Trying to Conceive? 8 High-Tech Fertility Monitors to Try

If you're trying to conceive and are looking to technology to help you, these are some of the most interesting fertility monitors available now.
Trying to Conceive? 8 High-Tech Fertility Monitors to Try


Lucky for us, this age of technology has ushered in new and tested ways for us to understand our bodies and fertility like never before. A far cry from the rhythm method that likely resulted in your parents being born, these fertility monitors use science and your vital signs to pinpoint—with surprising accuracy—your date of ovulation.

Understanding the signs that indicate approaching ovulation allows couples to plan intercourse if trying to conceive, or abstain/withdraw/use barrier methods in order to avoid pregnancy. When it comes to fertility, knowledge is absolutely power. I've rounded up some of the most interesting fertility monitors available right now (and even tested a few myself). Here's the low-down.

(For a comprehensive look at the how and why of fertility, check out Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler.)

  • 1 Percept

    Most fertility monitors rely on the user to do something – be it taking a temperature, wearing something, spitting in something, etc. The EarlySense Percept sets itself apart because it is a contact-free fertility monitor. Slide it under your mattress, and that’s it. It collects nightly heart rate, breathing and movement data, which are compiled and analyzed in order to predict your fertile window with 95 percent accuracy. It begins collecting data when you plug your iOS or Android phone in to charge at night, and your data awaits you in the morning. Impressive. The down side to this sensor is that the readings can be thrown off if you have kids or pets that like to join you in bed at night.
  • 2 Tempdrop

    Tempdrop is a much-anticipated fertility monitor in the fertility awareness community since it passively records temperature throughout the night and uses an algorithm to detect the wearer's basal body temperature. Over time, the algorithm adapts to the individual's sleeping patterns to give the most accurate readings. The sensor can be worn via an armband or tucked into a bra overnight, but doesn't transmit any data until it's synced in the morning through Bluetooth. The data currently syncs automatically to Android's Ovuview, but iPhone users can input Tempdrop's readings manually into their app of choice. More integrations are coming soon.
  • 3 Daysy and LadyComp

    For nearly 30 years, a German company called Valley Electronics has been making monitors that calculate fertility using basal or core body temperature (the body's temperature just after waking). They produce the LadyComp and Daysy monitors, which are clinically proven to be able to predict the fertile window with 99.3 percent accuracy; the pill peaks at 99.7 percent effectiveness. Side note: my husband and I have been relying on Daysy for birth control for over a year and are very happy with it.
  • 4 Ovusense

    The Ovusense fertility monitor is inserted vaginally at bedtime and removed in the morning. It reads your body's core temperature every five minutes and communicates that data to the phone app via an NFC sensor. It's 99 percent accurate at nailing down your day of ovulation, and once you've passed the fertile window, you don't need to use it for the remainder of your cycle. This is a great one for co-sleeping mamas or those with irregular sleep patterns.
  • 5 OvaCue

    Ovacue measures electrolyte levels in your saliva and cervical fluid to pinpoint the fertile window up to a week in advance, with 98 percent accuracy. But be warned: this monitor involves daily prodding of oral and vaginal sensors.
  • 6 Yono

    Yono is another monitor that relies on body temperature to predict fertility, but it sits in your ear all night so you don't have to worry about taking your temp at the same time every day or whether you've gotten enough sleep. This is another one that's pretty exciting for co-sleeping moms who are wakened throughout the night.
  • 7 Ava

    The Ava bracelet stands apart from the others in this lineup as it doesn't use basal body temperature, or bodily fluids to detect hormone surges. Ava is a wristband that you only wear at night, and its sensors take in all kinds of data such as resting heart rate, skin temperature, bioimpedance (your body tissue's resistance to small electrical voltages; think the body fat measurement on your bathroom scale) and perfusion (blood flow). All these data points merge together to enable Ava to detect your fertile phase with 89 percent accuracy.
  • Welltwigs ($149)

    8 Welltwigs

    The Welltwigs fertility tracker is unique in that its sensor tests for ovulation using OPK (ovulation prediction kit) tests and sends the results to your phone via Bluetooth. The Welltwigs app automatically updates with this data and allows you to enter other fertility signs (basal body temperature and cervical fluid) in order to give you a comprehensive picture of your fertility. Currently available at a $25 discount, or $125.