A Simple Way For Men To Learn More About Fertility Without A Trip To The Lab

Best for hormone testing: LetsGetChecked Male Hormone Advanced Test

To be clear, this is not a sperm test. But if conception is your goal, there are other factors at play beyond the quality of your sperm. Because hormonal imbalances can play a role in your fertility, it can be helpful to get a better understanding of your current hormonal health.

This test uses a finger prick blood sample to test your levels of testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index (FAI), estradiol, and prolactin, which all play a role in producing healthy sperm. Understanding the state of these hormones (and possible imbalances) can help you make more informed decisions about fertility.

Once the sample is collected, you’ll send it off to the brand’s CAP-accredited and CLIA-approved lab (in a prepaid envelope). You’ll then be able to view your results in the brand’s app within 2 to 5 days of receipt.

After you’ve reviewed your results, you can choose to speak with one of the brand’s nurses, or take your results to your physician to discuss next steps.

Best for storing sperm: Legacy Fertility Test

If you’re hoping to freeze your sperm for a later date, Legacy offers a range of storing and testing services. The basic “For Today” kit measures metrics such as sperm volume, count, motility, morphology, and concentration.

Legacy allows users to schedule the kit to be delivered on a specific day. The test can either be used immediately or stored in the fridge for up to 14 days. Once your sample is received by the lab, you’ll see results in the Legacy online dashboard within 48 hours.

If you’ve chosen to add on a cryostorage package, Legacy will freeze your sperm for you. They offer three different freezing options: one year ($145), five years ($595), or 10 years ($955).

Because these are added costs to the test itself, Legacy’s kits can seem like more of a financial investment. However, some insurance policies cover the cost of the basic “For Today” kit, and it’s also FSA eligible.

Best basic: LabCorp Men’s Rapid Fertility Test

This FDA-cleared at-home test allows users to test and evaluate sperm without sending a sample to the lab. Instead, you’ll use a provided analyzer to gain quick insight into your semen volume and sperm concentration.

If you’d like to re-test, LabCorp offers $99 refill kits to track your sperm over time.

This test is focused more on quantity than quality. It doesn’t test for sperm morphology or motility, or provide you with a TMC. While that might be enough data for folks tracking the quantity of their swimmers over time, you won’t get as much detail as with a more extensive test—and there’s more room for user error when a lab is not involved.

Best for couples: Proov Hers and His Fertility Starter Kit

While some other companies on this list offer female hormone and fertility tests, they all require a separate purchase. For males and females hoping to hold a united front and test their fertility together, this kit is a great pick.

The Proov Hers and His Fertility Starter Kit includes a Yo Sperm test, which uses a small device to measure your sperm’s total motile count. This is a DIY kit, so you’ll have to follow the instructions carefully to avoid tampering with the results, which you’ll be able to view on the designated app as soon as the sample is analyzed.

This kit also includes 10 pregnancy tests and Proov’s Complete Testing System, which uses a urine sample to measure key fertility metrics like follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone, and estrogen.

It’s important to note that, while this data is helpful in understanding where you are in your cycle (which can, in turn, help you plan for conception), these at-home fertility tests won’t paint as full a picture of your fertility as in-lab tests with a physician.

Best affordable: Bird & Be At-Home Sperm Test

For a test that’s gentle on the wallet, check out this two-pack of FDA-approved sperm tests from Bird & Be. The kit uses the same sperm testing device as the Proov pick above, which measures your total motile count and even shows you a video of your sperm swimming around. You can choose to keep this data private in the Bird & Be app or you can share the video with your physician.

Because you’ll collect and test the sample yourself, you’ll need to follow instructions extremely carefully to ensure you’re getting a reliable sample. However, there are detailed instructions in the app and Bird & Be says the entire process should only take 20 minutes or less.

Best for semen analysis: Fellow Semen Analysis Kit

This comprehensive test covers all the baseline metrics. Once you’ve collected your semen sample, you’ll mix in the preservation fluid and send your kit off to Fellow’s own CLIA-certified lab in California.

Shipping is free both ways and your kit comes with a gel ice pack to keep the sample at the right temperature until it's analyzed. The brand says all samples are analyzed within 52 hours of receipt.

After a few days, your results will be available via the Fellow app, where you’ll learn more about your sperm’s volume, motility, morphology, and more.

You can also choose to add on cryostorage through Fellow, which costs an additional $140 a year. You’ll need to make that call before you order, though, as Fellow destroys samples as soon as they’ve been analyzed to protect your privacy.

Unfortunately this test is not available in New York, Rhode Island, Hawaii, or Alaska. It also isn’t eligible for Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Savings Account (FSA) payments.

Best post-vasectomy: Fellow Vasectomy Test

Just because you’ve had a vasectomy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the clear to have unprotected sex. In fact, the American Urological Association recommends ejaculating at least 20 to 30 times during a 12 week period following your vasectomy to clear out any lingering swimmers.

One helpful way to test whether there’s still sperm in your semen is by taking a post-vasectomy test. Fellow offers a test that checks solely for the presence of sperm. You’ll produce a sample and ship it off to the brand’s CLIA-approved lab.

Because this test is less time sensitive (at least from a sperm preservation standpoint!) your results may take anywhere from 6 to 10 days. You’ll receive your physician-approved results through a secure webpage and, if desired, you can choose to have them sent directly to your doctor as well.

Key measurements

As our expert stated, a thorough at-home sperm test measures more than just sperm volume. We chose tests that include the baseline metric of total motile count (which tend to be less expensive), but also focused on brands that take a more detailed approach.

Use variety

Some people want to see how their sperm are performing, while others want to see if their semen contains sperm at all. We included products geared toward both use cases.

Accessibility

Our list includes tests at a variety of price points, and the majority are even eligible for FSA or HSA payments.

Privacy

Every brand on this list claims to prioritize privacy and data security. Still, we also included options for those who prefer to avoid sending their sample off to a lab.