Trying to conceive can be like riding a roller coaster; slow climbs followed by quick drops with a mixture of fear and excitement thrown in at each curve. Sometimes the whole process can feel daunting, filled with confusing medical terms and tests we never knew existed. That’s when we often reach for an over-the-counter solution as opposed to a clinic.
And that’s okay! Wanting to know more information on your personal fertility is a huge step in the right direction. Congratulations on taking charge of this important part of your life! You’ve done the hard part – deciding to take a test is a clear sign that you’re trying to plan and be being proactive about your fertility.
But when it comes to choosing a fertility test, the options can seem overwhelming. Whether you’re hoping to freeze your eggs or use them now, you realize it’s important to test your fertility. Understanding your hormone levels can help you determine things like egg count and ovulation cycles. But what test should you choose? Do at-home fertility tests really work, or should you opt for an in-office, doctor-led test instead? We’re here to help.
Presenting our Top 5 Most Popular At-Home Fertility Tests list. We’ve sifted through research, reviews, and ratings to help guide you through the ins and outs of at-home fertility testing. From testimonials to pricing, from pros to cons, we’ve summarized it all right here. All you have to do is sit back and read.
The 5 Most Popular At-Home Fertility Tests
1. Modern Fertility
What is it? An at-home hormone test that offers easy, minimally invasive fertility testing. On birth control? No worries. Modern Fertility customizes the test just for you and includes AMH, a super reliable marker for ovarian reserve (a.k.a. your egg count).
Every test is reviewed by a board-certified physician and conducted in a CLIA and CAP Certified lab. The company does offer a caveat. As they mention on their website, “there is no absolute predictor of fertility,” so their test will not tell you that you’re infertile.
Here’s how it works: First, order the test online. Then, take a simple finger prick test and submit the sample. Within a few weeks, you’ll receive a physician-reviewed report. Also included is a personal consultation with a fertility nurse.
Why is it popular? Let’s face it, no one enjoys having their blood taken. Modern Fertility’s minimally invasive finger prick test offers a more enjoyable experience that appears to be as effective as that of a blood draw. Plus, a traditional venipuncture (a fancy way of saying blood draw) needs to be performed by a phlebotomist (a.k.a. blood draw expert). The finger prick can be done from the comfort of home. Yay!
Worried it’s not as effective as a blood draw? Don’t be. According to a clinical study conducted by Modern Fertility and published Obstetrics & Gynecology (the official journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) finger prick testing is as effective as a traditional blood draw in measuring hormone levels.
Feel more comfortable having the test conducted in a lab? Modern Fertility can send a request to a Quest Diagnostics center near you. The results of both the finger prick and blood draw are equally accurate.
Modern Fertility also helps teach their clients about fertility in general, and they do so in terms patients will understand. They’ll guide you through what your hormone levels mean, and what they say about your overall health. Hormones can say a lot, including whether you’re at risk of early menopause, PCOS or POI. They can also help you decide if egg freezing and/or IVF are worthwhile treatments to pursue.
What sets this test apart from the others? In addition to its innovative finger prick testing, Modern Fertility is also good at creating a sense of community. In addition to their weekly “Egginar,” which answers fertility-related questions, the online community connects you with other so-called “modern women,” and offers the personal consultation with a nurse that we mentioned earlier. Another bonus: this program also includes a discussion guide to help you begin a conversation with your own fertility doctor.
In addition to their personalized fertility report, those who take the Modern Fertility test also receive a specific number on the Fertility Measurement Index (beta) (a tool to help you track your fertility over a period of time). The FEMI (beta) takes into account your age, BMI, smoking habits, and other information garnered from your initial survey. Every year, you’ll receive a number based on this calculation. This number helps you understand how many fertile years you have ahead of you.
Cost: $159
Crowdsource Rating: 4.1 out of 5 on Amazon
A downside: Modern Fertility is not currently available in NY, NJ, or RI.
Testimonial: “Overall, I feel like Modern Fertility has equipped me with the knowledge and information to make more informed decisions related to fertility over the next five to ten years. The community has been great and I definitely plan to stay connected.” – Isabel Hines, from an Amazon review.
2. Dadi Fertility Report
What is it? Pronounced “Daddy,” this at-home fertility test is designed for men. The company ships a temperature-controlled sperm collection kit to your home. You deposit your sample, mail it back and receive a detailed report. If you’re fertile, Dadi will store your sperm until you’re ready to use it (for a fee, of course).
Why is it popular? Dadi is easy to use. A special preservative contained in the collection cup protects the deposited sperm from the time of collection until it reaches the lab at the New England Cryogenic Center – about 24 hours. You simply make your deposit in the privacy of your own home, seal the cup, which activates the preservative, package it up and drop it at a FedEx Ship Center®. Within a day, you’ll receive a detailed report containing information on everything from your sperm count to volume to concentration. You’ll also be able to watch a video of your sperm.
What sets this test apart from the others? Dadi offers men a realistic and effective way to plan for their future. The company doesn’t just test your sperm, it also freezes it – for a $99 annual fee. Since sperm banks can charge anywhere from $395 to $1,100 to store sperm, Dadi offers a more economic alternative, plus it’s a more personal and private experience. No one likes depositing a sample under pressure in a public office! If your results show you’re infertile, you won’t be charged the additional storage fee.
Cost: $99, but you’re also on the hook for a $99 annual storage fee. You must pay the storage fee in order to get your fertility report. Withdrawing your sample (to use it) will cost $299.99 while cancelling your storage comes with a $29.99 discard fee.
Crowdsource Rating: 4 out of 5 on Gearhungry.com and 2.5 out of 5 on producthunt.com
A downside: Multiple reviewers bemoaned the disappointing service and lack of phone support.
Testimonial: “Dadi is for every man — whether he’s 18 or 40, the perfect time to learn about his fertility is now.” – Dadi CEO, Tom Smith on www.askmen.com
3. EverlyWell® Fertility Test
What is it? Everly Well® also uses the finger prick method to assess a woman’s hormone levels. Once you receive the package, you’ll enter a barcode found in the kit on EverlyWell.com. Then, you’ll complete the finger prick test and return your collection to their CLIA-certified lab. Within days, you’ll be able to access your physician-reviewed results on a secure online platform. Once downloaded, you can easily share these results with your physician to discuss next steps.
Why is it popular? EverlyWell® offers an impressive array of testing – for everything from metabolism to food sensitivity to Lyme disease. In terms of fertility tests, EverlyWell® provides patients with an in-depth analysis of multiple hormone levels. By measuring five specific hormones at specific times during a woman’s cycle, the tests can more accurately determine your overall hormone balance.
Below are the five hormones and dates tested:
- LH (Day 3)
- FSH (Day 3)
- Estradiol (Day 19)
- Total Testosterone (Day 19)
- TSH (Day 19)
What sets this test apart from the others? EverlyWell® offers two types of fertility-related tests: The Women’s Fertility Test and the Ovarian Reserve Test. The former tests the main hormones involved in menstruation and ovulation. The Ovarian Reserve Test, on the other hand, measures only the levels of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) to determine the quantity of eggs remaining in the ovaries.
Cost: $159 for the Woman’s Fertility Test or $79 for the Ovarian Reserve Test
Crowdsource Rating: 8.8 out of 10 on consumersadvoacte.org and 4.5 out of 5 for the Ovarian Reserve test on Amazon
A downside: The test cannot be mailed to NY, NJ, MD, or RI.
Testimonial: “This was able to flag an issue for me that I can now take action on with my primary care doctor. I'm not sure I could have convinced them to do blood work without it.” – Jamie from Virginia, from a review on www.everlywell.com
4. Ava Fertility Bracelet
What is it? This ovulation tracker is perfect for those who hate the idea of peeing on a stick or constantly taking their temperature. It comes in the form of a bracelet worn at night. In the morning, you sync the tracker with your phone. While you sleep, the tracker monitors your skin temperature, physiological stress levels (like heart and breathing rates), as well as your resting pulse rate and overall sleep. The company believes these all factor into a woman’s cycle and can help predict when you will ovulate.
Why is it popular? There’s no blood or urine testing involved here – need we say more? This comfortable bracelet tracks important variables that can help predict your fertile window. Once you plug it into its charger in the morning and sync it to the app on your phone, voila. You’ll receive all your data from the previous night. This includes charts, health information and a prediction for your next day of ovulation and period.
What sets this test apart from the others? Instead of tracking hormones through a blood draw or finger prick test, the Ava Fertility Bracelet offers a non-invasive way to understand, predict, and follow your fertility. It may take a few months of gathering data to garner the most accurate fertility predictions, but the consistent tracking is helpful.
Certain AVA packages allow women to access a community of other Ava users, as well as fertility webinars and online chats with a fertility coach. Another bonus: It acts as a pregnancy tracker once you conceive – providing details about what to expect when you’re expecting while continuing to monitor your sleep, stress and pulse rate, not to mention weight gain.
Cost: $249 to $310 Crowdsource Rating: 4.4 out of 5 on Amazon
A downside: You need to remember to wear the bracelet at night and you’ll need Bluetooth on your smartphone in order to sync the results. It may also take a few months for most efficient tracking results.
Testimonial: “My ovulation was accurate my first month and I am now 11 weeks pregnant. I know everyone’s journey is different, but it definitely helped me relax and not be so focused on manually adding info to an app every day.” – Adrienne, from a review on www.avawomen.com
5. PREGMATE Ovulation Tracking Kit
What is it? These ovulation test strips can be found pretty much everywhere – from Walmart to Amazon. Once immersed in urine, they test the LH (luteinizing hormone), which is secreted at low levels throughout the menstrual cycle but surges to a high level near ovulation. A positive test result indicates that ovulation will occur within 24 to 48 hours.
Why is it popular? Price is one of PREGMATE’s main draws. For a mere fraction of the cost of other at-home tests, PREGMATE can reliably predict a woman’s ovulation. It’s also super easy to use and understand. You use one strip every day for five days. You can determine when to start testing based on the length of your menstrual cycle. If you don’t know that, start testing about 11 days after the first day of your period.
What sets this test apart from the others? In addition to its affordability, PREGMATE offers a non-invasive, quick-to-perform urine strip test. It’s also very easy to use. PREGMATE also offers muti-packs, which include their effective pregnancy strip tests. These can tell if you’re pregnant five days before your missed period.
Cost: $10.95 for 30 strips or $15.25 for a pack of 50 on Amazon.com
Crowdsource Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon
A downside: Results won’t be as reliable for those who have cycles lasting less than 21 or longer than 38 days.
Testimonial: “Perfect. I have been trying to get pregnant for over a year with PCOS. I used the LH strips and I got a clear positive (my line was darker than the control line) a day before I ovulated. 11 days later or at 10 dpo I got a positive hcg strip. I say that both of these work just as well as store brand tests, but at a fraction of the cost. I highly recommend this brand.” – TMB, from a review on Amazon.
So now you’re equipped with reviews, ratings, and real-life testimonies to help you choose which at-home fertility test best suits you and your lifestyle. One thing to always keep in mind while administering at-home tests, though, is that these are baseline. Seeing a doctor is your most fool-proof way of learning about your fertility.
Do you have additional questions on fertility testing?
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