Eli Health Horometer Cortisol Test Review: Feeling Stressed? Find Out If You Really Are

Everyone feels stressed at one point or another, but how do you know if it’s a chronic health issue or just a one-time problem? You can ask your doctor to test you, but it will involve a blood draw, be expensive, and the results will be for just that one point in time. What if you could test in the comfort of your own home without needles and have a result in as little as 20 minutes? That’s what the Eli Health Horometer Cortisol Test Kit claims to offer. They sent me a kit, and I tried it. Let’s see what I thought.

What Is It?

The Eli Health Horometer Cortisol Test Kit is a set of saliva collectors (yay, no needles!) that you use in the morning and evening to show your cortisol levels. What is cortisol? Otherwise known as the “fight or flight” hormone, it is the primary stress hormone in your body that is produced by the adrenal glands. Its job is to regulate vital functions like metabolism, blood sugar, inflammation, and your sleep-wake cycle.

High vs. Low Cortisol

Short-term cortisol spikes are normal for most people, but long-term spikes and dips can be harmful to your body.

High Cortisol (e.g., Cushing’s Syndrome): Prolonged elevation can cause symptoms such as high blood pressure, difficult-to-control weight gain (especially around the face, neck, and abdomen), and muscle weakness.

Low Cortisol (e.g., Adrenal Insufficiency): A deficiency can lead to severe fatigue, unexplained weight loss, nausea, and low blood sugar.

A year ago, I reviewed UltraHuman’s Blood Vision, which included a BUNCH of bloodwork (12 vials or so!). I had to drive to a different town for the test, and on the way there it was raining so hard that I couldn’t see to drive on the interstate. I was also late for the appointment due to the weather. The blood panel includes a cortisol test, and it was off the charts for that day (it was 26 ng/mL).

Ever since that reading, I wondered if it was just the stress of the day that caused the level to be so high, or if I had a chronic problem. I never told my primary care doctor about it and forgot about it until this opportunity came up to test it again.

What’s Included?

Each individual Horometer Cortisol Test Kit includes 4 swabs. A 3-month supply includes 24 swabs, and a 6-month supply includes 48 swabs

How Do You Test?

In addition to the saliva collection swabs that are included in the Eli Health Horometer Cortisol Test Kit, you also need to install the Eli app on your phone, as it will use your phone’s camera to read the test results. Note that this test kit will only work with an iPhone (iOS 15+). An Android version is coming soon.

The app will guide you through each step of the testing process.

Testing is simple. Within 30 minutes of waking, you’ll perform your AM Horometer Cortisol Test (you’ll do another test the same day but in the PM). You are instructed not to drink anything other than water, take meds, eat food, smoke, or brush your teeth at least 30 minutes before you will be testing. You’re prompted to put the end of the swab in your mouth to collect saliva for 60 seconds.

Then you pull the circular end of the swab until you see a grey dot. The collection end will then be inside the swab handle. See that “window” in the handle; you’ll be looking for two stripes. One is the control stripe (I think), and the other stripe will be light or dark depending on your cortisol level.

Can you see that very faint line where I’ve placed the red arrow? That’s the test line. When the 20 minutes are up, you are then prompted to take a picture of the test window using the Eli app.

It might sound super easy to line up the oval in the app over the window on the Horometer Cortisol Test swab handle, but it’s not; it’s a real pain in the you-know-what. 😉 Or maybe I just have really unsteady hands. Either way, it’s a little annoying. You’ll also need to have adequate lighting and a phone with a decent camera because the picture that the app takes is how it determines your cortisol level. To me, this makes the accuracy of the test results a little questionable in my opinion. Of course, I’m a doctor and don’t play one on the Internet. 🙂

Here are four of my completed Horometer Cortisol Tests. The app will remind you when to do each test.

You might be wondering why you have to take a Horometer Cortisol Test in the morning right after waking and then again on the same day in the evening. That’s because the hormone cortisol follows a diurnal rhythm. It peaks in the morning and drops in the evening. Most people have higher levels in the AM and lower levels in the PM. What did I have?

Results

After each individual Horometer Cortisol Test, the Eli app will show your results. My tests were all in range, but really low. I guess I’m just normally really chill 😉 Much chiller than that test last year when my cortisol level was 26 ng/mL!

The app also gives you actionable steps to improve levels, such as exercise.

Eli Health also offers test kits for other hormones, such as Progesterone and Testosterone.

Final Thoughts

I think the Eli Health Horometer Cortisol Test Kit sits in the middle ground between clinical testing in an actual lab and curiosity-driven self-tracking. I really like that there are no needles, no lab visits, and that results are available in about 20 minutes. The AM/PM test is also good since cortisol levels aren’t a static number, and seeing that daily pattern gives you more context than a single blood draw ever could.

However, I do have some reservations. Relying on a smartphone camera for results makes me question how precise the readings are compared to traditional blood work at a lab. It’s also important to know that this isn’t really a one-and-done test. You’re committing to a multi-month supply of kits (3-month or 6-month). For me, that raises the question of how often most people really need to track their cortisol levels unless they’re working with their doctor or actively investigating a specific issue.

I think the Eli Health Horometer tests are useful for spotting trends or satisfying curiosity, but not something I’d rely on for medical decisions without follow-up testing through my primary doctor. If you’re trying to monitor stress patterns over time, it might be helpful, but for casual use, the subscription model may be more than most people need.

The Eli Health Horometer Cortisol Test starts at $199.00 for a 3-month kit (24 tests); it is available directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample.

What I Like: Painless, no needles or blood; Easy to do; Results within 20 minutes; AM and PM results

What Needs Improvement: I’m not sure how accurate the test is compared to a blood test; Taking pictures of the test window can be finicky; My pack included one defective test; Only available for people with iPhone 15 and up