LetsGetChecked and myLAB Box are both self-collect, mail-in STI kits with results in a few days. Choose LetsGetChecked for its own CLIA-certified labs, the largest pile of verified reviews, and nurse-prescribed treatment on a positive. Choose myLAB Box for the widest 14-infection panel, built-in HIV screening, and couples kits.
How each service works
Both companies follow the same basic mail-in model. You order online, a discreet box arrives, you collect your own sample at home — a finger-prick blood spot, a urine cup, or a swab depending on the infection — and you mail it back in a prepaid envelope. A lab processes the sample and posts your results to a secure online portal. Neither requires a clinic visit, and neither needs you to see a provider to get tested.
The meaningful difference is what happens to your sample at the lab and what happens after. LetsGetChecked runs its own CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratories, meaning the same company that sells you the kit also controls the testing chain. myLAB Box partners with CLIA-certified labs to process its samples. CLIA certification is the federal standard that any lab reporting patient results in the US must meet FDA CLIA standards, so both clear that bar; LetsGetChecked simply owns more of the pipeline.
Test menu compared
This is where the two part ways most clearly. myLAB Box's flagship Total Box screens for 14 infections — the broadest single at-home panel you can buy, and the right pick for someone who wants one definitive sweep. It also includes HIV in its standard panels and offers HPV testing for women. LetsGetChecked has a quirk worth knowing before you buy: its Standard 5 and Complete 8 panels screen for Hepatitis B instead of HIV, with HIV sold as a separate add-on. If you assume a multi-test panel includes HIV by default, that gap can leave you with a false sense of being fully cleared.
| Feature | LetsGetChecked | myLAB Box |
|---|---|---|
| HIV in standard panel | No — add-on only (Standard 5 / Complete 8 screen Hep B instead) | Yes — included |
| Widest panel | Complete 8 | 14-infection Total Box (broadest available) |
| HSV-1 and HSV-2 | Yes — both | Varies by panel |
| HPV (women) | — | Yes |
| Couples kit | — | Yes |
| Own CLIA/CAP lab | Yes | Partner CLIA labs |
LetsGetChecked does cover both HSV-1 and HSV-2 (oral and genital herpes types), which not every brand separates out. If you're unsure which infections to screen for in the first place, work through which STD test do I need before you pick a panel — the panel name matters less than whether it covers the exposures you actually had.
Price and value
Both services are self-pay, and both accept HSA and FSA cards — neither bills insurance, so the sticker price is what you pay. myLAB Box single tests run $49–$99, with bundled panels and the Total Box costing more as the menu widens. LetsGetChecked prices by panel and offers subscription plans that lower the per-test cost for people who screen on a regular schedule. If you're paying out of pocket either way, it's worth comparing both against the clinic and pharmacy options in our guide to STD testing without insurance — sometimes a local program is cheaper than any mail-in kit.
Turnaround time
The lab speed is essentially a tie. Both return results in 2–5 days once your sample reaches the lab. The real variable is shipping — how fast you drop the sample in the mail and how long it travels — not the testing itself. Plan to collect and mail back the same day you open the box so the clock starts promptly.
Brand trust and lab quality
LetsGetChecked carries roughly 18,800 Trustpilot reviews at 4.4 out of 5 — among the highest review volume of any at-home testing brand. Paired with its own CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited labs, that's the strongest argument for anyone who wants the most-vetted, quality-controlled option. CAP accreditation is a peer-inspection standard on top of CLIA, so the chain from kit to result is tightly controlled. myLAB Box uses CLIA-certified labs and ships in discreet, unbranded packaging, which matters if privacy at your mailbox or shared address is a concern. Both are legitimate; LetsGetChecked simply has the longer paper trail and tighter lab control.
One caveat that applies to every mail-in test: self-collected samples are only as good as the collection. If you'd like to understand where home tests can fall short — short of a clinic blood draw, the timing window for each infection, the chance of a false negative — read our breakdown of at-home test accuracy.
Couples testing and niche use cases
MyLAB Box offers couples kits — both partners collect and mail back together — which is genuinely useful for two people who want to test at the same time before starting or reopening a relationship. It's also the better fit if you want HPV screening or that single broad 14-infection sweep. LetsGetChecked leans toward the individual repeat tester: subscription plans suit someone screening on a regular cadence rather than a one-time check.
Support after a positive result
This is the most clinically important difference. A positive result is only the first step — what matters is getting treated. LetsGetChecked offers nurse-backed prescriptions on positive results in eligible states, meaning a positive can lead directly to treatment without booking a separate doctor's appointment. myLAB Box does not have that built-in nurse-prescription pathway, so a positive there means you take your result to a provider yourself.
For curable bacterial infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea, that handoff speed matters — the sooner you treat, the sooner you stop transmission and lower your risk of complications. If you test positive with either service and want to confirm or move to treatment, you can also get tested and connect with care through us.
Who should choose LetsGetChecked
- You want the most-reviewed, own-lab option with CLIA and CAP accreditation behind it.
- You want a positive result to lead straight to a nurse-prescribed treatment without scheduling a doctor.
- You test on a regular schedule and want a subscription to lower the per-test cost.
- You specifically want both HSV-1 and HSV-2 covered — just remember to add HIV, since the standard panels screen Hep B instead.
Who should choose myLAB Box
- You want HIV included in your standard panel without a separate add-on.
- You want the single broadest sweep — the 14-infection Total Box.
- You and a partner want to test together with a couples kit.
- You want HPV testing (for women) or the most discreet, unbranded packaging.