When we need to pass a urine drug test, our go-to method is substitution. This method replaces your own urine sample with a small amount of clean urine, ensuring a passing result. There are plenty of synthetic urine options available on the market, but not all urine replacements are created equal. Here, we’ll compare the Powdered Urine Kit from TestClear with one of the most well-known synthetic urine products out there, Xstream Synthetic Urine.
To compare the two products, we’ll discuss the science behind synthetic urine, the components of each kit, key differences between the two kits, and which of the two is ultimately the more reliable choice. You can also read our detailed review of the Powdered Synthetic Urine kit from TestClear for more details about how to use a powdered urine product safely and effectively.
A Note On Drug Testing
First, we need to note something about the drug testing industry and its relationship with cleansing companies. The two fields are locked in a sort of arms race with one another: as drug test cleansing companies create products that can fool the tests, more advanced tests are created. This spurs the creation of more advanced cleansing and substitution products, and so on in a self-sustaining cycle of enhanced precision and more detailed formulas.
In some ways, this is a good thing — all that competition between the two industries spurs advancements in both of them. Furthermore, research into the development of new products enhances our understanding of the science of drug testing, improving our access to empirical information on the subject. However, it puts consumers in a bit of a bind, making it so that the product that worked last year might not work next week. When choosing a cleansing or substitution product, it’s crucial to make your decision based on the most current information available.
Synthetic Urine Ingredients
In order to fully assess the efficacy of each urine substitution product, we need to talk a little bit about how synthetic urine works. As the name suggests, synthetic urine is made up of the key compounds in human urine, mimicking the stuff your kidneys excrete to produce a passing drug test result. Compounds like creatinine, uric acid, amino acids, and urea are necessary for the sample to be read as human urine, and B vitamins are often used to enhance its color.
However, like so many other things, it’s not quite that simple: because of that arms race we talked about earlier, drug tests are increasingly able to detect ingredients like preservatives or additives that indicate the sample is not of human origin. Premixed synthetic urines (like Xstream) are more likely to contain these ingredients than their powdered counterparts.
Xstream has been historically a bit slow to add new compounds to keep up with drug testing companies, and customer reviews reflect that lag. Many people report failing a drug test when using Xstream — the odds are only slightly better than flipping a coin. For us, something as important as a career shouldn’t be left up to that kind of chance when there are better options available.
Side by Side: TestClear vs. Xstream Synthetic Urine
Ultimately, we like TestClear’s kit over the Xstream urine for a number of reasons. For starters, the hard plastic vial is more user-friendly than the bag the Xstream comes in; it may not lay flat against the body like the bag, but we found warming, handling, and pouring the sample much easier with the vial.
Secondly, we feel more confident using a product we mixed ourselves an hour or so before our test than a product like Xstream, which comes premixed and has potentially been sitting on a shelf for a year or more. As drug tests continue to advance, we’re less willing to take a chance on a product that’s premixed — most of the current substitution products that work consistently are powdered urine products.
Finally, we prefer the TestClear kit because it is formulated according to the most current science available, helping keep you ahead of the drug testing technology curve. While this is less of a concern if you’re testing in a small town or at a local lab that may not have yet implemented the most advanced testing technology, it’s definitely something to be concerned with if you’re testing for a major company or a job with a lot of responsibility.
TestClear’s kit is easy to use, reliable, and affordable — maybe not as cheap as an Xstream kit on Amazon Prime, but reasonable and certainly cheaper than losing a job! We also like that TestClear stands behind their products with both a guarantee of efficacy and outstanding customer support. They are available to answer questions and help you find the right product for your needs, then ensure that you receive it when you need to.
Takeaway
With something as high-stakes as a job (or even the outcome of a legal case), we prefer not to take any unnecessary chances. We’re glad for the people for whom Xstream has worked in the past, but that doesn’t mean we’re willing to take the chance ourselves, or encourage our readers to gamble with their careers. We trust TestClear, and their powdered synthetic urine kit is one of the best substitution products available on the market today (read our review or just buy it).