5 Best Pregnancy Tests Of 2024, According To Research (2024)

To determine the Best Pregnancy Tests of 2024 ranking, the Forbes Health editorial team analyzed roughly 35 over-the-counter pregnancy tests across an array of metrics including:

• Average price
• Pregnancy hormone sensitivity levels
• Clarity of results
• Mobile app availability
• Time to get results

Tests that were sold in packs of six or more were eliminated to avoid bulk pricing skews, as well as tests with limited availability. Star ratings are assigned solely by the editorial team.

The best time to take a pregnancy test is the first day of your expected or missed period. You can take a test before then, but you are more likely to receive a false negative. That means you may still be pregnant, but the test was not able to pick up the low level of pregnancy hormone at the time you tested.

OB-GYNs also suggest taking a pregnancy test first thing in the morning for the most accuracy. This is when the urine is the most concentrated and most likely to present hCG.

If you have irregular periods and don’t know what day your period should start, the U.S. Office on Women’s Health suggests counting 36 days from the start of your last period or four weeks from the time you had sex. If you are pregnant, your levels of hCG should then be high enough to be detected on a home test. If the test is negative but you’re still not sure, you can take another test in a few days or set up an appointment with your doctor.

How Soon Will a Pregnancy Test Read Positive?

Depending on the pregnancy test you use, you may be able to get accurate results as early as 10 days after unprotected sex. However, you’re more likely to get accurate results if you test after the first day of your missed period.

Home pregnancy tests are about 99% accurate when used correctly. However, Lauren Demosthenes, M.D., OB-GYN and senior medical director at Babyscripts, a virtual care platform for obstetrics, warns there can be variation between brands. “Make sure that you read the package label so that you can see how accurate all of the tests are as you are browsing,” she suggests.

Still, most store-bought pregnancy tests are just as accurate as a pregnancy test conducted at the doctor’s office. “It’s a common misconception that the urine pregnancy tests that we have in our offices are better than what you can get in a grocery store or from Amazon,” says Jennifer Lincoln, M.D., author of Let’s Talk About Down There: An OB-GYN Answers All Your Burning Questions…without Making You Feel Embarrassed for Asking. “They are all basically the same thing, but ours will cost you a lot more!”

While uncommon, it’s possible to receive false positive or false negative results from a pregnancy test.

False negative results may be attributed to:

• Testing too early. If you take a pregnancy test too close to conception, your body may not have had time to produce enough hCG to be detected by a pregnancy test.
• Taking a pregnancy test improperly. Mishandling or misunderstanding a test kit may lead to false negative results, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• Taking an expired pregnancy test. When pregnancy tests expire, the antibodies used to detect hCG start to break down, meaning the test may not be able to detect hCG levels in your urine.
• Drinking large amounts of fluids. Consuming too much water or other beverages before taking a pregnancy test may dilute the hCG in your urine and cause a false negative.

False positive results, on the other hand, may be caused by factors like medication, pregnancy loss or ectopic pregnancy.

What Can Cause a False Positive Pregnancy Test?

False positive pregnancy test results may be caused by the following factors:

• Taking a medication that includes hCG as an active ingredient, like some infertility medications
• Miscarriage or early pregnancy loss
• Ectopic pregnancy, when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus

How Common Are False Positives With Home Pregnancy Tests?

False positives with home pregnancy tests are extremely rare. These tests measure your urine for presence of the hormone hCG, which your body only makes when you’re pregnant.

Pregnancy tests may be less accurate if they’re expired or used improperly. Be sure to check the expiration date and read the instructions carefully.

There are several types of at-home urine pregnancy tests that offer varying features and results displays.

“Fundamentally they are all doing the same thing,” says Nicole Calloway Rankins M.D., an OB-GYN, host of the All About Pregnancy & Birth podcast and member of the Lansinoh Clinical Advisory Network. “Look for what you think will be easiest for you to understand.”

There are two types of pregnancy tests: urine and blood.

Urine pregnancy tests are what you find at the store, but you can also take a urine test at a medical office. These are designed to detect hCG in urine to indicate whether you are pregnant.

Blood pregnancy tests are administered at a medical office. These test the exact hCG levels in your blood.

Call your doctor after you receive a positive pregnancy test, if you are experiencing bleeding or pain after a positive pregnancy test or if you have a medical condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or history of ectopic pregnancy (which is when the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus), recommends Dr. Demosthenes.

Dr. Lincoln also suggests giving your doctor a call anytime you have concerns about your test, whether you’re unable to interpret the results or you’re confused by the results of several tests.

Otherwise, you do not necessarily have to call your doctor right after receiving a positive test. Instead, head in for your first pregnancy visit about a month after your missed period, Dr. Rankins says. An ultrasound can be done at about seven to eight weeks.