Are Dollar Tree pregnancy tests accurate?
My husband and I struggled for many years to get pregnant, and we took at least 50 pregnancy tests in that time period. During this time, I started realizing that the most expensive pregnancy test kits weren’t doing anything differently than the super cheap ones.
Children are expensive and it starts before they are even conceived. Do yourself a favor and skip the $20 pregnancy tests and go straight to the cheap ones. The Dollar Tree and other cheap pregnancy tests are just as reliable, accurate, and in some instances just as quick as the expensive tests.
Are dollar tree pregnancy tests reliable?
All pregnancy tests are based on changes in a women’s urine (pee), and they all work the same regardless of brand name. A home pregnancy test is looking for elevated human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG).
This hormone is only made when a woman is pregnant and that is why it is used to check a woman’s pregnancy status. There are other ways to find out if you are pregnant but those involve taking a blood test, and those would not be easy to take at home.
Dollar Tree tests deliver a very reliable test with no added frills. There is no digital read out and the test doesn’t text you with the results.
Dollar Tree home pregnancy tests are very simple and easy to take. The part that confuses people is the way to take the test. When you open the package, there is an applicator and a small test site.
Instead of peeing on a stick like most other pregnancy tests, you will need to pee in a cup first. Personally, I am a fan of using the little paper or plastic cups that are made for the bathroom.
Fun Fact: I hate peeing on sticks and apparently, I am not very accurate at doing it. At the beginning of our journey to getting pregnant, I actually messed up a couple of expensive tests because I got them too wet or didn’t get them wet enough.
With a Dollar Tree test, you simply take the plastic eye dropper-like applicator and transfer the pee from the cup to the test strip. Usually, each test just requires 3 drops of pee to work.
These 3 drops will make contact with the test strip and if there are measurable HCG levels, the test will show a positive result. (My test had 2 lines if positive)
If the test shows not enough or no measurable levels of HCG, then it will show a negative result. (My test had one line if it was negative.) False negatives can be common with any test, if there is not enough urine or diluted urine.
This is why most tests advise you to take them first thing in the morning when your urine is the strongest.
The dollar pregnancy tests were way easier to make sure I took the test correctly because peeing on a stick sometimes meant not enough urine actually got on the test site.
How accurate are dollar tree pregnancy tests?
All pregnancy tests no matter the brand, have an average accuracy level of 99%. That means that out of 100 tests, 99 of them will be completely accurate.
What about the 1 out of 100? Just like I mentioned earlier, the 1% that is not accurate is usually due to user error and not the test itself.
In rare cases, the test may have previously gotten wet or damaged, but this is unlikely due to the packaging. Most tests are sold in a cardboard box, and the test strip is located inside a waterproof sealed plastic package.
The packaging prevents the actual test from getting damaged by moisture. The test may become compromised if it is stored at temperatures below 36 degrees F or above 86 degrees F.
As long as you are not storing your pregnancy test in a freezer or on a seat in your car in the middle of summer, your test will remain accurate.
How soon can you take a pregnancy test from dollar store?
Almost all pregnancy tests are recommended to be taken on the first day of your missed period. Any test taken before this date have a greater chance of not being accurate.
Even the Clear Blue Early Detection Pregnancy test is only considered 71% accurate if you take it 6 days before your missed period.
This has less to do with the test and more to do with how much HCG your body produces. Some women experience more HCG earlier than others, and some women have a much lower level of HCG until later.
Any test taken a week or more before your expected period will have very little accuracy. The accuracy of pregnancy tests will be the highest the closest to your expected period date.
In both instances where I had a positive pregnancy test, I took the Dollar Tree tests 2 days before my expected period and both tests had accurate results.
Almost all pregnancy tests have an accuracy of about 94-98% if you take the test 4 days to 1 day before your expected menstruation start date. The 99% accuracy that all tests state is based on take the test on the day of your missed period or after that date.
The Dollar Tree tests are the same accuracy levels as other tests when taken as close to the expected period start date.
Just like other test kits, Dollar Tree tests can give a false positive. These false positives are typically due to situations pertaining to the specific woman and her situation and less to do with the test itself. If you recently had a loss, taken certain fertility treatments with HCG, in menopause, or have ovary issues these can all lead to false test results.
Dollar Tree Pregnancy Test Honest Review
For the first year, of trying to conceive I spent a lot of money on pregnancy tests. I bought some that were as cheap as $6 on sale and some as high as $12 for a digital result screen.
The cost of these pregnancy tests actually made me even more nervous than the test themselves, because if I messed them up then it was a total waste of money.
As noted before, I have actually ruined tests by not peeing properly. Who knew that was a thing? Nobody ever tells you tips and tricks to take a successful pregnancy test.
So here goes for my most successful pregnancy test taking tip, stop peeing on sticks! There is so much that can go wrong when you are under pressure. I have dropped sticks in the toilet, I have peed too much, I have not peed enough, and sadly I have even peed on my hand.
Instead go buy a box of the little paper cups that they make for brushing your teeth. You pee in it, take your test, dump the pee in the toilet, and throw away the cup. No mess and it takes all the pressure off trying to hold a pregnancy test stick still in just the right place for the right amount of time.
My friend Christine, that just happens to have 7 kids told me about Dollar Tree pregnancy tests and she swears by them. I had mentioned spending over $100 in tests for the last year and she about died laughing.
She also mentioned that since you only spend a $1.00 (now $1.25) that you can even take 5 tests if you feel like. You can test 4 days out, then at 3 days out, at 2 days out, and a day before if it makes you feel better.
When she put it that way, I could take 12 tests at multiple times for what it was normally costing me to buy just one test. This was a huge boost for my mental health and anxiety about testing.
So, I took the plunge and bought a whole handful of tests to keep in my bathroom. The pressure was off, and I actually didn’t mind waiting until it was closer to my period to try a test.
I was a little thrown off by the test when I opened it because it looked nothing like the tests I had taken before from other brands. This was so simply made and looked more like a mini science experiment.
I took my test and waited 3 minutes, and the test was negative. Instead of immediately feeling regret for spending so much money, I felt a little sad about the result but then went back to my regular life.
I continued using the Dollar Tree tests every month until I finally got a positive one. I told my husband and we got excited, and then I was immediately on the phone calling my OBGYN.
I had never been pregnant, so I literally had no idea what to expect to do next after finding out that I was pregnant.
Due to my past history with endometriosis, the doctor had me come in pretty quick instead of waiting the normal 6-8 weeks for a normal first pregnancy appointment.
When I went for my appointment, the first thing they had me do was go pee in a cup. The nurse than pulled out a disposable tray with a pregnancy test that actually resembled my Dollar Tree test.
I was shocked! Her test was square instead of bowtie shape but everything else was the same!
I asked the nurse about the test, and she said most offices use these tiny little science labs to test for pregnancy because they are cheap and accurate. Imagine how much money an OBGYN office would spend on just pregnancy tests every month!
Long story short, I was in fact pregnant. My Dollar Tree test was completely accurate and did not cost an arm and leg to get a simple result.
After having my son, we went on to have a daughter a few years later. I also used a Dollar Tree pregnancy test with her, and it also proved reliable and accurate.
Are Dollar Store pregnancy tests worth it?
Absolutely without a doubt, a pregnancy test from the Dollar Store is worth it! Whether you are taking tons of pregnancy tests or just trying to be frugal with your money, the results are clear.
Dollar Tree and any dollar store tests are a great solution to the ever-growing costs of trying to become a parent. Even if you just save the money, you would have spent on pregnancy tests and buy diapers, the savings is definitely significant.
If you want to save even more money, now that the Dollar Tree has raised their prices to $1.25, go check out home pregnancy test kits at Walmart. They are the same style of kits sold at the dollar store, but they are only 88 cents!
If you do find yourself pregnant with a baby on the way, check out this article “When to Buy Nursery Furniture to Save Money” for more helpful tips to stay frugal and prepare for parenthood!
