The ability to detect a DNA or RNA sequence of interest has long been an enormously powerful tool for research, detection of infectious agents and diagnosis of patients. Methods to test for these sequences of interest are reliable and sensitive, but are traditionally limited to sophisticated laboratories with trained personnel, expensive equipment, and long processing times to get results from a sample. Recent years have seen a desire to expand this testing paradigm, with the COVID-19 pandemic in particular demanding a greater variety and number of testing approaches. Isothermal amplification methods like LAMP present an attractive alternative with a level of speed and simplicity that can enable sensitive on-demand tests at the point of care or even at home. These techniques and the tests that use them are providing broader access to reliable testing, and democratizing diagnostics for improving public health worldwide.