Even though tons of opponents have sprung up lately, 23AndMe nonetheless makes the perfect DNA check in the marketplace. It’s the quickest, it’s very complete, and the way in which the corporate presents your genetic knowledge is straightforward and simple to digest. Nonetheless, relying on what sort of info you’re searching for, there are different, extra specialised DNA checks that could be higher fitted to you. Whether or not it’s ancestry, health, illness danger, or one thing else solely, there’s possible a DNA package that’ll uncover that knowledge.
With the rising recognition of those checks, we determined to take a better look and see which of them are definitely worth the funding. To do that, we secured a mail-in package from as many DNA testing companies as we may discover, then shipped them a spit tube stuffed with our treasured genetic code for evaluation. After wanting via all the information and personally making an attempt all of those companies, there have been just a few that stood out from the pack. Listed below are our favorites:
The very best DNA check package in 2024
Purchase
in order for you the perfect ancestry outcomes
Purchase
in order for you speedy however correct outcomes
Purchase
if you wish to increase your loved ones tree
Purchase
in case you’re involved about privateness
Purchase FamilyTreeDNA https://www.familytreedna.com if you wish to work collectively to kind your loved ones tree
Ancestry
Greatest DNA check package
Professionals
Cons
Good for Ancestry customers
No well being choices
Pretty quick
If you happen to’ve been researching your loved ones tree, you’ve most likely already taken a have a look at Ancestry. It’s nice for monitoring issues down within the conventional method and its checks are even higher for enhancing your information.
When utilizing AncestryDNA because it’s recognized, you get info on pretty particular areas of your origins. Fairly than simply being advised obscure places, it properties in in your outcomes. It’s additionally in a position to hyperlink you with widespread genetic ancestors so you possibly can fill the gaps in your loved ones tree. An enormous genealogical database all makes it doable though don’t depend on AncestryDNA providing any well being perception.
Specs
Area choices
Pretty particular
Pace
About 20 days
Well being monitoring
No
23andMe
Greatest in order for you speedy however correct outcomes
Professionals
Cons
Quick outcomes
Added expense for well being danger checks
Straightforward to comply with
23andMe lays out its outcomes effectively with easy-to-follow steering on what to anticipate. It’s not fairly as particular with its outcomes as one thing like Ancestry however it’s actually easy to determine. It’s ultimate for individuals who don’t need advanced issues to determine. You even acquire perception into genetic and wellness traits if that appeals.
It’s additionally very quick with outcomes taking much less time than the competitors. It’s doable to pay additional for a well being dangers check in case you select to, which could possibly be value it for these fearful about genetic dangers, however the primary plan for household tree monitoring is nice too.
Specs
Area choices
Pretty broad
Pace
About 15 days
Well being monitoring
Sure (optionally available additional)
MyHeritage
Greatest for increasing your loved ones tree
Professionals
Cons
Robust privateness choices
Yearly subscription required for superior insights
Easy cheek swab check
MyHeritage retains issues easy, merely requiring a swab check to accumulate your DNA. Ship it off and it takes about 4 weeks which isn’t too lengthy a delay. The check covers 42 ethnicities throughout over 2,000 geographic areas so it’s pretty complete.
When you acquire these outcomes, you possibly can then add them to your loved ones tree through MyHeritage, earlier than researching additional and accessing any related historic data. It’s a dependable method of discovering new relations through shared DNA.
Specs
Area choices
Pretty particular
Pace
About 28 days
Well being monitoring
No
LivingDNA
Greatest for privacy-conscious customers
Professionals
Cons
Complete privateness coverage
Not as detailed outcomes
Pretty cheap with optionally available extras
Takes some time
LivingDNA is taken into account to be fairly gradual, taking between six and eight weeks to supply outcomes. Nonetheless, in alternate, you get a implausible privateness coverage with the corporate being very open and in-depth about what private info it holds about you. That’s immediately reassuring for anybody fearful about what occurs to their private knowledge and DNA.
Once you do obtain your outcomes, LivingDNA offers 21 subregional DNA breakdowns from over 150 worldwide areas so you possibly can exactly see the place your genes originate from. It’s additionally doable to obtain well being insights comparable to a have a look at how your physique responds to nutritional vitamins, meals, and train, based mostly in your genetic make-up, proving helpful for planning forward.
Specs
Area choices
Fairly particular
Pace
About 6-8 weeks
Well being monitoring
Sure
FamilyTreeDNA
Greatest for collaborative analysis
Professionals
Cons
Presents group mission plans
Regulation enforcement can use its DNA knowledge
Does DNA testing in-house
If you happen to’re working with different members of your loved ones then FamilyTreeDNA is the proper resolution. Its privateness coverage means it’s keen handy over DNA knowledge to regulation enforcement however assuming that isn’t a priority, FamilyTreeDNA is nice for every part else.
It means that you can work along with different members of the family engaged on household tree analysis with the flexibility to attach with relations from throughout the final 5 generations. Outcomes provide a proportion breakdown of your origin proper all the way down to historical European teams so there’s loads of perception right here. It additionally gives paternal and maternal ancestry kits in case you’re trying to fill gaps in your loved ones tree in a extra particular method.
For health-conscious customers, it’s additionally doable to realize insights into your health, vitamin, bone, and coronary heart well being, together with even your sleep routine. It then offers meal and exercise plans based mostly in your DNA.
Specs
Area choices
Pretty particular
Pace
About 4-8 weeks
Well being monitoring
Sure
How We Check
Testing these kits out takes a whole lot of spitting into check tubes, however we really feel with the ever-increasing variety of DNA checks on the market, it’s time that somebody took a tough have a look at these choices that can assist you determine in the event that they’re a smart funding. DNA evaluation is an evolving science although, and there’s rather a lot we don’t know in regards to the human genome simply but.
This makes testing a little bit of a problem, nonetheless we use a mixture of comparability checks matched with our expectations of the top outcomes to pick which checks are the perfect.
Does the check make sense? Is it too overly broad or do the outcomes appear skewed in any method? Is the check simple to carry out? Do the outcomes take a very long time to course of? All these sorts of questions are ones we’re trying to reply.
In fact, usefulness can be a key issue. There’s a plethora of data in your genome, not all of which is especially helpful. Does the DNA check provide you with any actionable info to higher your self on, or is a specific distinctive check? It simply would possibly make it on this checklist.
Different Ancestry Checks
There are fairly just a few ancestry checks on the market aside from the 2 we talked about above. The one one we had been in a position to check that isn’t included right here was a British firm referred to as Residing DNA. Whereas we had been large followers of how Residing DNA arrange its outcomes web page – splitting up your maternal and paternal parentage traces – it didn’t work effectively for us.
It appeared to overestimate our British heritage by a substantial margin, downplaying our primarily Germanic heritage. This can be extra of a operate of the samples the corporate has to work with – possible closely British – so we’d advocate this check solely if in case you have primarily British origins. One cool factor about LivingDNA is that it makes an attempt to additionally place your British heritage to particular areas of the nation, which could be useful for analysis.
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