How to Order From iHerb in Russia
The Russian government is known for restricting the internet freedom of its residents. This has recently extended to ordering from the nutritional supplements and natural product website, iHerb.
Using a Russian IP address, you can no longer access certain product pages on the iHerb website or the items you purchased. Plus, despite only partial blocking of the website, all Russian users often have difficulties accessing the entire iHerb site.
Don't worry, this doesn't mean that you can't order from iHerb if you're in Russia. A premium VPN allows you to access the iHerb website unrestricted by masking your Russian IP address via a connection to a server in another country.
I've tested dozens of premium VPNs to find the best services for beating Russia’s censorship to order from iHerb, while also ensuring they'll safeguard your online privacy.
The good news is that all of my VPN recommendations include risk-free money-back guarantees, so you can try them out for a limited time.
Order From iHerb in Russia Now!
Quick Guide - How to Order From iHerb in Russia
- Opt for a VPN that can beat censorship and has robust security features. ExpressVPN has my backing for overcoming blocks and protecting my privacy.
- Download and install your VPN. Connect to a server outside of Russia. A UK, US, Sweden, or Japan server is a great choice, as these countries have excellent online freedom.
- Head over to iHerb and order your favorite products.
Why You Need a VPN to Order From iHerb in Russia
In 2019, a Russian court ordered that the iHerb app be removed from the Google Play and App Store in the country, due to the sale of uncertified biologically active supplements.
Plus, since the court decision, over 1,000 products can't be ordered from the iHerb website by customers in Russia, as they fail to comply with the local technical regulations. These product pages are blocked by Roskomnadzor to anyone with a Russian IP address.
Breeze past government censorship by using a VPN to connect to a server in another country. This masks your Russian IP address with an IP address from that location, fooling your ISP into believing you're outside Russia. Now you can order as much as you like from iHerb.
3 Best VPNs for Ordering From iHerb in Russia
1. ExpressVPN - Fast, Reliable, and Secure
- 3,000+ servers in over 105 countries
- Robust AES 256-bit encryption
- Lightning-fast network speeds
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Responsive 24/7 live chat
- Works with: iHerb, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Disney+, ITV Hub
- Compatible with: Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, Linux, Firefox, Chrome, routers
ExpressVPN is first on my list of recommendations as it has a proven ability to get past the toughest geo-restrictions, and according to my colleagues in Moscow, Russia's government censorship is no exception.
You don't need to take their word for it. Test out the unblocking abilities of ExpressVPN for yourself with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
With over 3,000 servers in 105+ countries, ExpressVPN gives you extensive IP address variety, greatly improving your chances of beating Russia's censorship. Plus, a selection of obfuscated servers hides the fact you're using a VPN, making it easy to blast through firewalls so you can order anything you want from iHerb.
Whenever you're connected to an ExpressVPN server outside Russia, robust AES 256-bit encryption masks your real IP address, providing you with complete online anonymity. The military-grade encryption also makes it impossible for anyone to trace your online activity back to you.
The Russian government – or any other third party – can't get their hands on any of your online data thanks to ExpressVPN's strict zero-logs policy. Courtesy of TrustedServer technology, all data is wiped from servers with each reboot, so there is never any identifying information or activity logs to pass on to the Russian authorities.
Want to shop on iHerb with the VPN and access local online services at the same time? You can with ExpressVPN's split tunneling feature, which lets you choose which content and apps you encrypt.
Lightning-fast network speeds eliminate the long loading times of web pages so you can order from iHerb in minutes. And my researchers in Russia put this to the test.
They connected to servers in Sweden and Japan. From a starting speed of 50.46 Mbps, download speeds dropped to 32.38 Mbps when connecting to Japan and 30.36 Mbps when connecting to Sweden. This 43 to 50% drop may seem dramatic, but they still had no lag issues when purchasing from iHerb.
You're allowed to connect 8 devices to ExpressVPN at once, so the whole family can access blocked content at the same time.
The ExpressVPN app is compatible with a wide range of platforms and devices, including routers. The responsive 24/7 live chat team talked me through router installation, and in no time at all, I was able to protect all of my devices on my home network.
Order From iHerb With ExpressVPN!
2. CyberGhost - Easy-to-Use VPN for First-Time Users
- Global network of 11,690+ servers in 100 countries
- Strong military-grade encryption
- Fast speeds
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Live chat and email support
- Works with: iHerb, Netflix, CBS All Access, ESPN+, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV
- Compatible with: Chrome, Firefox, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Windows, routers
It's true that CyberGhost doesn't operate obfuscated servers to disguise your VPN traffic, but it does have over 11,690 servers in 100 countries, guaranteeing you'll be able to order from iHerb in Russia.
Our team members in Russia confirmed they could shop the banned products on iHerb using CyberGhost servers from multiple locations, including Japan and Sweden. Even with a download decrease from 50.46 Mbps to less than 14 Mbps, accessing all parts of the site was still easy without slow loading times.
A generous 45-day money-back guarantee gives you ample time to determine if CyberGhost has all you need for a VPN in Russia.
The Russian government and any other outside threats are blocked from accessing your data by an impenetrable wall of military-grade encryption. A trustworthy no-logs policy guarantees that CyberGhost won't hand over any of your activity logs to Russian authorities as it doesn't store any.
Overcome Russian censorship on all devices at once with 7 simultaneous device connections. CyberGhost's apps are easy to use and compatible with a wide selection of devices and operating systems.
The one-click setup makes CyberGhost a great choice for the VPN beginner. Plus, help is available day or night with knowledgeable live chat customer support.
Order From iHerb With CyberGhost!
3. Private Internet Access - Best VPN for the Privacy-Conscious
- 29,650+ servers across 90+ countries
- Solid encryption
- Built-in malware blocker
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Unlimited simultaneous device connections
- Works with: iHerb, Netflix, YouTube, Sky Go, HBO GO, HBO NOW, Showtime
- Compatible with: Linux, Android, macOS, iOS, Windows, Firefox, Chrome, routers
Private Internet Access (PIA) may not have any servers in Russia to anonymize local internet activity, but it still deserves a place on this list thanks to its huge global server network and advanced security features.
A 30-day money-back guarantee gives you plenty of time to test out the security of PIA before making a commitment.
Team members in Russia verified that they were able to order through iHerb hassle-free with PIA's worldwide network of 29,650+ servers in over 90 countries.
Their testing with the server in Sweden proved that they had more than enough speed to access iHerb. Their download speed of 19.34 Mbps from 50.46 Mbps is still a good deal above the 1 Mbps needed for internet surfing
PIA doesn’t offer obfuscated servers, but I made an exception, as this VPN is packed full of top-shelf security features to protect your online privacy and sensitive data.
Military-grade encryption with support for OpenVPN ensures your internet activity is completely anonymous and untraceable, even in countries with strict censorship like Russia.
A strict no-logs policy ensures that none of your traffic or data will be collected by the VPN servers, and as a result, it can't pass on any info to third parties, even if requested by the Russian government.
Extra security comes from MACE, a built-in malware, adware, and tracker blocker. This is useful if you want to do a bit of torrenting after ordering from iHerb.
While PIA excels when it comes to security, it could do better in terms of customer support. The ticket support system means you can wait quite a while for a response to your inquiries. However, the knowledge base on the PIA website has plenty of useful guides and tutorials.
The whole household can see what PIA has to offer at the same time thanks to Unlimited simultaneous device connections across a number of platforms and operating systems.
Order From iHerb With Private Internet Access!
FAQs
What else can a VPN do?
By encrypting your data and assigning you a new IP address, premium VPNs are excellent for beating censorship blocks, but there is more to it. A trustworthy VPN gives you:
- The power to beat the geoblocks of dozens of streaming services around the world.
- Complete protection of your online anonymity, not just when purchasing from iHerb, but any other browsing, as well as when streaming or torrenting.
- Protection from the government surveilling your online activity or cyberthieves from intercepting data when connected to unsecured WiFi networks.
- Military-grade encryption to prevent your online activity from tracing back to you, even in Russia and other countries with harsh censorship laws.
- Unlimited data and bandwidth.
- Access to expansive global networks of high-speed servers.
Can I use a free VPN for ordering from iHerb in Russia?
Free VPNs are out there, but I've tested 92 and found that protecting your online anonymity and security is not a top priority. That's why I don’t recommend using a free VPN in Russia. Poor security features and the storing of your data on servers could seriously compromise your online privacy.
Don't forget, all of my VPN recommendations offer risk-free money-back guarantees. This means you can purchase from iHerb in Russia securely, before making a commitment.
Can I overcome more than censorship blocks with my VPN?
Yes! Premium VPNs – like my five picks – can also blast through the geoblocks of dozens of streaming services. For example, connect to one of your VPN's UK servers and it'll assign you a UK IP address that allows you to access BBC iPlayer, All 4, ITV Hub, and more.
Are VPNs illegal in Russia?
Unfortunately, yes, VPNs have been banned by the Russian government. However, such a ban is difficult to implement. My testing shows that you can access all my VPN recommendations in Russia, but this could change in the future.
You improve your chances of beating censorship blocks and preventing the Russian government from seeing your activity by choosing a VPN with obfuscated servers, which prevent your ISP from detecting VPN traffic.
Bottom Line
Users are unable to purchase thousands of products on the iHerb website in Russia due to government restrictions. But with a premium VPN, such as ExpressVPN, you can overcome this censorship with ease.
I've tested all of my VPN recommendations with help from colleagues in Russia to ensure that you'll be able to use them to reliably order from iHerb. Each VPN has wide server networks and/or obfuscation needed to beat Russian censorship.
Remember, each of my VPN suggestions offers a money-back guarantee so you can try them out with no risk. Change your mind during the guarantee term and a complete refund is yours.
Order From iHerb in Russia Now!
