In a Nutshell
pros
- Samples can be taken from the comfort of your own home
- Results within 3-5 working days
cons
- Paternity and relationship tests can’t be used by NY residents
- Website can be slow
Ideal For
Parents needing to find out the father of a child
Why Go With homeDNAdirect
A reputable name in the industry, homeDNAdirect offers a wide range of tests. Aside from its relationship, legal, and clinical tests, homeDNAdirect has a DNA test for paternity with many subcategory tests, such as home paternity, immigration, legal, and non invasive prenatal paternity tests. Each of the tests are intended for slightly different purposes, but they are all analyzed in an accredited lab. You can expect to receive results from any of the tests within 3-5 working days of the lab receiving your samples.
What’s on Offer
- At home sampling kit that includes mouth swabs, consent forms, instructions, and return envelope
- Paternity tests for peace-of-mind or legal purposes
- Reliable results within 3-5 business days
- Receive results by email or hard copy (added cost)
- Access to a DNA consultant
More Reasons to Choose homeDNAdirect
homeDNAdirect takes initiative beyond DNA testing kits to help others, by working with charities and NGO’s, and supporting worthy causes. It has worked with LauraLynn, a children’s hospice where it donated new mattresses and funds to make the children’s birthdays that much happier, as well as making a large financial donation to the Children’s Breakfast Club to help malnutritioned children.
Ease of Use
The most common method of DNA sample collection for many of homeDNAdirect’s DNA tests is a cheek swab. This is one of the best ways of collecting the DNA because it is quick, can be done from anywhere, and is painless. It’s also really simple to order your kit. All you need to do is go online and find the product you want. Then, you can either place the order online or by phone. If you place it online, you’ll be asked to answer questions like:
- Will you use our DNA sample collection service?
- How many children will be tested?
- How would you like to receive your results?
After inputting the information, you’ll be prompted to fill in personal information, as well as shipping information and review your order. Your kit should arrive within a short period of time. Each at-home DNA collection kit comes with:
- 2 pairs of swabs
- Instructions
- Swab envelopes
- Consent form
- Pre-addressed envelope
Unpack your collection kit so that you can see what is included, and follow the simple instructions provided.
- Remove the swabs from the envelope and discard the protection wrapper
- Fill in the required information on the envelope
- Take one of the 4 mouth swabs and rub it gently inside your mouth
- Repeat using remaining swabs, ensuring to swab all test participants and to use all the swabs
- Allow swabs to dry for an hour
- Once dry, place swabs in their corresponding colored envelopes
- Place the color coded envelopes and the consent form into the pre-addressed envelope
To ensure a successful sampling:
- Avoid eating, drinking, and smoking for 1 or 2 hours before sampling
- Follow the instructions carefully
- Don’t touch the cotton ended part of the swab other than to your cheek to avoid contamination
- Use all of the swabs provided
Speed of Kit Delivery and Results
After completing the DNA collection, send the samples to homeDNAdirect’s accredited lab. Once the lab receives your samples, it will send you a confirmation email. You will be given the date when your results will be completed by (usually 3-5 business days later). Results can be received by email, or by email and hard copy for an added cost.
DNA Collection Kit
- Cheek swab
DNA Test Type
- Autosomal (family DNA)
- YDNA (paternal)
Report Features
- DNA relative matching
Customer Support
homeDNAdirect offers an extensive resource center that is meant to answer any questions you may have. Its FAQ section answers some of the most common questions asked about DNA testing, the procedure, and result accuracy. The FAQ page should help resolve most questions, but if not, you can refer to the knowledge base, which is updated with news stories relating to DNA testing, paternity testing, and other DNA-related topics.
If the FAQ page does not answer your question , you can contact support by email or phone, though unfortunately the operating hours aren’t listed on its website. You can also leave your information and request a call back by a customer support representative or try its chat to speak with a live DNA consultant.
Pricing
The company offers 4 different paternity testing products, all for different purposes. The first, home paternity, costs $119 and offers a test which looks at 21 genetic markers to show a link or lack thereof between a father and a child. Legal paternity testing costs $299 and is useful when in the process of disputing paternity in a legal court. It’s also good for cases of alimony or inheritance. Immigration DNA testing costs $499, and is an accredited and highly reliable immigration DNA test for US immigration procedures. Finally, the non-invasive prenatal paternity test, costs $1195 and is meant for pregnant women who need to know the father of the fetus.
All of the tests request personal information at the time of ordering and require you to sign a consent form that gets sent into the lab along with your samples.
Bottom Line
homeDNAdirect offers various DNA tests that can be used for peace-of-mind or legal purposes. Its tests are all analyzed in accredited labs and have fast turn around times.
Though it has 9 years of experience and is a US-based company, not a lot of information is offered about the team behind the company. The company does have good reviews on its website, though, and has a good customer support team.
About homeDNAdirect
homeDNAdirect is an international DNA testing company with offices and labs around the world, and a main office in Elk Grove, CA. It strives to provide the best service possible through constant innovation and by staying at the forefront of DNA testing technology. It places a strong emphasis on only using accredited labs to ensure test accuracy, and has a customer care team that’s been trained to deal with the sensitive issues involved in DNA testing.
Contact Details
Phone: +1 916 280 0061
Email: info@homednadirect.com
