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There's nothing quite as anxiety inducing as that three- to five-minute wait while taking a pregnancy test. Regardless if it's positive or negative (and whichever one you're hoping for), one thing remains the same: You want to trust the results you see.
You may see pregnancy tests called HPTs (which stands for home pregnancy tests), and they all use urine to detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG, a hormone which starts appearing in your pee when you're expecting.
To take a pregnancy test, you pee on a specially designed stick, or into a small cup and then dip in a test strip or use a dropper to put urine on a specially prepared area. After a few minutes, the result is in: positive (which generally means pregnant) or negative (either not pregnant, or the test does not detect enough HCG to give a positive result).
Sounds simple enough, but checking out all the different kinds of pregnancy tests can be bewildering. There are digital ones which give a clear "pregnant" or "not pregnant" readout, "early detection" pregnancy tests that promise results of up to six days before your missed period, and "cheapie" test strips that couples trying to conceive sometimes buy in bulk, with dozens of brands all claiming their tests are the best.
So which should you choose? Dr. Tarun Jain, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine in Chicago, says that almost all pregnancy tests can pick up early pregnancies, although some are marketed as more sensitive than others.
Can the marketing be trusted? A much-cited 2014 analysis of pregnancy test claims and results noted that claims made for home pregnancy tests are "inconsistent." So take them with a grain of salt.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pregnant women with a regular 28-day cycle show detectable levels of HCG in urine 12-15 days after ovulation (which means about the time your period is due, since ovulation occurs about halfway through a 28-day cycle).
The FDA regulates home pregnancy tests, and both expensive and cheaper tests must meet the same requirements. So you can draw your own conclusions on whether the more expensive tests are worth it when it comes to accuracy of test results. As the FDA puts it, "Most pregnancy tests have about the same ability to detect HCG, but their ability to show whether or not you are pregnant depends on how much HCG you are producing."
If you're buying a brand you're unsure of and want to make sure the FDA has approved it, you can use the FDA's search tool for over-the-counter tests.
How we chose the best pregnancy tests
With something as vital as your family planning at stake, we know that recommending the best and easiest to use pregnancy tests is important. So we started our search on BabyCenter's Community, where expecting, trying to conceive (a.k.a. "TTC"), and new moms and dads trade recommendations on the pregnancy tests that worked for them, as well as those that fell short.
After taking a look at the conversation, we understood that the best pregnancy tests are easy to use, offer clear results, and are a good value for the money. We found the tests that met this standard, and compared them against criteria from expert organizations like The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Food and Drug Administration, as well as recommendations from experts like Dr. Tarun Jain.
Keep reading to learn the best early detection pregnancy test, the best cheap pregnancy test, and more.
The gold standard of pregnancy tests, the First Response is the one most long-haul TTC'ers use to confirm their pregnancy. Fans say it's more sensitive than other tests, and a 2005 study on over-the-counter pregnancy tests bore this claim out, finding that the First Response Early Result test (or FRER as TTC couples call it) detected HCG at a concentration almost four times lower than other tests.
You get results in three minutes and with First Response's new EasyRead app, you can scan and confirm your test to see the words "pregnant" or "not pregnant" if the lines aren't crystal clear to you, or you feel unsure about your results.
Heads up
The First Response tests are pricey, so many women only use these to confirm a pregnancy after receiving a positive on a cheaper test. In addition, as the FDA warns, if a test does not pick up the presence of HCG, it does not mean you're not pregnant, no matter what the EasyRead app says. "If you have a negative result, you would be wise to consider this a tentative finding," says the FDA, or in other words: you could be early in your pregnancy, too early for your HCG levels to register on the test.
Specs
- 99% accurate
- Pack contains 3 tests
- Results in 3 minutes or less
- Two lines for pregnant, one for not pregnant
- EasyRead app can be used to decode results
If you're a long-haul TTCer or chronic POSer (pee on a stick), this is your go-to! The Pregmate pregnancy tests come in a pack of 50 test strips and are highly reliable. And they're cheap: depending on how many you get for what price, they can go for less than a quarter per strip.
Heads up
The results lines aren't as dark as other tests (like the First Response) so many women will test with these first since they're so affordable, and when they get a hint of a second like, they'll take a First Response to confirm. This test requires you to collect your own urine in a cup and dip a strip in, so it's a little messier than the pee-on-a-stick tests that just ask you to hold them in your urine stream for a few seconds.
Testers say
"From what I've read they are almost as sensitive as FRER [First Response] which makes me feel less guilty a little burning through them as cheap as they are."
"I love Pregmate, they always detect before or at the same time as FRER for me."
Specs
- 99.8% accurate
- Comes in a pack of 50 individually wrapped tests
- Results in 5 minutes or less
- You will see one line for negative and two lines for positive
Walmart's famous (in TTC circles) 88-cent (yes, that's not a typo!) test is a great option if you're hoping to save on something you pee on. It's very popular in the TTC community because it's accurate, reliable, has a speedy result, and so affordable. A positive result can show in as little as 60 seconds.
Heads up
These are known to have evaporation lines (or evap lines), which show up in the place where a positive result would be. Make sure you read your results in the right window of time outlined by Equate's instructions, which says instructions are ready in two minutes. Know that all test results are unreliable when read outside of the test window outlined in the instructions of the test, and if you fish it out of the trash later to look at it again, you may get what looks like a positive but is actually an evap line.
Specs
- 99% accurate
- One test
- Results in as little as 60 seconds
- You will see one line for negative and two lines for positive
This 2-in-1 pack leaves no room for interpretation: First you take a test that gives you your results in the form of lines, then confirm those results with a digital test option that tells you clearly "yes" or "no." With results in only three minutes, you have your choice on how to test or you can take them both just to be sure.
Heads up
First Response's digital test is not as sensitive as the line test, so maybe hold onto that one if you get a faint line on the first test and use the digital test for confirmation in a few days, as digital test accuracy jumps up to more than 99 percent three days before pregnant women expect their period.
Specs
- Over 99% accurate
- Comes with 2 tests
- Results in 3 minutes or less
- You will see one line for negative and two lines for positive, or a YES+ or NO- on the digital test
If you just can't wait another minute to know, the Clearblue Rapid Detection pregnancy test is the one to grab. You can get a positive in as little as one minute (wait up to three minutes to confirm a negative). It has all of the perks as a regular Clearblue test but without the wait time.
Heads up
Note that this product's name is slightly misleading: the "rapid" means the results come more quickly once you test, not that you can test earlier in your cycle. Clearblue says that this test's over 99 percent accuracy rate applies from the day you missed your period, not before.
Specs
- Over 99% accurate
- Comes with 2 tests
- Results as soon as 1 minute for a positive
- You will see one line for negative and a plus sign for positive
The Clearblue Digital test is unusually well-thought-out, which elevates this pregnancy test above competitors. It's the only test with a smart countdown, which reassures you that the test is working. It also has a wide, absorbent, "no mess" tip with what Clearblue calls "floodguard technology" (in other words, it keeps your pee where it's supposed to be). The digital display leaves no room for interpretation, either (no more line eyes, ladies!).
Heads up
These are not as sensitive as competitor tests at picking up early pregnancies, so you'll have to wait until the day of your missed period for the test to be more than 99 percent accurate. They are quite expensive too, so save this one for the date of your expected period.
Testers say
"I buy the Clearblue Digital tests because I find them easy to read...no second guessing or questioning them."
Specs
- Over 99% accurate from the day of your expected period
- Choose from packs with 1, 2, 3, or 5 tests
- Results in 5 minutes or less
- You will see "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant"
For all the serial testers, this is the route for you. The Easy@Home is accurate, cost effective, and easy to use. It picks up HCG levels as low as 25 mIU/ml (considered to be the standard of HCG detection by fertility experts, though that's less sensitive than other tests like the First Response Early Result) within five minutes. These tests also come with a 100 percent customer satisfaction guarantee, so if you're not happy with these tests, you can return and get your money back.
Heads up
Testers complain that these tests can sometimes show evaporation lines, lines that appear to be a positive result but are instead tricky lines caused by your urine evaporating. Pregnancy tests come with instructions that say that the test result isn't valid outside of a particular range of time, so read your results within the test window to avoid disappointment.
Testers say
"I have had very good experiences with the Easy@Home tests. No evaps, and a line as dark as the control line when my period was due."
Specs
- Over 99% accurate
- Comes in a pack of 20 individually wrapped tests
- Results in 5 minutes or less
- You will see one line for negative and two lines for positive
The highly sensitive Wondfo is a TTC-er's classic test. Wondfo claims its test can detect HCG levels as low as 10 mIU/ml (which is very sensitive and can detect very early pregnancies) within three to five minutes. It comes in a pack of 25 individually sealed tests and Wondfo encourages you to test daily to watch your line colors get darker as it's able to pick up more HCG in your urine.
Heads up
Even though Wondo claims its tests can pick up a pregnancy seven days after ovulation, implantation doesn't occur immediately, and HCG isn't produced in your urine until after an embryo has implanted. So don't give up testing until your period arrives.
Testers say
"Loved them. They detected three chemical pregnancies of mine as early as 9/10 days post ovulation (confirmed each time with a First Response). I tried a different brand this time around and they were HORRIBLE. Took until 12 DPO to show even a tiny little hint of a line, First Response was incredibly clear with the same urine. So I would only buy Wondfos again when purchasing test strips although hopefully this pregnancy sticks and I don't have to go through that process again!"
"Got my first faint positive with a Wondfo at 10DPO in the evening (tested on a whim and was shocked it was there)! I'd say they're definitely worth it and I'd guess their sensitivity is around 10 miu/ul. I retested later that night using a dollar store and it was pretty stark (I think they're 25 miu/ul) and a FRER [First Response] (6 miu/ul) which was also positive."
Specs
- Over 99% accurate
- Comes in a pack of 25 individually wrapped tests
- Results in 3 to 5 minutes
- One line for negative, two lines for positive
Your body is incredible! When you get pregnant and you start growing a baby, the placenta starts making a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which is excreted in your urine. HCG production revs up once your embryo implants, about six to twelve days after conception. After implantation, HCG levels double approximately every 48 hours, and once they reach a certain level, they can be picked up by a home pregnancy test.
When enough time has passed and HCG may be detectable in your urine, it's time to take a test. Each test has an area where you apply urine, either by peeing directly onto it, dipping it into a cup of your pee, or using a dropper to directly apply the pee to a particular area. If there is HCG detected in the urine, the test strip detectors are triggered and you'll see that big fat positive within a few minutes.
Because there are variables in women's menstrual cycles and the sensitivity of pregnancy tests, some experts recommend women take pregnancy tests on the morning of the day they expect their period to start to allow for variability in your ovulation, fertilization and implantation, according to The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Please note the "morning" part of that recommendation. Morning urine usually has more HCG, so don't wait until after your first cup of coffee; take the test right as you wake up.
Dr. Jain says that all pregnancy tests pretty much work in the same way, and all have to adhere to the same stringent rules to be FDA-approved. Some tests may be more sensitive to HCG and therefore give a positive a few days earlier than others. But they all pretty much work the same, so you can rest assured that whether you've chosen the expensive option or the cheap strips in bulk, you can get a reliable result either way by following your test's instructions.
Home pregnancy tests say they're up to or even over 99 percent accurate, however, as The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center notes, these results are based on lab testing results and assume that women are testing at the right time, following every instruction carefully, and interpreting the results flawlessly.
On that last note, Dr. Jain says that the digital versions are a fancier and more clear-cut way to read the results, opposed to reading a line, which may leave room for interpretation if you take the test too early. So you may want to choose easy-to-read digital tests or cheaper tests which provide results in the form of lines, according to your preference. Note that digital tests tend to be less sensitive than tests with lines you read, though, so you typically have to wait longer to take them.
Home pregnancy tests also don't give as much information as a blood test, so Dr. Jain recommends reaching out to your primary care physician as soon as you get that positive to book a check up and to run some blood work, just to make sure everything is developing as it should and that you're healthy too.
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