7 Best Home COVID-19 Tests 2021

By Dr Frank Yap, MD -

If you need to be tested for COVID-19 but can’t reach a healthcare provider, you can consider home COVID-19 tests.

At-home tests usually use saliva or a nasal swabs to collect samples which are usually equally accurate methods. These tests are processed in the same labs used by medical professionals at primary care providers and hospitals, thus they are just as reliable and effective. Of course, always follow the instructions provided to ensure accuracy.

If you have considered taking a COVID test at home, it can be helpful to learn about the different options available. 

We have listed some Home Covid-19 Test Kits available in the US.
1. Lucira Check It Covid-19 Test Kit

The first FDA emergency-use-authorization (EUA) single-use molecular home test.

Type of Test : Molecular
Who Can Use It : Asymptomatic and symptomatic individual ages 2 and older
How To Get Lucira Covid Test : Buy it from their website HERE
Lucira Covid Test Price : $55 on their website
Lucira Covid Test Accuracy : Tests have shown that this test is 98% accurate.

How Long To Get Results : 11 minutes for positive results, 30 minutes for negative results

Lucira Covid Test How To Use :

- Prepare the test unit
- Use the provided nasal swab to collect a sample
- Insert the sample into the unit, stir it around and close the lid
- Wait for the results to appear
- The full instructions can be found HERE.

Review

This is a clinical quality test and well worth the money. Why take the risk seeing parents or other loved ones with false negatives and lower accuracy of Rapid Tests/antigen tests?

Quality: This is a highly accurate PCR quality Covid test that gives you results in 30 or less minutes. Easy to use and positive results usually come back within 15 minutes and negative results in 30 or less. You don’t want to use the cheaper antigen or “Rapid Tests” if you’re concerned with exposing a loved one.

Ease of use: Extremely simple to use. I followed the instructions and it was easy and straightforward. There was also a video online, but didn’t need it.

Portable: I carried this with me and did it in the car before seeing relatives. I had the piece of mind knowing I tested negative.

Cost: The cost is more than the cheaper antigen or rapid tests, but well worth the money. The accuracy of the PCR quality LAMP test is clinical grade and picks up early infections where the cheaper tests miss. And I don’t have to mail anything in and wait 3 days for results. Worth the piece of mind!

Bottom line, worth the money for the high quality test to know I’m safe and my family is safe.


2. EverlyWell Covid-19 Test Home Collection Kit


Easily test for SARS-CoV-2 infection whether you’re symptomatic or asymptomatic. Collect your sample at home and ship it free for secure digital results within 24-48 hours of the lab receiving your sample. A telehealth consult is available to guide you through your next steps.

Type of Test : Nasal Swab / RT-PCR Test
Who Can Use It : Anyone ages 18+
How to Get It : You can buy it from their website HERE 
Price : $109
How Long To Get Results : 1-2 days after the lab receives your samples

Highlights

- Offers more than 30 types of at-home test kits such as food sensitivity, allergies, thyroid and more. Browse their tests HERE.
- Received an EUA from the FDA 
- Used with EUA authorized RT-PCR tests that meet FDA benchmarks for accuracy.
- The cost of the test may be reimbursed if you have health insurance.


How To Use

- Order and register your kit
- Receive the kit after 2-8 business days
- Complete health intake survey and register your unique kit ID at everlywell.com/register
- Collect sample with nasal swab and return to the designated overnight shipping carrier drop off location. You MUST drop off your sample on the same day you collect.
- Receive results digitally

Review : 99% Positive - 1078 Reviews on Everlywell.com

Review

I picked up my test kit Friday morning and set up my account. Immediately got an email saying that the kit was registered successfully. Clear step-by-step instructions and drawings made taking the sample and packing the swab for shipping easy. Dropped the package off at a local UPS before the 2:00 pm deadline, got an email on Saturday saying it had been received by the lab, got an email Monday morning saying the results were ready. A very smooth process if you follow the steps one at a time


3. Phosphorus Covid-19 RT-QPCR Test



Type of Test : At-Home Covid Saliva Test / RT-PCR
How To Get It : You can buy the covid test on their website HERE
Phosphorus Covid Test Accuracy : Phosphorus claims to have a
Price : $155 / $49 with Insurance
How Long To Get Results : Within 72 hours from the lab's receipt of your sample

How To Use
After ordering the test, you will complete an online medical screen. Your at-home sample collection kit will then be shipped to you. 


4. Vault Health Covid Test



Type of Test : Saliva Based
How To Get Vault Covid Test : You can it at their website HERE
Vault Covid Test Price : $119
Highlights : 4.1 million Covid-19 tests provided to date
How Long To Get Results : 24-48 hours once the lab receives the sample

Vault Covid Test How To Use 
- Buy a test on their website
- Attend a Zoom meting with their clinicians who will guide you
- Receive the test kit, follow the clinicians instructions and return the test kit to them via UPS Drop Off


I want to thank the Vault health for you ease of using your COVID test kit for travel to Hawaii. The process was seamless from start to finish. My wife and I each ordered our kits one week out and had them the next day. The kit comes with everything you need. The zoom meeting was flawless, quick and simple. We took our test at 9 am on a Friday, returned directly to UPS and received constant updates from Vault. Out results were back by Saturday afternoon. At the end my insurance company also paid Vault instead of reimbursing me. Once I contacted Vault and sent them the information, they quickly refunded me. There is a company out there that still knows how to take care of their customers and if needed in the future Vault health will be a sure bet. Thanknyou

5. Abbot BinexNow Covid-19 Self Test


Type of Test : Antigen

Who Can Use It : Asymptomatic and symptomatic individual ages 2 and older. Needs prescription.

Where To Get : Online and in stores at CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Walmart, with plans to make it available at other retailers in the future.

Abbott Covid Test Price : About $20 - $25

Abbott Rapid Covid Test Accuracy : In a clinical study, it correctly identified 84.6% of positive specimens and 98.5% of negative ones and is likely to detect the new variants.


How Long To Get Results : 15 minutes

Abbott Covid Test How To Use 
- Use an eye dropper to dispense six drops of chemical into a small hole in the card
- Swab both nostrils 
- Insert the swab into the test 
- Receive test results after 15 minutes
- One line means negative and two lines mean positive

Abbot Covid Test Review :
I found the test fairly easy to perform. The drawback of the test is that there’s room for two different kinds of user error. It’s hard to see the drops come out of the dropper, and using too few could cause a false negative. So could swabbing your nose incorrectly. Unlike the other tests, this one can’t tell if you’ve made a mistake.

And besides the prospect of user error, the test itself has issues with accuracy. BinaxNow is the cheapest test out there, but it’s also the most likely to be wrong, missing about one in seven real infections. Abbott cautions that results “should be treated as presumptive” and “do not rule out SARS-Cov-2.”


6. DxTerity Covid-19 Saliva At-Home Collection Kit

Type of Test : Saliva Based
Where to Get Dxterity Covid Test : You can buy it online at Walmart
Dxterity Covid Test Price : $110
Dxterity Covid Test Accuracy : 83%
Web : https://dxterity.com/covid-19-test/

How Long To Get Results : 2-3 days after the lab receives your sample

Dxterity Covid Test How To Use :

- Purchase their kit online.

- Register at https://dxterity.com/register/

- Follow the Dxterity Covid Test Instructions provided with the kit - fill the provided tube with saliva and seal it.

- Ship it back to the lab for testing using FedEx Drop Off - The kit comes with a pre-paid printed label to help you ship it back to their lab. Samples must be shipped overnight, for fast delivery to the lab and fast results. 

- Check results in their online portal after 1-3 days.

Review 
This test kit came highly recommended by a close friend who runs a business and has used it successfully several times. I sent in my test kit 10 days ago and hadn’t gotten results until today. Turns out, the insane Texas winter weather delayed shipments and then my sample expired and was unable to produce any test results. I was bummed since the kit cost over $100. But, DxTerity personally wrote me to tell me they were giving me a full refund due to the unforeseen weather delays in my area. I was shocked and am so grateful. Thank you!

7. Ellume Covid-19 Home Test


The first home test to receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for at-home use without a prescription.

Type of Test : Antigen

Who Can Use It : Individuals with or without symptoms or other epidemiological reasons to suspect a COVID-19 infection as young as 2 years old.

How Long To Get Results : About 15 -20 minutes, delivered via a smartphone app

Ellume Covid-19 Home Test Price : About $30

Where to Get Ellume Covid Test : The Ellume Covid-19 Home Test is currently available in select CVS, Walgreen and Walmart Pharmacies.

When will the Ellume Covid-19 Home Test Be Available? : Ellume is still being rolled out nationwide. It has not been confirmed when it will be available online or nationwide.

Highlights : 96% accurate when compared to the RT-PCR test. 

In a clinical study of 198 people, the test caught 96% of cases in symptomatic individuals and 91% of cases in asymptomatic individuals.

How To Use

- Download Ellume's app to an Android or iOS device
- Watch an instructional video
- Swab your nostril and seal the swab within a dropper filled with fluorophene.
- Drop some of the fluid into an analyzer that pairs with your phone
- The results will be transmitted after about 15 minutes via Bluetooth to your smartphone.
- This data is also shared to health authorities to aid in outbreak mapping.


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