We reviewed the top DNA testing kits not too long ago on Digital Trends, pitting them against each other to find which one is truly the best. As it turns out, two of our top picks are featured as Black Friday specials at Amazon and Walmart: Ancestry.com’s AncestryDNA testing kit, and 23andMe’s Health + Ancestry Personal Genetic Service.
Either service excels at helping you better understand your ancestry by peering into your genetic code. The results are delivered in an easy-to-follow format and are continuously updated based on new research. We’ve found these two kits to offer what we believed were the most accurate and comprehensive results.
Of the two Black Friday specials, Amazon's deal on AncestryDNA is the cheapest. Normally $99, for Black Friday you can pick up the kit for just $49. If you use Ancestry for its family tree service, we strongly recommend you take the DNA test to help fine-tune your results, and possibly even find new matches.
Our results took about three weeks to arrive, but it’s likely due to the sale that yours may take a little longer — processing times do slow during the holidays, the company says. If you’re merely interested in ancestry rather than health, then AncestryDNA is the way to go.
If you’d like to better understand potential genetic health concerns, then we’d recommend you step up to 23andMe's Health + Ancestry Personal Genetic Service instead. 23andMe also searches for genetic relatives through its database, but where it excels in ancestry is how specific it is.
Among our primary genetic ancestry, 23andMe was able to pinpoint areas in Germany and Poland where my ancestors once lived. The latter answered a long-running question on my mom’s side of why we might be Russian or Ukranian instead: We are from ancestral Prussia, in the most southeasternmost province closest to Ukraine. Pretty cool.
But the health results were also fascinating, revealing elevated risks for late-onset Alzheimer’s and macular degeneration, both of which are ubiquitous in our family. Along with the genetic diseases, 23andMe also provides a list of traits that you may have as a result of your genes: we found those to be generally pretty accurate, surprisingly enough.
Results were the fastest of any kit, taking a little over two weeks to arrive. Like AncestryDNA, expect longer processing times during the holiday, but you should still have them in under a month.
Usually $199, during Black Friday Walmart is selling the kit for $99. Our honest opinion? Buy both — they both have their advantages which make each attractive for their specific reasons. And at these prices, always the cheapest all year, you can’t go wrong.
