Cheaper preg tests more reliable than expensive ones? (2025)

We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

We're aware that dates on the Forum are not currently showing correctly. Please bear with us while we get this fixed, and see Site feedback for updates.

missamoo Posts: 204 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 7:31PM in

I've not been feeling myself lately so have been taking pregnancy tests to see if that is the cause of the problem although I didn't miss my last and am in the middle of my cycle.

I've been using the cheap ones from Home Bargains where you get 3 for £1 and I can see the faintest of 2nd lines. At first I thought I was imagining it but I'm pretty sure it's there. Took a while to come up tho but I don't think its evaporation line as I've never seen this sort of result before and I usually take about 2 pregnancy test a month (what can I say I'm a worrier!)

Becauseof the unsurety of the lines I thought I'd try those expensive digital ones. They both came up 'not pregnant' but I can still see lines on the cheap3 for £1 ones!

Help am I going mad or should I stick with the digital result. I'm on medication and if I was pregnant I would have to come off it straight away but I need to be on it if I'm not!!!

I'm playing all the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order!

«12»

chickaroonee Posts: 14,678 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 7:39PM

It's not the price of the test but the sensitivity you need to check - I think the digital ones can be a bit less sensitive than some of the others. Did the lines on the HB test come up within the time limit?
FWIW I did a test with a HB cheapie test which came up positive and I'm now 24 weeks pregnant

too many comps..not enough time!
missamoo Posts: 204 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 7:42PM
See Also
Home Bargains Pregnancy Tests The Best Pregnancy Test Best Pregnancy Tests - Baby Bargains

I have just checked and the HB one is 25ml whereas the digital one is 50ml!
Sometimes I think I'm hallucinating the lines!
When I first started testing a few days ago the line appeared after the 10 min mark but today it appeared before the 10mins was up. But it is so incredibly faint i keep having to check it's there.

I'm playing all the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order!
Dear_Prudence Posts: 199 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 7:46PM

If you're in the middle of your cycle it would be extremely unlikely to get a positive preg test even if you were pregnant. Especially with a cheapie you'd probably only get a positive from the day you missed your period, as that's when the HcG hormone starts to make enough of an appearance in your wee.
Also when you get a positive i think they tend to come up pretty quickly (my 2 came up within about 10 seconds when i found out) so it sounds like it could be an evap line... just wait and see if you miss your period and if you do then do another test.
LuceB84 Posts: 198 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 7:50PM edited 28 January 2010 pm31 8:17PM

When i first found out i was pregnant, i used the poundland stick tests, which came up with a very faint 2nd line, however when i used a more expensive test it came up as negative. From what i read the cheapie stick tests are more sensitive and therefore can detect it a little bit earlier

Started Slimming World 5/7/11 Weight loss so far 1 stone 11lbs :T
1/2 Stone - 2/8/11
1 stone - 16/8/11
Club Ten - 4/10/11
1 1/2 Stone - 11/10/11
Dear_Prudence Posts: 199 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 8:12PM

From here:
http://www.babyhopes.com/pregnancy-test-sensitivity-comparison.html
Pregnancy Test Sensitivity Chart
Sensitivities checked with manufacturers in July 2008
Test NameLowest hCG detected
AimStrip (aka AimStick) Pregnancy Test Strip20 mIU Buy Here!
BabyHopes Generic Pregnancy Test Strip20 mIU Buy Here!
AccuHome Midstream Pregnancy Test25 mIU Buy Here!
Accuclear Pregnancy Test25 mIU
Answer Early Result Pregnancy Test25 mIU
Clearblue Easy +/-25 mIU
Clearblue Easy Digital (1 piece, blue cap)25 mIU
Clear Choice w/ Cup25 mIU
Confirm 1-Step Pregnancy Test25 mIU
CVS Early Result Pregnancy Test25 mIU
Dollar Store Brand (mini-strip, cassette, & midstream)25 mIU
Early Detect25 mIU
e.p.t. +/- Test25 mIU
e.p.t. 1-Step Digital Test25 mIU
e.p.t. Certainty Digital Test25 mIU
Equate +/- (Wal-mart)25 mIU
Equate Pregnancy Test (Wal-mart)25 mIU
Fact Plus Midstream Pregnancy Test25 mIU
First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test25 mIU
One Step Be Sure Pregnancy Test25 mIU
Right Aid Pregnancy Test25 mIU
Target Brand Pregnancy Test25 mIU
Walgreen Midstream Pregnancy Test25 mIU
Walgreen Digital25 mIU
Fact Plus Cassette40 mIU
Clearblue Digital50 mIU
CVS "Early Result" Cassette Pregnancy Test50 mIU
Drug Emporium Brand Pregnancy Test50 mIU
early Pregnancy test50 mIU
Walgreens Cassette Pregnancy Test50 mIU
HTH!!!
Ladyhawk Posts: 2,064 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 8:15PM

I was convinced last year that I was pregnant... threw up twice in 10 days for no reason whatsoever. I took myself down to the clinic and was told to go and buy a cheap test to make sure as they wouldn't run any tests until then. The doctor/ nurse lady (can't remember!) said that they have to be reliable because they would be sued if they got it seriously wrong. Happily I wasn't pregnant... phew... dodged a bullet there!

Man plans and God laughs...
Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry. But by demonstrating that all people cry, laugh, eat, worry and die, it introduces the idea that if we try to understand each other, we may even become friends.
kindofagilr Posts: 6,825 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 8:34PM

I bought cheap tests off ebay they were 10 miu and they picked up a very fant line, I did those for like 4 days, then did a sainsburys one and it came up faint too (I was on holiday at the time) came home a week later and got a digtial one and it was pregnant I am due babybean on March 8th

Debt £30,823.48/£44,856.56 ~ 06/02/21 - 31.28% Paid Off
Mortgage (01/04/09 - 01/07/39)
£79,515.99/£104,409.00 (as of 05/02/21) ~ 23.84% Paid Off
Lloyds (M) - £1196.93/£1296.93 ~ Next - £2653.79/£2700.46 ~ Mobile - £296.70/£323.78
HSBC (H) -£5079.08/£5281.12 ~ HSBC (M) - £4512.19/£4714.23
Barclays (H) - £4427.32/£4629.36 ~ Barclays (M) - £4013.78/£4215.82
Halifax (H) - £4930.04/£5132.12 ~ Halifax (M) - £3708.65/£3911.20
Asda Savings - £0
POAMAYC 2021 #87 £1290.07 ~ 2020/£3669.48 ~ 2019/£10,615.18 ~ 2018/£13,912.57 ~ 2017/£10,380.18 ~ 2016/£7454.80
~ Emergency Savings: £0

My Debt Free Diary (Link)
mumslave Posts: 7,531 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 8:39PM

sometimes the very cheap tests can pick up on your ovulation surge. With this pregnancy i actually got my first positive on an ovulation stick. The hormone is very similar. I wouldnt worry about it just now, just test again when your period is due.

:starmod:Sealed Pot Challenge Member 1189:starmod:
Curious_George_2 Posts: 2,501 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 8:41PM

if you take apart some of the supermarket own brand tests (cost £3 -£6) and even the named ones then all you will find inside the plastic casing is exactly the same test that you can purchase 10 of for about a quid on ebay!
i used them and they showed a VERY faint line for a few days... so i upgraded to a first response and that also gave me the same faint line (waste of time) so for a definate answer (so we could stop hoping and start celebrating!)
i upgraded again to a clear blue digital and.......

i used these people http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/fertilityplan
they were cheap, reliable and very quick with postage
and even better some of their auctions are listed as private so nothing about fertility plan will show up in your feedback (just incase you dont want the world to know what your up too! lol)
the little person who made those faint lines and made me throw up for months is currently 2 years old and trying to bargain a later bedime by being cute
dianetheartist Posts: 482 Forumite

28 January 2010 pm31 8:54PM

If you are worried about being pregnant shouldnt you be using some form of contraception,rather than nervously checking every month!

I might be crazy but I'm not stupid....