Pregnancy test rating

Means and preparations

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

The desired pregnancy is a great happiness and great responsibility in a woman's life, especially the first pregnancy. But how can you be sure that this event happened? Many do not know, but obstetricians consider only the fetal heartbeat, its movement, or the presence of a fetal skeleton during an ultrasound scan as reliable signs of pregnancy. Even symptoms such as enlargement of the mammary glands and uterus in the absence of menstruation are only likely signs. And those symptoms that young girls consider convincing are generally considered dubious by specialists. These include nausea and vomiting, addiction to 'salty', increased sensitivity of the mammary glands, abdominal enlargement, and other conditions that can be based only on the woman's personal opinion. However, laboratory pregnancy tests are available commercially. What can they be based on, if even an increase in the uterus and the disappearance of menstruation is insufficient evidence to confirm pregnancy? On a special hormone – hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin.

This hormone begins to be produced within a few hours after the fertilization of the egg, and its concentration increases several thousand times after a month and a half. The presence of this hormone in the blood or urine of a woman serves as convincing evidence of pregnancy. There is another type of this hormone, which can appear in the blood in various diseases – neuroendocrine tumors, and not only in women, but also in men. But during pregnancy, a special form of this hormone is produced, which can be detected by various tests.

In order to determine the increased level of hCG in the blood, it is required to pass an analysis in the laboratory. All pregnancy tests that are sold in pharmacies detect the presence of hCG in women in the urine, and none of them are designed to determine this pregnancy hormone in the blood. They are sold freely without any prescription. These tests are affordable, even for people with low incomes, they are very simple to use, and the testing is done independently at home.

Despite the fact that all tests are based on the same principle, they differ in the way they detect the hormone. There are test strips, or strip tests. It is possible to purchase tests for inkjet research, tablet form, and even digital electronic devices. What's the difference between all these kinds of tests? Which one is the most convenient to choose, and which method is preferable to use? Finally, what is the cost of the individual members of these different groups? This ranking presents the most popular pregnancy tests, one for each group. It makes no sense to list many different tests within one group, since they practically do not differ from each other, except for the manufacturer, packaging and a slight price fluctuation.

Ranking of the best pregnancy tests

Nomination a place Name of product price
Best strip tests, or pregnancy test strips 4 Frautest Express RUB 100
The best cassette or tablet pregnancy tests 3 Frautest Expert RUB 150
Best Inkjet Pregnancy Tests 2 Frautest Exclusive RUB 250
Electronic digital devices 1 Clearblue digital 391 RUB
How to choose a pregnancy test

Best strip tests, or pregnancy test strips

Pregnancy test strips, or strip tests, are the easiest to use. Every girl will probably be able to lower the test strip into a jar of freshly released morning urine to the mark on the strip, count the required number of seconds, in accordance with the instructions, pull out the strip, hold the allotted time so that the necessary signs 'appear', and then look at the strip. In the event that one red stripe is visible on it, then there is no pregnancy. If there are two strips, then the pregnancy has happened. Such tests belong to the first generation, but for all their shortcomings, they are extremely easy to use and very inexpensive, so they are always in demand. Frautest tests are typical strip strips for pregnancy detection.

Frautest Express

Rating: 4.6

Frautest Express

This is a whole family of pregnancy tests, and two of them belong to strip tests. These are plastic pregnancy test strips. The simplest of these will be Frautest Express. This is one strip, it is dipped into a clean container with morning urine for 10 seconds, and, on average, after 4 minutes the result is already shown.

Frautest Double Control is sold in a set of two strips. This, of course, is more convenient, and is done so that a woman can not worry, not worry, and do not run back to the pharmacy, do not wait for the next morning to receive a portion of morning urine, and check the likelihood of pregnancy again.

Frautest is produced by the German company Axiom, the simplest test – Express – can be purchased in Russian pharmacies at prices in September 2018 from 50 to 99 rubles. We remind you that this is the cost of one strip. As for the Double Control test, the cost of a pack of two strips ranges from 104 to 170 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

As discussed above, test strips are extremely easy to use, produce results quickly, and are very inexpensive. There are also disadvantages, and many women consider them significant, preferring to use more advanced pregnancy tests. The disadvantages include the use of only the morning portion of urine. Therefore, if something went wrong, then the next testing can only be carried out in a day, which can be extremely exciting. A container is required to collect urine. It may not be clean enough, it may turn out to be shallow for immersing the strip to the desired mark. Finally, it can slip out of hand, and you have to wait another day. In the end, it is necessary to fairly accurately follow the recommendations, and if there is either underexposure or overexposure of the strip, the result may turn out to be incorrect. Finally, the reagent that reacts with human chorionic gonadotropin is adsorbed either on plastic or, in the worst case, on paper in this type of pregnancy test, and this is not the best way to fix the reagent, which can become inactive if stored improperly.

The best cassette or tablet pregnancy tests

These pregnancy tests are second generation. The mechanism of action has remained exactly the same, but now the method of application has changed. The test strip is no longer taken into the hands, it is in a special tablet, which is made of plastic. This plastic packaging has special slots in the form of windows. Morning urine is dripped into one of them, then it spreads along the strip, and the result will be visible in the second window. The price of this small modification, which makes the application more convenient and does not require a large urine flow, is already significantly higher than that of strip strips.

However, you still need to collect urine. A special plastic container is attached to the package with cassette dough. Morning urine is also used, since the concentration of chorionic gonadotropin in it is the highest. Then, using a special pipette, which is also in the kit, 4 drops of urine are usually dripped into the desired window. You should wait a few minutes and read the result. If one stripe is visible, then pregnancy has not occurred, while the presence of two stripes indicates the onset of pregnancy.

This method allows you to avoid touching the strip with your fingers, which may contain not only traces of sebum, which is always present on the fingers, but also various unnecessary substances. This allows for higher sensitivity, although not overly superior to the test strip. In essence, here we are simply talking about the same strip-strips, only avoiding accidental contamination. Nevertheless, cassette tests make it possible to reliably determine the presence of pregnancy already 3 days before the onset of planned menstruation, and not only if it was delayed, if their sensitivity is 10-15 mMU / ml.

Frautest Expert

Rating: 4.7

Frautest Expert

An example of a cassette test is the second generation Frautest called Frautest Expert. Its use is capable of showing the presence of gonadotropin in urine if its concentration exceeds 15 mMU / ml. This is high sensitivity. At the same time, the existing accuracy of determining pregnancy with the correct application of the test reaches 99% and even higher. The brightness of the appearance of the second strip depends on the concentration of hormones. But even if there is a second stripe and it looks extremely pale, but if it is distinguishable by the eye, it means that a new life has appeared. This test is produced by the same German company. The cost of one cassette ranges from 130 to 220 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantage of the tablet tests will be a slightly higher sensitivity (due to the packed strip) and ease of use. The set has everything you need, and you do not need to stock up on your own jars or other material. This is rarely written about, but the use of cassette tests allows you to save a portion of morning urine, since only a few drops are taken from it. The rest can be taken for analysis if necessary.

The negative aspects include a rather high cost, which is almost four times higher than the price for the same test in the form of a simple strip. At the same time, no qualitative changes were made to the testing and perception process, only to the 'construction'. The carrier is the same strip coated with the same reagents, and the eye evaluates the same two lines. Therefore, you will undoubtedly have to pay the additional cost for the convenience.

But some do not think so, and rightly think that packaging a strip in a special tablet can be regarded as a clever marketing move, since the cost of production has increased slightly, and the retail price has increased significantly. Some women complain that it is unusual and inconvenient to drip a certain number of drops of urine into a small window. There is a danger of dripping an extra few drops and over-wetting the test strip. The need to continue to use the morning urine portion has also been denounced. In some ways, this is even more difficult than just using a test strip. In the end, it just needs to be dipped in urine, held and pulled out. Here it is necessary, having got up early in the morning, while still half asleep, to figure out which of the windows to apply the liquid to, to accurately measure the required number of drops in good lighting.

Best Inkjet Pregnancy Tests

There are third-generation pregnancy tests that can further simplify the process of obtaining a result, although they are based on the same physical principles. These are the so-called inkjet tests. Almost all characteristics have been improved here. There is no need to collect urine, no need to drip it anywhere, and no need to wait longer than three minutes. In order to get the result, you just need to substitute the test device under the stream of urine. It's even easier than directing the jet into a can. The receiving device consists of a fibrous part, and along these fibers, according to the laws of surface tension, urine rises up, in fact, to the place where the reagent is located. The gonadotropin in the urine is firmly fixed to the reagent, changing its color. Inkjet tests are considered to be among the most sensitive and fastest. In two or three minutes the answer is ready. An example of such a jet test would be Frautest Exclusive.

Frautest Exclusive

Rating: 4.8

Frautest Exclusive

Perhaps it lived up to its name – exclusive. This is a really very good test system that is both comfortable and hygienic. The test is so simple that it probably isn't worth describing this little pink cylinder that looks a lot like a lipstick package. Since there is no need to collect urine, the test can be performed anywhere, wherever there is an opportunity to go to the toilet for a small need. It is very sensitive, and according to some reviews, 3 or even 4 days before the expected period, pregnancy can be confirmed. You just need to free the receiving end of the test by removing the cap and placing it under the stream of urine. Then wait a while – 2 minutes and observe. If you see two stripes, then you can expect an early addition of offspring.

Advantages and disadvantages

A huge advantage of all jet tests is ease of use, after all, you can substitute something under the stream of urine even in a half-asleep state. But most importantly, you don't have to go to the toilet in the morning. Due to its high sensitivity, chorionic gonadotropin can be determined in urine excreted at any time of the day. If you don’t feel like getting up early in the morning, then it’s quite possible to test when you want. Therefore, of the negative aspects of this test, only one remains – this is its cost. One test system for one urine test will cost you from 230 to 370 rubles, which is 6 times more than the cost of the simplest pregnancy test.

Electronic digital devices

It would seem that it is no longer possible to create something more perfect than inkjet tests. But science is moving forward, and now on the market the most advanced, convenient, and even advanced electronic digital pregnancy tests with a set of additional options can be called. One such test is Clearblue digital with a weekly indicator.

Clearblue digital

Rating: 4.9

Clearblue digital

This test not only determines the presence of pregnancy, but also allows you to determine its duration in weeks. In fact, for a knowledgeable woman who understands her own physiology, this is not difficult to do. But, you must admit, it is still pleasant not only to determine the presence of pregnancy, but also to immediately find out its term. In this case, the accuracy of determining pregnancy is more than 99% if the test system is used no earlier than the expected day of menstruation. And the accuracy of determining the duration of pregnancy, which is calculated from the moment of conception, although somewhat less, also exceeds 90%. If you use only the first, high-quality test, then it can be safely recommended even 5 days before the day of the expected delay in menstruation.

This test looks like an electronic thermometer with an LCD window and an absorbent tip. Before testing, simply remove the cap and hold the absorbent tip under the stream of urine for 5 seconds. Of course, if you wish, you can pre-collect the urine in a clean container and also lower the tip there. By the way, the same technique can be applied to inkjet tests, if it seems more convenient to someone.

After testing, put the device on a flat horizontal surface and wait three minutes while the hourglass will flash on the screen. After 3 minutes, the finished test can be read. Instead of looking at the stripes, you can just read the inscriptions, for example '2-3 pregnant' or 'not pregnant'. It goes without saying that in the first case, the numbers indicate the gestational age in weeks.

Advantages and disadvantages

Having absorbed all the possible advantages, this test is not without its own shortcomings. The advantages include ease of use, no need to get up early in the morning and collect urine in a jar, there is no need to drip and measure with a pipette and look at the number of strips. The device will do everything for you, you just need to carry out the test at any time convenient for you and in any convenient place. What are the disadvantages of this perfect test? The most important thing is to calculate the gestational age. The program determines it based on a standard cycle of 28 calendar days. If a woman has a different cycle, which is a little more or a little less, then the device will give a small error. This error will be the smaller, the shorter the gestational age. The second drawback, which is a continuation of the advantages of the electronic test, is its price. The cost of one package of Clearblue electronic test in August 2018 prices ranges from 380 to 560 rubles. Of course, it is a pity to realize that this device is used only once, especially since it is very similar to a digital thermometer that can be used for a long time. And of course, one cannot discount the fact that the more complex the device, the greater the risk of any malfunction in the most unexpected place. There is one more disadvantage that may seem funny to many. If a woman can neither write nor read, or speaks languages ​​that are not based on the Latin alphabet, for example, is a resident of Arab countries or China, then she simply will not be able to read the test results.

How to choose a pregnancy test

choosing a pregnancy test

This ranking describes the most popular pregnancy tests belonging to different generations. Of course, the woman herself chooses which test to buy, and whether she needs it at all. When choosing a test, it is imperative to pay attention to the expiration date in the pharmacy, and it does not matter what you choose: test strips or an electronic device. If it is overdue, then the result can be whatever. It is also undesirable to buy 'term' tests, which will expire after a month or two. Theoretically, everything may be in order with them, but if there were errors in the storage rules, then the result may not correspond to the truth.

Also, a woman should know that the next day after intercourse, or even two days later, it makes no sense to use test systems. Yes, indeed, the level of the hormone begins to rise already on the first day, but only after about a week, when the embryo has taken hold in the uterine cavity and the chorion, or the embryonic placenta, has begun to form, it makes sense to use pregnancy tests, but they have high sensitivity.

It should also be remembered that if the testing was carried out very early, for example, on the fifth day after sexual intercourse, and the test did not confirm the presence of pregnancy, then it is necessary to retest after a few days. In the event that you use highly sensitive tests, then you can determine pregnancy in a week. The threshold value is 10 mMU / ml. These tests are very sensitive. If you purchase a test and read in the instructions that its sensitivity has 20 or 25 units, then this means that this test can be used only if menstruation is delayed at least one day. Until your period is late, such a test will tell you nothing.

And finally, the most important thing that every woman should do. If, using any of the testing options, pregnancy was detected, then this means that it is urgent to register with the antenatal clinic. Such early observation of a pregnant woman is very important to exclude an ectopic pregnancy. After all, the test system will never tell you where the embryo is attached – in the uterine cavity, or in the tube. In this case, this pregnancy can threaten with serious complications. Also, do not forget the old, tried and tested methods. So, on the third or fourth day after a delay in menstruation, it is desirable to measure the basal temperature, and if at rest it exceeds 37 degrees, then this fact is also confirmation of the pregnancy that has occurred.


Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

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