8 Best Pregnancy Tests and How to Use Them

The suspense is killing you: Could you be expecting a baby? If you think you might be pregnant, it's probably time to buy a home pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests work by testing your urine for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)—a hormone that your body only produces during pregnancy.

There are two types of pregnancy tests you can take at home: traditional tests that reveal a line that shows up only If hCG is detected in your urine and digital tests, that will deliver a digital reading if a sensor picks up the hCG. Wondering which kind of pregnancy test might be best for you? Read on for some of our recommendations for the best pregnancy tests, when to take a home pregnancy test, and what to look for.

When Should you Take a Home Pregnancy Test?

So here's the thing about taking a home pregnancy test: in order for that test to turn positive if you are pregnant, it needs to detect enough hCG in your urine to turn the test positive. But your body can't start producing hCG until a fertilized embryo implants into your uterine wall, a process that takes approximately 6-10 days after conception.

And then once the embryo does attach itself to the uterine wall, it can still take several days for hCG levels to rise enough to produce a positive test result. Plus, every person is different, bodies are different, and factors like how sensitive the test is, how diluted your urine is, and how correctly you tracked your cycle can impact the accuracy of a pregnancy test.

In general, most home pregnancy tests can be taken around 3-4 days before your missed period, but if you're not 100% sure of your conception timeline or if you tend to have longer cycles or ovulation patterns, it's always best to wait until the day of your expected period or even after. (Easier said than done, we know!)

But it's important to know that if you test too early, you're more likely to get a false negative, where the test says you're not pregnant but you really are, says Laurence Cole, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology and chief of women's health research at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. It's best to wait until after missing your period for the most accurate results.

Whichever pregnancy test you buy, take it first thing in the morning, when hCG levels are most concentrated in your urine. If the results are negative, try again in a few days if your period's still MIA.

If you get a positive result within the timeframe the test says (and always read the instructions and follow them exactly!)—usually indicated by a faint line, a plus sign, or the word "pregnant"—chances are you're indeed expecting a baby. Remember, you only make hCG when you're pregnant, so the test can't pick up a hormone that's not there.

If you're not convinced, you can wait a day or two and test again, just in case you've experienced a rare phenomenon known as a false positive. (Oftentimes, these are due to an error like reading the test too early or too late, the dye running, or a test malfunctioning.) If the results are positive again, congrats!

Thinking about buying a home pregnancy test? Check out our round-up of the best pregnancy tests available, including pregnancy stick tests, pregnancy test strips, digital pregnancy tests, and "early detection" pregnancy tests.