As the world continues to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for reliable home test kits has surged, offering a convenient method to monitor health from the comfort of one's home. Numerous brands have emerged in the market, each promising accurate and swift results that can provide peace of mind. Whether you're looking to quickly assess symptoms or require regular testing for work or travel, selecting a reputable home test kit is crucial. To assist you in making an informed choice, we've compiled a list of the best brands in COVID home testing available today.
Illustration of covid home test
Best brands of covid home test in 2025
BinaxNOW
The BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test, produced by Abbott, is a highly regarded and FDA-approved at-home test kit, known for its accuracy and ease of use. Studies have shown that the test has a sensitivity of 64.2% for symptomatic individuals and 35.8% for asymptomatic individuals, with near 100% specificity in both groups. It can detect active infections with SARS-CoV-2, including the Omicron variant, and is trusted by millions of families, schools, and healthcare facilities. The test is designed for individuals aged 15 years and older, or for children aged 2 years and older when administered by an adult, and provides results within 15 to 30 minutes. Its high specificity and rapid turnaround time make it an essential tool in community testing strategies to reduce COVID-19 transmission.
QuickVue At-Home
The QuickVue At-Home COVID-19 Test by Quidel is a leading product in the COVID-19 diagnostics market, known for its high accuracy and rapid results. This test offers a positive percent agreement with PCR of 96.6% and a negative percent agreement of 99.3%, making it a reliable choice for at-home testing.
Ellume COVID-19 Home Test
The Ellume COVID-19 Home Test, developed by the Australian digital diagnostics company Ellume, stands out as a pioneering and highly accurate at-home COVID-19 diagnostic solution. It was the first of its kind to receive Emergency Use Authorization from the US FDA in December 2020 for non-prescription home use by adults and children aged two and above. The test demonstrated a 96% accuracy rate in multi-site US clinical studies and provides results within 15 minutes. Despite facing challenges, including a voluntary recall of specific lots due to higher-than-acceptable false positive results, Ellume has continued to improve and expand its production, with plans to manufacture up to 15 million tests per month from its new facility in Maryland. This innovation has been crucial in helping to manage the pandemic and return communities to a new normal.
iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
The iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test is a highly acclaimed and widely used at-home testing solution, recognized as the "Best Overall" at-home Covid test by Health.com. This test boasts a high accuracy rate, correctly identifying 94.3% of positive specimens and 98.1% of negative specimens. iHealth has manufactured over 70 million of these test kits, with the capacity to produce up to one million tests per day from their US-based facility in Irwindale, California. The test provides quick results in just 15 minutes and is designed for non-invasive nasal swab collection. With its ease of use and reliable results, iHealth continues to be a key supplier of COVID-19 tests to various sectors, including federal and state governments, nonprofits, and individual consumers. For more information, visit the iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test page.
Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test
The Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, produced by ACON Laboratories, is a highly reliable and efficient option for at-home COVID-19 testing. Authorized by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and later cleared for over-the-counter (OTC) use in 2023, this test accurately detects the nucleocapsid protein antigen from SARS-CoV-2 with a sensitivity of 89.8% for positive samples and a specificity of 99.3% for negative samples. The test is designed for self-collected anterior nasal swab samples from individuals aged 14 years or older, or adult-collected samples from individuals aged 2 years or older, providing results within 15 minutes. It is recommended for use within 7 days of symptom onset and can be used multiple times with at least 48 hours between tests. This test has been praised for its ease of use and high accuracy, making it a top choice for home COVID-19 testing.
LumiraDx COVID-19 Antigen Test
LumiraDx is a leading producer of COVID-19 antigen tests, renowned for its high sensitivity and accuracy. The LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test demonstrates high diagnostic sensitivity, especially for individuals with RT-PCR Ct values of <33 cycles within 12 days of symptom onset, and it provides results in under 12 minutes. This test has been widely adopted, with over 5,000 instruments delivered across 49 African countries since November 2020, and it is used in various settings including hospitals, pharmacies, and emergency care units. The test's performance is backed by a meta-analysis of 11 studies, highlighting its reliability compared to reference molecular diagnostic methods. With partnerships like those with CVS, the UK's National Health Service, and Boots pharmacy chain, LumiraDx has scaled its presence globally. For a detailed performance evaluation of the LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test, you can visit their website.
BD Veritor At-Home COVID-19 Test
The BD Veritor At-Home COVID-19 Test is a leading product in the COVID-19 diagnostics market, distinguished by its innovative use of a smartphone camera and app to interpret results, eliminating human subjectivity. Authorized by the FDA under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), this test is designed for non-prescription home use with self-collected anterior nasal swab samples and provides results in approximately 15 minutes. The test kit includes components for two serial tests and integrates seamlessly with the Scanwell Health App for result interpretation and reporting. BD's COVID-19 testing sales, including the Veritor Plus System, reached $480 million in the second fiscal quarter of 2021, highlighting the product's significant market impact. The test's distribution has been expanded through partnerships with retailers like Amazon and Everly Health, enhancing its accessibility. For more details on the distribution and retail partnerships, visit the official BD announcement.
Cue Health COVID-19 Test
Cue Health was once a leading producer of COVID-19 home tests, having received the first FDA-authorized molecular diagnostic test for at-home and over-the-counter use without a prescription in 2021. However, the FDA has since revoked the Emergency Use Authorizations for Cue Health's COVID-19 tests due to an increased risk of false results, as announced in May 2024. Despite this, Cue Health had reported significant revenue from these tests, with full-year 2023 revenue of $70.9 million, and had also achieved accuracy comparable to laboratory PCR tests in independent studies. The company had also expanded its test menu to include other molecular diagnostic tests, such as Flu A/B and RSV tests. Nevertheless, the current advisory against using Cue Health's COVID-19 tests has impacted their usage.
Access Bio CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test
The Access Bio CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test is a highly reliable and widely used product for detecting SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antigens. It is authorized for non-prescription home use with self-collected anterior nasal swab samples from individuals aged 14 years or older, or adult-collected samples from those aged 2 years or older. This lateral flow immunoassay provides fast and easy-to-interpret results within 10 minutes, boasting a positive percent agreement (PPA) of 87% and a negative percent agreement (NPA) of 98% when compared to an FDA Emergency Use Authorized RT-PCR molecular assay. The test is particularly effective when used within the first 7 days of symptom onset, and it is recommended to test at least twice over three days for symptomatic individuals and at least three times over five days for asymptomatic individuals. Despite the higher chance of false negative results compared to molecular tests, the CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test remains a valuable tool for rapid COVID-19 detection.
On/Go COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test
The On/Go(tm) COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test is a highly reliable and user-friendly option for at-home COVID-19 testing, offering 95% accuracy and rapid results in just 10 minutes. Authorized by the FDA for non-prescription home use, this test is suitable for individuals aged 14 years or older (self-collected) and 2 years or older (with adult assistance). It is highly effective for detecting COVID-19 within the first 7 days of symptom onset and remains accurate against Omicron subvariants BA.2.75, BA.4, and BA.5. Boasting a shelf life of 21 months at temperatures between 1-30°C, as extended by the FDA, this test is manufactured in the United States, ensuring high-quality and accessible testing. For more information, visit their official website.
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