LivingDNA Review

This ancestry DNA kit is simple to use, and we think that’s what makes this one of the most popular DNA analysis brands online. It’s fast and easy to order your LivingDNA kit. Just follow the link on the company website and it will take you to a page asking whether you would like a personalized DNA ancestry book for an extra $50. Once the order has been placed the DNA analysis kit will be delivered to your door within a week; it’s now ready to use. The whole process for the LivingDNA kit is very user-friendly and the next stage is to activate your personal kit online and then take two simple cheek swabs which then need to be placed into sealed vials and mailed back to the laboratory for testing. The hard part of this process is waiting…which can take up to 12 weeks.

process for the LivingDNA kit is very user-friendly and the next stage is to activate your personal kit online and then take two simple cheek swabs which then need to be placed into sealed vials and mailed back to the laboratory for testing. The hard part of this process is waiting…which can take up to 12 weeks.

Once the test arrives there are several options available to you: you can view your entire genetic makeup (family DNA), maternal, or paternal lineage. This ancestry DNA kit is great for giving you an overall look at your ethnic background going back 10 generations. The kit even breaks this down into geographic regions where your ancestors lived depending on where your ancestry is based (Britain includes 21 regions).

What makes this ancestry DNA kit stand out is that it actually shows you your lineage for a further 10 generations, tracing your deep ancestry to its historic roots. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds either, as LivingDNA presents its analysis in simple language and combines this with visual tools to make reading your data easy for everyone. To give an example the Through-History analysis is an interactive map where you can trace your personal ancestral movements across the world. You’ll also find Migration Map as well as other tools that really bring your ancestry to life.

Another feature that’s definitely worth a mention in this LivingDNA review is the fact that the company is in close collaboration with various educational and academic programs. This means that if you agree to have your data used, it will help future studies of humanity and genetics.

It wouldn’t be a fair review if we didn’t mention the fact that the services offered are fairly narrow. If you are the type of person who is looking to build your own family tree then you’ll be disappointed as the LivingDNA user database is limited, to say the least. This isn’t the right company for that type of research. The company also does not provide health DNA screening or paternity tests. Pet DNA testing is something you will also have to source elsewhere!

What LivingDNA does provide, however, is a solid academic relationship to scientific study, DNA test results that date back at least 10 generations and highly-detailed results that are often broken down into specific regions of countries. What’s even more impressive is their use of interactive visual aids to make reading the DNA data easy to understand.

One of the pros of using LivingDNA is its promise of absolute privacy. Users’ information is posted online after the DNA results have been determined but only users can safely access this information. The lab where LivingDNA obtains its information is the notable Eurofins Laboratory in Denmark and when they receive your sample, no personal data that could identify you is attached to the sample. The company also doesn’t use any third party organizations. Your data is for your eyes only and any information contained can only ever be used for research purposes if you give your full consent.

As mentioned earlier, the DNA ancestry report that you are given is simple to understand and this is largely due to the language used. You’ll find no scientific jargon within your report and instead be presented with a plain-language online report (or hard-copy if you have paid the extra fee) using various interactive tools to help illustrate the findings and bring them to life.

LivingDNA takes complicated genetic material and turns this into an informative report that can be used in a number of different formats which give information on your entire genetic makeup, paternal, or maternal lineage. By the end of the report you will be able to see where your ethnic roots are based and, in some cases, specifically down to the region where they originate. As an added bonus you also get an interactive map which shows you a visual representation of your ancestors’ movements and a phylogenetic tree option which basically helps you to understand the migration of your maternal and paternal lineages.

The LivingDNA ancestry report costs $114.00 and for this price you’ll get free postage (when you send your samples back to the laboratory) and an online report to keep. Should you wish to receive a hard-copy of your DNA test results there’s an option for a personalized DNA ancestry book for an additional $50.

There is a very thorough and searchable help center available for you if you have any questions. The broad topics include the history and LivingDNA and how its test are conducted, inquiries about ordering and shipment, help with interpreting the results of your tests, and privacy concerns. We generally found that nearly all of the most frequently asked questions about a DNA heritage test can be answered here. However, if you need to contact someone from support directly, there are phone, email, and regular post mail options to do so.

For us, LivingDNA is one of the best genetic testing kits on the market. Utilizing some of the most advanced DNA testing methods, this ancestry DNA kit offers a number of different features that really make it stand out, which include the ability to search your paternal or maternal lineage and being able to search your genetic makeup down to the specific region in some instances.

Usability is fantastic too, the way that the results are presented makes your ancestry easy to understand and the interactive tools add a nice additional element to this, too. We found the entire process from start to finish easy to use from the purchase, through to the testing (simple cheek swabs) and results. We like the fact that you can opt into scientific studies while feeling confident that your private details are completely safe.

Support available was excellent and we found that most customer queries were answered in the online help center. The price for the LivingDNA test is reasonable at $114.00 (especially for the amount of detail that goes into the DNA results), but we would rather not have to pay extra for the hard-copy. All in all, we recommend LivingDNA test kits.