Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) co-modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) (PEG/PVP-SPIONs), and PEG and poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) co-modified SPIONs (PEG/PEI-SPIONs) synthesized by thermal decomposition have been used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents to label adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Efficient cell labeling was achieved after incubation with PEG/PVP-SPIONs and PEG/PEI-SPIONs for 12h, and the MRI of labeled cells was evaluated. The cell viability tests showed the low cytotoxicity of PEG/PVP-SPIONs and PEG/PEI-SPIONs. The cellular iron content incubated with PEG/PVP-SPIONs at a concentration of 25 μg/ml was 6.96 pg/cell, the cellular iron contents incubated with PEG/PEI-SPIONs at concentrations of 12 and 25 μg/ml were 20.16, 35.4 pg/cell, respectively. The SPIONs were located predominantly in the intracellular vesicles. The cellular iron oxide uptake was significantly high after incubation with PEG/PEI-SPIONs as compared with the commercial iron oxide agents (Feridex, Feridex@PLL, Resovist and Resovist@PLL) reported. This work demonstrates that PEG/PEI-SPIONs are the competent agents for the labeling of ADSCs.