Whether you’re trying to conceive or avoiding pregnancy, we all want the same thing: an accurate pregnancy test that can detect a fertilized egg as early as possible. The good news: Nearly all pregnancy tests are 99% accurate at detecting hCG, the hormone that builds up in your urine when you become pregnant, says Eric Flisser, MD, a board-certified OB/GYN based in New York.
When selecting a pregnancy test, it’s important to remember that different types of tests have different thresholds, so some will test positive sooner than others. Consider the cost and how easy the results are to interpret, especially if you’re trying to conceive and may be using multiple tests per cycle.
We had five women spend over 60 hours testing 17 leading pregnancy tests to determine which ones deliver accurate, easy-to-read results before your expected period at an affordable price. An obstetrician/gynecologist on our Medical Expert Board also reviewed this article for medical and scientific accuracy.
When Is the Best Time to Take a Pregnancy Test?
For the most accurate results, the earliest you should take a pregnancy test is roughly 10 days after conceiving, or one to four days before your expected period, says Kecia Gaither, MD, MPH, a double board-certified OB/GYN and maternal-fetal medicine physician in New York. At this time, your levels of hCG—the pregnancy hormone in your urine that pregnancy tests measure—are close to 25 mIU/ml, which is the threshold of most pregnancy tests. It’s best to take the test first thing in the morning when hCG is most concentrated in your urine. You can get a false negative reading if you’re early in your pregnancy and take the test in the evening.
We dove deep into leading pregnancy tests on the market and narrowed down which you could count on to deliver accurate, easy-to-read results before your expected period. An obstetrician/gynecologist on our Medical Expert Board also reviewed this article for medical and scientific accuracy surrounding what to look for in pregnancy tests, how accurate they are, and how soon you can take one.
Here are the seven best pregnancy tests for every person.