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Vitamin D helps maintain strong bones and muscles. Still, research shows vitamin D is important for more than just the health of your muscles and bones. A vitamin D deficiency may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, and cancer.
Thankfully, testing your vitamin D levels is relatively easy. Keep reading to learn about five of the best at-home vitamin D tests to help you find fast, easy, and accurate answers to whether your vitamin D is in a healthy range.
A vitamin D test tells you how much vitamin D is in your bloodstream. Both the vitamin D you eat and naturally produce from sun exposure start as the inactive form. Later, the liver and kidneys convert
Most vitamin D tests measure the total amount of 25-OH D in your blood because it has a longer half-life than 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. These tests can tell you if there’s too much or too little vitamin D in your body.
A vitamin D test can determine whether you have a vitamin D deficiency or excess levels in your body.
You may have excess vitamin D levels if you’re taking large doses of vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D deficiency is more
- people with limited sun exposure
- older adults
- people with chronic kidney disease or liver disease
- people with a history of bariatric surgery
- people with conditions affecting the intestines, such as Crohn’s disease or gastric cancer
Many people with a vitamin D deficiency don’t experience any symptoms. However, a healthcare professional can identify the following signs of a vitamin D deficiency:
- low calcium levels
- overactive parathyroid
- fragile bones
- muscle twitching and weakness
- fatigue
- rickets, which may develop in children
If you’ve had a vitamin D deficiency in the past, talk with your healthcare professional about whether at-home tests can help with monitoring your vitamin D levels, or if monitoring is needed at all. Your healthcare professional can also help determine what frequency of testing may be needed.
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to choosing an at-home vitamin D test. To select the best, we reviewed available research, customer experiences, price, and each company’s process.
Best overall
Everlywell
- Price: $99
- Insurance coverage: Everlywell doesn’t accept insurance, but they do accept health savings account (HSA) or flexible savings account (FSA) payments
- Results: within 5 days
Everlywell is one of the larger at-home health and wellness testing services. They offer over 25 at-home tests to screen for various diseases.
The Everlywell Vitamin D and Inflammation Test measures both your 25-OH D and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels. The results tell you the amount of vitamin D in your blood and how much inflammation is in your body.
The test comes with everything you’ll need for the finger-prick blood sample and includes prepaid shipping for returning your sample. Once it arrives, a team of physicians will review your lab results. The company estimates you’ll receive results around 5 days after shipping the sample.
Everlywell offers a membership program for $24.99 a month to receive discounts on their tests. With a membership, the Vitamin D & Inflammation Test costs $24.99. The membership can be canceled at any time.
Overall, the test has a 5 out of 5 stars with 246 customer reviews on Everlywell’s website.
Your lab results come with a report to help you take healthy, actionable steps. You also have the option to attend a live webinar led by a healthcare professional.
Best for medical support
LetsGetChecked
- Price: $89
- Insurance coverage: LetsGetChecked doesn’t accept insurance, but they do accept FSA and HSA payments
- Results: within 2–5 business days
LetsGetChecked offers a variety of at-home testing kits, including categories like men’s health, women’s health, fertility, screening, and lab tests.
LetsGetChecked is unique for the medical support they offer. After taking the test, you’ll have access to a team of nurses 24-7. A nurse will also call you to help you understand your results.
The test comes with all the materials needed to collect a sample, as well as test directions and a shipping label for return. For this test, LetsGetChecked requests you collect your sample in the morning. Physicians will review the test results and lab analysis.
The company has 4.4 out of 5 stars and more than 9,000 reviews on Trustpilot.
LetsGetChecked laboratories are
Currently, on the LetsGetChecked website, you can use the code HEALTH20 for a 20 percent discount.
Best for fast delivery
myLAB Box
- Price: $89
- Insurance coverage: myLAB Box doesn’t accept insurance, but they do accept FSA and HSA payments
- Results: within 2–5 days
myLAB Box offers a series of at-home tests to monitor your health and wellness. They also provide one free physician consultation for abnormal test results.
For this test, you’ll collect a blood sample via finger prick. myLAB Box offers fast results by including a free 2-day shipping label and provides you with results 2 to 5 days after receiving the sample.
The myLAB Box website states that their labs are registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
myLAB Box has many 5-star reviews on their website. However, there are only two reviews listed for the vitamin D test.
Best reports
imaware
- Price: $69
- Insurance coverage: imaware doesn’t accept insurance, but they do accept FSA and HSA payments
- Results: within 7 days
imaware offers a wide range of health and wellness screening tests, with the mission to empower people with accessible health data.
Their vitamin D test uses a simple finger prick sample to analyze your 25-OH D levels. The sample is analyzed in a lab and reviewed by a physician. You should receive results around 7 days after the lab gets your sample.
imaware sends you a customized report with your results. The report also offers next steps, suggests what to discuss with a healthcare professional, and informs you on how to track your progress.
imaware has 4.5 out of 5 stars and 286 customer reviews on their website.
Most affordable
Cerascreen
- Price: $55
- Insurance coverage: Cerascreen’s website doesn’t state whether they accept insurance or HSA or FSA payments
- Results: varies
The Cerascreen vitamin D test is the most affordable option on the list. The price includes 2 to 5 day shipping to return the sample to the lab, and results will be provided a few days after that.
Your test will be analyzed in a certified medical lab. You’ll receive a personalized report with your results. The report includes your current 25-OH D level and provides actionable steps to maintain a healthy vitamin D level.
Note that the test can’t be purchased in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maryland.
On the Cerascreen website, the vitamin D test has 5 stars out with just over five reviews.
Are at-home vitamin D tests accurate?
User error is always a possibility with at-home tests, so it’s important to follow the instructions provided carefully. Overall, at-home vitamin D tests are as accurate as traditional lab tests.
How often should I test my vitamin D levels?
If you have a vitamin D deficiency, testing your levels
Otherwise, if your vitamin D levels typically fall within the recommended range, testing them
There isn’t much research available on the benefits of screening for vitamin D deficiency, so it’s best to speak with your healthcare professional first before trying an at-home test.
What are appropriate vitamin D levels?
Most vitamin D tests measure the total amount of 25-OH D in your blood.
According to the
How can I increase my vitamin D level?
You can increase your vitamin D levels by spending time in the sun, eating foods with vitamin D, or taking supplements containing vitamin D.
Foods
Vitamin D is an important micronutrient for your health, as it plays a role in bone and immune health. Many people with vitamin D deficiency don’t experience any symptoms. So, testing your vitamin D levels may help maintain your health.
An at-home test is a convenient way to monitor your vitamin D levels. Note that there isn’t much research available on the benefits of screening for vitamin D deficiency.
Before ordering a test, it’s important to speak with your healthcare professional to determine if testing is needed and, if so, how often. Your healthcare professional can also recommend any at-home testing options and advise you on your results and how to best treat a vitamin D deficiency.
Ashley Braun, MPH, RD, is a health and wellness writer based in Michigan. Her work helps people understand what affects their health, so they can make informed choices to take back the control in their health and wellness journey.
