The Best At-Home Pregnancy Tests
Wondering if you're pregnant? These pregnancy tests will help you get your answer (before you can get to the doctor’s office).
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Excitement, anxiety, hope: wondering if you're pregnant can be nerve-wracking. A home pregnancy test detects pregnancy hormones in your urine and can quickly reveal if you're expecting—some even work before you notice a missed period—so you can get that need-to-know answer right away. There are a few different types of pregnancy tests to choose from, and we've rounded up the best picks for reliable (and quick) results.
Read full reviews of the best pregnancy tests below.
Why Trust Babylist?
As an editor and mom of two, I’ve personally tested tons of baby products—pregnancy tests included! I experienced infertility, so it’s safe to say I was a chronic user and went through a lot of different tests (even after I got a few positives). I talked to two OBGYNs who are also Board Certified Endocrinologists and utilized insight from the Babylist editorial team (many of whom are also moms). Lastly, I consulted customer reviews from real parents.
The Best Pregnancy Tests
Best Early Pregnancy Test
If you just can't wait, the First Response Early Result test is what you want to grab. It's the most sensitive over-the-counter pregnancy urine test—it can tell you if you're pregnant up to six days before your missed period, and it's over 99 percent accurate. We like the curvy handle, which makes it easier to hold the stick as you pee on it. You can also find these in a “Test & Confirm” pack, which includes a digital test for added reassurance.
Additional Specs
Results time: 3 minutes
Display method: Line
Best Affordable Pregnancy Test
These take away the plastic applicator and absorbent tip of your standard pregnancy test and give you a simple strip (the same one found in regular pregnancy tests) to dip into a cup of urine. They're much less expensive than applicator tests, so if you're trying to conceive and going through a lot of tests every month, these could be a more economical choice—and they come in bulk packs. AccuMed offers a similar pregnancy test at a similar price point.
Additional Specs
Results time: 5 minutes
Display method: Line
Best Pregnancy Test with an App
This kit of strip pregnancy tests conveniently comes with cups to collect urine samples and also works with the Easy@Home app to keep track of your results. You can add images of your test to the app and log the date, time and positive or negative results—a feature that is super helpful if you're trying to conceive.
Additional Specs
Results time: 3-5 minutes
Display method: Line
Best Easy-to-Read Pregnancy Test
Unlike manual pregnancy tests where you have to decipher how many lines are darkening to tell if you're pregnant, this digital test leaves no doubt what the result is: it'll give you a clear "pregnant" or "not pregnant" result. Flashing lights on the display indicate the time remaining until an answer appears (it can take up to three minutes). You can use this test up to four days before you expect your period.
Additional Specs
Results time:1-3 minutes
Display method: Words, Pregnant/Not Pregnant
Best Eco-Friendly Pregnancy Test Kit
Natalist makes a test that is over 99 percent accurate, can be used up to five days before your missed period and is overall easy to use, with clear directions in both English and Spanish. The design is sleek, modern and 100 percent plastic-neutral. This kit also comes with ovulation tests, which makes it a great option if you're actively tracking your cycle while trying to conceive.
Additional Specs
Results time: 5 minutes
Display method: Lines
Best Fast-Results Pregnancy Test
If you’re so eager that you can't wait three minutes, the Rapid Detection pregnancy test is ready in just one minute! This box includes three tests. However, we've seen a lot of reports of more false positives with this test than with others. They always said patience is a virtue.
Additional Specs
Results time: 1 minute
Display method: +/–
The Variety Pack Pregnancy Test
Don't want to choose? This kit is a variety pack of three different pregnancy tests. One test lets you check six days before your missed period, another shows you a digital result and the last one is ready in only a minute. First Response also has a Comfort Check Pregnancy Test kit that comes with a total of eight tests—three early results tests and five strip tests—for added reassurance.
Additional Specs
Results time: 1 minute, 3 minutes, 3 minutes
Display method: Line, Words Yes+/No–, Line
A few more pregnancy tests worth noting are:
How to Choose a Pregnancy Test
There are a few things to consider when choosing the best pregnancy test.
Accuracy
In general, most tests are over 99 percent accurate when used according to the instructions. However, if you plan on testing early (before your missed period), it’s best to go with a more sensitive test specifically designed for early detection.
Cost
If you're trying to conceive, you'll likely be testing regularly. Strip tests that you dip in your urine sample tend to be more cost-effective and come in large packs.
Convenience
Although a bit more expensive, pregnancy tests designed to be held in your urine stream are a little easier to use with no cleanup involved. This makes them convenient to use and even take on the go if needed. They also come in digital versions that some people find are much more straightforward and easier to read.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pregnancy Tests
When is the Best Time to Take a Pregnancy Test?
“Many at-home tests can start becoming positive as early as 8 or 9 days post-ovulation,” says Rachel Mandelbaum, an OBGYN and Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist, “however, the risk of testing this early is that completely normal pregnancies may not be producing sufficient hormone human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) to be detected so early.” She says that 99% of pregnancies test positive on the first day of a missed period (on average 14 days post ovulation).
Does time of day matter? Sort of. The best time of day to take a pregnancy test is first thing in the morning when the concentration of hCG is higher. You can take pregnancy tests at other times of the day, though there's more of a chance of an inaccurate result if you’re testing early. Also, wait until you actually have to pee; chugging water will dilute your urine, making it harder for the test to pick up the hCG.
How Soon Is Too Soon To Test?
But some at-home pregnancy tests (like First Reponse Early Results) say they can detect if you're pregnant or not up to six days before your period is due to start. How do they do it? At-home pregnancy tests use thehCG to detect pregnancy, and some are more sensitive to hCG than others. Mandelbaum explains the reason why some tests work earlier is because they have a lower threshold for detecting hCG, while others won't show a positive until later when you have a higher amount. Alison Peck, an OBGYN and Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist says testing too early also risks picking up on what’s called a chemical pregnancy, “when an embryo implants and begins to divide and release the pregnancy hormone beta HCG and then stops dividing and the hormone goes down.”
Do You Ever Need To Take More Than One Test?
And if you do get a positive result, you don’t need to take a bunch more tests. I was so excited to finally see those two pink lines and big “positive” on my tests, taking more helped soothe some of my anxiety. “Continuing to test is completely human—we all do it—but even if a faint line appears, it's positive!” says Mandelbaum. But if you really want to be sure you’re not getting a false negative result, try to hold off until you’re past that two-week wait.
How Do Pregnancy Tests Work?
When an egg is fertilized, your body starts producing hCG. During early pregnancy, hCG levels double every two to three days and peak by the end of your first trimester. Pregnancy tests look for how much hCG is present in your urine. While “home pregnancy tests are good at picking up that you are pregnant, they can't tell you actual hCG levels or any trend of how the hCG may be rising or falling,” says Mandelbaum.
Peck says at-home pregnancy tests only detect the presence of hCG, but not how much. This is why doctors often have you come in for another test (usually via blood draw) that tells them more about the actual levels of hCG—which rapidly increase over the first few weeks of pregnancy. Peck recommends her patients who’ve experienced infertility or a previous loss come in as soon as they find out they’re pregnant, otherwise, it’s okay to wait.
How Accurate are Pregnancy Tests?
Peck says home pregnancy tests are more accurate the longer you wait to take them. Testing on the day of your expected period, or after, will yield a more definitive answer since your body will have had time to build up that hCG in your system.
And once you get a positive result, you can plug the last date of your period into our due date calculator to find out when you'll be expecting.
Expert Sources:
Rachel Mandelbaum, MD, FACOG, Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist
Alison C. Peck, MD, FACOG, Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist
