LivingDNA Test Kit Review 2026
LivingDNA
- Price : $79
- Results in: 6-8 weeks
- Collection method: Cheek swabs
Is LivingDNA Worth It?
LivingDNA is new to the DNA testing market. They offer special features, like detailed subregional analysis for places like Europe, Africa, and the British Isles. However, information for other regions is not as detailed. Their wellness report gives useful lifestyle tips but doesn’t assess risks for hereditary diseases.
Overview
The LivingDNA test uses a cheek swab to give you two types of reports.
The Full Ancestry report tells you:
- Specialist Ancestry: It breaks down your ancestry into over 150 regions. For places like Africa, Britain, and Europe, it gives more details on sub-regions.
- DNA Matching: You can see a list of relatives. If you join Family Networks, you can connect with other users and see how much DNA you share.
- Extended Ancestry: For men, it looks at Y-DNA, and for everyone, it looks at mtDNA. This helps you trace your ancestry back thousands of years.
The Wellbeing test kit looks at your health and genes:
- Vitamin Response: It shows how your body handles key vitamins like Vitamin D.
- Food Metabolism: It tells you how your body processes different foods.
- Nutrition advice: It gives tips on the best foods to get the nutrients you need.
- Exercise: It suggests the best types of exercise for your genes.
- Recovery: It recommends the best ways to recover after exercise.
The Wellbeing test doesn’t check your risk for hereditary diseases.
If you’ve already taken a DNA test from another company, LivingDNA offers a free service. You can upload your genetic data to their site and get free reports on:
- Ancestry regions: A breakdown of your DNA from the past five to six generations, covering eight major world regions.
- DNA matching: A list of your genetic relatives from their database.
LivingDNA doesn’t have a family tree builder. Their family tree feature is based on genetic matches with other users in their database.
How LivingDNA Works
When you order your kit online, it will usually arrive in five to ten business days with standard shipping.
Your DNA collection kit includes:
- An instruction booklet
- A sterile envelope with cotton swabs
- A rapid-dry pouch
- A plastic specimen bag
- A postage-paid return envelope
To start, register your kit online using the barcode on the specimen bag. Don’t eat or drink anything for one hour before taking your sample. Then, follow these steps:
- Rub the swab inside your cheek for 30-45 seconds, making sure the whole swab touches the cheek.
- Put the swab in the rapid-dry pouch and seal it with the test ID sticker.
- Put the pouch in the postage bag and mail it back.
Getting The Results
You’ll get your results in six to eight weeks after your sample reaches the lab. You’ll receive an email with a link to view your reports. Sign in and choose from these results in your portal:
- Recent Ancestry Results: This shows your ethnicities and regions with DNA percentages and a shaded map. Click on any region or subregion for more details.
- Maternal Results: This shows your maternal haplogroup (from mitochondrial DNA) and a map of migration patterns over thousands of years. You can also see where your maternal DNA is found today.
- Paternal Results: If you’re male, you’ll see haplogroup info from Y-DNA analysis.
- Family Networks: If you join this feature, you can view and message your genetic relatives in your portal.
- Wellbeing Results: If you bought a Wellbeing test, click on “wellness” to see a list of traits and get more info on each one.
How LivingDNA Protects your Privacy
The LivingDNA website has a detailed Privacy section. Here are the main points:
- They are open about how they handle user information.
- They don’t sell your data to other companies.
- You can choose whether to join in their research.
- They use safe databases and keep data anonymous whenever they can.
Help & Support
The LivingDNA website has a support center, but it’s a bit hidden at the bottom of the page in the sitemap. The support center has helpful articles that guide you through the whole process, like ordering your kit, taking a sample, and understanding your results. Many articles have pictures to make things clearer.
The “Contact Us” page is also in the sitemap. You can find out how to reach a company representative there. You can call them at 0203 424 3482 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm GMT. Since they’re based in the UK, US customers might find it tricky to reach them at convenient times. You can also email them using the “Contact Us” form or by sending a message to [email protected]. Customers say that LivingDNA’s support is quick and friendly.
Pricing
The LivingDNA ancestry test kit usually costs $99 but is now on sale for $79, with standard shipping at $9.95. Here’s a quick breakdown of the prices:
- Ancestry Kit:
Regular: $99 + $9.95 shipping
Sale: $79 + $9.95 shipping - Wellbeing Kit:
Regular: $129 + $9.95 shipping
Sale: $99 + $9.95 shipping - Ancestry + Wellbeing Kit:
Regular: $179 + $9.95 shipping
Sale: $149 + $9.95 shipping
The sale price for the Ancestry kit from LivingDNA is higher than those from MyHeritage and Ancestry, but similar to 23andMe. However, like 23andMe, LivingDNA offers detailed haplogroup reports based on mtDNA and Y-DNA, which other competitors don’t provide.
Bottom Line
LivingDNA, a UK company, offers detailed insights, especially for European, British, and African ethnicities. Their Wellness report gives lifestyle tips based on your genes but doesn’t include hereditary disease risk reports. If you want in-depth subregional details and information on ancient ancestry, LivingDNA is a good investment.
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