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Saturday, February 8th
When it comes to DNA testing, especially for the purpose of connecting with living relatives and past ancestors, there's no service on the market that can compete with Ancestry. With over 22 million people tested, more than 130 million family trees (some connected to those DNA test results), and an everyday price under $100, it'd be no surprise if this was the first place you turn for a DNA test. We've used the Ancestry platform extensively, and it's our favorite option too.
No health results, only trait reports
Before we dive into what AncestryDNA can do for you, let's take some time to go over what these DNA testing kits will not provide. The main limitation here is that there are no health-related results. Several years ago, Ancestry did away with that service (possibly to avoid some of the complications its biggest industry rival faced with respect to data breaches and other liabilities). However, this platform still makes it possible to see your likelihood of having inherited certain traits, like a widow's peak hairline or freckles, but take that more as a "for fun” feature and not anything that's going to be overly meaningful for your health. That traits access comes either with an upgraded DNA test ($119) or with any paid membership.
Hold out for a sale price
Looking strictly at the most basic AncestryDNA kit with no access to traits, the everyday price is $99. But, we've watched Ancestry for long enough to know that there are promotional discounts for almost every major holiday (especially Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Christmas), so if you can be just a little bit patient, you should never need to pay full price. We've seen the cost go as low as $39 in the last few months alone.
Results in 6-8 weeks
What's included with your AncestryDNA testing kit purchase? You'll get the usual oral swab with a postage-paid return envelope, and it'll take 6-8 weeks to get the results - although we've seen people get them more quickly, expect it to take that long if you bought your test during a big sale (because there will be more kits for Ancestry to process). When your results come in, you'll be able to see two main things: your ancestral origins spanning over 3,000 geographical regions, and your DNA matches.
Updates can shift your percentages over time
Again, over the years we've had our DNA on Ancestry, we've seen quite a few changes to the ancestral origins feature. As they make updates to their algorithms (and as more and more people use their service to test their DNA), you'll see your percentages shift. So, we recommend that you take what you see there with a grain (or several) of salt - that 1% "Ashkenazi Jewish” in your latest report might drop off with a subsequent update, or the same might happen with one of the "communities” or "journeys” you see attached to your DNA results. On the other hand, if it's telling you now that you're 50% Italian, it's unlikely that that will ever completely disappear - but the percentage might shift here and there. Just be aware that that's normal, and don't get overly attached to the numbers (especially for aspects associated with a very small percentage of your results).
Best platform for finding living relatives
Not only is Ancestry fun for checking out your heritage, but it's also the world's best platform for connecting with living relatives. You might be interested in that out of sheer curiosity, but for many users, AncestryDNA unlocks the key to their identity: thousands and thousands of people who were adopted, donor-conceived, or who simply don't know the identity of their parent(s) have been able to solve the puzzle via matching users on Ancestry. If that's something that interests you, it's well worth your time to read up on how this site makes it easier to sift through your matches, from separating out your results initially by "Parent 1” and "Parent 2”, to providing the option of color-coding your matches to see which users line up with which families in your tree.
Turn privacy on or off
Be aware that you don't have to make your DNA test results viewable (unless you do want to see your matches), and you can turn that visibility off and on at will. So, if you value your privacy but you'd really like to take a peek at who you're related to, you can toggle it on for a look and then back off again. (We even heard of someone who was looking for her biological parents; one day, a DNA match came up as her father, just long enough for her to grab a screenshot before he ostensibly made his DNA test results private again.)
Free family tree, paid tools
Speaking of trees, you can create one for free; that's optional on Ancestry, but it's helpful if you're using this DNA testing kit primarily to figure out your roots and branches, so to speak. That's also where Ancestry's paid memberships are going to be of interest. They're not cheap, but they're an extraordinary resource if you're documenting your family tree:
As much or as little support as you need
Confused yet? Don't worry. Ancestry does a terrific job of providing support and guidance, through its Ancestry Academy videos (on topics ranging from Navigating Wills and Probates to DNA 101, help menu options that include an entire community of users and Ancestry's own support team, even customer stories to help you get inspired.
Terrific reputation
If you can't tell, we're power users of everything Ancestry has to offer, especially with respect to its DNA testing kits. But you don't have to just take our word for it, reputation-wise: even the Better Business Bureau gives the company a perfect "A+” rating and accreditation. Sure, you'll find some complaints, often regarding subscriptions (either that people didn't realize they were paying for or ones that wound up being necessary in order to get more access to records and resources they thought were free), but on the whole, this is a very well-loved service.
Best resource for heritage-related DNA testing
If you're considering the purchase of a DNA testing kit specifically to learn more about your family tree, there's no competitor that can even come close to rivaling Ancestry. It's your best bet for connecting with your living family members, and you've got the option to add memberships to more fully flesh out your tree with census records, obituaries, and much more. (And, pro tip: you can download your DNA test data from Ancestry and upload it to some of the other sites on our list, usually at no cost. This way, you can "fish in all ponds”, as they say.) Ancestry is our hands-down favorite place for DNA testing kits.
DNA testing kits have become super popular, and it's easy to see why. They're like opening a personal time capsule of your family history, health information, or even discovering fun quirks about your genes. Ready to learn more about yourself at a cellular level?
Let's take a look at why you might want to take one of these tests, what information DNA testing kits can (and can't) provide, how accurate they are, and some helpful tips for choosing the right one. One of the most common motivations is ancestry. Many people want to know where their family history traces back to. Whether it's discovering you have roots in a different continent or confirming family lore, DNA tests often give people a deeper connection to their heritage.
There's also been a rise in interest for proving a close genetic connection to countries that offer "citizenship by descent”: if your grandfather was, say, Italian and he was born after March 1861, you could use your DNA test (and the supporting documents you might find among the testing site's resources) as part of proving your relationship.
Then, there's the genetic health angle. Some tests go beyond ancestry and can tell you if you're predisposed to certain health conditions or traits. Imagine learning if you're likely to be lactose intolerant or if you carry a gene that increases your risk for certain diseases. It helps people make proactive decisions about their health or understand their family's medical history better.
Individuals also use DNA tests for finding living relatives. You might be interested in finding distant cousins or even uncovering long-lost family connections. Some DNA tests can match you with people who share portions of your DNA, helping you build a family tree with solid scientific backing. DNA testing kits have become a huge resource for people who were adopted or donor-conceived, enabling them to do some sleuthing and find out, based on who their DNA matches are, the identity of their biological parent(s).
Just be aware that taking a DNA test, especially those that offer connections with living matches, can be something of a Pandora's box. Current estimates from organizations like DNAngels say that anywhere from 5% to 29% of people taking a DNA test experience an "NPE” - a non-paternal event or sometimes referred to as "not parent expected”. Instagram reels and TikTok videos are full of test-takers who were stunned to learn that their dad isn't actually their biological father, or that they have 25 half-siblings through sperm donor conception. Most people won't have that kind of "DNA surprise”, but you should understand that it's a possibility.
When deciding on a DNA testing kit, here are a few key factors to consider:
To help you choose a DNA testing kit, the experts at Top Consumer Reviews have evaluated, tested, and ranked some of today's most popular services. The one that's right for you depends on what you hope to learn, so take your time exploring your options. We're confident that you'll be able to uncover fascinating insights about yourself and your family history while having a little fun with science along the way.
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