toss it. I had a brand that used size 00 for their turmeric supplement, and their return rate was 15% because people couldn\u2019t swallow it. They switched to size 0, and return rate dropped to 2%. That\u2019s a real example, not a sales pitch\u2014just what I see every day.<\/p>\n

Also, veggie cap sizes are standardized across reputable suppliers, right? Like, a size 0 from us is the same volume as a size 0 from any other good veggie cap manufacturer, because we follow USP standards. So you don\u2019t have to worry about \u201cmy size 0 is smaller than yours.\u201d That\u2019s important, because consistency is key when you\u2019re formulating.<\/p>\n

Wait, what about delayed-release or enteric-coated veggie caps? Do they have different sizes? No, the coating doesn\u2019t change the internal volume. So a delayed-release size 0 is the same fill volume as a regular size 0, just a coating that dissolves in the intestines instead of the stomach. That\u2019s a common question\u2014people think coating makes the cap bigger, but no, it\u2019s just a thin layer on the outside, so the size number is the same.<\/p>\n

Let me wrap this up with a quick cheat sheet, because I know you\u2019re scrolling for the takeaways:<\/p>\n