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

The Bump takeaway: Clearblue Early Detection Pregnancy Test won a Best of The Bump award for overall best pregnancy test thanks to its reliable performance, intuitive design and clear, easy-to-interpret results.

Trying to conceive is stressful, so the right pregnancy test should make the process simple and offer a clear, accurate and fast result when you need it. The Clearblue Early Detection test impressed us by delivering on all fronts.

In testing, Clearblue Early Detection produced fast, highly visible results and stood out for its straightforward design and easy-to-read result window. Our tester Maria has used this test across multiple pregnancies and found it consistently reliable, including when testing before her expected period—and in fact, in our survey, 40 percent of expectant moms who used this test took it at least two days before theirs.

The test offers several features—including clear instructions, a user-friendly wand design and easy-to-read results—that makes at-home use straightforward. Clearblue’s “floodguard technology” is designed to reduce user error by minimizing the risk of over-saturating the test with urine, a common culprit of result inaccuracies. It also includes “dualsense technology,” which helps reduce the likelihood of false positives in non-pregnant perimenopausal women who may naturally have elevated levels of hCG in their urine, according to Cleveland Clinic. This feature can be particularly useful for individuals over 40 who are taking pregnancy tests.

How it works
You have options for how to test using Clearblue Early Detection: 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, first-morning urine may make low levels of hCG easier to detect because it’s typically more concentrated.

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 often said they found easier to read than blue dye.

Ease of use
Using the Clearblue Early Detection is straightforward right from the get-go. “The instructions were clear, well-organized and easy to understand after a single read-through,” says our tester Maria, especially since each step is accompanied by helpful illustrations. This sentiment was also reflected in our recent parent survey, where many moms praised Clearblue’s directions. “It was very easy to use and understand the instructions,” says expectant mom and survey respondent Brenna. The instruction manual even offers helpful and reassuring answers to common concerns and potential test errors, including false positives.

Maria also applauded the test’s wide absorbent tip and comfortable handle, which made the wand easy to position and use. When it was time to get her results, she appreciated the fast and easy-to-interpret reading. While results can take up to five minutes for processing, Maria saw her result begin to appear within just three to five seconds (though she still waited the full recommended five minutes before interpreting it). When she did, the lines were dark and distinct. “There was no blurring, smudging or uncertainty about the outcome,” she says. “The red lines stood out clearly in the result window and were easy to see without needing to hold the test at different angles or lighting.”

Accuracy and sensitivity
Like several of our other recommended tests, Clearblue Early Detection has a strong sensitivity level of 10 mlU/ml. Of course, timing plays a major role in how likely a pregnancy test is to detect pregnancy. It’s over 99 percent accurate when used on the day of your expected period. In Clearblue's published early-detection data, the test detected 77 percent of pregnancies five days before an expected period, 93 percent four days before and 98 percent three days before, rising to more than 99 percent two days before.

Some early detection pregnancy tests say they can be used 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.

Type: Wand | Number of tests included: 2, 3 or 5 | Cost per test: $4.60 | Type of result display: Single or double line | Sensitivity: 10 mlU/ml | Early detection: 5 days before expected period (77% of pregnancies detected

The Bump takeaway: The Target Up&Up 6 Days Sooner Pregnancy Test is the Best of The Bump winner for best budget-friendly pregnancy test because it delivers the easy, mess-free testing experience of a traditional wand at a much lower cost per test than many name-brand options.

If you're trying to conceive, you’ll likely take multiple pregnancy tests before getting the result you’re hoping for. Since conception can take several months, the cost of repeated testing can add up. That’s why it helps to choose a test that’s both easy-to-use and affordable. The Target Up&Up 6 Days Sooner Pregnancy Test comes in a three-pack at a significantly lower price point than many name-brand alternatives, ringing in at a little over $3 per test.

Our product tester Alyssa, who used the test while trying to conceive, appreciated the clear directions and user-friendly wand design that allowed for midstream testing without the mess. “This was one of the easiest tests I’ve ever taken,” she tells us. It can also be used for early testing, detecting 77 percent of pregnancies five days before your expected period (or six days before your missed period—same same).

Overall, with its ease of use, high detection rates, multipack value and wide availability at Target stores, this stood out as the strongest budget-friendly pregnancy wand test we evaluated.

How it works
Hold the absorbent tip in your urine stream for five seconds. Immediately replace the cap and lay the test flat while it processes. After five minutes, read your results. One pink line indicates you're not pregnant, while two pink lines indicate you're pregnant.

Ease of use
This test was simple to use, thanks to the illustrated instructions that made the process easy to follow. Alyssa especially appreciated the longer wand and the wide absorbent tip, which made testing midstream a quick, clean affair.

The one downside of the Up&Up pregnancy test was that the results took a bit more effort to interpret than some other tests we evaluated. The control line appeared faint at first and took slightly longer to darken, which made Alyssa wonder whether the test was truly working. However, the line became clearer within the recommended time window. She also found the smaller control window and line placement less intuitive, prompting her to double-check the instructions to confirm which line displayed the result.

Accuracy and sensitivity
Target’s Up&Up 6 Days Sooner pregnancy test has a sensitivity of 10 mIU/mL and is over 99 percent accurate from the day of your expected period. Target claims the test detects 77 percent of pregnancies five days before an expected period. This jumps up to 93 percent four days before your expected period, 98 percent three days before and 99 percent after that. A negative result is generally less conclusive the earlier you test, when hCG levels may not yet be high enough for the test to detect.

Type: Wand | Number of tests included: 3 | Cost per test: $2.56 | Type of result display: Pink line | Sensitivity: 10 mIU/mL | Early detection: 5 days before expected period (77% of pregnancies detected)

The Bump takeaway: The Clearblue Early Digital Pregnancy Test is the Best of The Bump winner for best digital pregnancy test because it reduces guesswork from start to finish, confirming when enough urine has been collected, showing the test is processing and clearly displaying the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant” when the result is ready.

This is the best pregnancy test for anyone who hates second-guessing results or whether the test has worked. Like most digital tests, the Clearblue Early Digital Pregnancy Test delivers an unmistakable result, clearly displaying “pregnant” or “not pregnant,” so there’s no test line to scrutinize or interpret. But it isn’t just the final easy-to-read result that makes this test stand out (although our tester Julia loved the simple instructions and word-based results, which she found especially reassuring compared with a line test).

The Early Digital Pregnancy Test goes the extra mile, with a confirmation light that lets you know when the test has absorbed enough urine and a progress indicator that shows the test is processing as you wait. Julia particularly appreciated these built-in cues, noting that the light helped reduce uncertainty about whether she’d collected a sufficient sample. Another tester, Erin, agreed, saying: "The Smart Countdown is a particularly nice feature, as it let me know the test was working.”

How it works
To use the Clearblue Early Digital test, 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 the stop light on the wand begins to flash, indicating that enough urine has been absorbed (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
Julia found the Clearblue Early Digital test especially easy to use thanks to the clear instructions and built-in stop light, which flashes once the test has sampled enough urine. She opted to dip the test into collected urine and said the process felt convenient and mess-free. The wide absorbent tip and stop light gave her confidence that she’d collected enough urine for the test to process properly. The Smart Countdown added another layer of reassurance while she waited. Julia noted that the display showed the test’s progress before clearly presenting the final result.

The biggest drawback for Julia was cost—at about $6.50 per test, she wouldn’t necessarily use it repeatedly throughout a cycle. But when she wanted a clear answer without interpreting lines, she said she’d reach for the Clearblue Early Digital again.

Accuracy and sensitivity
The Clearblue Early Digital pregnancy test has a sensitivity of 10 mlU/ml and is over 99 percent accurate from the day of your expected period. When testing before an expected period, detection rates vary depending on timing. In Clearblue’s published data for their Early Digital test, the test detects 78 percent of pregnancies five days before an expected period, 93 percent four days before and 99 percent three days before, rising to more than 99 percent two days before.

Type: Wand | Number of tests included: 2, 3 or 5 | Cost per test: $6.50 | Type of result display: Digital words | Sensitivity: 10 mlU/ml | Early detection: 5 days before expected period (78% of pregnancies detected)

The Bump takeaway: First Response Early Result is the Best of The Bump winner for early testing because its strong early-detection performance reaches the greater-than-99-percent benchmark three days before an expected period––earlier than any other test on our list.

To test or not to test? This is a question many prospective parents wrestle with as they approach their expected period. If you do choose to test early, it helps to look for a test with high sensitivity so that it can more reliably detect pregnancy during the early testing window. Dr. 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.”

First Response is designed to detect low levels of hCG: According to the brand’s early-detection data, the Early Results test detects 76 percent of pregnancies five days before an expected period. This isn't the highest detection rate at five days among the products we tested, but First Response rockets up to an unmatched 96 percent at four days before. By three days before an expected period, that figure rose to greater than 99 percent––a day earlier than the Clearblue early-detection tests that we evaluated.

That timing is what ultimately set First Response apart for early testing. Greater than 99 percent is the highest possible detection rate among home pregnancy tests, so reaching it earlier can offer more confidence for anyone eager to test before their expected period.

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 (faster than the five minutes required by several others on this list). Results will appear as a single line (not pregnant) or a double line (pregnant) in the testing window.

Ease of use
Testers found the First Response Early Result pregnancy test simple to use and its results easy to interpret. Instructions are printed on the box and included in the user guide. Julia used a cup to collect urine to take the test, since that was her preferred method, but tells us, “The width of the tip was decently wide, and I could see it being reasonable for someone to pee directly onto the wand.” She also liked the easy grip handle and the clear five-second exposure guideline.

Results can take up to three minutes, but many users saw them appear much sooner. “The positive result came up for me within one minute,” said Christine, one of our product testers. As a red dye test, it produced a sharp, distinct control line with no blurring, and no test line appeared in the case of a negative result. Julia also noted no evaporation lines even hours later, saying she felt confident in correctly interpreting the result.

Accuracy and sensitivity
First Response states that the Early Result Pregnancy Test is greater than 99 percent accurate from the day of an expected period. When used earlier, pregnancy detection varies by testing day. In published lab testing, First Response detected 76 percent of pregnancies five days before an expected period, 96 percent four days before and greater than 99 percent three days before. It was this earlier rise to the greater-than-99 percent benchmark that made First Response our top pick for early testing.

Type: Wand | Number of tests included: 2, 3 or 5 | Cost per test: $4.19 | Type of result display: Pink line | Sensitivity: 10 mIU/mL | Early detection: 5 days before expected period (76% of pregnancies detected)

The Bump takeaway: Bird&Be Early Results Pregnancy Test is our Best of The Bump winner for best pregnancy test strips for early testing, pairing high hCG sensitivity with dark, easy-to-read lines that gave our tester greater confidence in her results.

If you prefer pregnancy test strips but still want to test before your expected period, Bird&Be offers the best early-detection strip experience we tested. The Bird&Be Early Results Pregnancy Test combines the lower cost of strips with early-detection capabilities not found in many standard pregnancy test strips.

With a 10 mIU/mL hCG detection threshold, compared with the more common 25 mlU/ML among strips, it’s designed for use up to five days before your expected period. That said, pregnancy detection is lower this early in the testing window than other early detection wands, with Bird&Be reporting that 68 percent of pregnancies were detected five days out.

In terms of readability, our tester Maria found that it consistently produced dark, well-defined lines, so the results were easier to interpret and more reassuring during the stressful wait. In our head-to-head testing against other brands, Maria found Bird&Be’s lines slightly darker and clearer and said she would trust them more when testing before her expected period. Bird&Be is available in multipacks, including 5- and 20-test options, so you can test more than once without having to immediately restock. If you order directly from the Bird&Be website, you also have the option to add a reusable, collapsible collection cup—which makes the most annoying part of using strip tests, dirtying a cup, a little more convenient. At a little over a dollar per test, Bird&Be costs more than many basic pregnancy strips, but Maria felt the clearer results for early testing and more reassuring testing experience overall justified the higher price.

How it works
Collect your urine in a clean, dry cup, then dip the test strip into the sample for five seconds, making sure the urine doesn't go above the "MAX" line. Next, place the strip on a clean, dry, non-absorbent surface and wait five minutes before reading your results (but not more than 10 minutes).

Ease of use
Instructions are clear and concise, Maria tells us, noting the helpful diagrams. “The testing process itself was quick and not messy, with results appearing within seconds and easy to identify right away,” Maria says. She found the control and test lines dark, distinct and much easier to interpret than other early-result strip tests she'd used. She noticed no blurring or fading that made her second-guess the result. Even hours later, the result remained unchanged, with no fading or evaporation lines that could have caused uncertainty.

Accuracy and sensitivity
This test has a sensitivity of 10 mlU/mL, which is particularly strong for a pregnancy test strip, and is over 99 percent accurate when used the day of your expected period. In Bird&Be’s published testing, the Early Results Pregnancy Test detected 68 percent of pregnancies five days before an expected period, 89 percent four days before and 97 percent three days before. That figure rose to 98 percent two days before and more than 99 percent one day before an expected period.

Type: Strips | Number of tests included: 5, 10 or 20 | Cost per test: $1.08 | Type of result display: Line | Sensitivity: 10 mIU/mL | Early detection: 5 days before expected period (68% of pregnancies detected)

The Bump takeaway: The Clearblue Rapid Detection Pregnancy Test is the Best of The Bump winner for fast results, combining a quick five-second sampling time with positive results in as little as one minute, and a bold, easy-to-read display.

If you're counting down the minutes waiting for your result, the Clearblue Rapid Detection test can help shorten the suspense. Positive results can appear in as little as one minute––and the testing process itself is quick too. Our tester Christine used this product head to head with a comparable product from First Response, and preferred the Clearblue experience. She liked the extra-wide, color-changing tip and the shorter five-second dip time, compared with 20 seconds from the competition. “The results were almost instantaneous,” she says. “I thought another test I had taken was fast, but this one proved to be even faster.”

Although the instructions say results can take one to three minutes to process, Christine saw the plus sign appear within about 10 seconds (and it continued to darken with time). With a five-second sampling time and positive results possible in as little as one minute, Clearblue Rapid Detection offered the fastest overall testing experience we evaluated.

One thing to keep in mind is that this test isn't the best option for early testing. With a sensitivity threshold of 25 mIU/mL, it’s less sensitive than the early detection tests on our list and better suited to testing closer to the day of your expected period.

How it works
To use the Clearblue Rapid Detection test, 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 from the day of your expected period, a positive result can appear in as little as one minute. Wait the full three minutes to confirm a negative result. A blue “+” sign indicates pregnancy, while a blue “-” sign indicates not pregnant.

Ease of use
The instructions are clearly written and supported with photos, making them easy to follow. This test only requires a quick five-second exposure to urine, compared to some other tests that take up to 20 seconds, and the extra-wide tip changes from white to pink as it absorbs urine, providing a visual cue that the test is working.

The result is shown as a blue plus or minus sign in the testing window, and our tester Christine appreciated the bold, unmissable reading. “There is no question that the result is positive,” she says.

Accuracy and sensitivity
Clearblue Rapid Detection has a sensitivity of 25 mlU/mL, which is weaker than some others on this list. It’s over 99 percent accurate from the day of your expected period. When testing earlier, pregnancy detection varies by day: According to published data from the brand, the test detects 56 percent of pregnancies four days before, 88 percent three days before, 97 percent two days before and 98 percent one day before.

Type: Wand | Number of tests included: 2 or 3 | Cost per test: $6.50 | Type of result display: Blue plus/minus symbol | Sensitivity: 25 mIU/mL | Early detection: 4 days before expected period (56% of pregnancies detected)

The Bump takeaway: Premom Easy@Home Pregnancy Test Strips are our Best of The Bump winner for frequent testing because they’re affordable, simple to use and available in bulk packs of up to 100 strips. For anyone testing across multiple days or cycles, the low cost per test makes repeat testing more manageable.

If you’re trying to conceive, it’s normal to test more than once, sometimes across several days or cycles. Our survey found that while some people test only once, 57 percent of respondents used between two and five pregnancy tests, while some used more than 11. And of course, it takes some people significantly longer to conceive, leading to frequent testing. In those cases, testing can get expensive, which is why Easy@Home Pregnancy Test Strips are such a practical option.

They come in bulk packs ranging from 20 to 100 strips, so they’re ideal if you like to test frequently without having to constantly restock or spend several dollars on each test. Our tester Erin says, “It’s perfect if you want to test multiple times to be safe and/or if you mess up a test or two.”

Erin also appreciated how straightforward they are to use, from the clearly marked "MAX" line to the easy-to-follow instructions. “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!” she said. At about 49 cents per test based on the pack we evaluated, that combination of low cost and easy use made Easy@Home our top choice for frequent testing.

How it works
This Premom Easy@Home product is a strip test, so you’ll need to collect a urine sample in a clean, dry container. Unwrap a test strip and hold it by the colored plastic label. Dip the strip into the sample up to the "MAX" line for five to ten 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 later 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.” She also appreciated the clearly labeled "MAX" line and straightforward instructions, which made the process easy to follow.

Results also appear fairly quickly. Erin saw her lines begin to show almost immediately and become slightly clearer after a minute or two. “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.”

Accuracy and sensitivity
If you're hoping to test before your expected period, this isn't the best choice. Easy@Home doesn't advertise early detection. With a 25 mIU/mL hCG detection threshold, it’s less sensitive than the early-detection tests on our list. The brand states the test is 99 percent accurate beginning one day after your expected period, making it a better fit for repeated testing if you don’t mind waiting until later in your cycle.

Type: Strips | Number of tests included: 20, 40, 50 or 100 | Cost per test: $0.49 | Type of result display: Pink lines | Sensitivity: 25 mIU/mL | Early detection: Not intended for early detection