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There are two methods of at-home testing:
Both methods of at-home testing allow you to do diagnostic tests, which tell you if you’re actively infected with Covid. Diagnostic Covid tests fall into two buckets: molecular tests and antigen tests. The tests detect different parts of the Covid virus and vary in sensitivity.
It’s important to note that most rapid tests are antigen tests, and while a few molecular rapid tests are available, they are not PCR tests — they perform a different type of molecular test that’s less sensitive, which means they require a higher amount of the virus in a sample to detect it, says Garner. Be aware that many rapid test kits say they are able to deliver PCR-quality results, but a PCR-quality test is not equivalent to a PCR test, says Garner.
While shopping for at-home Covid tests, experts recommend considering the following:
Below are some of the most widely available Covid home testing kits on the FDA-authorized list. All of the rapid tests require you to collect a nasal or saliva swab and perform the test yourself using provided materials. All of the home collection tests come with prepaid return labels and professionals perform PCR tests on your samples when they arrive at the labs.
One of the most important things to know about rapid tests is that they often come with two or more tests and recommend that you perform multiple tests a few days apart — this is called serial testing, according to the CDC. The FDA recommends repeat (serial) testing following a negative result from an at-home antigen test whether or not you have symptoms. This is because on the first day you perform an at-home test, it might not be able to detect low levels of the virus and you may get a false negative, even if you’re symptomatic, says Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the division chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.
iHealth’s kit includes two tests — it’s best to test twice over three days with 24 to 48 hours between them, according to the brand. You perform the test using a nasal swab you collect, a test card and processing fluid. iHealth also offers an app you can download to log your results.
Type: rapid | Result time: 15 minutes | Age range: 2 years old and above | Sample type: nasal
This kit comes with two tests — you should test yourself twice within three days, making sure tests are done at least 36 hours apart, according to the brand. It provides the materials needed to perform nasal swabs as well as the actual test, which is done using test cards and processing fluid.
Type: rapid | Result time: 15 minutes | Age range: 2 years old and above | Sample type: nasal
FlowFlex’s home testing kit comes with five tests. After the first test, the brand recommends testing two more times at least 48 hours apart. The kit comes with materials needed to perform a nasal swab and the actual test, which is done using a test card and processing fluid.
Type: rapid | Result time: 15 minutes | Age range: 2 years old and above | Sample type: nasal
This kit is intended for you to test twice over two to three days with 24 to 36 hours between each test. You collect a nasal swab sample and dip it into a solution tube with a test strip to perform the test.
Type: rapid | Result time: 10 minutes | Age range: 2 years old and above | Sample type: nasal
On/Go’s kit comes with one test, so you'll have to buy multiple to perform serial testing. You should test twice over two or three days with 24 to 48 hours between them, according to the brand. There is a QR code on the box you can scan to download a companion app, which guides you through the testing process and allows you to log your test results. The test comes with materials needed to perform a nasal swab and the actual test, which is done using test cards and processing fluid.
Type: rapid | Result time: 10 minutes | Age range: 2 years old and above | Sample type: nasal
This home collection test comes with all the materials you need to collect a nasal swab, which you ship to the brand's lab using the included pre-paid return label. The lab runs a PCR test on your sample and posts your results online about one or two days after it arrives.
Type: home collection | Result time: 24 to 48 hours after the sample arrives at the lab | Age range: 2 years old and above | Sample type: nasal
The two at-home Covid testing methods — home collection kits and rapid tests — are similar in that they can diagnose infection and are performed on either nose or throat swabs. From there, the methods differ, and experts say those differences determine how reliable tests are, as well as how you should use them. I broke both testing methods down and highlighted pros and cons to be aware of.
Pros: Home collection tests generally produce more accurate results than rapid tests. “The reason for that is because the gold standard PCR test is run on the sample, and the people running the test are professionals,” says Garner.
Cons: You need to account for human error. Because you are collecting the sample instead of a trained professional, there’s always the possibility of collecting a poor sample, which can impact your result, says Garner.
Pros: Rapid tests deliver results in minutes, so if you are symptomatic, you can learn if what you’re experiencing is Covid or not very quickly.
Cons: Some rapid tests say they can screen asymptomatic individuals for Covid. However, Garner says he “fundamentally disagrees with [this]” because you cannot perform a PCR test — the most accurate Covid test — entirely at home. If you test too early with a rapid test, there may only be low levels of the virus present in the sample, which could lead to an inaccurate result. Thus, Garner does not think rapid tests are appropriate for asymptomatic testing, and all the experts we interviewed agreed. As for symptomatic testing, he says rapid tests perform relatively well — there is typically a higher amount of virus present in the body, reaching a threshold rapid tests can cover, he says.
Each test kit is different and requires its own specific set of procedures, so it’s crucial to read the directions before taking a sample, says Nachman. "It sounds silly to say, but reading the directions carefully is actually quite critical to do,” she says.
When you get your results from home collection or rapid tests, they’re simply reported to you, not explained, says Nachman. Because of this, it’s important to call your primary care doctor — especially if you test positive — to understand how to proceed. “At-home tests are geared to get the information to you with the idea that you’re going to call for a helping hand to deal with the results, particularly if there’s a positive result,” she says.
Beyond their convenience, the benefit of at-home Covid tests is that they allow people to get tested frequently, which can lead to catching more infections and, in turn, decrease spread, experts told me.
Changes in Covid variants have not made at-home tests any less sensitive, so they continue to be a great diagnostic tool, says Garner. But since you're collecting the sample for a test or performing the test entirely by yourself, testing for Covid at home is generally less reliable compared to getting tested by professionals in a medical office. Because of this, if you have a high-risk exposure and/or are symptomatic despite testing negative at home, it still may be worthwhile to get a formal test done by a medical professional.
So are at-home testing methods reliable? The answer is complicated and often comes down to who is being tested, when the test takes place and what type of test is being used, says Nachman.
Anyone can use at-home Covid tests, and many options are suitable for children as well as adults. However, it’s challenging for parents to test young children, says Nachman — if they’re moving around or you’re trying to collect a sample quickly so as to not upset them, you may not collect a good sample, which can skew results. If you’re concerned about collecting a good sample from kids by yourself or are having trouble doing so, experts say it’s best to get kids tested by medical professionals.
Yes, Covid tests expire, and you should not use expired Covid tests, according to the FDA. “The expiration date is a guaranteed date by which a test will still work,” says Garner. “This means you can only trust the result if the test is not expired.”
You can find a test’s expiration date listed on its box. Be sure to also check the expiration date column on the FDA’s List of Authorized At-Home OTC Covid Diagnostic Tests, which lists the most up-to-date expiration information. The expiration dates for Covid tests may be extended, which means “the manufacturer provided data showing that the shelf-life is longer than was known when the test was first authorized,” according to the FDA.
No, you cannot get free Covid tests right now. The U.S. Health and Human Services agency previously ran a federal program that offered free Covid tests to households across the country, but it's currently inactive.
You can get free or low-cost Covid tests through insurance plans, which are now required to provide reimbursement for eight tests per month for each individual on a plan. Tests will either be free at the time of purchase or you’ll be reimbursed if you're charged (make sure to keep your receipt if you need to submit a claim to your insurance company for reimbursement). Some health plans have a network of preferred providers — including in-person and online pharmacies and retailers — you can get free tests from. If you purchase tests from retailers outside that network, insurance companies are still required to reimburse you up to $12 per individual test (or the cost of the test if it’s less than $12).
Yes, many at-home Covid test and collection kits are HSA/FSA eligible, so long as the full cost has not been covered by your insurance plan. At-home Covid tests are also eligible for reimbursement with a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). They’re not eligible with a dependent care flexible spending account (DCFSA) or a limited-purpose flexible spending account (LPFSA).
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I'm a reporter at NBC Select who has covered Covid since 2020. In addition to at-home Covid tests, I've reported about disposable masks, KN95 masks, N95 masks, KN95 masks for kids and vaccine card holders. For this article, I spoke to two experts about how to shop for and use at-home Covid tests.
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