Which Home Pregnancy Tests are Most Accurate?
Most home pregnancy tests on the market today claim to be more than 99 percent accurate when taken correctly. What they don't tell you, however, is whether they're as accurate on the day you miss your period as they are 5 to 7 days later. So how do you know which home pregnancy test will give you the most reliable result when you want it?
Home pregnancy tests are designed to detect hCG, a hormone secreted by the cells that will become the placenta. If you are pregnant, your hCG levels will increase rapidly almost immediately following implantation, and will double every 2 to 3 days for about 10 weeks. The tests that detect the lowest concentration of hCG (in milli-International Units per milliliter of urine) are more sensitive to hCG and will give you the earliest reliable results. For example, tests that can detect 20 mIU/ml are more sensitive than those that can detect 50 to 100 mIU/ml.
The chart below lists 25 home pregnancy tests currently on the market. The tests with the lowest hCG levels should be able to detect pregnancy sooner than those rated for a higher level.
| Test Name |
Lowest hCG detected* |
| AimStick Pregnancy Test Strip |
20 mIU/ml |
| AccuHome Midstream Pregnancy Test |
25 mIU/ml |
| Answer Early Result Pregnancy Test |
25 mIU/ml |
| Answer Pregnancy Test (Cup) |
25 mIU/ml |
| Clearblue Easy Earliest Result Pregnancy Test |
25 mIU/ml |
| Confirm 1-Step Pregnancy Test |
25 mIU/ml |
| CVS Pregnancy Test (Stick) |
25 mIU/ml |
| Equate Pregnancy Test |
25 mIU/ml |
| First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test |
25 mIU/ml |
| One Step Be Sure Pregnancy Test |
25 mIU/ml |
| Puralin One Step Pregnancy Test |
25 mIU/ml |
| e.p.t. Home Pregnancy Test |
40 mIU/ml |
| e.p.t. Certainty Digital Test |
40 mIU/ml |
| Fact Plus Pregnancy Test |
40 mIU/ml |
| Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test |
50 mIU/ml |
| CVS Cartridge Pregnancy Test |
50 mIU/ml |
| CVS Midstream Pregnancy Test |
50 mIU/ml |
| Dollar Store Brand Pregnancy Test |
50 mIU/ml |
| PROOF POSITIVE! Personal Home Pregnancy Test |
50 mIU/ml |
| Drug Emporium Brand Pregnancy Test |
50 mIU/ml |
| e.p.t. +/- Pregnancy Test |
50 mIU/ml |
| Early Pregnancy Test |
50 mIU/ml |
| RiteAid Brand Pregnancy Test |
50 mIU/ml |
| WalMart Brand Pregnancy Test |
50 mIU/ml |
| Walgreens Brand Pregnancy Test |
100 mIU/ml |
| *Note: HCG levels are manufacturer's claimed sensitivity, not test accuracy. We did not conduct laboratory analysis of these tests. |
In 2003, Consumer Reports ranked home pregnancy tests based on their efficacy, ease of use and ease of result readings. First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test came out on top as the most reliable and sensitive test, earning an "excellent" rating overall.
One year later, a clinical study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology evaluated 18 home pregnancy tests for sensitivity at the time of a missed period. Again, researchers found that First Response was consistently the most sensitive test, detecting even a lower level of hCG than claimed by the manufacturer. The other tests weren't as likely to be accurate until a week later, detecting less than 20 percent of pregnancies on the first day of a missed period.
Even the urine tests conducted at your doctor's office are probably very similar to the most sensitive tests you can buy at your local drug store. So, if you have a feeling you might be pregnant and simply cannot wait until after you've missed a period, pick up a home pregnancy test with a high sensitivity to low hCG levels, or visit your doctor.
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