If you're serious about optimising hormones, you need data. Private at-home hormone testing in the UK has become genuinely useful — you prick your finger, send the sample by post, and get results within days.
But which service is actually worth using? This guide compares the main UK options.
The Big Three: Medichecks, Monitor My Health, LetsGetChecked
These are the most established and reputable at-home testing services in the UK. All three work similarly: you order online, receive a kit, collect a blood sample (finger prick), post it back, get results in a report.
Medichecks (medichecks.com)
Overall: Best for testosterone and comprehensive hormone panels. Most detailed reporting.
Panels Available
Male Hormone Panel:
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin)
- LH (luteinising hormone)
- FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone)
- Oestradiol
- Prolactin
- Cortisol (if specified)
Female Hormone Panel:
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- SHBG
- LH
- FSH
- Oestradiol
- Progesterone
- Prolactin
- DHEA-S
- Cortisol (if specified)
Thyroid Panel:
- TSH
- Free T4
- Free T3
- TPO antibodies
- Thyroglobulin antibodies
Cost:
- Male Hormone Panel: £150–200
- Female Hormone Panel: £150–200
- Thyroid: £70–100
- Full comprehensive (hormones + thyroid): £300–350
Turnaround: 5 working days typically. Results delivered via online portal.
Reporting Quality: Excellent. Each result is compared against reference ranges. Medichecks provides guidance on what the results mean.
GP Letter Option: You can request that results be sent to your GP (useful if you want your GP to see your baseline and potentially prescribe treatment).
Vibe: Professional, straightforward, most options available. This is where informed UK users go.
My Assessment
Pros:
- Most complete hormone panel available
- Quick turnaround
- Detailed reporting and interpretation
- Can request GP letter
- DHEA-S included (useful for women and older men)
- Easy to reorder
Cons:
- Slightly more expensive than competitors
- Not all results include Cortisol ACTH (depends on panel choice)
- Website can be a bit clunky
Best for: Men and women serious about comprehensive hormone optimisation. If you're considering TRT or HRT, this is where to start.
Monitor My Health (monitormyhealth.co.uk)
Overall: Good for testosterone, slightly cheaper than Medichecks, but narrower panel options.
Panels Available
Testosterone Test:
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- SHBG
Extended Hormone Panel:
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- SHBG
- LH
- FSH
- Oestradiol
- Prolactin
Cost:
- Testosterone only: £99
- Extended panel: £149
- Thyroid panel: £69
Turnaround: 3–5 working days. Online portal for results.
Reporting Quality: Good. Ranges provided, but less detailed interpretation than Medichecks.
GP Letter Option: Can request results be sent to GP.
Vibe: Straightforward, no fuss. Simpler interface than Medichecks.
My Assessment
Pros:
- Cheaper for basic testosterone testing (£99)
- Fast turnaround
- Simple, easy-to-use platform
- Good for basic screening
Cons:
- No DHEA-S in hormone panels (less useful for women)
- Reporting is less detailed
- Fewer custom panel options
- Cortisol not routinely included
- No progesterone in their panels (problematic for women)
Best for: Men wanting a quick, basic testosterone check. Not ideal for women or comprehensive hormone assessment.
LetsGetChecked (letsgetchecked.com)
Overall: Reasonable option, international reach, but UK-specific offering is more limited than Medichecks.
Panels Available
Testosterone Test:
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- SHBG
Hormone Balance Test (Female):
- Oestradiol
- Progesterone
- SHBG
- LH
- FSH
- Prolactin
- Cortisol
Cost:
- Testosterone test: £120
- Female hormone: £180
- Thyroid: £100
Turnaround: 3–5 working days.
Reporting Quality: Adequate. Results with ranges, basic interpretation. Online video consultation available with a clinician to discuss results (this is a plus).
GP Letter Option: Yes, available.
Vibe: Slick app, good customer service. More focused on the consumer experience.
My Assessment
Pros:
- Optional clinician consultation included (useful for interpretation)
- Decent app interface
- Reasonable pricing
- Cortisol included in female panel
Cons:
- Narrower hormone panel than Medichecks (no DHEA-S, limited male options)
- Slightly more expensive than Monitor My Health
- Reporting less detailed than Medichecks
- No LH/FSH in male testosterone panel (less useful for diagnosing low T causes)
Best for: Women wanting comprehensive female hormone testing with clinician guidance. Okay for basic male testosterone screening.
Detailed Comparison Table
| Feature | Medichecks | Monitor My Health | LetsGetChecked | |---------|-----------|-----------------|-----------------| | Male panel includes LH/FSH | Yes | No | No (separate test) | | Female panel includes progesterone | Yes | No | Yes | | Female panel includes DHEA-S | Yes | No | No | | Cortisol included | Yes (optional add) | No | Yes (female) | | Cost (basic male) | £150–200 | £99–149 | £120 | | Cost (basic female) | £150–200 | £99–149 | £180 | | Turnaround | 5 days | 3–5 days | 3–5 days | | Reporting detail | Excellent | Good | Good | | GP letter option | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Clinician consultation | No | No | Yes (included) | | Ease of use | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
What to Actually Test For: The Full Protocol
If you're serious about hormone optimisation, here's the complete panel you want:
Essential (All of These)
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin — determines how much testosterone is biologically active)
- LH (luteinising hormone — tells you if your testis/ovaries are responding to pituitary signals)
- FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone — another pituitary signal)
- Oestradiol (E2 — important for men too, not just women)
- Prolactin (elevated prolactin suppresses testosterone)
Women Specifically
- Progesterone (essential if assessing perimenopause/menopause)
- DHEA-S (adrenal precursor; useful to know if considering supplementation)
Useful Additions
- Cortisol (morning cortisol, and ideally evening to assess if it's elevated all day)
- Thyroid (TSH, free T4, free T3 — thyroid dysfunction tanks testosterone and mood)
Full Baseline Testing Cost via Medichecks
If ordering the full comprehensive hormone + thyroid panel: £300–350.
This is the price of genuine baseline data. You're paying for knowledge that will guide decisions about supplementation, lifestyle changes, or if you need TRT/HRT.
My Recommendation: Medichecks, Then Monitor My Health for Retesting
First test: Medichecks full hormone + thyroid panel (£300–350). This gives you complete baseline data.
Retesting after 8–12 weeks of lifestyle/supplementation: Monitor My Health testosterone panel (£99). Cheaper, fast, sufficient for checking if testosterone has risen.
Annual check: Back to Medichecks full panel to ensure everything's still optimised.
Total cost per year: £300–350 (initial) + £99 (retest) + £150–200 (annual) = roughly £500–600. That's £40–50 per month for complete hormone tracking. Reasonable.
How to Interpret Your Results
Your results will come with reference ranges. Understanding them:
Testosterone (Men)
- Below 8 nmol/L: Genuinely low. Symptoms likely. Consider TRT or lifestyle intervention.
- 8–15 nmol/L: Low-normal. Symptoms possible. Worth optimising lifestyle.
- 15–30 nmol/L: Healthy range.
- Above 30 nmol/L: High. Normal if you're on TRT; otherwise unusual.
Testosterone (Women)
- Below 1.0 nmol/L: Low. Symptoms likely (libido, fatigue, mood).
- 1.0–2.0 nmol/L: Normal but on the lower side. Symptoms possible.
- 2.0–3.0 nmol/L: Healthy.
- Above 3.0 nmol/L: High. Unusual without supplementation.
Free Testosterone
- Below 225 pmol/L (men): Low. Problematic.
- 300–700 pmol/L (men): Healthy.
- Above 700 pmol/L (men): High.
(Women's free testosterone ranges are about 1/10th these numbers.)
LH and FSH
These tell you if your pituitary is signalling properly to your testis/ovaries.
- LH normal, testosterone low: Testis or ovaries not responding (primary hypogonadism). May need TRT/HRT.
- LH low, testosterone low: Pituitary problem (secondary hypogonadism). Different treatment.
Ask your testing service or a doctor to interpret these — they're more nuanced.
Cortisol
- Morning cortisol: 200–400 nmol/L is normal. Below 200 suggests adrenal insufficiency; above 400 suggests chronic stress.
- Evening cortisol should be 1/3 of morning. If evening is still high, you're in chronic stress mode.
DHEA-S (Women and Older Men)
- Below 1.5 μmol/L: Low. Consider DHEA supplementation.
- 1.5–5.0 μmol/L: Normal.
- Above 5.0 μmol/L: High.
The Bottom Line
For women: Medichecks is clearly the best. Their female hormone panel is most complete (includes progesterone and DHEA-S). Cost £150–200.
For men: Medichecks for the full first test (£150–200). Monitor My Health for retesting (£99).
For budget-conscious screening: Monitor My Health basic testosterone test (£99), but understand it's missing LH/FSH.
Never order: Individual markers from a pharmacy that isn't designed for this. You want a dedicated testing service with proper turnaround and reporting.
Order your first test, get baseline data, then use that data to guide supplementation, TRT/HRT decisions, or lifestyle changes. Knowledge is the first step.