Fertility trackers and monitors, which one is best?
Let me start by saying wow, so many things have changed in the fertility industry since I first started this blog. While recently trying to conceive my 4th child I had so many options for fertility trackers, far more than were available nearly 9 years ago.
I wanted to go over some of the fertility trackers I've personally used that were specifically for tracking fertility, and others that aren't made for tracking fertility, but work just as well - sometimes even better. It's tough to find good reviews for fertility trackers or monitors, what works well for one might not work well for another. Hopefully, all my research and personal experience will help you decide which item may be best for you.
I have done extensive research into all of the devices I have personally used. I don't mean reading through reviews; I mean looking at actual scientific studies, clinical trials, and factual data, provided they have information available.
Some of the items I've listed haven't been scientifically studied for fertility monitoring, but they data they collect mirrors the data that some of the other studied devices collect. Therefore, all of it is scientifically verifiable, unless otherwise stated.
These experiences and opinions are all my own. I have not been provided any of these products, all were purchased with my own money. I may provide affiliate links in my posts, but these do not influence my opinion on these items. If my experience with a particular item didn't meet my expectations I am going to let you know about it.
Here's a list of devices I have used to track my fertility in the recent past (starting in 2017 through the present 2020):
Devices made for tracking fertility
From the Ovacue site:
"The OvaCue Fertility Monitor consists of a hand-held fertility monitor with a color screen, and TWO sensors – a saliva sensor, and a cervical mucus sensor – the ideal combination for pinpointing your most fertile days in your cycle and for confirming when ovulation occurred. Take the guesswork out of your fertility by seamlessly reading and tracking your body’s biology clues with the OvaCue Fertility Monitor and companion website, OvaGraph. Women who know when they are fertile have a higher chance of getting pregnant during that cycle. Don’t let another month pass you by!"
This fertility monitor is really wonderful. It's a bit more involved than just peeing on an ovulation stick, but is so much more accurate and is the only fertility monitor that can actually confirm ovulation has happened by detecting the rise in Progesterone. There is really no other fertility monitor that can do this. Wearables that take your BBT can only confirm a temp rise or a biphasic pattern, this doesn't always mean ovulation has happened. If you are new to fertility tracking and unfamiliar with other fertile signs to be looking for, using just BBT probably isn't the best way to track your fertility.
The Ovacue has two sensors, an oral sensor and a vaginal sensor. You don't need both to use it and track your cycles with it, but it does become more accurate with both sensors.
I used the Ovacue with just the oral sensor, and with the vaginal sensor in the past. The oral sensor picks up electrolytes in your saliva; there is a ton of science on the changes in electrolytes secreted in salvia throughout the female menstrual cycle. When Estrogen peaks during the ovulatory phase certain electrolytes drop which signals ovulation is about to happen. The Ovacue will detect this drop with the oral sensor and give you a "cue peak". You can expect to ovulate about 5 days later. For me the oral sensor functioned perfectly by predicting my ovulation day within a 1-2 error window. I know 1-2 day error window can sound not exactly perfect, but in terms of a 5-6 days window, being off by one day truly is not going to make a difference. Especially considering that the best time for intercourse to achieve pregnancy is about 2 days prior to ovulation. Since your cue peak will be determined about 2-3 days after it happens is results in perfect timing to try and achieve pregnancy by doing the baby dance that day.
The vaginal sensor is a bit more complicated to use, but if you've been trying for a while, or really don't want to waste time TTC it's certainly worth the tiny learning curve since it so accurately determines ovulation. It's not hard to use at all, and takes less than a minute to take a reading. The only thing to get used to is taking a reading within the same two hour window each day that you need to test.
Overall, the Ovacue became one of my main fertility monitors. The oral sensor was just so easy to use, and so accurate that it became one of my main "just for backup" confirmation pieces. There is an app to log all your data, as well as a full website that you can add other data such as fertility signs, moods, medications, BBT and more. It will chart all the info and temps giving color coded phases of your cycles based on your Ovacue data and BBT data, if you choose to add it.
Do I recommend it?
I purchased my Ovacue from Fairhaven Health, it came with free 2-day shipping so I was able to start using it the cycle I received it. They also sell BFP pregnancy test strips which are inexpensive so you can tests early without feeling guilty for money spent on regular pregnancy test, if you're an early tester like me buying big brand tests can really add up quickly.
You can see my more in-depth review for the Ovacue here [placeholder, link will ba available as soon as my full review is done, be sure to check back].
Ovulation tests tips are affordable and easy to use. All that is required is a sample cup to catch urine in and the ovulation tests strip. These are a good option if you have irregular cycles because they are very affordable, and are sold in large packs. This means that you can test multiple times a day for many days in a cycle if you need to without breaking the bank. There are a few cheap brand options, most all work the same and have the same sensitivity level, which for this type of test is pretty sensitive. Due to this increased sensitivity it's not unusual to get multiple days of positive tests, and this can be confusing for some people.
These tests unlike pregnancy test are only considered positive if the test line is as dark as, or darker than the control line. Overall these test get the job done for a very cheap option to tracking ovulation.
Do I recommend them?
Yes, but only for people without PCOS. Women with PCOS tend to have a higher baseline of Lh in their systems, and that's what these test are testing for. Due to the higher sensitivity of them its very likely that someone with PCOS will almost always test positive or close to it with them. If you have PCOS it's better to use something with a higher cutoff level, such as Clearblue ovulation tests.
Brands and where to buy:
Wondofo (shown to the left, and below) sensitive to 10miu Lh can be purchased on Walmart.com with free 2-day shipping, there are multiple pack sizes available
Pregmate Claim a sensitive of 25miu but seem to be much more sensitive like the Wondfo, they can be purchased at Walmart with free shipping.
BFP Ovulation strips have a sensitivity of 25miu and are designed specifically for trying-to-conceive women. They’re easy to use, highly accurate, and cost a fraction of what drugstore brands charge, they can be purchased at Fairhaven Health.
As I'm sure most know Fitbit is a fitness tracker, not a marketed fertility tracker, but one of the things that have come to light recently with fitness trackers that monitor heat rate is that they usually pickup an increased heart rate during the very early weeks of pregnancy. There are a plethora of online posts from women who are habitual Fitbit wearers that noticed an unexplained climbing of their resting heart rate, and it turned out this increased heart rate was because they were newly pregnant. This writeup isn't about how it can detect pregnancy before a missed period though, it's about how wearing it 24/7 can very accurately pinpoint the different phases of your cycle.
I've been wearing my Charge 3 for almost three years. A few months after I first started wearing it I realized that my RHR (resting heart rate) would follow the same pattern for every cycle.
It goes like this:
As an added plus, my Fitbit RHR data was my first clue that we had finally manage to catch the golden egg! My RHR fell outside of my usual pattern in the last two weeks of my cycle the cycle we conceived.
Do I recommend it?
I wanted to go over some of the fertility trackers I've personally used that were specifically for tracking fertility, and others that aren't made for tracking fertility, but work just as well - sometimes even better. It's tough to find good reviews for fertility trackers or monitors, what works well for one might not work well for another. Hopefully, all my research and personal experience will help you decide which item may be best for you.
I have done extensive research into all of the devices I have personally used. I don't mean reading through reviews; I mean looking at actual scientific studies, clinical trials, and factual data, provided they have information available.
Some of the items I've listed haven't been scientifically studied for fertility monitoring, but they data they collect mirrors the data that some of the other studied devices collect. Therefore, all of it is scientifically verifiable, unless otherwise stated.
These experiences and opinions are all my own. I have not been provided any of these products, all were purchased with my own money. I may provide affiliate links in my posts, but these do not influence my opinion on these items. If my experience with a particular item didn't meet my expectations I am going to let you know about it.
Here's a list of devices I have used to track my fertility in the recent past (starting in 2017 through the present 2020):
Devices made for tracking fertility
- Clearblue Connected
- Ovacue II with oral and optional vaginal sensor
- Traditional OPKs, Lh tests, ovulation tests
Devices that are not made or marketed for fertility tracking
- Fitbit Charge 3
- Oura ring (review coming soon)
- Wearable bluetooth thermometer (review coming soon)
Each of these devices deserves a long detailed explanation, which I will eventually get to. For now, I'm going do a simple breakdown for those of you trying to decided what option might be best for you.
Clearblue connected
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| An example of the progression of my test sticks the cycle I conceived. You can visit my full review on the Clearblue Connected here. |
Let me start with this; this thing is expensive if purchased at full price, but don't let that steer you away from trying it. You can buy it on sale, that's what I did. I've added links below this review where I found it way marked down on Amazon, you can check other retailers too. They often get marked down due to the higher price range. I've found them on clearance at Walmart for under $12 before, just shop around to find the best deal.
The Clearblue Connected Ovulation test has an app that you download, set it up, and add your cycle information. The app will send you a notification when it's approaching testing time in your cycle, make sure you enable notifications when setting up the app. Tests are to be used with first morning urine, but you can choose to use them in the afternoon as long as it's within the same two hour time window each day. The app is very user friendly, color codes fertility status, and lets you add data.
The test sticks tests for two hormones Lh and Estrogen, once the device detects a rise in estrogen it gives you a "high fertility" reading. Once this rise in Estrogen is detected the device stops analyzing the Estrogen line (the line furthest from where your urine sample goes) and only looks for your Lh peak. Once it detects your Lh peak it gives you "peak fertility" and you can expect to ovulate in about 24 hours.
With Clearblue duo hormone tests, ovulation tends to happen in a shorter window than traditional ovulation test. This is because they are not as sensitive as typical ovulation tests, rather than get a few days of positive tests, which can often happen with cheap OPKs (ovulation predictor kits), you get your peak and ovulation usually happens about 24 hours later. You can see my full review on Clearblue connected here with screenshots of the app showing fertile days, and other info.
Overall, I really liked the ease of use with the Clearblue connected, the automatic import of info is wonderful and foolproof.
The test sticks tests for two hormones Lh and Estrogen, once the device detects a rise in estrogen it gives you a "high fertility" reading. Once this rise in Estrogen is detected the device stops analyzing the Estrogen line (the line furthest from where your urine sample goes) and only looks for your Lh peak. Once it detects your Lh peak it gives you "peak fertility" and you can expect to ovulate in about 24 hours.
With Clearblue duo hormone tests, ovulation tends to happen in a shorter window than traditional ovulation test. This is because they are not as sensitive as typical ovulation tests, rather than get a few days of positive tests, which can often happen with cheap OPKs (ovulation predictor kits), you get your peak and ovulation usually happens about 24 hours later. You can see my full review on Clearblue connected here with screenshots of the app showing fertile days, and other info.
Overall, I really liked the ease of use with the Clearblue connected, the automatic import of info is wonderful and foolproof.
Do I recommend it?
Yes, but try to find it on sale.
Best for:
Women with somewhat regular cycles between maybe 25-33 days. It can be used for those of us with PCOS, provided you have somewhat regular cycles. Those with longer unpredictable cycles should probably choose something a bit less costly. With irregular cycles you could end up using more than 10 test sticks per cycle which would really make having to buy multiple kits add up quickly.
Here is the Clearblue Connected I found that is marked down from its original price on Walmart.com. I assume the sale price may not last too long, so if you're interested in trying this you should take the opportunity to snag it at a good price: Clearblue Connected Ovulation Test System Featuring Bluetooth connectivity and Advanced Ovulation Tests with Digital Results, 25 Ovulation Tests
Here is the Clearblue Connected I found that is marked down from its original price on Walmart.com. I assume the sale price may not last too long, so if you're interested in trying this you should take the opportunity to snag it at a good price: Clearblue Connected Ovulation Test System Featuring Bluetooth connectivity and Advanced Ovulation Tests with Digital Results, 25 Ovulation Tests
Ovacue
From the Ovacue site:
"The OvaCue Fertility Monitor consists of a hand-held fertility monitor with a color screen, and TWO sensors – a saliva sensor, and a cervical mucus sensor – the ideal combination for pinpointing your most fertile days in your cycle and for confirming when ovulation occurred. Take the guesswork out of your fertility by seamlessly reading and tracking your body’s biology clues with the OvaCue Fertility Monitor and companion website, OvaGraph. Women who know when they are fertile have a higher chance of getting pregnant during that cycle. Don’t let another month pass you by!"
This fertility monitor is really wonderful. It's a bit more involved than just peeing on an ovulation stick, but is so much more accurate and is the only fertility monitor that can actually confirm ovulation has happened by detecting the rise in Progesterone. There is really no other fertility monitor that can do this. Wearables that take your BBT can only confirm a temp rise or a biphasic pattern, this doesn't always mean ovulation has happened. If you are new to fertility tracking and unfamiliar with other fertile signs to be looking for, using just BBT probably isn't the best way to track your fertility.
The Ovacue has two sensors, an oral sensor and a vaginal sensor. You don't need both to use it and track your cycles with it, but it does become more accurate with both sensors.
I used the Ovacue with just the oral sensor, and with the vaginal sensor in the past. The oral sensor picks up electrolytes in your saliva; there is a ton of science on the changes in electrolytes secreted in salvia throughout the female menstrual cycle. When Estrogen peaks during the ovulatory phase certain electrolytes drop which signals ovulation is about to happen. The Ovacue will detect this drop with the oral sensor and give you a "cue peak". You can expect to ovulate about 5 days later. For me the oral sensor functioned perfectly by predicting my ovulation day within a 1-2 error window. I know 1-2 day error window can sound not exactly perfect, but in terms of a 5-6 days window, being off by one day truly is not going to make a difference. Especially considering that the best time for intercourse to achieve pregnancy is about 2 days prior to ovulation. Since your cue peak will be determined about 2-3 days after it happens is results in perfect timing to try and achieve pregnancy by doing the baby dance that day.
The vaginal sensor is a bit more complicated to use, but if you've been trying for a while, or really don't want to waste time TTC it's certainly worth the tiny learning curve since it so accurately determines ovulation. It's not hard to use at all, and takes less than a minute to take a reading. The only thing to get used to is taking a reading within the same two hour window each day that you need to test.
Overall, the Ovacue became one of my main fertility monitors. The oral sensor was just so easy to use, and so accurate that it became one of my main "just for backup" confirmation pieces. There is an app to log all your data, as well as a full website that you can add other data such as fertility signs, moods, medications, BBT and more. It will chart all the info and temps giving color coded phases of your cycles based on your Ovacue data and BBT data, if you choose to add it.
Do I recommend it?
Yes, especially if you don't want to waste time with guessing your cycle pattern, and if you want to confirm ovulation is happening.
Best for:
Women with any kind of cycles. It can be used for those of us with PCOS, but is best with both sensors since using both will help confirm your data, that way you can be sure ovulation has happened.
Learning curve:
There is a slight learning curve with the Ovacue sensors, you have to get used to taking readings, but it's very easy after the first couple of times. You also need to be pretty comfortable with your body since there is a vaginal sensor, again, it's extremely easy to use, but I know some may not be that comfortable with something like that. Honestly, the learning curve is worth it in my opinion for that confirmation of the Progesterone rise after ovulation, and the fact that it can (low-key) possibly pick up implantation well before a pregnancy test can tell you are pregnant.
Learning curve:
There is a slight learning curve with the Ovacue sensors, you have to get used to taking readings, but it's very easy after the first couple of times. You also need to be pretty comfortable with your body since there is a vaginal sensor, again, it's extremely easy to use, but I know some may not be that comfortable with something like that. Honestly, the learning curve is worth it in my opinion for that confirmation of the Progesterone rise after ovulation, and the fact that it can (low-key) possibly pick up implantation well before a pregnancy test can tell you are pregnant.
I purchased my Ovacue from Fairhaven Health, it came with free 2-day shipping so I was able to start using it the cycle I received it. They also sell BFP pregnancy test strips which are inexpensive so you can tests early without feeling guilty for money spent on regular pregnancy test, if you're an early tester like me buying big brand tests can really add up quickly.
You can see my more in-depth review for the Ovacue here [placeholder, link will ba available as soon as my full review is done, be sure to check back].
Ovulations tests strips
Ovulation tests tips are affordable and easy to use. All that is required is a sample cup to catch urine in and the ovulation tests strip. These are a good option if you have irregular cycles because they are very affordable, and are sold in large packs. This means that you can test multiple times a day for many days in a cycle if you need to without breaking the bank. There are a few cheap brand options, most all work the same and have the same sensitivity level, which for this type of test is pretty sensitive. Due to this increased sensitivity it's not unusual to get multiple days of positive tests, and this can be confusing for some people.
These tests unlike pregnancy test are only considered positive if the test line is as dark as, or darker than the control line. Overall these test get the job done for a very cheap option to tracking ovulation.
Do I recommend them?Yes, but only for people without PCOS. Women with PCOS tend to have a higher baseline of Lh in their systems, and that's what these test are testing for. Due to the higher sensitivity of them its very likely that someone with PCOS will almost always test positive or close to it with them. If you have PCOS it's better to use something with a higher cutoff level, such as Clearblue ovulation tests.
Brands and where to buy:
Wondofo (shown to the left, and below) sensitive to 10miu Lh can be purchased on Walmart.com with free 2-day shipping, there are multiple pack sizes available
Pregmate Claim a sensitive of 25miu but seem to be much more sensitive like the Wondfo, they can be purchased at Walmart with free shipping.
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| My postive Wondfo Lh test strip from my successful TTC cycle. |
BFP Ovulation strips have a sensitivity of 25miu and are designed specifically for trying-to-conceive women. They’re easy to use, highly accurate, and cost a fraction of what drugstore brands charge, they can be purchased at Fairhaven Health.
FitBit Charge 3
I've been wearing my Charge 3 for almost three years. A few months after I first started wearing it I realized that my RHR (resting heart rate) would follow the same pattern for every cycle.
It goes like this:
- Right before my period my RHR drops
- It stays lower though my follicular phase
- As I enter my fertile period it take a little dip, then it starts to slowly climb each day
- Right after ovulation it makes a larger jump
- It remains at this higher rate, while it continues to slightly climb though my luteal phase
- Then it finally drops way down again to repeat a new cycle
This pattern was so predictable that I could look at my heart rate for a current cycle and pinpoint the exact day I would ovulate 4 out of 5 times. If I didn't get the day exact it was only ever off by one day. I noticed that I didn't even have to track my cycle at all, if I felt maybe my period would be coming soon I could just open my Fitbit app, count the days I was from my ovulation jump, and know exactly what day to expect my period.
This information became extremely helpful when we stated TTC, it meant I could accurately predict my ovulation day to be 5-6 days after my small fertile phase dip, or 5 days from the first day it started to climb after a two consecutive flat RHR rates in my follicular phase. For me this was great because I didn't have to add anything to accurately predict my fertility. If I decided to add fertility monitors, which I did, it was because I'm a data junkie and just love the extra information.
Behold my Fitbit cycle chart:
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| This is my cycle when I conceived this pregnancy. My monthly RHR always follows this same pattern, sometimes the spikes and dips can be less/more dramatic, it still follows the same flow during the different phases of my cycle. This cycle was slightly different with the unexpected RHR dips after ovulation (ovulations is marked with the tall white line Nov 18) I've never had a consecutive dip like that after ovulation. Especially, not dropping below that of post-ovulation RHR. The very large spike in RHR that was 4/5 days after this dip was also far above my normal post-ovulation RHR. I'd never had a RHR over 82/83 during this phase while owning my Fitbit. It's not shown here, but my RHR further climbed to a whopping 89bpm over the next 1-2 weeks! It did eventually start to come back down a little once my body got used to pumping all the extra blood needed to support my growing baby :) but the big increase in RHR was a definite clue I was indeed preggo! |
As an added plus, my Fitbit RHR data was my first clue that we had finally manage to catch the golden egg! My RHR fell outside of my usual pattern in the last two weeks of my cycle the cycle we conceived.
Overall, you really can't go wrong with a FitBit, it tracks your steps, exercise, sleep, and as an added plus it can be used as a cycle tracker (don't forget it can be a super early clue to pregnancy too). One of the best features is that the charge lasts 7 days, they don't just claim this, it's actually been true in my experience. It only takes about 30mins to get to a 99% charge and I'm good to go for 7 days.
Do I recommend it?
Yes, for anyone with any type of cycles. No matter the duration of your cycle your resting hear rate data (collected during sleep) will show a clear pattern during your cycle phases. If you have irregular cycles it will probably take you a couple of cycles to get used to patterns, but it's really worth it since the Fitbit has so many other benefits. Adding exercise can greatly improve fertility, even just a little extra can be immensely helpful. Improving your sleep can also be very helpful in regulating cycles, and improving fertility. Fitbit helps is a very accurate sleep tracker, thus is can help you notice certain actives that can affect your sleep quality.
Where to buy for the best price:
Walmart.com has really great prices on the Fitbit Charge 3, it's only $99 right now with FREE NEXT DAY delivery! That deal cannot be beat.
More to come, this is a work in progress while I juggle homeschooling three kiddos and a pregnancy! Please subscribe for updates, and thank you for visiting.
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