9 Ovulation Tests And Strips To Track Your Fertility
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Family planning involves many moving parts: Understanding our menstrual cycles, diagnosing any fertility concerns, communicating our wants and needs with partners. As ovulation only happens for a few days each cycle, it’s important to pinpoint our fertile window, whether we’re trying to conceive or not. This is especially true for those of us with irregular menstrual cycles, as we can’t always rely on tracking apps to give us a heads up.
“Knowing when we ovulate can make us feel both empowered and educated about our bodies.”
Ovulation tests can help take the guesswork out of the equation, especially when paired with basal body thermometers and cervical mucus tracking. Knowing when we ovulate can make us feel both empowered and educated about our bodies. It can also give us the information we need to make the most informed decisions about our families and future.
We’ve found the best ovulation tests to consider below—many are doctor-developed and OBGYN-approved, regulated with the FDA, and eligible for reimbursement if you have a Health Savings Account or Flexible Savings Account. Some also have tracking apps, community groups you can join, and personalized guidance!
If pregnancy isn’t your goal, consider these birth control brands sent straight to your door. Or, if you’re hoping to conceive in the near future, these prenatal vitamins can help bridge any nutritional gaps and prepare your body for pregnancy.
Ovulation tests detect luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine, which is the hormone that triggers the ovary to release an egg. Every person’s body is different, but generally LH levels begin to rise mid-follicular phase, or a week or two after your period ends, marking the beginning of your “fertile window.”
You want to watch for two lines when peeing on an ovulation stick (alternatively, you can do the cup-and-dip method): one control line and one test line. Like with pregnancy tests, if there isn’t a control line, that means the test is faulty and you need to test again. Otherwise, you want to pay attention to the test line to help determine where your LH levels are at.
“LH levels begin to rise mid-follicular phase, or a week or two after your period ends, marking the beginning of your ‘fertile window.’”
Testing in both the morning and evening is recommended. You don’t need to use morning urine with ovulation strips, unlike with pregnancy tests. As you progress in your fertile window, you’ll notice the test line gets darker until it is as dark as or darker than the control line (photos for reference). This signals an LH surge (or peak), meaning one of your ovaries is about to release an egg (often within 24 to 36 hours).
If you’re trying to get pregnant, these hours are optimal for conception—though sperm can live for up to five days, so sex leading up to your LH surge may also result in pregnancy. If you are using natural planning for contraception and do not want to get pregnant, you will want to avoid vaginal intercourse leading up to your surge and for a few days after.
Once ovulation occurs, you can also keep testing to see how your LH levels begin to drop, and the line will become lighter again. This signals the end of your “fertile window” and the second half of your cycle—called the luteal phase (or “two-week wait”).
Again, this is all very dependent on the person, hormone levels, and the average length and regularity of menstrual cycles. Tracking apps can be helpful for noticing patterns and trends in your cycle month over month, and many allow you to upload photos of your ovulation tests. No matter your reason for tracking, here are the best ovulation test strips (with a range of pricing options)!
1. Modern Fertility
Features | HSA & FSA eligible, Modern Fertility tracking app, online community, available in select stores
Ships To | US
Price | $16 for 20 tests; discounted subscriptions available
Modern Fertility makes fertility essentials for people with ovaries—whether you’re trying for kids or not. We’re big fans of its Ovulation Tests because they’re affordable at $0.80 per strip, alongside a tracking app that shares customized predictions about your cycle over time. MF even has an online community so you can ask questions and find the support you need, as well as a robust resource library to learn more about fertility, including topics on egg freezing, thyroid levels, and PCOS.
2. Natalist
Features | FDA registered, HSA & FSA eligible, certified plastic-neutral, ethically produced, available in select stores
Ships To | Continental US
Price | $30 for ten tests, discounted bundles available
Take control of your fertility with Natalist’s Ovulation Tests. These LH surge strips come with clear, easy-to-understand instructions to help make understanding our bodies a bit easier. Plus, Natalist’s ovulation strips are registered with the FDA, eligible for reimbursement via HSAs or FSAs, and are stocked at stores like RiteAid, Target, and Albertsons. We recommend grabbing the bundles; you’ll receive 10 plastic-neutral ovulation tests and 4 pregnancy tests for $40.
3. Mira
Features | FDA listed, HSA & FSA eligible, Mira smartphone app
Ships To | Worldwide
Price | $199 for kit, bundles & subscriptions available
If you’re looking to go in depth with your fertility tracking, look no further than Mira. This powerful fertility analyzer is developed by in-house scientists and OBGYNs to detect precise hormonal changes and interactions for accurate results. Mira’s technology acts like an ‘at-home fertility lab’— and measures 3 fertility hormones to provide detailed and easy-to-read ovulation predictions and fertile windows. The best part is that they ship worldwide with warehouses in the USA, UK, Canada and more!
4. Stix
Features | FDA registered, HSA & FSA eligible
Ships To | US
Price | $19 for seven tests; discounted multipacks & subscriptions available
Stix’s mission is to offer “OBGYN-approved and discreetly delivered fertility and vaginal health products.” Sent to you in a plain white envelope—and seen on your bank statement as “GS INC”—this brand is all about privacy and respecting your needs. The tests themselves are 99 percent accurate, designed by women and backed by doctors, and are free of confusing jargon. Choose between a box of seven or twenty-eight tests with 15% off monthly subscriptions.
5. Bird&be
Features | HSA & FSA eligible, add-on reusable collection cup, less plastic than traditional ovulation tests
Ships To | US & Canada
Price | $12 for 9 tests, subscriptions available
Bird&bee understands the frustrations involved in successful fertility tracking—which is why they have made it easy to access ovulation tests no matter where you are in your fertility journey. Its budget-friendly ovulation tests use less plastic waste making them an eco-friendly option in comparison to traditional ovulation tests—you also have the option to purchase a reusable, collapsable collection cup for a small fee. The brand utilizes an inclusive approach to help you understand your fertility with handy quizzes and testing guides on their website.
6. Inito
Features | FDA registered, HSA & FSA eligible, Inito iPhone app, test refills available
Ships To | US
Price | $149 for kit
Inito takes a people first approach when it comes to the design of its lab-grade fertility monitor. You can measure 4 different hormones on a single ovulation test strip making it sustainable and efficient to use—and the included iPhone attachment clip provides testing and personalized results right on your device. You can order ovulation test refills on the Inito app and even set up reminders based on your individual hormone variations!
7. Pregmate
Features | Plastic-free packaging, available in stores
Ships To | Worldwide
Price | $10.95 for 25 tests
For an affordable, accessible, and more sustainable option, consider Pregmate. These tests are sold online and in stores (like Target), and you can get up to 100 ovulation test strips for about $20—and all without a plastic holder! These tests are 99 percent accurate and easy to use, whether you’re trying to conceive, trying not to conceive, or just want to understand your cycle better. You can even upload a photo of the test to your favorite tracking app to analyze and monitor your LH reading.
8. Proov
Features | FDA registered, HSA & FSA eligible, Proov smartphone app, online community
Ships To | US, Canada, Australia & New Zealand
Price | Starting at $54
Get your ovulation test results in just 10 minutes with Proov. Their collection of fertility tests and trackers are available at all different price points ensuring you can find an option that works with your budget—the brand also offers a Hers and His Fertility Starter Kit for partners who are looking to conceive. Proov provides 1:1 support alongside a private Facebook group—allowing you to share and gain insight on valuable fertility and hormone knowledge with other likeminded community members.
9. Oova
Features | FDA registered, HSA & FSA eligible, Oova smartphone app
Ships To | US
Price | $159.99 for kit, refillable cartridges & subscriptions available
Designed to increase chances of conception, Oova’s kit is one that both partners can use in their TTC journey. It includes a handle, stand, and 15 urine strips for the month (with the option to order refills), as well as access to the Oova app for cycle analysis and actionable steps. We love that Oova gives updates, tasks, and action plans for both partners—so you’re not alone on the journey.
Featured image from Modern Fertility
