The best FDA-approved at-home COVID tests

Cost: $8 for a single test kit; $14 for a two-test kit; $32 for a five-test kit | Number of tests included: 1, 2 or 5 tests | Collection method: Nasal swab | Steps To results: 5 | Time to results: 15 minutes | Shelf life: 24 months

The Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test is currently the only at-home COVID test cleared by the FDA’s premarket review pathway. That means this test is approved beyond just emergency use, but has instead passed rigorous testing and is approved and backed by the FDA's gold standards. Other tests on this list have FDA approval but as part of the emergency use authorization granted at the height of the pandemic. The test is easy to administer, with results ready in 15 minutes or less, and it's easy to read thanks to a solid red line that appears if you test positive. Another unique feature of the test is the box itself: there’s a perforated tube holder on the box, which makes the set-up and test collection process that much easier and mess-free; no need to worry about knocking over the solution or spilling the solution while holding and swirling the swab. We also like that you can choose the number of tests you want in a kit, ranging between one, two or five tests. It also has one of the longest shelf lives of the tests on this list at 24 months.

Cost: $129 | Number of tests included: 1 | Collection method: Nasal swab | Steps to results: 6 | Time to results: 1-2 days after lab receipt | Shelf Life: Undisclosed

Even though the Pixel test by Labcorp is not a standard at-home rapid antigen test – you have to mail your sample to the lab for processing – we would not be doing our due diligence if we left such a robust and groundbreaking test off this list. Currently, Pixel is the only self-administered at-home test available over the counter that can simultaneously screen for influenza, RSV and COVID with one simple test. Anthony Ognjan, a board-certified osteopathic physician specializing in infectious diseases, tells AOL, “The new strains [of COVID] that are coming out are 10 to 20 times more contagious than the subsequent virus strains that [originally] devastated the world. They now affect the upper airways and no longer the lungs.” Being that COVID symptoms can mimic flu and RSV symptoms, self-diagnosing according to your symptoms could be incredibly dangerous. If you are highly susceptible to COVID, flu or RSV, this is likely the best test for you.

Pixel is only available through the Labcorp website and will be shipped directly to your home within 24-48 hours after ordering. Once the test arrives, you’ll self-administer the test and then drop the sample in the mail using the prepaid postage packaging. Your results will be delivered electronically within 1-2 days of lab receipt. It's definitely not ideal to have to wait for the test to arrive, so if you feel this is a test you will need, preordering to be proactive may be in your best interest.

Cost: $24 | Number of tests included: 2 | Collection method: Nasal swab | Step to results: 4 | Time to results: 10 minutes | Shelf life: 16 months

If patience is not one of your virtues, then the QuickVue at-home COVID test is for you. Each testing kit comes with two full tests — two swabs, two testing strips and two pre-filled solution vials. There’s also a tube holder to help prevent messy spills. Once you swab your nose, swirl it in the solution and then dip the paper testing strip into the tube. Within 10 minutes, you will have your test results.

We do want to note that the paper test strip is a bit flimsy which can create a somewhat messy process compared to the majority of other rapid tests that use plastic cards and swab sticks, so using the paper strip can be a bit harder to get used to.

Still, with results ready in just 10 minutes, taking an extra 30 seconds to read the test strip seems like a fair trade-off to us.

Cost: $18 | Number of tests included: 2 | Collection method: Nasal swab | Steps to results: 3 | Time to results: 30 minutes | Shelf life: 24 months

Most at-home COVID tests are fairly easy to administer, but when you’re feeling ill, even one extra step — mixing the solution or adding a certain number of drops to a test reader — can feel overwhelming and can allow for additional room for error. InteliSwab’s unique two-component design makes taking the test nearly foolproof, no matter how crappy you feel. Unlike any other test on our list, there are only three steps to the entire testing process, whereas others on this list require six or more steps, and have multiple components to keep up with. To take this test, all you need to do is swab both nostrils and then insert the swab stick into the solution tube attached to the test card. Results appear in 30 minutes or less. 

The only downfall is the test's nasal swab stick is large and flat, so it may be more uncomfortable than the long skinny swabs included with most tests, and the thirty-minute wait for results is almost double other at-home tests. Still, with only two components and no mixing, this test is a winner in our book! 

Cost: $8.50 | Number of tests included: 1 | Collection method: Nasal swab | Steps to results: 5 | Time to results: 15 minutes | Shelf life: 21 months

What sets this test apart from others on this list is the On/Go app-guided testing process. After purchasing the test, you can download the On/Go app (available on Apple and Android) for a hand-held guide through taking the test, including a detailed step-by-step video tutorial on the testing process. You'll know exactly what to do and how to read the results. But the guidance on taking the test doesn't end at the video, the app also provides a timer feature that alerts you once the test is ready to read. 

Once results are ready, you can read the test yourself or use the QR code located on the test card to allow the app to read and record the test results for you. Depending on your results, the app will let you know if you are either positive or negative for COVID and what your next steps should be. It will also share a list of resources to get more information about your results. The app will also recommend a retest if the one you're using is having a problem.

The On/Go test kit includes one test per box, but you can also purchase the tests in bulk for $80 for 12 test kits. In addition to our top pick, the Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, the On/Go COVID-19 antigen home test was also approved by the FDA for a 24-month shelf life.

Cost: $30 | Number of tests included: 8 | Collection method: Nasal swab | Steps to results: 5 | Time to results: 15 minutes | Shelf life: 18 months

If you have to regularly test yourself or loved ones for COVID, you likely already know buying one or two tests can be expensive. This is why we love the Boson Rapid Antigen Test, which comes with a whopping eight tests per pack for just $30 - that's $3.75 a test! Considering single test kits run about $8 a kit, the Boson test kit is an extremely cost-effective option. 

That said, we want to point out a couple of downfalls. Unlike most other rapid tests, with Boson’s, you’ll need to leave the swab in the solution for a full minute before adding the solution's drops to the test card. While that isn't a total deal-breaker, if you’re used to testing with other brands that don't require a minute soak in the solution, it’s easy to make a mistake here. It’s also important to note that the test is only approved for an 11-month shelf life. Again, it's not a deal-breaker, and if you test regularly, the short shelf life shouldn't be an issue. The good news is that the results are ready within 15 minutes and are super easy to read.

Cost: $20 for two tests; $30 for four tests; $70 for 10 tests | Number of tests included: 2, 4 or 10 | Collection method: Nasal swab | Steps to results: 5 | Time to results: 15 minutes | Shelf life: 22 months

BinaxNOW is not only widely available online and in major retailers across the country, it's also one of the test brands sent by the US government’s free COVID test initiative. The test is easy to administer and safe to use with children as young as 2 years old. That said, this test does require a few more steps than other tests on this list. For the most part, the steps are standard procedure, like adding an exact amount of drops to the test card, then a 15-second nasal swab of both nostrils, followed by a dip and swirl in the included solution before inserting the swab in the card, and finally folding the card in half and sealing it shut. It's a clunky process with multiple steps so it's important to be careful with this test, take your time and follow the instructions very closely so you can be sure to get accurate results.

Note: If you are a large family looking for the most cost-effective test, you may want to consider the Bonson test, which has eight tests for $30. The only drawback is that Bonson has the shortest shelf life of all the tests on our list at just 11 months.

Cost: $18 | Number of tests included: 2 | Collection method: Nasal swab | Steps to results: 6 | Time to results: 15 minutes | Shelf life: 15 months

The iHealth Antigen Rapid Test’s clear, detailed step-by-step photo instructions with accompanying written descriptions and video you can watch on the website make this test one of the easiest tests to administer, and possibly why it is a favorite of many and widely reviewed at online retailers like Walmart and Amazon. The test does equire about six total steps, but it's very straightforward and similar to many other at-home COVID tests. All it takes is a quick swab of both nostrils, a standard swab-dip in the solution, swirl a few times and then add three drops of the solution to the test card. The results are ready within 15 minutes and are clear-cut, with one or two red lines showing a positive or negative result.

This test is by far the most popular test ordered on Amazon, with more than 155,000 5-star reviews. One reviewer said, “This is the only test I trust and it is very easy to use. Just be sure to squeeze the sides of the tube to get as much of the sample out of the swab."