- Your DNA holds the story of your lineage as well as a wealth of information about your body in terms of aging, health, and more.
- The AncestryDNA Genetic Testing Kit is the best DNA testing kit you can buy because it compares your DNA to 500 worldwide regions, helping you create an amazingly accurate picture of your heritage.
Your DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, carries the entire story of your natural past, present, and even your future. It is the very substance of every part of your body, and it is the result of thousands of generations of reproduction and countless instances of mutation. The expression of the genes in your DNA makes you who you are, determining everything from eye color and height to which diseases you might easily defeat and which you need to watch out for. The study of your DNA can also provide a remarkably accurate portrait of your heritage, linking you to pockets of humanity that existed many thousands of years ago in far-flung corners of the world.
Did your ancestors cross the Bering Strait Land Bridge? Do you have some Neanderthal DNA in your makeup? Did your great-great-something sail the Pacific atop an outrigger? These questions and many more can be answered through the use of a DNA kit, and all it takes is a bit of saliva.
Learning about your genetic ancestry can be both amusing and informative, but DNA test kits can also provide actionable information. With the right kit, you can analyze your results to better understand how your body responds to everything from sugars and alcohol to caffeine. Studying your genes can also help you learn what illnesses you might be susceptible to developing, helping you live a lifestyle that minimizes the chances of their occurrence or at least helping you mitigate symptoms and effects should the condition arise.
We have included DNA test kits that are primarily aimed at studying ancestry alongside those geared toward health and wellness. We have a kit principally intended to determine paternity and we have one that's perfect for the armchair ethnographer. But all the home DNA test kits on our list share a few things in common: They are easy to use, they're reliable, and each will shed new light on that stuff that makes you ... you.
Here are our top picks for the best DNA test kits:
- Best DNA test kit overall: AncestryDNA Genetic Testing Kit
- Best health-risk predictor DNA test kit: 23andMe DNA Ancestry + Health Kit
- Best low-cost DNA test kit: MyHeritage DNA Test Kit
- Best home paternity DNA test kit: Rapid DNA Testing Paternity DNA Test Kit
Updated on 10/17/2019 by Lisa Sabatini: Updated formatting, prices, and links. Removed Helix DNAFit Test Kit, which has been discontinued.
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