Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common health condition which affect millions of people each year. While a trip to the doctor’s office is still required for a definitive diagnosis, at-home UTI test kits have become an increasingly popular way to screen for these infections.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at three of the best at-home UTI tests on the market: AZO UTI Test Strips, Checkable UTI Test Strips, and Health Metric UTI Test Strips. We’ll compare their price, delivery speed/availability, ease of use, convenience, and customer support to help you determine the best option for your needs. We will compare the kits using a point system with 3 being the highest possible score in each category and 1 being the lowest possible score. Each category will be added up for a total score which we will use at the end to determine 3rd place through 1st place.
AZO Urinary Tract Infection Test Strips
AZO is a urinary health product leader who produces the most well-known brand of UTI test strips for at-home use. These easy-to-use strips test for the presence of nitrites and leukocytes, both of which are common indicators of UTI.
Price
-AZO comes in a package of 3 test strips and retails at $9.92 on Amazon, resulting in a $3.30 cost per test.
Score: 2
Delivery Speed/Availability
-AZO sells their test strips through Amazon, where the average delivery time is within 1-2 days. The actual delivery speed for this kit when I ordered thru Amazon was 2 days (ordered on a Wednesday and it arrived on Friday).
-Direct sale from AZO is also available. But what separates AZO from the others is the well-known brand name and the ability to walk into any Walmart, CVS, Walgreens or grocery store and be able to purchase the kit in person. This means the test strips could be in your hands in a matter of hours or minutes, if you don’t mind going to the store.
Score: 3
Ease Of Use:
–The AZO test strips are straightforward to use, requiring only a few simple steps: dip the test strip into the urine sample, wait a brief period, and then compare the color changes to the color-coded chart provided.
-Test results are available within 1 minute for Nitrites and 2 minutes for Leukocytes.
-AZO strips have a clean grip handle which makes it easier to hold the strip, especially when sampling the urine midstream. The handle is a small thing, but it can help avoid the test strip from getting dropped in the toilet by accident, especially those who have long fingernails that can interfere with dexterity.
Score: 3
Convenience
-Using AZO is convenient, especially if you order the kit online. However, if you do get a positive or want to follow-up with a doctor, you must make an appointment and drive out to get seen. This can add extra steps and more money to the process.
Score: 2
Customer Support
-AZO provides customer service support through their website, phone number, physical mail and online questionnaire. You can also reach out to them on X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram if you prefer.
-Their office hours are listed as Monday-Friday, 9 am-6pm EST.
-Their website has a learning center as well where they post helpful articles on urinary health.
-Regarding their refund policy, if you order directly through AZO, they offer a 30 day return policy, whereas with Amazon they do not offer returns unless the item arrives damaged or defective.
Score: 3
AZO Total Score: 13
Checkable UTI Test Strips
Checkable is a company who makes urine and breast milk testing kits. They also make UTI test strips which have gained popularity more recently.
Price
–A pack of 3 test strips from Checkable retails for $14.99 on Amazon, resulting in a $4.99 cost per test, making it the most expensive test of the group.
Score: 1
Delivery Speed/Availability
-Checkable sells their test strips through Amazon, where the average delivery time is within 1-2 days. The actual delivery speed for this kit when I ordered thru Amazon was 2 days (ordered on a Wednesday and it arrived on Friday).
-Direct sale from Checkable is also available. Surprisingly, I was unable to find Checkable strips in any brick-and-mortar stores in the area, despite the brand becoming more well known recently. This leaves online as the only option right now for Checkable.
Score: 2
Ease Of Use
–The Checkable test strips follow a similar dip-and-compare process as the AZO strips, making them equally easy to use at home.
-However, unlike AZO, Checkable does not have a clean grip handle. The lack of a handle makes holding the strip more difficult while collecting urine midstream.
-Test results are available within 2 minutes for both nitrites and leukocytes.
-Checkable has a mobile app which you can take pictures of results and store for later, enabling it to be used in the future to track trends and progress.
Score: 2
Convenience
-Checkable is the most convenient out of the bunch, since they have nurse practitioners on standby in case you need a tele-health appt.
-During this appointment, you will fill out a questionnaire through the Checkable mobile app to provide information about your issues. The provider will then consult with you and recommend a plan of action, possibly prescribing antibiotics and/or other meds.
-If meds are prescribed, they will normally ask you what local pharmacy you would like them sent to for pickup. This saves a lot of time by avoiding a visit to urgent care or your PCM.
-How much does Checkable charge for a telehealth visit? They charge a flat-fee of $49 per visit, which is cheaper than most charges from an urgent care or ER visit.
Score: 3
Customer Support
-Checkable provides customer service support through their website, phone number and physical mail. They do not have a social media presence, but they do have a mobile app that allows patients to contact providers for telehealth care.
-Their website has a learning center where they post helpful FAQ on urinary health.
-Regarding their refund policy, whether you order directly through Checkable or Amazon, they both offer a 30 day return policy.
-Their office hours are listed as Monday-Friday, 9 am-5pm CST.
Score: 2
Checkable Total Score: 10
Health Metric UTI Test Strips
On top of urine testing, Germany based company Health Metric is a brand that specializes in water testing, pool/spa testing, as well as radon and mold testing. Their kits have also been gaining traction in the at-home UTI testing market, mostly due to their affordability.
Price
–The standout feature of the Health Metric test strips is their affordability. A bottle of 50 test strips retails for $12.99 on Amazon, resulting in a $0.26 cost per test, making them the cheapest option of the group by far.
Score: 3
Delivery Speed/Availability
–Health Metric sells their test strips solely through Amazon, where the average delivery time is within 1-2 days. The actual delivery speed for this kit when I ordered thru Amazon was 2 days (ordered on a Wednesday and it arrived on Friday).
-Direct sale from Health Metric is not available at this time. Also, I could not find this brand for sale at any brick-and-mortar stores, so ordering is only available through Amazon only for the time being.
Score: 1
Ease Of Use
–The Health Metric test strips also follow the standard dip-and-compare procedure, making for a straightforward process. Additionally, a urine cup is provided for those that don’t want to collect their urine midstream. The cup is smaller than the standard urine cup, but it can still get the job done if you are careful.
-However, like Checkable, they are also without a clean grip handle, making for a less user-friendly experience when sampling urine midstream.
-Test results are available within 2 minutes for both nitrites and leukocytes.
Score: 1
Convenience
– The bulk packaging of the Health Metric strips makes them a convenient choice for individuals who anticipate needing frequent testing or for households with multiple family members. This can help you avoid the need to reorder strips as often since it can take a while to go through a 50 pack, as opposed to a 3 pack like AZO and Checkable.
-Using Health Metric is convenient, considering that you can buy the kit online. However, since tele-health is not available for this company, a visit to the doctor would be required for follow-up care and any prescriptions needed, adding some extra steps to the overall process.
Score: 2
Customer Support
–Health Metric provides customer service support through their website, email and online questionnaire, though no phone number is available. You can also reach out to them on their Facebook and YouTube channels. Just remember that since they are based in Europe, any communication with them may be affected by the time zone difference.
-Their website has useful learning materials related to water, mold and radon testing, which can help guide customers to the kit that best meets their needs and explain some of the theory behind the testing principles.
-Regarding refunds, Amazon offers a 30 day return policy.
-Office hours for Health Metric were not found.
Score: 1
Health-Metric Total Score: 8
Best Overall At-Home UTI Test: Final Results
Health Metric
- 3rd Place
- Total Score: 8
Checkable
- 2nd Place
- Total Score: 10
AZO
- 1st Place
- Total Score: 13
Best Overall UTI Test Strip: AZO
Best Budget Friendly UTI Test Strip: Health Metric
Best UTI Test Strip For Follow-up Care: Checkable
All 3 of these test kits performed as expected. However, AZO emerged as the overall winner as it leads the pack in convenience, ease of use and customer support. Checkable is the best for follow-up care with its access to medical providers and prescription medication services. Meanwhile, Health Metric shines as the best budget friendly choice with its extremely low cost per test.
What Is The Best At-Home UTI Test For You?
Ultimately, the best kit will depend on your specific needs, budget, and personal preferences. We recommend prioritizing these factors so that you can make an informed decision on what is the best at-home UTI test kit for your circumstances. And remember that these dipstick results are for screening purposes only and do not substitute the need to follow-up with a doctor for definitive diagnosis and treatment.
References
https://azoproducts.com/products/azo-test-strips
