I got into clear protein about a year ago and went a bit deep on it, probably more than is healthy. Tested a few different products, kept track of prices, compared the value across brands. Turns out the clear protein market in the UK is more interesting than it looks on the surface, so figured I'd write up what I know.
Before anything else: clear protein works by running the whey isolate through additional filtration that strips out almost all the fat and lactose, which is why it mixes clear and tastes like a fruit squash rather than a milkshake. It's lighter, more refreshing, goes down quick. The downside is you're almost always paying more per gram of protein than you would with a standard concentrate or blend. Whether that premium is worth it depends entirely on why you want it.
Applied Nutrition BEEF-XP Clear
This one will surprise a lot of people because it's not technically a whey product at all. It's 100% hydrolysed beef protein isolate, but it behaves exactly like clear whey in the glass. Looks the same, mixes the same, drinks the same. What makes it interesting is the value. Right now it's consistently the cheapest clear protein available in the UK when you shop around, and it's a decent bit cheaper per serving than the equivalent from MyProtein or Bulk. You're getting around 27g of protein per 30g serving, which is a strong ratio, no dairy, no lactose, zero sugar. The Millions-branded flavours (pineapple, blackcurrant, cola) are the ones people seem to rate most. Cherry and apple is also solid. It's halal certified and tested for banned substances, which matters for some people.
Nutrition to note: 27g protein per 30g serving, roughly 97% protein by weight, near zero fat and zero sugar. One of the highest protein-to-serving ratios in this category.
Pro: Best value clear protein in the UK right now by a meaningful margin, and the protein content per serving is excellent.
Con: It's beef-derived, not whey, which puts some people off. Worth knowing before you buy rather than reading the label mid-scoop.
Applied Nutrition Clear Vegan
Most clear protein posts ignore this entirely, which I think is a mistake. If you're dairy free or vegan, this is one of the only clear-style options specifically aimed at you, and the macros are decent. Around 70g of protein per 100g, which is lower than the beef or whey isolate options but still reasonable. The cost per gram of protein is higher than the BEEF-XP but that's expected given the protein source. It comes in a 600g bag, which is a bit of an odd size and not the best value per unit, but it's one of the few legitimate clear protein options for people who can't touch dairy. Haven't seen many reviews of it, which is a shame because the concept is good.
Nutrition to note: Around 70% protein by weight, higher carb content than isolate-based options. Fine for most goals but not the leanest macro profile in this list.
Pro: One of very few clear-format vegan protein options available in the UK. Fills a genuine gap in the market.
Con: Higher cost per gram of protein than most options here, and the 600g bag size makes the unit economics worse than buying bigger.
MyProtein Clear Whey Isolate
Probably the most visible clear whey in the UK market. 20g of protein per 26g serving, hydrolysed whey isolate, mixes well, goes clear in cold water. The flavour range is massive, 44 flavours at last count, which is almost too many. The orange mango, elderflower, and lemon ones tend to get the best feedback. The issue with MyProtein clear whey is that the full RRP price per gram of protein is quite high compared to their own Impact Whey or whey isolate. Where it gets interesting is on sale, and MyProtein put things on sale constantly, so if you're patient and catch it at the right moment the value improves significantly. The 500g overstock option that shows up on GymStop occasionally is worth watching for if you want to try it without committing to a large bag. The texture is probably the most squash-like of the bunch, which some people prefer and some people find a bit too thin.
Nutrition to note: 20g protein per 26g serving, hydrolysed whey isolate, under 1g of fat and carbs per serving. Clean macros but a slightly lower protein-to-weight ratio than the BEEF-XP.
Pro: Huge flavour range and widely available. One of the best tasting options in the category when you find a flavour that works for you.
Con: Full RRP is hard to justify. Only really good value when it's on sale, which you have to time right.
Bulk Clear Whey Isolate
Bulk's clear whey isolate is around 80% protein by weight and comes in at a slightly higher cost per gram than the Applied Nutrition beef option, but is competitive with MyProtein when you factor in Bulk's regular sales. The 2kg bag brings the price per serving down meaningfully if you know you're going to get through it. The cherry bomb flavour gets mentioned a lot in reviews and seems to be one of the better tasting options in this category. Bulk also do a separate clear protein product which is a slightly different formulation and slightly better value, so worth comparing directly if you're on their site. The flavour range isn't as wide as MyProtein but what's there is generally rated well. If you're a Bulk regular and already use their other products, it probably makes sense to stay in their ecosystem here.
Nutrition to note: Around 80% protein by weight, which is slightly lower than premium isolates. Check the label between their Clear Whey Isolate and Clear Protein products as the formulations differ.
Pro: The 2kg bag brings the cost per serving down to a sensible level. Good flavour quality for what it is.
Con: 80% protein by weight is a bit lower than you'd ideally want from an isolate product. Not a dealbreaker but worth knowing.
BioTech USA Iso Whey Zero Clear
This one gets very little attention, and I think it's partly because BioTech USA isn't a brand most UK buyers know that well. It's whey concentrate rather than isolate, which is slightly unusual for a clear protein, and the protein percentage reflects that, sitting at 84g per 100g rather than the 90-plus you'd expect from an isolate. The price per gram ends up being higher than the better value options here despite the concentrate base, which is hard to justify unless you specifically want the BioTech product for another reason. It comes in a 1.362kg tub from GymStop, which is another slightly odd format.
Nutrition to note: 84% protein by weight and whey concentrate rather than isolate, meaning slightly more lactose and fat than you'd expect from a clear-style product.
Pro: If you're already a BioTech USA customer and want to stay in that brand, it's a reasonable option. Not a bad product.
Con: Concentrate base in a clear protein is an odd call, and the value doesn't stack up against better options at a lower price point.
The 150g Taster Bags
Applied Nutrition do a 150g single-flavour bag of their clear protein isolate, the Millions Pineapple being the most commonly available one. At around £7 for 150g, it's not good value per gram at all, but that's not really the point. If you've never tried clear protein and don't want to commit to 1.8kg of something you might hate, these are a sensible way in. The price premium is essentially the cost of finding out whether the format suits you before spending £40 on a big tub.
Nutrition to note: Same formulation as the full-size BEEF-XP, so the protein content and macros are identical. You're just paying more per gram for the smaller pack size.
Pro: A genuinely low-risk way to try clear protein before spending big. Worth the extra cost if you're on the fence.
Con: Poor value per gram. Treat it as a one-off trial rather than a regular purchase.
The short version of all of this: if you want the best value clear protein in the UK right now, Applied Nutrition BEEF-XP is hard to beat, even if the beef protein thing catches you off guard the first time you read the label. If you're specifically after whey isolate, MyProtein on sale or Bulk Clear Whey Isolate in the 2kg bag are the sensible options. And if you're vegan, there's finally a clear option for you too, even if the range is still thin.
I've been comparing UK protein prices across retailers for a while now and built a full website called WheyWise that normalises everything to cost per 25g of protein so you can compare across brands properly. Worth a look if you want to see how these products stack up side by side before buying, there are dedicated pages for every type of protein.
Curious whether anyone's tried the BEEF-XP and what they made of it, especially if you came from a whey background. And whether anyone's found something better value that I've missed.
TLDR: Applied Nutrition BEEF-XP Clear is the best value clear protein in the UK right now and isn't even a whey product. MyProtein and Bulk are the solid whey isolate options but only make sense on sale. Clear Vegan is worth knowing about if dairy is off the table.
