Low testosterone · Telehealth for men · Canada & USA
Testosterone calculator: convert ng/dL to nmol/L and calculate free T
To convert total testosterone, multiply nmol/L by 28.84 to get ng/dL, or divide ng/dL by 28.84 to get nmol/L. For free testosterone, 1 pg/mL equals 3.467 pmol/L. So the American Urological Association’s 300 ng/dL low-T cut-off is about 10.4 nmol/L on a Canadian report. Use the converter below, or enter total T, SHBG and albumin to calculate free and bioavailable T with the Vermeulen equation. We help men in Canada and the USA read these numbers by telehealth and turn them into a written plan.
Part of our low testosterone and andropause guide for men in Canada and the USA.
Testosterone unit converter: nmol/L and ng/dL
Type in either box and the other updates as you type. Canadian labs report total testosterone in nmol/L and free testosterone in pmol/L; US labs use ng/dL and pg/mL. The plain-words check below shows where a total T sits against the guideline cut-offs and the ranges two large Canadian labs print.
15.0 nmol/L = 433 ng/dL
- Inside the Endocrine Society harmonized range (9.2 to 31.8 nmol/L, 264 to 916 ng/dL)
- At or above the American Urological Association low-T cut-off (300 ng/dL, about 10.4 nmol/L)
- At or above the Canadian Urological Association threshold (10 nmol/L)
- Inside both typical Canadian lab ranges (Alberta Precision Labs 8.0 to 35.0, LifeLabs 8.4 to 28.8 nmol/L)
300 pmol/L = 86.5 pg/mL
- At or above the 220 pmol/L (64 pg/mL) free T cut-off used by the European Male Ageing Study
- Inside the LifeLabs calculated free T range for men (115 to 577 pmol/L)
Free testosterone calculator (Vermeulen equation)
Enter total testosterone, SHBG and albumin from the same blood draw. If your report has no albumin, keep 43 g/L, the default in the worked example published with the ISSAM free testosterone calculator. US reports often show albumin in g/dL: 4.3 g/dL is 43 g/L, and the calculator reads any value under 10 as g/dL.
- Percent free
- 2.17
- Bioavailable T
- 7.6 nmol/L (220 ng/dL)
- Total T used
- 15.0 nmol/L (433 ng/dL)
- At or above the 220 pmol/L (64 pg/mL) free T cut-off used by the European Male Ageing Study
- Inside the LifeLabs calculated free T range for men (115 to 577 pmol/L)
Normal testosterone levels: Canada in nmol/L, the USA in ng/dL
There is no single normal number, so it helps to know the reference points behind the plain-words check. The Endocrine Society’s 2018 guideline gives a harmonized range of 264 to 916 ng/dL (9.2 to 31.8 nmol/L) for healthy, non-obese men aged 19 to 39 on CDC-certified assays. The American Urological Association (2018) uses a total T below 300 ng/dL on two early-morning tests, with symptoms. The Canadian Urological Association (2021) treats below 10 nmol/L as a reasonable threshold, and the European Male Ageing Study (2010) used below 11 nmol/L with a free T below 220 pmol/L and at least three sexual symptoms. Canadian labs print their own adult ranges: Alberta Precision Laboratories lists 8.0 to 35.0 nmol/L for men 18 and over, and the LifeLabs reference lab in British Columbia lists 8.4 to 28.8 nmol/L for men over 18. Always read the range printed on your own report first. Ranges in brackets below are our conversions.
| Reference point | nmol/L | ng/dL |
|---|---|---|
| Endocrine Society harmonized range, healthy non-obese men 19 to 39 | 9.2 to 31.8 | 264 to 916 |
| American Urological Association low-T cut-off | (10.4) | 300 |
| Canadian Urological Association threshold | 10 | (288) |
| European Male Ageing Study cut-off, with low free T and symptoms | 11 | 320 |
| Alberta Precision Laboratories, men 18 and over | 8.0 to 35.0 | (231 to 1,009) |
| LifeLabs reference lab (BC), men over 18 | 8.4 to 28.8 | (242 to 831) |
| Reference point | pmol/L | pg/mL |
|---|---|---|
| European Male Ageing Study cut-off | 220 | 64 |
| LifeLabs calculated free T, men (BC) | 115 to 577 | (33 to 166) |
Why Canada reports nmol/L and the USA ng/dL
It comes down to the measuring system each country’s labs adopted. Canada moved health care lab reporting to SI units, the modern metric system that counts molecules in moles per litre, in the early 1980s; a 1986 JAMA report by McQueen describes seven provinces, including Ontario and Alberta, converting in 1983. The United States never made that switch nationwide. In a 1987 Annals of Internal Medicine editorial, Edward Huth wrote that most of the US medical community had stood by while the rest of the medical world, including neighbouring Canada, moved to SI units, and in 2013 the FDA still described conventional units as the ones most US care teams are trained in. So a US report gives testosterone as mass per volume (nanograms per decilitre) and a Canadian report as amount per volume (nanomoles per litre). The hormone is the same: testosterone weighs 288.4 grams per mole (PubChem), which is where the 28.84 factor comes from. Free T follows the same logic one size smaller, pmol/L in Canada and pg/mL in the USA. If you have moved between countries, or use a US online lab while living in Canada, put every result in one unit before you compare.
Want the deeper story on which number matters? Read free vs total testosterone.
How the free testosterone calculation works
Most free T results are calculated, not measured. Vermeulen, Verdonck and Kaufman (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1999) found free T calculated from total T and SHBG was almost identical to equilibrium dialysis, the reference method, in every condition they studied except pregnancy. The Endocrine Society accepts a formula that reflects dialysis and says direct analog free T tests are inaccurate. The equation splits testosterone into three pools: held tightly by SHBG (binding constant 1,000,000,000 L/mol), held loosely by albumin (36,000 L/mol, with albumin weighing 69,000 g/mol) and free. It solves the balance between them as a quadratic. Bioavailable T is the free part plus the albumin-bound part. In the worked example published with the ISSAM calculator, total T 10 nmol/L (288 ng/dL), SHBG 40 nmol/L and albumin 4.3 g/dL give a free T of about 174 pmol/L (50 pg/mL), 1.74 percent of the total, and a bioavailable T of 118 ng/dL. Our calculator returns the same numbers. A calculation is only as good as its inputs, and de Ronde and colleagues (Clinical Chemistry, 2006) found that different published formulas give different results, so compare yours with the range from the lab and method that produced it.
Not sure which tests to ask for? See low testosterone labs to ask for, and for the right time to test, when to get checked for low T.
What Odin does with your numbers
Odin Health Labs is telehealth for men in Canada and the USA with andropause and low testosterone symptoms. On a free call we go through your symptoms, sleep, weight, training and medications alongside the labs you already have. We put results from Canadian and US labs into one unit so the trend is clear, check whether free T was calculated, measured by dialysis or run on a direct analog test, and look at what might be moving your SHBG. Then we build a written plan for nutrition, training, sleep and stress, with follow-up check-ins and repeat labs from the same method so you can see real change. Our health coaching keeps the plan on track, functional health looks at the whole picture, and our supplements page shows where they fit. If you are weighing treatment costs, see TRT cost in Canada vs the USA.
Sources
- Vermeulen A, Verdonck L, Kaufman JM. A critical evaluation of simple methods for the estimation of free testosterone in serum. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999;84(10):3666–3672. doi.org/10.1210/jcem.84.10.6079
- ISSAM (International Society for the Study of the Aging Male). Free testosterone calculator: worked example. issam.ch/freetesuit.html
- de Ronde W, van der Schouw YT, Pols HAP, et al. Calculation of bioavailable and free testosterone in men: a comparison of 5 published algorithms. Clin Chem 2006;52(9):1777–1784. doi.org/10.1373/clinchem.2005.063354
- Bhasin S, Brito JP, Cunningham GR, et al. Testosterone Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2018;103(5):1715–1744. doi.org/10.1210/jc.2018-00229
- Mulhall JP, Trost LW, Brannigan RE, et al. Evaluation and Management of Testosterone Deficiency: AUA Guideline (2018). American Urological Association. auanet.org testosterone deficiency guideline
- Grober ED, Krakowsky Y, Khera M, et al. Canadian Urological Association guideline on testosterone deficiency in men: Evidence-based Q&A. Can Urol Assoc J 2021;15(5):E234–E243. doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.7252
- Wu FC, Tajar A, Beynon JM, et al. Identification of late-onset hypogonadism in middle-aged and elderly men. N Engl J Med 2010;363(2):123–135. doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0911101
- Alberta Precision Laboratories. Lab Services test directory: Testosterone, Total (reference interval, men 18 and over). albertahealthservices.ca
- LifeLabs Burnaby Reference Laboratory. Reference Intervals (March 15, 2024): testosterone and calculated free testosterone. lifelabs reference intervals (PDF)
- National Library of Medicine. PubChem compound summary: testosterone (CID 6013), molecular weight 288.4 g/mol. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- McQueen MJ. Conversion to SI units: the Canadian experience. JAMA 1986;256(21):3001–3002. doi.org/10.1001/jama.256.21.3001
- Huth EJ. The American shift to medical SI units. Ann Intern Med 1987;106(1):149–150. doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-106-1-149
- US Food and Drug Administration (CDER and CBER). Position on use of SI units for lab tests (October 25, 2013). fda.gov (PDF)
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert testosterone from ng/dL to nmol/L?
Divide ng/dL by 28.84. To go the other way, multiply nmol/L by 28.84. The factor comes from the molecular weight of testosterone, 288.4 grams per mole (PubChem). For example, 300 ng/dL is about 10.4 nmol/L, 500 ng/dL is about 17.3 nmol/L, and 15 nmol/L is about 433 ng/dL. For free testosterone, multiply pg/mL by 3.467 to get pmol/L, so 64 pg/mL is about 222 pmol/L, which the Endocrine Society rounds to 220.
What is a normal testosterone level in nmol/L in Canada?
Each lab sets its own range. Alberta Precision Laboratories lists 8.0 to 35.0 nmol/L for men 18 and over, and the LifeLabs reference laboratory in British Columbia lists 8.4 to 28.8 nmol/L for men over 18. The Endocrine Society harmonized range for healthy, non-obese men aged 19 to 39 is 9.2 to 31.8 nmol/L (264 to 916 ng/dL), and the Canadian Urological Association treats a total T below 10 nmol/L as a reasonable threshold for low T, alongside symptoms. Compare your result with the range printed on your own report first.
How is free testosterone calculated?
Most labs calculate it from total testosterone, SHBG and albumin with the Vermeulen equation (1999), which matched equilibrium dialysis closely in the original study. The equation uses fixed binding strengths for SHBG and albumin and solves for the unbound part. In the worked example published with the ISSAM calculator, total T 10 nmol/L, SHBG 40 nmol/L and albumin 4.3 g/dL give a free T of about 174 pmol/L, 1.74 percent of the total. Albumin of 4.3 g/dL (43 g/L) is the default when no albumin result is available.
What is a normal free testosterone level in pmol/L?
There is no single harmonized range: the Endocrine Society notes that labs set their own limits and results depend on the method. The European Male Ageing Study (New England Journal of Medicine, 2010) used a free T below 220 pmol/L (64 pg/mL), with total T below 11 nmol/L and at least three sexual symptoms, to define late-onset hypogonadism. The LifeLabs reference laboratory in British Columbia lists a calculated free T range of 115 to 577 pmol/L for men. Check the unit and the method on your report before you compare.
Why do Canadian and US labs use different testosterone units?
Canada moved health care lab reporting to SI units, which count molecules in moles per litre, in the early 1980s, so total testosterone is reported in nmol/L and free T in pmol/L. The United States kept conventional mass units, so its reports show ng/dL and pg/mL. It is the same hormone measured with a different ruler: 1 nmol/L equals 28.84 ng/dL. We line up results from both countries in one unit when we review your labs with you.
How does Odin Health Labs work with my doctor?
Odin Health Labs is a telehealth service for men in Canada and the USA with low testosterone (andropause) symptoms. We work alongside your own doctor: we go through your symptoms and lab results with you, put results from Canadian and US labs into one unit, check how your free T was measured or calculated, help you prepare questions for your next appointment, build your nutrition, training, sleep and stress plan, and track your progress with follow-up check-ins and repeat labs. We can share your plan and results with your doctor if you choose. See our low testosterone overview and our Privacy Policy.
Want your numbers read in one unit, with a plan?
A free call is the first step: we go through your symptoms and results, line up your labs from either country and set up nutrition, training, sleep and stress steps with you.