Verbatim response from ChatGPT
“Best” depends on what you need to measure (fertility vs. menopause vs. adrenal vs. thyroid) and how you want to collect the sample (finger‑prick blood, saliva, or dried urine). Short version: for the most clinically useful, comprehensive at‑home panel I usually recommend the DUTCH Complete; for fertility/ovarian reserve testing go with Modern Fertility or the AMH kit from LetsGetChecked; for fast, convenient serum-equivalent checks (including thyroid) go with LetsGetChecked or Everlywell. Details:
Top options and why
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DUTCH Complete (Precision Analytical)
- Why: very comprehensive—measures sex hormones and metabolites (estrogens, progesterone metabolites), cortisol and adrenal metabolites, and provides cycle mapping and metabolite ratios clinicians use. Excellent for complex menstrual-cycle, PMS, adrenal or HRT questions.
- Sample: dried urine (multiple samples over the day/cycle for best info).
- Best when you want depth and metabolite data rather than just “total” hormones.
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Modern Fertility
- Why: focused on reproductive/fertility hormones (AMH and other fertility markers) with user-friendly reports and fertility-focused guidance; good for planning pregnancy or assessing ovarian reserve.
- Sample: finger‑prick blood.
- Best for people primarily concerned about fertility/ovarian reserve.
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LetsGetChecked
- Why: broad selection of women’s hormone panels (including AMH, estrogen/progesterone/testosterone, FSH/LH, TSH), on-demand nurse/physician support, good turnaround, and CLIA-certified labs.
- Sample: finger‑prick blood (some tests use venous when needed).
- Best if you want clinician follow-up and a broad, convenient at‑home blood test.
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Everlywell (Women’s Hormone Test / Thyroid + other panels)
- Why: easy at‑home finger‑prick kits, clear reports, CLIA lab processing. Good for monitoring things like testosterone, estradiol, progesterone and basic thyroid screening.
- Sample: finger‑prick blood.
- Best for straightforward screening and convenience.
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ZRT Laboratory (saliva / dried blood spot panels)
- Why: widely used in functional medicine, good for free hormone and diurnal cortisol profiles via saliva, or dried blood spot for other hormones; high quality lab though some panels are practitioner-ordered.
- Sample: saliva or dried blood spot.
- Best for free-hormone and cortisol rhythm testing (saliva), or if working with a practitioner.
Quick notes on choosing:
- Define your goal first: fertility/AMH, ovulation monitoring, menopause symptoms, adrenal/cortisol issues, or thyroid. Different tests specialize in different areas.
- Sample type matters: serum (lab blood draw) is gold standard for many thyroid and reproductive hormones; finger‑prick dried blood and CLIA lab tests are very good for many hormones; saliva measures free hormones and is useful for cortisol diurnal curves; DUTCH urine measures metabolites—very helpful clinically but interpreted differently from serum.
- Timing matters: many hormones vary by cycle day (e.g., progesterone at mid‑luteal phase, FSH early follicular). Follow kit timing instructions.
- Lab quality: pick CLIA‑certified labs and consider services that offer clinician support if you want interpretation or treatment options.
- If results could change medications (HRT, thyroid meds, fertility meds), discuss with your clinician before making changes.
If you tell me your specific concern (trying to conceive, irregular cycles, low libido, fatigue/suspected adrenal/thyroid issues, HRT monitoring), I’ll recommend the single best kit for that goal and any timing tips.