The Best At-Home Sperm Tests to Begin Your Fertility Journey

Most Discreet: LabCorp - Men's Rapid Fertility Test

Key Specs

• Cost: $199
• Time to Receive Results: About 45 minutes
• What’s Measured: Sperm count and semen volume

Why We Chose It

Let’s be honest: Collecting and then mailing off your sample to a lab not only takes time but there's also the possibility of something going wrong with the mail. This at-home test allows you to skip all that because you can self-test and get results in just 45 minutes. 

Pros & Cons

Overview

There are two types of at-home tests: the kind in which you collect a sample and then mail it off for a lab to process for results, and the type you can do completely from home. LabCorp’s Men's Rapid Fertility Test is the latter—which means no one has to know you’re taking it.

Once you order the test online, it will ship to your home in a discreet box within two to five days. Then, once you collect your sample, you will load it into the included sample analyzer. The engine will spin for about six minutes to filter the sperm and then your results will be ready to view. All in all, you’ll have your answers in 45 minutes, tops.

The results on your semen volume and sperm count are provided in an easy-to-read way and they’re highly accurate. (The company says they’re just as accurate as a standard laboratory test). Plus, the test is FDA-approved, which means the test was clinically tested.

While this test is not covered by health insurance—and the company is clear to say that you should always consult a physician for a more comprehensive fertility assessment—the test can be paid for by FSA or HSA card and is pretty reasonably priced at $199 compared to other tests we evaluated. In addition, you can buy refills to use in the sample analyzer for $99, allowing you to monitor your sperm count and sperm volume over time. 

Most Affordable Out-of-Pocket: MyLabBox - At-Home Male Fertility Test

Key Specs

• Cost: $89
• Time to Receive Results: 2–5 days
• What’s Measured: Sperm concentration, sperm count, sperm motility

Why We Chose It

While this test doesn’t provide results as quickly as the LabCorp Men's Rapid Fertility Test, it still delivers results pretty quickly—within two to five days—and it does so at a much more affordable price. 

Pros & Cons

Overview

If you’re looking for an affordable, accurate, comprehensive at-home fertility test that still delivers results quickly, consider the MyLabBox At Home Male Fertility Test. It is FDA-approved and like all the at-home kits on this list, it is discreet because you can take it at home.

But what made it stand out to us was that even though insurance does not cover it, at $89 a kit, the test is relatively affordably priced compared to other tests—especially for one that measures three factors: sperm volume, sperm concentration, and sperm motility (i.e. or how efficiently the individual sperm cells move). 

While this test doesn’t provide results as quickly as some of the other tests on this list, your semen sample is processed in CAP and CLIA-certified laboratories within two to five days. As part of your results, a video is also taken of your sample under the microscope and you can share this test with your doctor so they can visually evaluate your sperm count and motility. 

Each test kit comes with a testing device, two semen analysis test kits, collection kits, instructions, and access to a fertility app that could give you some advice and information on how to improve your chances of conception. (The test is also valuable to people who don’t want children because the test can be used after a vasectomy to ensure the sperm count is still non-existent). 

Best With Flexible Payment Options: Legacy - For Today

Key Specs

• Cost: $395
• Time to Receive Results: 48 hours
• What’s Measured: Sperm volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, total motile sperm count, sperm morphology, post-thaw analysis

Why We Chose It

While this at-home fertility test is on the more expensive side, you can pay for it with an HSA or FSA card. It is also accepted by several leading insurance plans, certain employer benefits, and military benefits, which could offset your out-of-pocket costs, and it allows you to break the cost up with a 0% financing option. 

Pros & Cons

Overview 

If you’ve been having fertility issues for a while, this comprehensive at-home test might be able to help give you some insight. Unlike some of the other tests on this list, Legacy’s For Today measures multiple factors: sperm volume, concentration, motility, sperm morphology (or size and shape of the sperm cell), and total sperm count. Plus, it will run post-thaw analysis on your sample, which means the company will freeze a small portion of your sample and then thaw it in order to determine whether you’re a good candidate for sperm freezing (i.e. cryopreservation). This can be valuable if you are considering building your family via IVF.

Best of all, your results will be ready in 48 hours after they’re processed in a CLIA-certified lab. You can also ship your sample back by dropping it off at a participating location or arrange for at-home pickup. 

Not only does this test stand out for this comprehensiveness, but we were also impressed with the range of payment options. At $395 for the kit (not counting the add-on cryopreservation costs), this test isn’t inexpensive, but the company takes great steps to try to with affordability.

The test is covered by several different, major insurance plans to lower your out-of-pocket cost. And even if your insurance doesn’t cover it, your options aren’t limited. Some employer benefits—including Carrot, Kindbody, Stork Club, Progyny, and WINFertility—cover the test, as do various military benefits. You can also use your health savings account or flexible spending account to pay for the test too or break up your payments over two to 12 months in installments with 0% interest. 

Best for IVF Candidates: Legacy - For Tomorrow

Key Specs

• Cost: $995
• Time to Receive Results: 48 hours
• What’s Measured: Sperm volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, sperm morphology, sperm count, post-thaw analysis

Why We Chose It

If you’re considering getting IVF or IUI with your partner or surrogate, it’s a good idea to have a viable, healthy, sperm sample frozen so it can be used when needed during your conception journey. This at-home test will allow you to not only evaluate your fertility, but also store (and keep tabs on) your frozen sperm sample for up to five years.

Pros & Cons

Overview

If you are considering conceiving by in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intrauterine insemination (IUI), Legacy’s For Tomorrow’s Bundle can help you prepare by giving you a comprehensive look at your fertility and storing a sample for up to five years cryogenically without the need to go to an in-person fertility clinic. This test is also a great option for anyone in the military who is going on deployment or for people who want kids in the future.

This at-home male fertility test measures all the same things as the Legacy For Today at-home test (sperm volume, concentration, motility, sperm morphology, and total sperm count), delivering results within 48 hours, but it includes two semen analysis kits—one for you to test, then another to collect and freeze your sample for storage in eight vials for up to five years. All the tests are stored in multiple locations to protect your samples. 

In addition to your results, you’ll get access to a dashboard with your kit which can tell you more about your fertility and your frozen sperm samples, like how many vials you have left and where the samples are currently stored and located. You can also book a virtual appointment with one of the company’s fertility specialists to review your results, get evidence-based recommendations for how you can improve your fertility, and go over possible next steps. 

Like the Legacy For Today at-home test, this at-home test allows you to pay for the high cost in multiple ways, including via FSA or HSA, employer benefits, military benefits, or a payment plan with Splitit.

Best for Post-Vasectomy: Fellow - Vasectomy Test

Key Specs

• Cost: $139
• Time to Receive Results: 1.5 days
• What’s Measured: Sperm count

Why We Chose It

If you’ve decided to stop your ability to have biological children with a vasectomy, it can be helpful to take an at-home test to check that the procedure worked because it's not guaranteed. This at-home test—which you should take place more than 12 weeks after the procedure—will give you that clarity.

Pros & Cons

Overview

While most of the at-home tests on this list are for people looking to learn about their fertility, Fellow’s Vasectomy Test is for people who are done with having biological kids and have had a vasectomy. However, because it can take a while for a vasectomy to become an effective form of birth control, it’s important to take a test at least 12 weeks after to make sure there are no sperm in your semen. It only tests one thing—whether or not there are sperm present—but it does so effectively and quickly.

All samples are analyzed in the company’s CLIA-approved laboratory and reviewed by a medical doctor so you know your results are accurate. And even though this is a two-step process, results are available in just a day and a half. 

Note that the $139 is not covered by health insurance. However, it also allows you to send your results directly to your own physician. 

Best for Couples: Proov - Hers and His Fertility Starter Kit

Key Specs

• Cost: $159
• Time to Receive Results: 15 minutes
• What’s Measured: Motile sperm concentration, ovarian reserve, hormone levels

Why We Chose It

Here’s the truth: Fertility problems are not always one-sided. So if you’re looking to gain insights into your fertility and that of your partner (if they have ovaries), you’ll get two tests in one—which could save you the cost of having to order multiple at-home tests individually. 

Pros & Cons

Overview

If you and your partner have been trying to conceive for a while with penis-in-vagina sexual intercourse and you’ve had no luck, it could indicate infertility for one or both of you. To try to determine what could be going on, the Proov Hers and His Fertility Starter Kit could be a useful tool to help you get some insight.

The kit comes with two separate at-home tests: the sperm test (aimed at people with testes) and the complete testing system (designed for people with ovaries). It also comes with 10 pregnancy tests as well. 

The sperm test comes with a Wifi device, two collection kids, two slides, a pipette, and liquefaction vials (plus instructions). It will test your motile sperm concentration, which is essentially your sperm count of healthy, moving sperm per mL of semen. (The higher the number, the greater your chances of having one reach and fertilize an egg). You can take this test whenever you’re ready, but it’s best to abstain from any sexual activity for two to five days to get the best results. 

The complete testing system, meanwhile, comes with three FSH tests, 17 multi-hormone tests, and the Proov insight app and app card. The tests measure four hormones that can impact fertility, including FSH (the hormone that stimulates ovulation), E1G (an estrogen marker of the hormone that prepares the uterus for pregnancy), LH-beta (the hormone that causes the egg to be released when it spikes), and PdG (a progesterone marker for the hormone that is released after ovulation to help with implantation of the fertilized egg).

Together, these tests will give your partner a full-cycle analysis that includes information about their ovarian reserve, their most fertile days, hormonal balance, and whether ovulation is happening successfully because if it's not, it could be a sign of conditions like PCOS or endometriosis that can impact their fertility. You can also buy a two-cycle pack for $2380

While the Hers & His Fertility starter kit hasn’t been FDA cleared, both tests included—the YO Sperm test and Proov PdG tests—have been individually cleared by the FDA so you know they’re safe. 

Best for Testing Hormone Levels: Everlywell - Men's Health Test

Key Specs

• Cost: $249 or $211 with a semi-annual subscription
• Time to Receive Results: Within days
• What’s Measured: Cortisol, DHEA, estradiol, free testosterone

Why We Chose It

Though this at-home test is not a sperm test, we still felt it deserved a place on this list because there are other factors, like hormones, that affect fertility in people with testes besides just sperm count, motility, or shape. This test gives you insight into four of those hormones, which could be helpful information if you’re struggling to have biological children. 

Pros & Cons

Overview 

Hormones regulate our body’s function, which is why they can impact our fertility, sperm health, and libido. That’s why we included Everlywell’s Men’s Health Test on this list, even though it is not a test that analyses your sperm. Instead, this at-home test measures four hormones in your saliva: 

• Cortisol, a stress hormone that affects blood sugar and energy metabolism
• DHA, a hormone that the testes, brain, and adrenal glands produce in small amounts
• Estradiol, which is a type of estrogen that is formed from testosterone in people assigned male at birth and plays a role in male fertility because it helps regulate fluid balance in the testicles
• Free testosterone, which is produced in the testes and adrenal glands, and affects libido, density, body fat distribution, and muscle mass

Once you’ve taken the test into the included saliva container, you’ll ship it back to the lab (shipping is pre-paid both ways); your results will be processed in a CLIA-certified lab and reviewed by a physician. Then you can review them within a few days in a digital portal. The results are not only easy to understand and personalized, but they’ll also give you some actionable advice so you’ll know what steps you can take next. 

Best With Affordable Sperm Freezing: Fellow Semen Analysis & Cryopreservation

Key Specs

• Cost: $189 for the kit and $140/year for storage
• Time to Receive Results: 1.5 days
• What’s Measured: Semen volume, semen concentration, sperm count, sperm motility, total motility count, sperm morphology

Why We Chose It

If you’re interested in learning more about your fertility and freezing your sperm (but don’t know how long you want to keep it on ice), this is the at-home test kit you want. Not only does it give you valuable information about your sperm health, but you can also cryopreserve your semen and pay for it on a year-by-year basis rather than in five or 10-year increments (like with the Legacy package). 

Pros & Cons

Overview

Whether you’re looking to delay having biological children, preserve your fertility before undergoing a medical procedure or treatment, or you’re planning to have a baby via IVF or IUI, it can be a good idea to cryopreserve your sperm. But here’s the thing: It can get expensive to stcore your samples, so if you don’t think you’re going to need to store them for five years or longer, it’s probably a good idea to pay per year stored. Fellow offers this option with its Semen Analysis and Cryopreservation package. Not only is the test relatively affordably priced compared to many of the other at-home home tests on this list, but the cryopreservation is too and you can pay for any length of time you need. 

While the test is not covered by health insurance like some of the others on our list, the company is FDA registered and your results are processed in the company’s CLIA-certified lab. The at-home sperm test has been validated through a peer-reviewed study too to ensure your results are trustworthy, plus a doctor reviews the results before sharing them with you.

The sperm samples that are cryopreserved are also stored according to the FDA guidelines to ensure that your sample is accepted by the fertility clinic you choose to work with. Your sample is also stored in 24/7 monitored cryobanks. 

Note that the company is not very upfront about how long it will take to receive your results, so if you’re concerned, consider speaking with a company representative before purchasing.