Product Review – Pro-Lab MO109 Mold DIY Test Kit

What It’s For

If you call a professional to have an in-home mold test performed, it will set you back $300-$400. That’s a pretty steep price, and not one that a lot of folks are willing to pay, which is how and why the at-home test kit market came to be.

This kit, offered by Jensen, is one of several options homeowners have available if they want to take matters into their own hands and test their home for mold and other pollutants (this test also checks for pollen and dust mites).

Pros

It’s simple to use, and well-priced, but the initial price is a little misleading. It normally retails for $12.99, and at the time this review was written, could be had for $9.21, but that doesn’t count the $40 laboratory fee you have to pay to have your sample analyzed.

Cons

In addition to a bit of a hidden fee (the laboratory analysis fee), this is not something you can get instant results from. Once you’ve taken your sample, you still have to ship it off and wait to get the results. If you’re dealing with a time sensitive matter, that’s not a terribly efficient approach. On the other hand, this is somewhat mitigated by the fact that you are having the sample analyzed by professionals, so you can be more certain of the results.

Summary

There’s no denying that this is a good test, but the most common complaint that users have of this product is that they feel somewhat cheated, having spent money for the test itself, then are asked to pay an additional fee for analysis. The company doesn’t try to hide the fact that this is indeed the case, but it seems like a significant percentage of users wind up with a bit of buyer’s remorse after their purchase, feeling saddled with an additional fee that’s more than the test kit itself.

We rate this product 3 stars out of a possible five. While it’s true that there is some value to professionally analyzed test results, and that level of analysis can give users greater peace of mind, there are other options available that provide comparable results in a fraction of the time, and for the same or less total money spent. If you absolutely need professional analysis, this product is recommended, but in practice, most users won’t.