5 Best Pregnancy Tests, Tested and Approved by Moms-to-Be

Trying to conceive is stressful enough. The right pregnancy test makes things easy on you, offering a clear, accurate and speedy result just when you need it. The Clearblue Early Detection test impressed us by delivering on all of these. Not only did it earn 10 out of 10 scores in our product testing for clarity and speed, it’s one of the most sensitive pregnancy tests on the market (10 mlU/ml), and enables you to test early with a good degree of confidence. In fact in our survey, 40 percent of expectant moms who used this test did so at least two days before their period was due. I used this test five days before my expected period and got a very clear, bold “yes” within a minute of testing.

We originally tested the Early Detection test in 2023, but Clearblue has updated it since then, so we tried it out again this year. The new version I tested features what it calls “floodguard technology,” designed to reduce the risk of too much urine entering the test. This is the leading cause of user error, according to Clearblue (and I certainly didn’t experience any errors when I used the test). The updated product also uses “dualsense technology,” which aims to prevent non-pregnant peri-menopausal women getting false positives due to low levels of hCG in their urine. This is an issue that Clearblue says only affects an estimated 3 percent of perimenopausal women, but a useful feature if you’re over 40 and testing for pregnancy.

This is an all-around high performing test that really does give confidence, even in those early days, earning Clearblue Early Detection Test a Best of The Bump award this year as overall best pregnancy test. (See all of this year’s Best of The Bump winners.)

How it works

You have options for how to test using Clearblue: Either hold the absorbent end of the wand under your urine stream for five seconds, or dip it into a cup of urine for 20 seconds. (If you’re testing early, it’s recommended to test first thing in the morning, when your urine is most concentrated.) Then place the test on a flat surface and wait up to five minutes. Results will appear as a single line (not pregnant) or a double line (pregnant) in the testing window. The results use pink dye, which parents in our research tended to find easier to read and less prone to evaporation lines than blue dye.

Ease of use

Every time I’ve used this test, I’ve found it intuitive and easy to use. But for those with questions, the instruction manual offers helpful and reassuring answers to common concerns and possible test errors, including false positives. The included instructions are clear, legible, simple and accompanied by helpful illustrations of each step. This is echoed by many moms in our recent Bump survey, who praised the Clearblue instructions for their clarity. “It was very easy to use and understand the instructions,” commented expectant mom Brenna.

Personally, I save myself from having to clean a dirty cup and prefer to use the urine stream method, since the stick is comfortable and easy to hold in place. While the test can take up to five minutes, every time I’ve used it (including the first time I got a positive result), my results appeared within one minute and were unambiguous: one or two dark red lines.

Accuracy

The Clearblue Early Detection test claims a 77 percent accuracy rate five days before your expected period—the second highest accuracy rating for this point of pregnancy among the tests we tried. (Some tests tout six days before your missed period and others say five days before your expected period, but don’t be fooled—they’re the same! “Missed period” means the day after you expected your period, and “expected period” means the day your period should start.) This jumps up to 93 percent accuracy four days before your expected period, 98 percent three days before and 99 percent accuracy after that.

Type: Wand | Number of tests included: 2 | Cost per test: $4.49 | Type of result display: Single or double line | Sensitivity: 10 mlU/ml | Early detection: 5 days before expected period (77% accuracy)

Our community says:

This is the best pregnancy test for those who hate guesswork! The Clearblue Early Digital Pregnancy Test gives you an unmistakable result that actually spells out “pregnant” or “not pregnant.” There are no faint lines to decipher here, and nothing left to the imagination. Erin loved Clearblue Early Digital’s simple instructions and quick, clear results, which she found much easier to read than the early detection lines of other tests. "It just said 'pregnant' in big letters," she told us, awarding the Clearblue Early Digital a 10 out of 10 score for clarity of results. "It's very easy to read."

There are other pregnancy tests with digital readouts on the market, but this test goes the extra mile with its reassuring smart countdown feature. Once you take the test, a timer starts up to let you know how long to go before results come in. Erin really appreciated this, telling us, "the Smart Countdown is a particularly nice feature, as it let me know the test was working. (If your bladder isn’t super full, other tests can leave you wondering if you managed to get enough urine.)" This attention to detail—coupled with a high accuracy rate when used early—earned this test a Best of The Bump award for best digital pregnancy test.

How it works

Remove the cap from the absorbent tip. Hold the test with the tip pointed downward. Either place the tip under your urine stream or dip it into a collected urine sample until a stop light on the wand begins to flash (this usually takes about five seconds). Place the cap back on the test and set it on a clean, flat surface. The smart countdown timer will immediately appear on the display to show how the test is progressing, with dots increasing from one to four. The estimated wait time is up to five minutes, but Erin’s took just over a minute. When the test is done, the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant” appear clearly on the screen.

Ease of use

Erin found this test very easy to use. The included user’s guide outlines step-by-step instructions and frequently asked questions, while the Smart Countdown is a nice feature that adds confidence that you’ve used the test correctly. If you do get an error message (as Erin did on her first attempt), make sure to angle the tip downward during collection and lay it flat while waiting for results.

One of the features we really like about this digital test is the SmartGuard Technology. This includes the extra wide tip making it easier to catch your urine, the Floodguard design that’s also featured on Clearblue’s Early Detection test, and most useful of all, a stop light that shows when the test has sampled enough urine. ”I love the flash feature for knowing when to finish the test,” enthused Amberly, an expectant mom and survey respondent.

Accuracy

Clearblue states this test offers 78 percent accuracy five days before your expected period, which makes it highly accurate for an early home test. (Out of all the tests we tried, that’s the highest accuracy rate at 5 days out.) If you wait an additional day, that accuracy rate goes up to 93 percent, and by the time you’re within three days of your expected period, the test is 99 percent accurate.

Type: Wand | Number of tests included: 2 | Cost per test: $5.49 | Type of result display: Digital LCD display of words | Sensitivity: 10mlU/ml | Early detection: 5 days before expected period (78% accuracy)

Our community says:

To test or not to test? This is often a question that plagues prospective parents as they near their expected period date. Testing too early before your expected period will limit the reliability of your results. If you want to test early, it's a good idea to look for a test with high sensitivity that can pick up low levels of pregnancy hormones. Banafsheh Kashani, MD, an ob-gyn, reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist based in Laguna Hills, California, recommends the First Response Early Result pregnancy test “because [it’s] very sensitive in picking up low levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and [is] easy to use.”

She's not kidding—First Response Early Results is the most sensitive pregnancy test that we tried. Studies show that it can pick up hCG levels as low as 6.3 mlU/mL in 50 percent of cases, while comparable early testing products have a higher 10 mlU/mL sensitivity. As the name implies, this test detects pregnancy early in your cycle with a stated 76 percent accuracy rate five days before your expected period. What’s interesting is that the accuracy shoots up to a market-leading 96 percent a day later and hits >99 percent accuracy three days out, which is a day before the Clearblue early tests. At >99 percent, this is the highest level of accuracy that any home test offers, so you’re getting that level of confidence in your result earlier than any other product we tested. You can see in forums that this is a very popular early pregnancy test, and its sensitivity and accuracy is why we chose First Response Early Results for our Best of The Bump winner for early testing.

How it works

Remove the cap from the absorbent tip. For five seconds, position the tip below a urine stream or dip it in a cup of collected urine. Place the test on a flat surface and wait up to three minutes. Results will appear as a single line (not pregnant) or a double line (pregnant) in the testing window.

Ease of use

According to Christine, who gave this test 10 out of 10 in every category, it was “easy to use because of the printed instructions on the side of the box and the user guide.” She also praised the way the “pregnant” double line and “not pregnant” single line (control line) were printed on the stick beside the testing window, making it extremely clear how to read the results. Christine says that in her testing, First Response Early Results provided two clear lines quickly, leaving little room for ambiguity. “The result initially yielded a faint line that intensified into a dark pink, very solid positive line,” she said.

While it can take up to three minutes for results to come in, many users, including Christine, reported results much sooner. “While the instructions said to wait three minutes, the positive result came up for me within one minute,” she said.

Accuracy

First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test is a market leader in terms of sensitivity according to its stated ability to detect hCG levels of just 6.3 mlU/m, although studies show this is only 50 percent of the time. As with all tests, accuracy improves the closer you are to your expected period. Where this test really wins is that it offers the highest level of accuracy (greater than 99 percent) a full three days before your period is due, which is a day earlier than its competitors,

Our survey respondents also rated the test very highly for its accuracy based on their personal experience, with 44 percent of them using the test early and at least one day before their expected period.

Type: Wand | Number of tests included: 2 | Cost per test: $4.49 | Type of result display: Single or double line | Sensitivity: 6.3 mIU/mL | Early detection: 5 days before expected period (76% accuracy)

Our community says:

Waiting even five minutes to know if you’re pregnant can feel like an eternity. When speed is what you’re after, the Clearblue Rapid Detection test is your answer. The test promises that positive results appear in one minute or less—and in fact, Christine received clear results within 10 seconds of testing. She gave this test a 10 out of 10 score for speed of results, and reported, "The results were almost instantaneous." And if you're doing a cup-and-dip method of testing, it's also faster to administer than other wand-style options, as it requires just a five-second dip into urine rather than the more standard 20 seconds.

The results are bold and unambiguous, and though this isn’t the most highly sensitive test or a good option for early checkers, it makes up for all of that with speed, making it a Best of The Bump winner for fast results.

How it works

Remove the cap from the absorbent tip. Place the tip under your urine stream or dip it into a collected urine sample for five seconds. The color-changing tip will immediately turn pink to indicate that it’s absorbing liquid. Place the cap back on the test and set it on a flat surface. If you’re testing within one day of your expected period, a positive result can take up to one minute. A negative result can take up to three minutes to appear, but for Christine the "bold plus sign” was near immediate. A blue “+” sign indicates pregnancy, while a blue “-” sign indicates not pregnant.

Ease of use

The shorter five-second urine dip and the speed of results make this a very easy test to administer. Christine adds that, “The instructions are printed clearly, accompanied by photos for further clarity.”

Accuracy

The sensitivity of this test is one of the lower on our list—it’s suited to testing on the day of your expected period, rather than early. It’s only 56 percent accurate four days before your expected period, and 88 percent accurate three days out. But it's over 99 percent accurate the day of your expected period, so if you're not looking for early testing, it's an almost instant option.

Type: Wand Number of tests included: 2 | Cost per test: $3.99 | Type of result display: Single or double line | Sensitivity: 25 mIU/ml | Early detection: 4 days before expected period (56% accuracy)

Our community says:

Whether this is your first time trying to conceive or you’ve been at it for years, it’s common to want to test multiple times post-ovulation. Many expectant moms also like to continue testing after a positive result to ease concerns about miscarriage. Our survey revealed that a minority of users—just 18 percent—only test once during pregnancy, while 57 percent use between two and five tests. What’s more, some respondents went beyond that, using more than 11 tests. In these cases, you want an affordable and easy-to-use test that’s available in bulk, like the Easy@Home Pregnancy Test Strips. Erin gave these strips 10 out of 10 for value for money, and told us, "it's perfect if you want to test multiple times to be safe and/or if you mess up a test or two."

After scouring online forums, it’s clear that Easy@Home’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years. And after testing the product, we can tell why. Easy@Home can be purchased in jumbo packs of 100 tests and we found them on sale at Amazon for a market-beating $25, which means each test comes in at just 25 cents when you buy at this volume.

If you plan on taking a pregnancy test often, you’re going to want something that’s a breeze to take and Erin gave high praise for the detailed instructions and clearly labeled max lines. “I used Easy@Home both early on in my pregnancy and again as a product tester at 31 weeks and found the tests were accurate, yielded fast results and, most importantly, were user-friendly!” The combination of easy testing and value for money made this test a shoo-in to win our Best of The Bump award for frequent testing.

How it works

This isn’t a wand-style pregnancy test that you insert into your urine stream—you’ll need to collect a urine sample in a clean container. Unwrap a test strip and hold it by the colored plastic label. Dip the strip into the sample up to the blue line labelled “max” for five to 10 seconds, until liquid rises up the strip. Place the strip on a flat surface and wait up to five minutes for the results. Two lines will appear to indicate pregnancy, and one line (the control line) indicates “not pregnant.”

Ease of use

Erin found these tests very simple to use both early on in her pregnancy and as a tester. “I love that the test strips are clearly marked to show how far to safely dip them,” she commented. ”With other brands, I’ve found it’s easy to over-dip, causing an error.” Results also show up fairly quickly—depending on where you are in pregnancy, you might be able to see a faint second line within a minute or two. For Erin, this happened more quickly. “The lines showed up right away,” she said. “I really didn't have to wait at all. However, they did become slightly clearer after a minute or two.”

At the time of testing, Erin was able to use a QR code to access a Premom Easy@Home app that allowed her to photograph her test strips and get a “positive” or “negative” reading. However, the pregnancy test app is no longer available and the brand now only offers an ovulation tracking app.

Accuracy

No beating around the bush here: Easy@Home strips don’t claim that this is a good choice for early testing. The product's instructions recommend it for one day after your missed period, and Erin found that in her experience the lines were harder to detect when testing early. She noted, test “might be harder to read if you're earlier along and have lower hCG levels.” But, as with every test we considered, these strips are 99 percent accurate on the day after your expected period. Your best bet with these strips is to test often, not early.

Specs: Type: Strips | Number of tests included: 100 | Cost per test: $0.25 | Type of result display: Single or double line | Sensitivity: 25 mIU/ml | Early detection: Day after your expected period (99% accuracy)

Our community says: