You can check your A1C at home using an over-the-counter test kit that requires only a small finger-prick blood sample. These kits are available at major pharmacies and online retailers, with prices ranging from about $49 to $99 depending on the brand and format. There are two main types: instant-result kits that give you a reading in about five minutes, and mail-in kits where you collect a sample at home and send it to a lab.
Two Types of Home A1C Tests
Instant-result kits include a small handheld analyzer and individual test cartridges. You prick your finger, apply the blood to a collector, insert it into the device, and get your A1C percentage on screen within five minutes. The A1CNow Self Check from PTS Diagnostics is the most widely available version of this format, and it comes with four individual tests per kit. Rebranded versions of the same technology are sold under store brands at CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart (under the ReliOn label).
Mail-in kits work differently. Companies like Everlywell and LetsGetChecked send you a collection card or tube. You prick your finger, fill the sample card with a few drops of blood, and mail it back in a prepaid envelope. A certified lab processes the sample and returns your results online, typically within a few business days. These kits cost between $49 and $99, and because a lab handles the analysis, the results tend to be more reliable than instant-read devices.
How to Use an Instant-Result Kit
Each test in an instant kit comes sealed in its own pouch containing a lancet (to prick your finger), a blood collector, and a shaker body. After pricking your finger, you touch the blood collector to the drop of blood and insert it into the shaker. You then place the shaker into the analyzer device. The key timing detail: you need to get your blood sample into the analyzer within two minutes of the finger prick, so have everything laid out and ready before you start.
Once the device is processing, don’t move or pick it up. Your result will appear on screen when the test is complete, usually within five minutes. Write it down immediately. Most of these devices do not save your reading after about 15 minutes, and the monitor will turn itself off.
Cost and Insurance Coverage
Home A1C tests are not covered by health insurance. Prices vary by brand: Everlywell’s mail-in kit runs about $49, DTI Laboratories charges around $55, and the PTS Diagnostics instant kit (also sold as the A1CNow Self Check) costs roughly $82 for a four-test box. LetsGetChecked is at the higher end at $99.
Most of these kits are eligible for purchase with a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA), which effectively lets you pay with pre-tax dollars. Everlywell and LetsGetChecked both accept HSA and FSA payments directly. For other brands, eligibility can vary by card provider, so check before ordering.
How Accurate Are Home Tests?
This is the most important thing to understand before relying on a home A1C result: accuracy varies significantly between products, and some fall well short of lab-quality standards. The benchmark set by the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program says a home test result should land within 5% of a standard lab blood draw at least 90% of the time.
A University of Florida study of 219 people with diabetes tested several home kits against that benchmark. One product (Home Access, a mail-in kit) hit the 5% accuracy window in 82% of samples, which is close to the standard but still below it. Two instant-read products performed considerably worse: the A1cNow+ met the benchmark in only 46% of samples, and CoreMedica in just 29%. That means an instant-read kit could show you 6.2% when your actual lab value is 5.8%, or vice versa. A difference like that can shift you across diagnostic categories.
The practical takeaway: home tests are useful for tracking trends between doctor visits, but they should not replace a lab A1C drawn from a vein. If your home result comes back in a concerning range, get it confirmed with a clinical test.
What Your A1C Number Means
A1C reflects your average blood sugar over the previous two to three months, expressed as a percentage. The CDC uses these ranges:
- Below 5.7%: Normal
- 5.7% to 6.4%: Prediabetes
- 6.5% or above: Diabetes (requires confirmation with a second test)
If you already have diabetes and are managing it, your doctor has likely given you a personal A1C target. For most adults with diabetes, the general goal is below 7%, though your target may be higher or lower depending on your age, other health conditions, and how long you’ve had diabetes.
Conditions That Can Skew Your Results
A1C measures how much sugar is attached to hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells. Anything that changes your red blood cells or hemoglobin can throw off the reading, whether you test at home or in a lab. Iron-deficiency anemia tends to push A1C readings falsely high because your red blood cells live longer than usual. Sickle cell trait or other hemoglobin variants can push results in either direction, depending on the specific variant and the testing method used.
Recent blood loss, blood transfusions, and pregnancy can also distort results. If any of these apply to you, A1C may not accurately reflect your blood sugar control, and your doctor may recommend a different test (such as fructosamine) to track your averages instead.
How Often to Test at Home
If your blood sugar is well controlled and stable, testing A1C two times per year is generally sufficient. If you’ve recently changed medications, adjusted your diet, or your numbers have been inconsistent, testing every three months gives you a clearer picture of whether changes are working. Since A1C reflects a two-to-three-month average, testing more frequently than every 12 weeks won’t give you meaningfully new information.
Home kits fit naturally into the gaps between lab visits. For example, if your doctor orders a lab A1C every six months, a home test at the three-month mark lets you see whether you’re trending in the right direction without scheduling an extra appointment. Just keep in mind the accuracy limitations of home devices, and bring your home results to your next visit so your doctor can compare them against your lab values.