If Mom has ever been curious about her origin story, she’s probably had her eye on a 23andMe DNA kit. Sure, she knows she’s Lebanese and Thai, with a smattering of Irish thrown in, but maybe she wants to take things a few more generations back. Let this holiday season be the one where she finally unlocks her untold history. This year you can spoil her, or any of your ancestry-curious loved ones, with a truly meaningful gift — a 23andMe DNA testing kit. While these kits usually go for $229, it’s on sale for just $79 — a wild near-70% off.
Amazon
In a quick four to five weeks your giftee can learn all about their heritage — going back 150 to 200 years.
$79 at Amazon
Why is it a good deal? 
This offer is pretty amazing, pretty rare and, unlike your family lineage, pretty short-lived. If you missed Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this 23andMe kit is still marked down to the lowest it’s ever been, so go ahead and score one before the price rises again. It’ll make for a great holiday gift — and it’s sure to be an interesting adventure, no matter what your giftee discovers.
Why do I need this? 
There’s a lot to love about this deal. The kit includes the standard Ancestry Service, as well as more than 85 DNA-based online reports on your health predispositions, carrier status (a test that determines if you carry certain inherited conditions) as well as wellness and trait reports with just one test. After taking the test, your giftee will receive reports on how genes play into their well-being and lifestyle choices, how DNA influences their facial features, taste and smell, and where their DNA is from out of more than 2,000 regions in the world. Pretty wild, huh? All this from a quick cheek swab.
The kits were developed and designed by world-class scientists and medical experts, and they have a great reputation. As for the process itself, it’s totally painless: Just provide a saliva sample using the at-home kit and send it in. The results will be ready in about four or five weeks — and suddenly their personal history will be a whole lot more informed.
Don’t leave them guessing — help them uncover their roots (and save $81 while you’re at it). (Amazon)
What reviewers say 
Who knows what they could discover? More than 30,000 Amazon shoppers have been wowed by this kit.
Pros 
“I found my dad,” said a five-star reviewer. “I’m a sperm-donor baby. I followed the instructions, spat in the vial, and found my genetic father. Life is weird but good. Thanks 23andMe.” What??? We mean, “Awesome!”
“I was delighted to receive it, since I do not have much medical history from my biological father’s side,” shared this curious customer. “It also showed me a good part of my family tree I was not aware of. All in all, this is a great gift to give or get.”
“No royalty in my family tree — just sheep stealers,” lamented one shopper. “Better luck next life.”
A more satisfied shopper called the kit “An amazing eye-opener,” adding “I learned a lot about me and my ancestry. … Recommended to anyone.”
“I am aware that the product does not provide professional medical advice, but it is a nice screening tool. Not anywhere near the level of what you would expect from professional genetic counseling, especially in regard to the inherited genetic variants section,” said a repeat buyer, “but it’s really fun to find connections of relatives. I have given this to multiple family members for Christmas and birthday presents. I bought one for myself too. I like the ancestry portion and I’m having fun matching in creating my family tree.”
We’re not all going to find out we are descendants of royalty, but some of us will — like this noble shopper: “I didn’t know I shared maternal DNA with King Richard III of England. … You’re going to get more detailed, accurate and specific information.”
Cons 
Since it’s already such a detailed kit, shoppers are impressed with what’s already included, but some did point out that they “wish it would have had more in-depth medical explanations.”
Others went a bit further and explained that it would have been nice if the test “could narrow down regions a little bit more.” However, they admitted that they were more than pleased with with the 23andMe service was able to find.
Amazon
Confirm your family connections and maybe even find a few more with this kit.
$79 at Amazon
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
