The Best Soil Test Kits of 2024, Tested
Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about The Best Soil Test Kits of 2024, Tested and hope the blog can help you.
A quality soil test kit will reveal the health of the soil, but are some kits better than others? We tested the most popular kits available to see if they provided quality results—find out which ones fared the best in our hands-on testing.
Testing garden soil is the best way to determine what it needs—if anything—and how much. A variety of soil testing kits are available, but how reliable are they? Home gardeners rely on these kits when deciding whether to amend their soil, so to narrow down the best soil test kits, we tested for accuracy, dependability, and ease of use.
Soil testers range from simple pH strips to complex kits that pinpoint deficiencies. Serious gardeners will want to reach for comprehensive tests. As Jon Traunfeld, director of the Home & Garden Information Center at University of Maryland, explains, “We recommend that gardeners have their soil tested by accredited soil testing labs, public or private. A basic test that measures soil pH, important soil nutrients, and organic matter costs $20 to $25. The labs also provide recommendations for lime and fertilizer if needed.” These tests are available directly from labs or through your county extension office.
For the average home gardener though, it can be easier to buy a soil test kit online, so that’s what we tested. To ensure accuracy, we compared product results to test results acquired from the Kansas State University soil testing lab. Our favorite product ended up being the MySoil Test Kit—it was easy to use and the results were simple to interpret, and most importantly of all, they were accurate. Ahead, learn what to look for when shopping for a soil test kit, and find out why the following products are well suited for helping determine soil deficiencies.
- BEST OVERALL: MySoil Test Kit
↓ Jump to Review - RUNNER-UP: Soil Savvy Soil Test Kit
↓ Jump to Review - BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Atree 3-in-1 Soil pH Meter Tester Kits
↓ Jump to Review - BEST PH STRIPS: Garden Tutor Soil pH Test Strips Kit
↓ Jump to Review - BEST CHEMICAL TEST: Luster Leaf 1662 Soil Test Kit
↓ Jump to Review - BEST DIGITAL TEST: Luster Leaf 1605 Digital Soil Test Kit
↓ Jump to Review - BEST FOR CROPS: Whitetail Institute Laboratory Soil-Test Kit
↓ Jump to Review - BEST PRECISION PH: Bluelab Soil pH Pen
↓ Jump to Review
How We Tested the Best Soil Test Kits
Our goal in testing the soil test kits was to determine how accurate each was, how easy they were to use, and how beneficial the results would be for our readers. The types of soil tests varied widely—from professional tests that required sending a soil sample to a lab to simple pH meters that determined a soil’s acid or alkaline level via a probe. We extensively researched dozens of soil test kits and products before choosing which ones to test, and we intentionally chose different types of kits because growers have very different needs.
Misti Mathis, co-owner of Harvest Gold Organics, which sells plant care products out of McKinney, Texas, offers some advice on how shoppers can decide between kits: “Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific needs and budget. While home test kits won’t be as precise as professional labs, they’re a good option for many gardeners.” She adds that “a professional lab test might be a better choice if you’re facing severe plant growth issues or have unique soil characteristics.”
To help determine the effectiveness of individual lab tests, we also sent a soil sample to the agricultural department at Kansas State University, where they do high-end soil and plant testing. The results from Kansas State were used as a starting point for comparing the other lab tests and the at-home chemical testing kits.
We awarded points for each kit or product, and at the end of testing, we added the points and used them to help determine the best uses and specific awards for each of the kits that earned a spot in this lineup.
| Testing Stats | |
| Products tested | 9 |
| Time spent testing | 1 hour per kit |
| Tests performed | 9 |
| Price range | $10 to $200 |
Our Top Picks
The kits we tested had to be accurate and relatively simple to use to earn a spot on this lineup. Test kits and equipment vary by the type of test being performed, so some are better suited to home gardeners, while others appeal to commercial and agricultural growers. We tested a range of kits—some required mailing off a soil sample for professional analysis, some involved chemical testing at home, and others required nothing more than sticking a probe in the soil.
Best Overall
MySoil Test Kit
Photo: amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Accuracy 5/5; Value 5/5
Product Specs
- Type of test: Professional, mail-in
- Tests for: 13 nutrients plus pH level
- Result time: Results by email within 6 to 8 days of mailing the sample
What We Like
- Professional test for pH and a range of soil nutrients and minerals
- Soil-collection and mailing process (mailing is prepaid) is clear and straightforward
- Results arrive in around a week and are detailed and easy to understand
What We Don’t Like
- Some users may not like that there is no print option available on the website
For professional results, check out the MySoil test kit, which allows gardeners to gather soil samples and have them professionally tested. The MySoil kit offers an in-depth analysis, revealing the amounts of micronutrients, NPK, and macronutrients in the tested soil.
With the MySoil kit, we registered online and followed detailed instructions, gathering a large amount of soil from various areas of the property, mixing it together well, and filling the provided testing cup with the soil blend. Then we sent my soil sample to MySoil as well as an additional soil sample to Kansas State University’s agricultural department so we would have a quality comparison.
We received an email 6 days later with the results of the soil tests. We were impressed with the comprehensive results. The lab listed the levels of existing nutrients, including nitrogen, potassium, sulfur, calcium, iron, and more, and then compared our soil’s levels with optimal levels, which were also listed for each nutrient. We also received a bar chart that allowed us to visually compare the results, making them simple to understand.
Best of all, when the soil results from K-State came back, they were very close to the MySoil results, making us feel very comfortable with the quality of the MySoil lab results.
Get the MySoil soil test kit at Amazon or MySoil.
Runner-up
Soil Savvy Soil Test Kit
Photo: amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4/5; Accuracy 5/5; Value 5/5
Product Specs
- Type of test: Professional, mail-in
- Tests for: 14 nutrients plus pH level
- Result time: 11 days from when the sample was mailed
What We Like
- Soil-collection instructions are easy to follow; simple to mail in with the included prepaid postage envelope
- Results provide detailed recommendations for both synthetic and organic amendments
- Tests for aluminum, which our top pick does not test for
What We Don’t Like
- Could provide a better explanation of the results, especially regarding some trace nutrients
- It took the longest of all labs to get results
The Soil Savvy soil test kit offers professional soil analysis and custom fertilizer recommendations. It comes with a scoop, a collection cup containing liquid and a plastic ball, a prepaid postage envelope, and complete instructions for collecting and submitting a soil sample.
As with the other soil samples we sent in the mail for professional testing, used the same soil gathered from various spots and then blended well. We spooned the soil into the cup, sealed it, and then went online and registered the barcode that came with the kit.
The lab took a little longer than we’d anticipated to get back to us, but in 11 days, we got an email directing us to log on for my results. We were impressed by the accuracy of the test results—they were right in line with the K-State results, and we also received customized recommendations for amending my soil to make it healthier. The Soil Savvy recommendations were broken down by synthetic and organic fertilizers—telling me exactly how much of each to apply per 1,000 square feet to amend the soil.
Soil Savvy could have provided a better explanation of the results, however. We understand what nutrient ratios are, but a newbie gardener might benefit from further explanation of what the numbers mean. The lab tested for the 14 most common nutrients plus pH level.
Get the Soil Savvy soil test kit at Amazon or Soil Savvy.
Best Bang For The Buck
Atree 3-in-1 Soil pH Meter Tester Kits
Photo: amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Accuracy 5/5; Value 5/5
Product Specs
- Type of test: Analog probe
- Tests for: Moisture, pH, light
- Result time: Immediate for moisture and pH, 10 minutes for light
What We Like
- Very simple to use and provides immediate or near-immediate results
- Doesn’t need batteries; ready to use right out of the box
- Low-effort option; no sample to send away and it’s possible to test on demand
What We Don’t Like
- Only measures moisture, pH, and light—doesn’t test for specific nutrients
Not all gardeners need or want a nutritional analysis of their soil. Some just want to know the pH level or how much light a plant would receive in a specific location. The Atree soil pH meter provides those answers accurately and at an affordable price.
We tested the Atree meter by inserting it in various spots in our flower garden. Over the years, we’ve added amendments, such as sulfur, to specific areas where acid-loving plants are growing, and we were curious whether this simple tester would pick up on that. It did—the soil around our hydrangeas, which we’ve amended heavily, tested at 6 on the pH scale, while the soil around our daisies registered at 6.8. Both seemed accurate based on our historical knowledge of our soil and the amendments we’ve made.
We then tested both moisture and light levels in various garden spots, and the Atree again seemed accurate. While this tester didn’t determine things like specific nutrient levels, we found that it would be great for gardeners who are happy with the health of their soil but would like to know if the light is adequate or whether the soil is draining well. The Atree did a good job measuring both.
Get the Atree soil test kit at Amazon.
Best Ph Strips
Garden Tutor Soil pH Test Strips Kit
Photo: amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Accuracy 5/5; Value 4/5
Product Specs
- Type of test: Strips
- Tests for: pH levels
- Result time: Within 20 seconds of testing
What We Like
- Quick and accurate pH test results, providing results in seconds
- Simple to use and read; just compare the test strip to the color chart on the bottle
- Includes 100 test strips for lots of testing at an affordable cost
What We Don’t Like
- Poor packaging likely led to short shelf life for the testing strips
Garden Tutor’s test strips offer quick results in determining indoor or outdoor soil’s acid/alkaline content. The kit contains 100 test strips and also includes a 16-page handbook that lists optimal pH levels for growing various plants.
We found the Garden Tutor soil pH test strips to accurately determine the pH levels in various parts of our flower garden. The simplest of all the kits we tested required mixing soil from a specific garden area with water and then dipping it in a pH test strip. In a few seconds, sensitive tabs on the test strip turned color, and we visually matched them to the color-coded chart on the outside of the bottle to determine the amount of acid or alkalinity of the soil.
We tested the soil in an area we knew had a lower pH, as we’ve added pH-lowering amendments for years. The Garden Tutor test strips determined that level to be 6.1, which sounded close and aligned with other pH tests we performed. We then tested the soil in a spot we knew was more alkaline and got a higher pH reading.
One thing we wish the manufacturer would have included, however, was a moisture-absorbent pack with the strips. We used about 20 strips in our initial tests, and all were fine. Three weeks later, however, the pH pads had all turned brownish, which we suspected was due to moist air getting into the bottle.
Get the Garden Tutor soil test kit at Amazon or Garden Tutor.
Best Chemical Test
Luster Leaf 1662 Soil Test Kit
Photo: amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4/5; Accuracy 5/5; Value 4/5
Product Specs
- Type of test: Chemical (at home)
- Tests for: pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium
- Result time: Varies by the test but all within a few minutes
What We Like
- Provided accurate results (similar to professional lab results) when testing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
- Looks intimidating but it’s relatively easy to use; includes detailed instructions
- No need to send off a sample and wait days for results; check nutrients from home
- All the components fit into a small kit that’s easy to store
What We Don’t Like
- Did not have enough solution to complete 40 tests (the advertised amount)
In addition to determining soil’s pH level, the Luster Leaf soil test kit pinpoints the amount of the three most common soil macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. There’s no need for the user to send a sample to a laboratory with this chemical test.
When we first opened the Luster Leaf test kit case, we were surprised by the number of vials and bottles of solutions. It didn’t look very easy. After reading the instructions, we found it was actually pretty simple. Testing involved gathering soil, putting a tiny bit in a glass vial, adding a specific liquid and/or powder (depending on the test), and shaking the vial. We were then able to compare the color of the liquid in the vial to an included chart to get the results.
To determine the accuracy of the Luster Leaf tests, we compared the results we got from the mail-in soil tests. The NPK results were close to the lab results. For an at-home test, we were pretty impressed. (The pH, on the other hand, tested lower than the lab tests, but the soil where we took the sample for this test had been previously amended to lower pH.)
The downside? The manufacturer says the kit will perform 40 tests. We found that to be inaccurate. We followed the instructions carefully and had only enough solution to do about 15 tests.
Get the Luster Leaf 1662 soil test kit at Amazon.
Best Digital Test
Luster Leaf 1605 Digital Soil Test Kit
Photo: amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4/5; Accuracy 5/5; Value 4/5