When can you take a clearblue pregnancy test

By Sara Lindberg

Reviewed: September 17, 2021

This content is researched and written independently of the views or opinions of Everyday Health's editorial team. Everyday Health may earn a commission from purchases of featured products in this article.

The 8 Best Pregnancy Tests of 2022

Picking out a pregnancy test can feel overwhelming, especially when you consider the number of brands and types available, and of course, what’s at stake. The good news? Some tests clearly come out on top when it comes to accuracy, reliability, and usability, making it easier to narrow your choices.

With that in mind, you're probably wondering what the best pregnancy test is. But before we get to the top picks, it’s important to point out the difference between a home pregnancy test and a blood test.

Home Pregnancy Test vs. Blood Test

Both a blood test and urine test check for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone is present when you’re pregnant. The best way to determine the amount of hCG is with a blood test. This is more accurate than a urine test, but it requires a trip to your doctor’s office or local health clinic. And that’s where home pregnancy tests come in handy.

To help you get started, we looked at several pregnancy tests and evaluated them for price, quality, accuracy, ease of use, reputation, and customer reviews. After careful review, we settled on the following eight best home pregnancy tests.

Our Top Picks for Pregnancy Tests in 2022

• Best overall: First Response Early Result
• Best affordable: Easy@Home Pregnancy Test Strips
• Best easy-to-read digital: Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test with Smart Countdown
• Best strips: Pregmate Pregnancy Urine Test Strips
• Best for early testing: Clearblue Early Detection
• Best biodegradable: Lia
• Best for peace of mind: First Response Triple Check Pregnancy Test Kit
• Best starter kit: Easy@Home Ovulation and Pregnancy Test Kit

Why You Can Trust Us

We independently investigate and recommend products we believe will enhance the lives of our readers and meet their specific needs. We’ve spent countless hours doing in-depth research on pregnancy test brands and pregnancy detection to find the best at-home pregnancy tests on the market. You can trust our review because we did the legwork for you in these specific ways:

• Independently researched each pregnancy test brand on our list
• Mystery shopped the brands
• Surveyed pregnancy test users
• Read verified customer reviews from trusted third-party sites such as Better Business Bureau and Consumer Reports
• Contacted brands’ customer service teams to ask questions
• Reviewed research into the efficacy of pregnancy tests

Best Overall: First Response Early Result

First Response Early Result tops our list of the best home pregnancy tests. This bestselling brand is considered the gold standard of home pregnancy tests by many parents and experts. While some tests require a missed period to detect pregnancy hormones in urine, First Response Early Result is sensitive enough to recognize scant amounts of pregnancy hormones up to six days before a missed period.

Plus, if you wait until the first day of your expected period, the results are more than 99 percent accurate. First Response also earned top honors for providing users with two ways to read results. After three minutes, the display window will reveal one or two lines: One indicates a negative result, and two lines a positive result. If you would rather see the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant,” simply download the EasyRead app and scan your pregnancy test. The app converts the test lines into words for extra assurance.

Price: $10.49

Number of tests: Three

Display method: Test lines

Result time: Three minutes

Pros

• Accurate up to six days before a missed period
• EasyRead app converts test lines into words
• Three-minute test time

Cons

• More expensive than other tests
• Test lines can be difficult to read if too faint

Get First Response Early Result at FirstResponse.com.

Best Affordable: Easy@Home Pregnancy Test Strips

If you’re hoping to start a family, you may be thinking a lot about money. After all, having a baby is expensive. If you’re wanting to go easy on your budget while you can, the Easy@Home Pregnancy Test Strips may be the way to go. These strips are affordable and straightforward to use. In fact, each test strip averages about $0.45.

The company recommends using first-morning urine when taking a test. To be considered positive, the T line must be a pinkish hue. Although you can test early with these strips, it’s best to wait until the first day of a missed period, since the minimum hCG detected with these strips is 25 milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL).

Price: $11.45

Number of tests: 25

Display method: Test lines

Result time: Three to five minutes

Pros

• Each test strip costs about $0.45
• Detects levels of hCG as low as 25 mIU/mL

Cons

• Earliest detection is one day after a missed period
• Test strips are thin and not as sturdy as plastic tests

Get Easy@Home Pregnancy Test Strips at Amazon.com.

Best Easy-to-Read Digital: Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test With Smart Countdown

Waiting to find out if you’re pregnant can feel like hours instead of minutes. With the Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test with Smart Countdown, you’ll be able to watch the test as it's working. The Smart Countdown features a progress indicator that flashes or counts down in the digital display window until you see the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant.” In general, the test takes about three minutes to produce a result. If you take the test on or after the first day of your expected period, the results are 99 percent accurate.

That said, the test is sensitive enough to detect pregnancy five days before a missed period. Another feature users like about the Smart Countdown is the extra-wide absorbent tip and Floodguard Technology, which reduces the mess that can happen with a midstream pregnancy test. It also helps improve the test's accuracy.

Price: $13.99

Number of tests: Three

Display method: Digital

Result time: Three minutes

Pros

• Test up to five days before a missed period
• Countdown feature shows that the test is working
• Digital with “pregnant” or “not pregnant”

Cons

• More expensive than other tests
• Most accurate on first day of expected period

Get Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test with Smart Countdown at Clearblue.com.

Best Strips: Pregmate Pregnancy Urine Test Strips

If you plan on testing a lot, you may want to skip the more expensive, plastic-encased pregnancy tests and opt for a pack of test strips instead. The Pregmate Pregnancy Urine Test Strips come in a box of 50, with each test sealed in an individual pouch, making it easy to grab and go if you need to test away from home.

Pregmate strips can detect hCG when it reaches 25 mIU/mL, which could be as soon as five days before a missed period. This is not a midstream pregnancy test. You will need to pee in a cup, dip the strip, and lay it flat for the test to work. If hCG is present in your urine, you’ll see two lines. Otherwise, the test will show one line indicating that it did not detect the pregnancy hormone.

Price: $15.95

Number of tests: 50

Display method: Test lines

Result time: Five minutes

Pros

• Easy to use
• Most affordable option for repeated testing
• Each test strip costs $0.31

Cons

• Must pee into a cup and dip the strip
• Not as sturdy as plastic-encased tests

Get Pregmate Pregnancy Urine Test Strips at Pregmate.com.

Best for Early Testing: Clearblue Early Detection

Clearblue Early Detection is one of the few tests that can tell you if you’re pregnant six days before a missed period. In fact, the company claims 71 percent of pregnancies are detected this early. Like other tests, if you wait until the day of your expected period, the accuracy jumps to 99 percent.

The testing area is extra wide for easy sampling if you’re collecting a sample midstream, and results should take only about three minutes. Once complete, the display will show a control line and a result line. Clearblue says it does not matter how dark, faint, or wide the result line is. If there is a line, the test is positive. One thing to note is this test pack is slightly more expensive than home pregnancy tests with similar features.

Price: $12.98

Number of tests: Three

Display method: Test lines

Result time: Three minutes

Pros

• Accurate up to six days before your period
• Extra-wide tip for easy sampling

Cons

• More expensive than other tests
• Test lines can be difficult to read if too faint

Get Clearblue Early Detection at Clearblue.com.

Best Biodegradable: Lia the Flushable Pregnancy Test

Most pregnancy tests are made from plastic. And since each test is good for only one use, a lot of plastic ends up in landfills. That’s where the Lia Flushable Pregnancy Test comes in. These biodegradable tests are made from natural fibers.

In fact, they are the same fibers used in most toilet paper. While not as sensitive as some other tests, Lia can detect pregnancy when your hCG reaches 25 mIU/mL. The test degrades in about 10 weeks. And, these eco-friendly home pregnancy tests are made in the United States. But Lia is available only on the company’s website.

Price: $13.99

Number of tests: Two

Display method: Test lines

Result time: Five minutes

Pros

• Eco-friendly, flushable test
• Contains no plastic
• Discreet and easy to store

Cons

• More expensive than other pregnancy tests
• Instructions are complicated
• Results may be difficult to read for some people

Get Lia the Flushable Pregnancy Test at Meetlia.

Best for Peace of Mind: First Response Triple Check Pregnancy Test Kit

The First Response Triple Check Pregnancy Test Kit comes with three unique tests: Early Result Pregnancy test, Digital Pregnancy test, and Rapid Result Pregnancy test. Each test detects pregnancy but provides a different way to learn your results. For example, the Rapid Result test displays an answer in one minute, and the Early Result test can detect hCG six days sooner than your missed period. And if test lines are not your thing, the Digital Pregnancy test makes it really easy to read: Yes+ or No–. All three tests are reported to be 99 percent accurate from the day of your expected period. You can use the EasyRead app to scan the test lines if you would rather see “pregnant” or “not pregnant.”

Price: $12.51

Number of tests: Three

Display method: Test lines and digital

Result time: One to three minutes

Pros

• Three top-rated tests in one kit
• Sensitive to all forms of pregnancy hormones

Cons

• More expensive than test strips
• Not a good choice if you want to do multiple tests before a missed period

Get First Response Triple Check Pregnancy Test Kit at FirstResponse.com.

Best Starter Kit: Easy@Home Ovulation and Pregnancy Test Kit

If you’re trying to conceive and want a more accurate way to tell if you’re ovulating (and then, hopefully, pregnant!), consider the Easy@Home Ovulation and Pregnancy Test Kit. This handy pack comes with 50 ovulation strips and 20 pregnancy tests. The ovulation strips test for LH hormone to estimate when you will ovulate.

As with a pregnancy test strip, you dip the ovulation strip in a cup of urine and wait for the appearance of a line darker than the control line, which indicates a positive result. The pregnancy strips work similarly, but a positive reading is two lines (control line and pregnancy line). If you’re trying to conceive, you can use the free Premom app to track your results and see your ovulation cycle and patterns.

Price: $16.51

Number of tests: 50 ovulation tests and 20 pregnancy tests

Display method: Test lines

Result time: Five minutes

Pros

• Ovulation and pregnancy tests together in one kit
• Instructions and look of the two tests are very similar
• Affordable way to test if you’re ovulating or pregnant

Cons

• Pregnancy tests are not as sensitive as other tests
• Cannot test before a missed period with the pregnancy test

Get Easy@Home Ovulation and Pregnancy Test Kit at Amazon.com.

When Is the Best Time to Take a Pregnancy Test?

According to the instruction sheet on most home pregnancy tests, the best time of day to take a pregnancy test is in the morning. Additionally, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health (OWH), the best time in your cycle to take a pregnancy test is after you’ve missed your period, preferably after the first day of a missed period if you know your cycle. If you take it too soon, the hCG levels might not be high enough for the test to detect, leading you to believe you’re not pregnant. That’s why it’s not a bad idea to take more than one test, at least a few days apart.

How Do Pregnancy Tests Work?

Pregnancy tests are designed to identify hCG, either in blood or urine, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Once the fertilized egg implants in the uterus, your body begins producing hCG. A blood test can tell if hCG is present and the amount. This pregnancy hormone is also passed in your urine, making home pregnancy tests an excellent alternative to in-office blood tests. But, home tests are not as sensitive as a blood test and require waiting to test.

In general, home pregnancy tests can identify a positive or negative result after the first day of a missed period. The most sensitive tests may be able to produce a positive result as soon as six days before your period is due. A urine test cannot tell you the amount of hCG; it can only tell if hCG is present.

If you test too early in your cycle with a home pregnancy test, you could receive a false negative result, especially if your body is only producing a scant amount of hCG and the test is not sensitive enough to pick it up. That’s why it’s a good idea to test again a few days later or after a missed period.

How Accurate Are Pregnancy Test Results?

At-home pregnancy tests are accurate if you use them correctly. In general, most urine pregnancy tests claim to be 99 percent accurate after a missed period. This depends on how and when you use them.

For example, expired tests may not produce accurate results. You can get optimal accuracy by taking a test after you miss a period and collecting a urine sample in the morning, according to the OWH. That’s because the amount of hCG in your blood increases with time. And finally, some home pregnancy test brands are more sensitive than others.

Features to Keep in Mind When Choosing a Pregnancy Test

You may want your choice of pregnancy test to involve more than just grabbing the first one you see on the shelf. Here are some factors to keep in mind when shopping for a test.

• Display method Do you prefer test lines or digital words indicating “pregnant” or “not pregnant”?
• Cost Test strips are more affordable than plastic-encased pregnancy tests.
• Expiration date Check the expiration date before you use a test. All pregnancy tests expire and can become less effective at detecting hCG if they are too old.
• Ergonomics and ease of use Urine pregnancy tests give you two options to test: midstream while urinating or by collecting a sample in a cup. People with limited mobility or range of motion should be aware of which method works best for them.

Finally, before choosing a pregnancy test, ask yourself these questions. Your answers will help determine the best brand and style for your needs.

• When was my last period?
• Am I taking any medication with hCG hormone?
• Will I need more than one pregnancy test?
• Do I feel comfortable performing a pregnancy test?
• Do I feel comfortable reading a pregnancy test?

What Other Types of Pregnancy Tests Are There?

Pregnancy tests are either performed at home or in an office. At-home tests use a plastic-encased testing strip with an exposed tip that you place in your urine for five seconds. You can do this midstream while going to the bathroom or collect a urine sample in a cup and dip the strip.

In-office pregnancy tests are offered at a doctor’s office, health clinic, hospital, urgent care clinic, or other healthcare center. You will get a clinical urine test or blood test. The urine tests used in an office are not necessarily better than ones you would take at home, whereas a blood test can provide more information than a urine test, especially early on. These tests determine whether hCG is present and in what amount.

How We Chose the Best Pregnancy Tests

We determined the best pregnancy tests of 2022 on the basis of the following:

• Price of the kit
• Quality of the kit
• Number of test strips in the kit
• Accuracy of pregnancy detection
• Which pregnancy hormones it detects
• Ease of use
• Results-display method
• Reputation
• Customer reviews
• Expiration date

The Bottom Line

It wasn't easy to choose the best pregnancy tests to include in this list. All the brands we chose have solid reputations with several positive customer reviews. But our clear choice for the best test overall is First Response Early Result because of its accuracy, early detection, and ease of use.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do pregnancy tests work?

Pregnancy tests look for the presence of hCG either in blood or urine. A home pregnancy test can identify hCG in the urine after the first day of a missed period. If the amount is high enough for a test to detect, you will receive a positive result. But if the level is not high enough, or hCG is not present, a negative result will appear in the testing window. If you get a negative result but think you may be pregnant, test again a few days later.

How accurate are pregnancy test results?

According to the FDA, pregnancy tests are accurate when used correctly. This includes taking the test at the right time, following the instructions for administering and handling the test, and reading the results at the correct time.

What is the most accurate pregnancy test?

The most accurate pregnancy test is an in-office blood test, followed by clinical urine tests (doctor's office urine tests). That said, when testing at home, the most accurate pregnancy test is one sensitive enough to detect hCG before a missed period. Based on our list, First Response Early Result is the most accurate home pregnancy test. But accuracy is affected by test administration, so you must follow the directions for collecting a sample and reading the test.

Which test can detect pregnancy soonest?

A blood test can detect pregnancy sooner than a urine test, but if you’re testing at home, the best early pregnancy test, again, is First Response Early Result. In most cases, this test can detect pregnancy as soon as six days before a missed period.

Which pregnancy tests detect the lowest amount of hCG?

Determining the lowest amount of hCG is not a feature of a home pregnancy test. These tests can detect if hCG is present, but they cannot determine the amount. If you want to know that information, you will need to get a blood test. An in-office blood test can screen for the presence of hCG (qualitative) as well as the amount (quantitative) in your blood. The quantitative hCG test will detect the lowest amount of hCG in your blood.

Are $1 pregnancy tests accurate?

Budget-friendly pregnancy tests that cost $1 or less are definitely a popular option for many parents-to-be, especially when testing more than once during a cycle. But before you stock up on generic tests from your local convenience store, be aware that these tests are often recommended for use after you miss a period.

Most $1 or less pregnancy tests are accurate only when used on the first day of your missed period or afterward, and become more accurate the longer you wait. That said, the FDA regulates at-home pregnancy tests, so, yes, a $1 pregnancy test is accurate as long as you follow the instructions and don’t test too early.

When is the best time to take a pregnancy test?

The best time of day to take a pregnancy test, especially early on, is in the morning with the first urine of the day. The best time in your cycle to take a test is after your period is late. Some tests are sensitive enough to detect hCG before a missed period, but most will be more accurate if you wait until the first day of your missed period or even a few days later.

How do you tell if you’re pregnant without a test?

In addition to a positive pregnancy test and/or missing a period or two, you may experience some early pregnancy symptoms. According to the National Institutes of Health, these can include: