Best Overall: Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test

Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Bed Bath & Beyond Buy on Walmart These Clearblue tests top our list for quality, ease-of-use, and cost value. There are no lines to interpret: when you are at your most fertile (when your Luteinizing Hormone or LH surges). They guarantee 99 percent accuracy, and results need just three minutes to appear. The kit contains twenty checks. To use, urinate on one of them, insert it for your results in the reusable display.

20 Ovulation Tests

Getting pregnant on Amazon Shop on Walmart? Of course, that’s an app. This kit from Easy@Home works just like other predictor kits of ovulation by dipping the test strips in urine and waiting to see if your LH level is increasing, meaning your chances of getting pregnant are at their peak soon. It contains 50 ovulation tests and 20 pregnancy tests. What distinguishes this package is that you can download the company’s software and get digital test results right on your screen. It also lets you monitor your signs and period, so you get the best picture of your fertility.

Most Comprehensive: Ovulation Test

Modern Fertility Buy on Modernfertility.com If you want to go beyond standardized test strips, you’ve protected Modern Fertility. This test goes one step further and lets you predict the two days of the month you’ll be most fertile in conjunction with your app. To use, you’ll pee into a cup first thing in the morning like most tests, but instead of having a positive (you’re fertile now!) versus negative (you’re not fertile now), you’ll take a photo in their app to help predict your period, helping you keep track of your cycle. The Modern Fertility Hormone Test is a detailed at-home test that will get a read on your hormones if you want to go one step further.

How Do Ovulation Tests Work?

Ovulation tests operate by tracking the body’s luteinizing hormone (LH), a hormone that activates the ovaries. LH is still present in your urine; but, 24-48 hours before ovulation (when an egg is released from one of your ovaries), your body’s LH increases. This is called your LH wave, and you’re most fertile during this one- to two-day window in your cycle until ovulation. Ovulation tests detect LH in your urine. OPKs make it easy to recognize your LH surge and your most fertile period, so you’ll know when to have sex and improve your chances of pregnancy.

How Accurate Are Ovulation Tests?

According to the American Pregnancy Association (APA), ovulation tests are 99% effective to detect the pre-ovulation LH wave. But some important things to remember when trying to interpret this statistic. Although ovulation tests will tell you when your LH is rising, they can’t confirm whether you’ve ovulated, or not. Some women have an LH surge and never release an egg, while others have some false LH spikes until it finally peaks.

(The above is normal in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS, a disorder that can influence your cycle, hormones, and fertility.) If you’re confused about your ovulation, or if you’re having discrepancies with your ovulation tests, it’s a good idea to speak to your doctor about your concerns.

Another important thing to note: if you’re anyone with more than normal or more frequent cycles, you’ll probably need to store up on more ovulation tests than the average individual. Many ovulation predictor kits only come with a limited amount of test strips, which might not be sufficient to cover the timeframe when ovulation may occur for you.

When To Take An Ovulation Test

Timing plays a major role in fertility and even plays a big role when performing an ovulation test. It’s important to understand the best time to use an ovulation test for your chances of conceiving. There are a few things to find out to determine when to take an ovulation test.

Determine The Length Of Your Cycle.

According to the Mayo Clinic, most menstrual cycles counted from the first day of one period to the next day are between between 21 and 35 days long. Before starting research, you’ll want to decide your cycle length. If your period is more than a few days irregular, figure the average number of days for the last three months and use that number.

Next, you’ll want to find out when you ovulate in your period. Using an ovulation calculator to help assess this or other math. Ovulation varies person-to-person, but for many it’s usually right in the middle of your cycle, about 14 days after you start. For example, if your average period is 28 days, you probably ovulate around day 14. (Remember this is only an average, though, so it may be different for you.) Start testing 3-4 days before ovulation.

Use your ovulation test at least three to four days before you think ovulation should occur. (If your period is erratic, you will want to create a buffer of a few extra days.) This means that if you have a 28-day cycle, you’ll want to start checking on day ten. All this math overwhelmed? Don’t worry, most ovulation tests come with simple, easy instructions and a map to help you decide when to start testing. And video tools can be helpful from most test brands.

How To Use An Ovulation Test

Most ovulation tests use urine and are highly user-friendly. You’ll want to read the detailed instructions provided with your test to ensure you’re using it correctly to get the most accurate results. Keep the tip of the test strip under your urine stream or dip it in a tiny cup filled with urine. If you’re using a test strip without a display, you’re going to check for colored lines on the strip itself; if your ovulation test comes with a monitor, you’re going to read the results.

And you won’t have to wait a few minutes or so for most tests. There’s no right time to take an ovulation exam. They can be taken anytime just be sure you’re consistent and do the test every day at the same time. The APA suggests reducing your liquid consumption four hours before testing.

How To Read An Ovulation Test

Each ovulation test is different, so be sure to read the instructions carefully so you can read the results correctly. If you just use a test strip, most have two lines: control and test line. The control line tells you the test works correctly, while the second line is the test line. (Line colors can differ depending on the test brand you’re using.) For certain studies, if the test line is darker or darker than the control line, this means the test is positive and your LH is increasing.

If you’re using a computer monitor ovulation test, you’ll need to check for your results on the monitor screen. While symbols differ by test, most automated ovulation tests use a smiley face to signify positive testing.

Positive Ovulation Test What’S Next?

If your ovulation test is positive, it’s time for company! The three days after a positive ovulation test, per AAP, is the best time to have sex to improve your chances of getting pregnant.

What About A Negative Ovulation Test?

If you get a negative ovulation test result, it’s likely your LH surge hasn’t happened yet and you need a few more days. If you’ve been getting negative ovulation tests for more than a few weeks, there might be a few factors. You could have started testing too early or too late, or your period is off for several reasons (stress, illness, etc.). You could also have anovulatory period if an egg isn’t released. Try the next cycle again.

Test Malfunction Or Human Error.

Make sure your test kit doesn’t expire or malfunction somehow, and make sure you read all instructions carefully. Some drugs interfere with the results of the ovulation test kit, so consult with your doctor what to do if you’re taking one. Being pregnant or recently pregnant often interferes with test results.

There may be factors that either prohibit you from ovulating or impede the ovulation test from detecting the proper timing of your LH surge. If you continue to have negative ovulation tests, make an appointment with your doctor.

Pearl Fertility Ovulation Test

The lowdown Combine super-granular hormone test with a user-friendly app, and you’ve got one of the best ovulation tests out there. Pearl isn’t your usual face/blurred line ovulation predictor package. It contains 15 strips to test your hormones to predict your fertile window early, and its app allows you to upload images of your strips for extra detailed reading. The app then tells you the exact FSH and LH hormone levels and shares your planned window 5-6 days ahead. Seriously, this app is the best fertility tech we’ve ever seen.

Score 10% Off Pearl Fertility With Code Cofertility10

And depending on how long you’ve been trying to conceive and how many tests you’ve done, you know that a looooong way will go 10 percent off. Until Costco starts selling bulk OPKs, we’ll be here, checking our ovulation correctly, while getting a good 10% off. #Gaining! This app is fantastic if your period isn’t your typical, cookie-cutter, 28-day cycle. Update with each test and share your planned fertile window 5-6 days in advance. Hands up for our sporadic sisters!

Natalist Ovulation Test

@16@ We bet you never thought you’d hear the words “good” and “ovulation test” in the same expression. But Natalist makes the prettiest ovulation tests we’ve ever seen, hands-down. Besides their beautiful design and packaging, Natalist’s ovulation tests also include instructions that are completely jargon-free, super-clear, and include diagrams that go through everything.

Since we’re big fans of everything that helps un-complicate the fertility journey, we’re v. And you can score 10% off all Natalist items by using code COFERTILITY10 at checkout. Yep, that extends to pregnancy testing, at-home sperm analyzes, prenatal supplements, and more. However, this code is limited to one use per customer, so be sure to store before check-out.

If you’re #ttc, you know that running through an ovulation test for every cycle can really add up. We’ve always scratched our heads why before Natalist came along, more ovulation test companies didn’t offer bulk pricing. When writing this, you can save by purchasing 4 boxes or 8 boxes of ovulation test kits. Bundling may be worth it in our view.