Compare tests
Cortisol tests compared
Hair, blood, saliva and urine tests measure cortisol over very different spans of time. Hair is the only one that gives a long-term average from one sample, which makes it the most accurate single test of long-term cortisol. The others answer different questions, mostly in a doctor's hands. Here is what each measures, and who sells them.
A morning, a day, or three months
Cortisol changes all the time. It peaks soon after you wake, falls through the day and is at its lowest around midnight, and on top of that rhythm it jumps with stress, exercise, food and poor sleep. So the most important difference between cortisol tests is not the brand or the price. It is how much time the sample covers.
A blood sample covers a single moment. Saliva covers the moments you collect it. A 24-hour urine collection covers one day. A 3 cm hair sample covers about 90 days. To estimate your typical level from snapshots you would need many of them on many different days. Hair does that averaging for you.
Side by side
| Feature | Hair | Blood | Saliva | 24-hour urine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it measures | YesAverage cortisol over roughly three months | NoCortisol at the moment of the draw | NoFree cortisol at each moment you spit | PartlyTotal free cortisol passed in one day |
| Unaffected by a stressful morning | YesOne bad day is a tiny part of 90 | NoA tense journey or the needle itself can raise it | NoReflects the hour you collect | PartlySmooths out hours, not days |
| No timing rules | YesCut the sample whenever suits you | NoUsually before 9 or 10am | NoSet times, often late at night or on waking | NoCollect every pass of urine for 24 hours |
| No needles | Yes | NoVein or finger-prick | Yes | Yes |
| Consistent from one test to the next | YesMonth-to-month results correlate strongly | NoVaries with time, stress and the needle | NoMost of a single result reflects that day | PartlyVaries a lot from day to day |
| Shows a long-term pattern from one sample | YesCan be split month by month | NoNeeds repeat draws | NoNeeds many collection days | NoNeeds repeat collections |
| Used by doctors to diagnose adrenal disease | NoNot yet in guidelines; promising in research | YesMorning cortisol, Synacthen and suppression tests | YesLate-night saliva for Cushing's | YesA first-line test for Cushing's |
Hair cortisol tests
A hair test measures your average cortisol over the months the hair grew, from one sample you cut at home. It is the test that answers whether stress, tiredness, sleep problems or weight changes have been reflected in your cortisol over time.
| Test | Sample | How you collect it | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cortigenix Cortisol Over Time hair testAverage cortisol over the past three months | Hair | A small hair sample cut close to the scalp at the back of the head: at least 1 cm long and about 8 to 10 strands thick (2 to 3 mm).Results in a secure online dashboard within 10 working days of the sample reaching the laboratory. | £126.75Ships worldwide. UK delivery is free by Royal Mail with a prepaid return envelope; international orders go by FedEx, with shipping charged at checkout and return postage paid by the customer. |
Price as shown on cortigenix.com on 20 October 2026. We may benefit from this link; how we make money.
What snapshots cost
The lowest-priced single-moment tests we list in the United Kingdom are the Forth Cortisol Home Blood Test Kit at £41 and the Medichecks Cortisol Saliva Stress Test at £89. One blood test a month for three months would cost £123 and give you three mornings. A hair test gives you the average of all ninety days in between.
Blood, saliva and urine tests
If your doctor has asked for a particular test, or you want to see how your cortisol behaves across one day, these are the main options you can order yourself. Each measures a moment or a single day. Details checked on 20 October 2026.
Blood tests
Total cortisol in your blood at the moment of the sample, usually taken in the morning. Finger-prick kits are posted to a laboratory; venous samples need a clinic or nurse.
United Kingdom
| Test | Sample | How you collect it | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forth Cortisol Home Blood Test KitTotal serum cortisol at a single point in the morning (listed as Cortisol (9am)) | Blood | Finger-prick at home; optional AutoDraw arm device, partner clinic venous draw or home nurse visit for an extra feeBefore 10am, or within 3 hours of waking for shift workers and very early risers | £41Finger-prick kit included; AutoDraw device +£20, partner clinic +£45, home nurse +£59 |
| Medichecks Cortisol Blood TestTotal serum cortisol at a single point in the morning | Blood | Finger-prick at home, or venous draw at a partner clinic or by a home nurse for an extra feeCollect between 6am and 10am; people with an unusual sleep pattern are told to test within 2 hours of waking | £45Finger-prick kit included; venous draw at a partner clinic +£35, home nurse visit +£59 |
United States
| Test | Sample | How you collect it | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulta Lab Tests Cortisol Total TestTotal serum cortisol at a single point | Blood | Venous draw at a partner patient service centre | $23.95Shown as a discount from $153.14 |
| Labcorp OnDemand Cortisol TestTotal serum cortisol at a single point, reported against morning and afternoon reference ranges | Blood | Venous draw at a Labcorp locationCollect between 7am and 10am; wait at least 72 hours after the last biotin dose | $66.75Sale price shown on the checked date (25% off the usual $89); no separate physician fee listed |
| Quest Diagnostics Cortisol Stress Hormone TestTotal serum cortisol at a single point in the morning | Blood | Venous draw at a Quest Diagnostics patient service centre, or in-home collection by Quest Mobile where availableAppointment between 7am and 9am recommended | $79Plus a $6 physician service fee; in-home Quest Mobile collection +$79 where available |
| myLAB Box Adrenal Stress TestCortisol and DHEA sulfate from one blood sample | Blood | Finger-prick at home, posted back in a prepaid envelope | $159 |
These tests measure cortisol at one moment, or across one day. Prices and details as shown on each provider's website on 20 October 2026. We are not paid for these links.
Saliva tests
Free cortisol at the moments you collect, often four times across one day to show its rise and fall.
United Kingdom
| Test | Sample | How you collect it | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medichecks Cortisol Saliva Stress TestSalivary cortisol at 4 time points across one day | Saliva | Saliva tubes at home x4 across one day, posted to the labAfter waking, at 12 noon, at 4pm and before going to sleep; no food or drink for 60 minutes and no tooth-brushing for 30 minutes before each sample; post Monday to Thursday | £89 |
United States
| Test | Sample | How you collect it | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everlywell Cortisol & Stress TestSalivary cortisol from a single sample, plus testosterone and TSH from the blood card | Saliva | One saliva sample plus a finger-prick blood card, collected at home and posted back | $99 |
| ZRT Laboratory S-120 | Saliva 4-Point CortisolSalivary cortisol at 4 time points across one day | Saliva | Saliva tubes at home x4 across one day, posted to the labFirst sample within 30 minutes of waking, the rest later the same day (ZRT's adrenal listings describe morning, noon, evening and bedtime); no food, drink other than water or tooth-brushing for 2 hours before each sample | $119A physician contracted by ZRT reviews and authorises the order |
| Quest Diagnostics Cortisol & DHEA-S (Adrenal Function) Test Panel — Full-Day AssessmentSalivary cortisol at 4 time points, plus serum DHEA-S | Saliva | Saliva tubes at home x4 across one day, plus a venous blood draw for DHEA-S; two visits to a Quest location (kit pick-up, then return and blood draw)Within 30 minutes of waking, 11am to 1pm, 4pm to 6pm, and before bed; no food, drink other than water, tooth-brushing or mouthwash for 30 minutes before each saliva sample | $149Plus a $6 physician service fee |
These tests measure cortisol at one moment, or across one day. Prices and details as shown on each provider's website on 20 October 2026. We are not paid for these links.
United States
| Test | Sample | How you collect it | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulta Lab Tests Cortisol Free 24 Hour Urine Test with CreatinineFree (unbound) cortisol excreted over 24 hours, with creatinine to check the collection is complete | Urine | 24-hour urine collection, handled through a partner patient service centreAll urine over one full 24-hour period | $55.95Shown as a discount from $115.42 |
These tests measure cortisol at one moment, or across one day. Prices and details as shown on each provider's website on 20 October 2026. We are not paid for these links.
Dried urine tests
Urine dried on filter paper at several points in one day, measuring cortisol, cortisone and their breakdown products.
United States
| Test | Sample | How you collect it | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precision Analytical (DUTCH) DUTCH AdrenalFree cortisol and cortisone at 4 points across a day, plus cortisol metabolites (a-THF, b-THF), cortisone metabolite (b-THE) and DHEA-S | Dried urine | Dried urine on filter-paper strips at home, 4 collections plus an optional overnight sample, posted to the labAbout 5pm before dinner, about 10pm at bedtime, within 10 minutes of waking, and 2 hours after waking; no fluids for 2 hours before the evening samples and no alcohol or caffeine on collection days | $399Price in USD; the shop accepts international orders; ordering restrictions apply in New York, Maryland and Rhode Island |
These tests measure cortisol at one moment, or across one day. Prices and details as shown on each provider's website on 20 October 2026. We are not paid for these links.