I had my hormones checked at CES 2026 — and it turns out I'm doing great

I never expected to get my hormone levels checked at CES 2026, let alone with my iPhone, but then this huge tech show is full of surprises.

Eli's Hormometer is an innovative kit and app system for checking hormone levels at home. While not intended as a clinical or lab test for health, the Hormometer and app (introduced last year, but finally available now) can give you enough information about your testosterone, progesterone, or cortisol levels to make some lifestyle choices.

The device was simple enough that I was able to conduct my own test at CES. There's a stick ($8.99 a piece) and a free app (you do have to register), and that's it. Each stick can read hormone levels (only progesterone and cortisol for now, testosterone is coming, according to company reps, in February).

To run my test, I opened the pack and pulled out the stick, which, with its white and pinkish coloring, looked a bit like a pregnancy test.

Perhaps the hardest part of the process comes next: you have to put one end of the stick in your mouth and keep it there for 60 seconds to ensure the Hormometer gets enough saliva. I suddenly felt dry-mouthed and worried I couldn't generate enough spit for the test.

Nothing happens after you remove the stick. Instead, I had to leave it for 20 minutes while I guess the stick did its best to absorb my saliva and pass it through the stem to complete the necessary chemical reaction. There are no components, chips or power in the stick. It works, in some ways, like a COVID test kit. You just have to wait for the test to finish.

Winning on some hormonal level

At the end of 20 minutes, I picked up the stick and pushed it closed until a dot appeared on the other side of the test housing, and a pair of lines representing my results appeared in the stick's pill-shaped window.

To analyze my test, we used the iPhone app, which helpfully guides you through the setup, test, and results procedure. I positioned my phone over the stick and lined up an on-screen guide with the stick's test result window.

A few moments later, I had my news. My cortisol levels were perfect (or within range for my age, which I interpret as "perfect"). That's good news because cortisol is the hormone that manages things like stress, metabolism, blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation.

I asked the company reps what you might do if the results show your cortisol levels are low or high. They were careful not to imply that this might lead to a doctor's visit. Instead, they explained that high or low results might indicate that you want to, for instance, change when you work out or even adjust bedtimes and sleep habits.

I wanted to know my testosterone levels, but that part of the test isn't ready yet.

For women, they'd get progesterone levels, details about which could help them figure out what's going on with their menstrual cycles.

Part of a trend

Even though there's no cost for the app or results, each test stick will run you almost $9. With that in mind, I was curious about how often I might want to run such a test. You might test for cortisol and testertone one a week. Or even daily if you're trying to get a handle on cortisol levels. For women's hormones, they might test right before, during, or after their menstrual cycles.

Test results can be accessed in the app and even downloaded as a shareable PDF.

Eli's Hormometer is part of a larger trend of bringing traditional lab tests and health and medical devices home and putting tests and some treatments (see Apple's over-the-counter AirPods Pro hearing aid mode) in the hands of consumers.

I'm not sure, though, if people will be willing to spend almost $10 every time they want to run an iPhone-based hormone test. At least Eli is offering bundles that give you eight tests for $99.

As for me, I'm gonna take my strong cortisol results and celebrate.