diff --git a/src/__tests__/helpers.js b/src/__tests__/helpers.js
index 1bc858374..630e9a57d 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/helpers.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/helpers.js
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ import {
   getWindowFromNode,
   checkContainerType,
   runWithRealTimers,
+  isInstanceOfElement,
 } from '../helpers'
+import {render} from './helpers/test-utils'
 
 const globalObj = typeof window === 'undefined' ? global : window
 
@@ -53,6 +55,90 @@ describe('query container validation throws when validation fails', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('check element type per isInstanceOfElement', () => {
+  let defaultViewDescriptor, spanDescriptor
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    defaultViewDescriptor = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(
+      Object.getPrototypeOf(global.document),
+      'defaultView',
+    )
+    spanDescriptor = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(
+      global.window,
+      'HTMLSpanElement',
+    )
+  })
+  afterEach(() => {
+    Object.defineProperty(
+      Object.getPrototypeOf(global.document),
+      'defaultView',
+      defaultViewDescriptor,
+    )
+    Object.defineProperty(global.window, 'HTMLSpanElement', spanDescriptor)
+  })
+
+  test('check in regular jest environment', () => {
+    const {container} = render(`<span></span>`)
+
+    expect(container.firstChild.ownerDocument.defaultView).toEqual(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        HTMLSpanElement: expect.any(Function),
+      }),
+    )
+
+    expect(isInstanceOfElement(container.firstChild, 'HTMLSpanElement')).toBe(
+      true,
+    )
+    expect(isInstanceOfElement(container.firstChild, 'HTMLDivElement')).toBe(
+      false,
+    )
+  })
+
+  test('check in detached document', () => {
+    const {container} = render(`<span></span>`)
+
+    Object.defineProperty(
+      Object.getPrototypeOf(container.ownerDocument),
+      'defaultView',
+      {value: null},
+    )
+
+    expect(container.firstChild.ownerDocument.defaultView).toBe(null)
+
+    expect(isInstanceOfElement(container.firstChild, 'HTMLSpanElement')).toBe(
+      true,
+    )
+    expect(isInstanceOfElement(container.firstChild, 'HTMLDivElement')).toBe(
+      false,
+    )
+  })
+
+  test('check in environment not providing constructors on window', () => {
+    const {container} = render(`<span></span>`)
+
+    delete global.window.HTMLSpanElement
+
+    expect(container.firstChild.ownerDocument.defaultView.HTMLSpanElement).toBe(
+      undefined,
+    )
+
+    expect(isInstanceOfElement(container.firstChild, 'HTMLSpanElement')).toBe(
+      true,
+    )
+    expect(isInstanceOfElement(container.firstChild, 'HTMLDivElement')).toBe(
+      false,
+    )
+  })
+
+  test('throw error if element is not created by HTML*Element constructor', () => {
+    const doc = new Document()
+
+    // constructor is global.Element
+    const element = doc.createElement('span')
+
+    expect(() => isInstanceOfElement(element, 'HTMLSpanElement')).toThrow()
+  })
+})
+
 test('should always use realTimers before using callback when timers are faked with useFakeTimers', () => {
   const originalSetTimeout = globalObj.setTimeout
 
diff --git a/src/helpers.js b/src/helpers.js
index f686d46ba..8245fd819 100644
--- a/src/helpers.js
+++ b/src/helpers.js
@@ -100,6 +100,36 @@ function getWindowFromNode(node) {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Check if an element is of a given type.
+ *
+ * @param Element The element to test
+ * @param string Constructor name. E.g. 'HTMLSelectElement'
+ */
+function isInstanceOfElement(element, elementType) {
+  try {
+    const window = getWindowFromNode(element)
+    // Window usually has the element constructors as properties but is not required to do so per specs
+    if (typeof window[elementType] === 'function') {
+      return element instanceof window[elementType]
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    // The document might not be associated with a window
+  }
+
+  // Fall back to the constructor name as workaround for test environments that
+  // a) not associate the document with a window
+  // b) not provide the constructor as property of window
+  if (/^HTML(\w+)Element$/.test(element.constructor.name)) {
+    return element.constructor.name === elementType
+  }
+
+  // The user passed some node that is not created in a browser-like environment
+  throw new Error(
+    `Unable to verify if element is instance of ${elementType}. Please file an issue describing your test environment: https://github.com/testing-library/dom-testing-library/issues/new`,
+  )
+}
+
 function checkContainerType(container) {
   if (
     !container ||
@@ -131,4 +161,5 @@ export {
   checkContainerType,
   jestFakeTimersAreEnabled,
   TEXT_NODE,
+  isInstanceOfElement,
 }