Our Pick: Mitra9
Check price →Feel Free vs Mitra9 (2026): Kratom in the Bottle vs Kratom in the Catalog
Both companies sell kratom, which is exactly why this comparison needs care. Feel Free CLASSIC blends kratom directly into its kava tonic, the combination behind an $8.75 million settlement and an agreed habit-forming warning. Mitra9 keeps its kava seltzer kava-only, prints 150 mg of kavalactones on the can, and sells its kratom in separate SKUs you have to read the label to avoid. Where the kratom sits turns out to be the entire verdict.
By The Kava Review Desk · ~8 min read · Updated 2026-07-22
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Tap a pick → check today's priceFeel Free and Mitra9 get cross-shopped because they occupy the same shelf in a shopper's mind: small-format relaxation drinks from companies that, yes, both sell kratom. But the comparison collapses without one distinction, so we are leading with it. Feel Free CLASSIC, Botanic Tonics' blue-bottle original, blends kava root and natural leaf kratom together in the same 2 oz tonic, per the brand's own product pages; there is no kratom-free way to drink the CLASSIC. Mitra9's kava seltzer is a kava-only can, with 150 mg of kavalactones disclosed on the label and no kratom in the formula; the company's kratom products are separate SKUs in the same catalog. One puts kratom in the bottle. The other puts it in the aisle. That difference in placement is worth more than every other spec on this page combined.
Why does the placement matter so much? Because kratom is not kava. Kratom's alkaloids act on the brain's opioid receptors and carry a documented dependence and withdrawal risk; kava's kavalactones do not work that way. The Feel Free record we lay out below, fully attributed, is in substance a kratom record: a class-action settlement over failure-to-disclose allegations, an agreed label warning that the product can become habit-forming, an FDA seizure of kratom-containing bottles. Mitra9's kava can asks you to manage a shelf-reading chore; Feel Free CLASSIC asks you to drink the blend. We do not recommend the kratom-containing Feel Free products at all, and this page, like our standalone Feel Free review, carries no Botanic Tonics purchase link by policy.
Ground rules before the cards. Nothing here is a paid placement: neither company sponsored or reviewed this page, we take no money from Botanic Tonics, and the pure-kava picks below are affiliate links that may earn us a commission at no cost to you, which never moves a verdict. And the register that binds every product named here: kava is for adults 21 and over, it can cause drowsiness, do not drive after drinking it, and never mix kava with alcohol. The FDA's 2002 consumer advisory associating kava-containing supplements with rare reports of severe liver injury remains in effect; liver concerns, medications, or pregnancy mean a doctor conversation before any kava product. Kava is not a treatment for anxiety, stress, or any condition, and nothing on this page is medical or legal advice.
The short version
- The decisive difference: Feel Free CLASSIC blends kratom into the drink itself; Mitra9's kava seltzer is kava-only with the kratom confined to separate SKUs. You cannot drink a kratom-free CLASSIC; you can easily drink a kratom-free Mitra9, if you read the can.
- Disclosure goes to Mitra9: its kava can prints 150 mg of kavalactones (from 500 mg of a 30% extract). Feel Free CLASSIC states no kavalactone figure and does not milligram-label its kratom content either.
- The Feel Free record, attributed: an $8.75 million class-action settlement over allegations its kratom's habit-forming nature was not disclosed, an agreed warning label, and a 2023 FDA seizure of 250,000+ bottles whose case was dismissed without prejudice in December 2025. Allegations remain allegations; the pattern remains documented.
- Mitra9's honest caveats: the 150 mg is stated rather than per-batch COA-published, origin is only "South Pacific," and the shared catalog means a permanent read-the-can chore to avoid grabbing a kratom or "M9" SKU.
- Our verdict: if you are choosing between these two, choose Mitra9's kava seltzer and read the can every time. If you would rather not shop around kratom at all, MELO is the kava-only can from a kava-only company, with 100 mg of kavalactones disclosed at $4.17 a can.
- The register, always: adults 21+, drowsiness, no driving, never with alcohol, and the FDA's standing liver advisory means liver concerns or medications go through a doctor first. Not medical advice.
| Feel Free CLASSIC tonic | Mitra9 Kava Seltzer | |
|---|---|---|
| Kratom in the drink? | Yes. Kava blended with natural leaf kratom in every CLASSIC bottle | No. The kava cans are kava-only; kratom exists only in separate SKUs |
| Disclosed kava dose | None. No kavalactone figure; kratom also not milligram-labeled | 150 mg kavalactones per can, stated (500 mg of a 30% extract) |
| Format | 2 fl oz tonic, sold as 2 servings, at convenience registers | 12 oz seltzer, ~15 calories, four flavors plus variety packs |
| Documented record | $8.75M settlement, agreed habit-forming warning, 2023 FDA seizure (dismissed without prejudice, Dec 2025) | No comparable litigation record; caveats are disclosure-grade (stated number, vague origin) |
| The chore it asks of you | None available: the kratom is in the blend itself | Read the can every time; avoid kratom and "M9" SKUs in the same catalog |
| Our verdict | Not recommended in kratom-containing CLASSIC form; no purchase link here | The buyable one of the pair: disclosed, kava-only, with a label-reading habit attached |
Feel Free CLASSIC vs Mitra9 kava seltzer at a glance. Facts per each brand's own pages and our verified record; Mitra9 pricing pulled live via the Creators API, July 2026. We link no Botanic Tonics products, by policy.
01 · The Buyable One (Kava-Only Can, Read the Label)
Our Pick
Mitra9 Kava Seltzer Variety Pack
A kava-only seltzer that prints 150 mg of kavalactones on the can, from a company whose kratom products you must read the label to avoid.
Lab report: Discloses 150 mg of kavalactones per 12 oz can, from 500 mg of a 30% kava extract: a real, readable number. Kava-only cans, no kratom or L-theanine in the formula. COA program referenced rather than per-batch published; origin stated only as "South Pacific." The brand also sells kratom SKUs: read the can.
Judge the can, then judge the catalog, in that order. The can is good: the Mitra9 kava seltzer states its potency the way a brewery states ABV, 500 mg of kava extract standardized to 150 mg of kavalactones per 12 oz, across four flavors at about 15 calories each. That is the highest disclosed kavalactone figure in mainstream canned kava, and it makes the value math computable: at the live $119.00 24-pack price that is roughly $4.96 a can and about $3.31 per 100 mg of kavalactones. Feel Free CLASSIC, by contrast, states neither a kavalactone figure nor a kratom milligram count; you are flying blind on both actives, in a blend where one of them acts on opioid receptors.
Two more honest limits from our full Mitra9 review: the 150 mg figure is stated by the brand rather than backed by a published per-batch COA (a program is referenced), and the origin is given only as "South Pacific," with no country or cultivar. As a drink, the cans are lightly sweet and gently carbonated, and reverse tolerance applies, so judge across a few cans. Register, in full: adults 21 and over, drowsiness is real, no driving after, never with alcohol, and per the FDA's standing liver advisory, liver concerns or medications mean a doctor first. (Affiliate link; we may earn a commission at no cost to you.)
- Kratom in the can?
- No. Kava-only formula (the brand's kratom lives in separate SKUs)
- Kavalactones per can
- 150 mg, disclosed (500 mg of a 30% extract)
- Cost per 100 mg KL
- ~$3.31 at the live 24-pack price
- Format
- 12 oz seltzer, ~15 calories, four flavors plus variety packs
- Live pricing
- $119.00 / 24-pack (~$4.96/can), verified July 2026
What we like
- Prints a real kavalactone number, 150 mg, the highest disclosed in mainstream cans
- Kava-only formula: no kratom, no L-theanine sharing credit
- Checkable value at roughly $3.31 per 100 mg of kavalactones
- Lean ~15-calorie recipe across four flavors
Worth noting
- Sold by a dual kava-and-kratom brand: you must read the can every time
- 150 mg is stated, not per-batch COA-published
- Origin given only as "South Pacific"; pricier than most cans
Who should buy it: Buy Mitra9's kava seltzer if you want the disclosed-dose kava can of this pairing and you are reliably willing to read the label every time you buy from a mixed kava-kratom catalog. It is the transparent, kava-only answer to the Feel Free impulse.
What we don't like: The read-the-can chore never goes away, the 150 mg is stated rather than per-batch published, origin is vague, and at about $4.96 a can it is pricier than most of the category.
Bottom line: Mitra9's kava seltzer is the answer for the shopper this page is written for: it delivers the kava, prints the dose, and keeps the kratom out of the can. At $119.00 for the 24-pack, live-verified in July 2026, it runs about $4.96 a can, roughly $3.31 per 100 mg of disclosed kavalactones, one of the few checkable values in canned kava. The permanent condition of ownership is vigilance: the same brand sells kratom seltzers, shots, and kava-kratom combos, so confirming you have the kava can is a every-time habit, not a one-time check.
02 · The No-Kratom-Anywhere Alternative
MELO Sparkling Kava
Disclosed 100 mg of kavalactones from a company that sells kava and nothing else: no label-reading chore, no kratom in the building.
Lab report: Discloses 100 mg of kavalactones per 12 oz can, farm-grown Vanuatu kava, zero sugar, kava-only formula. Lab testing claimed; we would still like a public COA library. No kratom anywhere in the company's catalog.
Both drinks above come with an asterisk; this one does not. MELO Sparkling Kava prints 100 mg of kavalactones per 12 oz can, sources its kava from the brand's own farm in Vanuatu, runs zero sugar and zero calories, and belongs to a company that sells kava, only kava, in every SKU it makes. There is no kratom can to grab by mistake because there is no kratom can. For the shopper who arrived at this page because the words "kratom company" gave them pause, that absence is the entire product.
The standing rules do not care how clean the catalog is: adults 21 and over, kava can cause drowsiness, no driving after a can, never alongside alcohol, and the FDA's standing liver advisory sends liver concerns and medication lists to a doctor before the first sip. (Affiliate link; we may earn a commission at no cost to you.)
- Kratom anywhere in catalog?
- No. Kava-only company
- Kavalactones per can
- 100 mg, disclosed on the label
- Cost per can
- $4.17 ($49.99/12-pack, live price July 2026)
- Format
- 12 oz sparkling, zero sugar, zero calories
- Source
- Farm-grown Vanuatu kava
What we like
- No kratom in any SKU: the only pick here with zero label-reading chore
- Disclosed 100 mg kavalactone dose, fully checkable value
- Cheapest per can of this page's picks at $4.17
- Zero sugar, farm-sourced Vanuatu kava
Worth noting
- Lower disclosed dose than Mitra9's 150 mg
- Three flavors only; no public COA library yet
Who should buy it: Buy MELO if you want disclosed-dose kava with zero kratom adjacency: no shared catalog, no label-checking ritual, and the lowest per-can price of this page's picks. It is the simplest honest can in the category.
What we don't like: A lower disclosed dose than Mitra9 (100 mg vs 150 mg), only three tropical-leaning flavors, no public COA library yet, and thinner retail presence than the big convenience brands.
Bottom line: MELO is the escape hatch from this entire comparison. If the honest answer to "will I really read the can every time?" is no, buy the can that makes the question moot: 100 mg of disclosed kavalactones, zero sugar, farm-grown Vanuatu kava, from a company with no kratom products at all. At $49.99 a twelve-pack ($4.17 a can, live-verified) it is also the cheaper habit of the two picks here.
More kava worth comparing
Beyond this guide: the highest-rated kava across every format, kavalactones verified, with a live price check on each.
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Quick shop: every pick
Skip the scroll — the whole lineup, with a live price check on each.
- Mitra9 Kava Seltzer Variety PackThe Buyable One (Kava-Only Can, Read the Label)Mitra9 · $119.00 / 24-pack (~$4.96/can, live July 2026)Check price →
- MELO Sparkling KavaThe No-Kratom-Anywhere AlternativeMELO · $49.99 / 12-pack ($4.17/can)Check price →
Key terms
- Kratom
- The leaf of Mitragyna speciosa, a different plant from kava, with opioid-receptor activity and a documented dependence risk. In Feel Free CLASSIC it is blended into the drink; at Mitra9 it lives in separate SKUs the buyer must avoid by reading the can.
- Blend vs catalog
- The distinction this comparison turns on. A blend puts the second plant in your glass with no opt-out; a mixed catalog puts it on the shelf next to your can, where label-reading can filter it. Categorically different asks of the buyer.
- Kavalactones
- Kava's active compounds and the honest unit of comparison. Mitra9 prints 150 mg per can; MELO prints 100 mg; Feel Free CLASSIC prints no kavalactone figure and no kratom milligram count.
- "M9" combos
- Mitra9's kava-kratom combination products. Anything labeled M9, kratom, or mitragynine is not the kava seltzer this page recommends: check the can, every purchase.
- Without prejudice
- How the government's Feel Free forfeiture case ended in December 2025: a dismissal that permits refiling. A procedural closing, not a safety endorsement, and we report it as exactly that.
- The FDA liver advisory (2002)
- The FDA's standing consumer advisory associating kava-containing supplements with rare reports of severe liver injury. Its practical advice binds every product on this page: liver concerns or liver-affecting medications mean a physician conversation before kava.
Questions, answered
Do Feel Free and Mitra9 both contain kratom?
The companies both sell kratom; the drinks differ, and that is the whole comparison. Feel Free CLASSIC contains kratom in the bottle: it is a blend of kava root and natural leaf kratom, per Botanic Tonics' own pages, with no kratom-free version of the CLASSIC formula. Mitra9's kava seltzer contains no kratom: the can is kava-only, with 150 mg of kavalactones disclosed. Mitra9 does sell kratom seltzers, shots, capsules, and kava-kratom "M9" combos as separate SKUs, which is why the standing instruction with that brand is to read the can every time.
Which is safer, Feel Free or Mitra9?
We are reviewers, not clinicians, so we answer with the records. Feel Free CLASSIC's record includes an $8.75 million class-action settlement over allegations its kratom's habit-forming nature was not disclosed, an agreed label warning, and a 2023 FDA seizure of kratom-containing bottles whose case was dismissed without prejudice in 2025; allegations remain allegations, and the record remains documented. Mitra9's kava seltzer carries no comparable record; its caveats are disclosure-grade (a stated rather than COA-published number, a vague origin) plus the shelf risk of its kratom siblings. Whichever way you read that, every kava rule applies to both: adults 21+, no alcohol, no driving, and the FDA's standing liver advisory means liver concerns or medications go through a doctor first. This is not medical advice.
Does Mitra9's kava seltzer have kratom in it?
No. The Mitra9 kava seltzer is a kava-only can: 500 mg of a 30% kava extract, standardized to a disclosed 150 mg of kavalactones per 12 oz, at about 15 calories, with no kratom and no L-theanine in the formula. The caution is the catalog, not the can: Mitra9 also sells kratom products under the same brand, so confirm the can says "Kava" and "500mg Kava Root Extract" rather than kratom, mitragynine, or "M9" before you buy or drink.
How much kava is in Feel Free vs Mitra9?
Only one of them tells you. Mitra9 disclosed 150 mg of kavalactones per can, which at the live $119.00 24-pack price (about $4.96 a can) works out to roughly $3.31 per 100 mg, one of the few checkable values in canned kava. Feel Free CLASSIC states no kavalactone figure, and it does not state its kratom content in milligrams on the label either, so neither active in the blend can be quantified from public information. We do not estimate around non-disclosures, so Mitra9 is the only side of this matchup with a computable dose.
What should I drink instead of Feel Free?
If you want the disclosed-dose kava can and can commit to reading labels in a mixed catalog, Mitra9's kava seltzer (150 mg of kavalactones, kava-only can). If you want zero kratom adjacency, MELO Sparkling Kava: 100 mg disclosed, zero sugar, $4.17 a can, from a company with no kratom products at all. Botanic Tonics' own kratom-free SKUs (the KavaMate tonic and non-CLASSIC capsules) also exist and deserve fair, separate judgment. Our Feel Free alternatives guide maps the full pure-kava swap list by use case.
Is this comparison sponsored?
No. Neither Botanic Tonics nor Mitra9 paid for, reviewed, or approved this page. We take no money from Botanic Tonics and deliberately carry no Feel Free purchase link anywhere on this site. The Mitra9 and MELO links are affiliate links that may earn us a commission at no cost to you, which never moves a verdict; the verdict here follows the same standard as everywhere on Kava Review, which rewards disclosed doses and penalizes undisclosed blends. Facts were verified against both brands' own pages and reporting, with prices pulled live in July 2026.
Filed under Comparison
Keep reading
Feel Free Review
The complete documented record on the blue bottle: the settlement, the FDA case, and the consumer reports, all attributed.
Mitra9 Kava Seltzer Review
The full verdict on the can that prints 150 mg, and the kratom catalog you have to shop around.
Kava vs Kratom
The plant-versus-plant explainer behind every verdict on this page: different actives, different risks.
Leilo vs Mitra9
Mitra9's other matchup: the disclosure underdog against the category's biggest mainstream can.
Feel Free Alternatives
Every pure-kava product we would reach for instead of the blue bottle, mapped by use case.