Ava Women Review: My Honest Take On This Fertility Tracking Wearable
Hey there, fellow mama-to-be! If you‘re anything like me, you‘ve spent countless hours Googling "how to get pregnant fast" and peeing on more ovulation sticks than you can count. Trying to conceive can be a rollercoaster of emotions and a logistical nightmare.
That‘s why I was thrilled to discover the Ava bracelet – a high-tech fertility tracker that takes all the guesswork out of pinpointing my fertile window. I‘ve been wearing my Ava 2.0 for a few cycles now and I‘m blown away by the depth of insights it provides.
In this ultra-honest Ava review, I‘m sharing everything you need to know about this chic little wearable, from how it works to whether it‘s actually worth the $259+ price tag. So sit back, relax, and let‘s dive in!
What is Ava?
Ava is a fertility tracking system that includes a sensor bracelet and accompanying app. The Ava bracelet is worn only during sleep and measures key physiological parameters that fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle.
By monitoring metrics like skin temperature, resting heart rate, and breathing rate, Ava‘s AI algorithm can detect your 5 most fertile days in real-time with 89% accuracy. The app then displays your health data and fertile window predictions in a user-friendly interface.
Ava was founded in Switzerland in 2014 by Pascal Koenig, Philipp Tholen, Peter Stein, and Lea von Bidder. Their mission was to empower women with deep knowledge about their cycles and to simplify the process of conception.
Since launching, Ava has helped over 70,000 women get pregnant and has won numerous awards, including being named one of TIME Magazine‘s Best Inventions. Pretty impressive if you ask me!
How is Ava different from other fertility trackers?
You might be thinking, how is Ava any different from the gazillion other fertility and period tracking apps out there? I know I was skeptical at first. But here‘s what sets Ava apart:
Real-time data: Most tracking apps rely solely on user input or population averages to predict fertility. Ava actually collects physiological data directly from your body each night, giving you a personalized fertility prediction.
Continuous monitoring: With Ava, there‘s no need to manually log temperatures, pee on ovulation strips, or check your cervical fluid. The bracelet does all the heavy lifting for you – just wear it to bed and wake up to your daily fertility stats.
More fertile days identified: Ava is clinically proven to detect an average of 5.3 fertile days per cycle. Other methods like OPKs typically identify only 1-2 peak fertility days. This maximizes your baby-making window each month!
Understands your unique cycle: By measuring key parameters continuously throughout your cycle, Ava learns your unique patterns. This allows it to accurately predict ovulation and flag any cycle irregularities, even if you have PCOS or irregular periods.
I don‘t know about you, but I was never good at remembering to take my BBT every morning or deciphering confusing OPK lines. Ava has been a total game-changer in simplifying my fertility journey.
The science behind Ava
Okay, I‘m a total science nerd so bear with me while I geek out about the technology behind Ava for a minute. The Ava bracelet measures 5 key physiological signals throughout the night:
- Skin temperature: Rises after ovulation due to increased progesterone
- Resting heart rate: Increases during fertile window
- Heart rate variability: Fluctuates based on stress and cycle phase
- Perfusion: Increases in estrogen boost blood flow
- Breathing rate: Rises slightly after ovulation
- Sleep: Impacted by changing hormones
By monitoring these biomarkers together and applying machine learning, Ava‘s algorithm can detect the tiny hormonal shifts that mark the beginning of your fertile window, before you ovulate.
In a clinical study at the University of Zurich, Ava was shown to detect an average of 5.3 fertile days per cycle with 89% accuracy. It could also estimate ovulation timing with similar accuracy to luteinizing hormone tests. You can geek out on the full study here.
I love knowing there‘s legit scientific research backing up Ava‘s claims. It helps me trust the insights I‘m getting each day.
What it‘s like to use Ava
I‘ll admit, I was a little unsure about wearing a bracelet to bed every night. Would it be uncomfortable? Would my husband think it was totally unsexy? But I‘m happy to report Ava is surprisingly comfy and lightweight. The slim design doesn‘t get in the way of my zzz‘s at all.
Here‘s what a typical cycle looks like with Ava:
Nightly tracking
Each night before bed, I slip on my Ava and let it work its magic. The sensors measure my biometrics in 10 second intervals throughout the night. Bring on the vivid baby-making dreams!
Morning check-in
While enjoying my a.m. coffee, I open the Ava app to check my fertility status and sync the new data from my bracelet. The app greets me with a "Good morning, sunshine" and displays where I‘m at in my cycle. It only takes a few taps to view more detailed health info.
Fertile window
The best part? When my fertile window arrives, Ava gives me a heads up and sends a reminder to get busy between the sheets! I aim to have sex on as many of the green "high fertility" days as possible to maximize our chances.
Confirm ovulation
A few days after my predicted ovulation date, Ava asks me to take an LH test to cross-check its prediction. So far, it‘s been spot on! Post-ovulation, the app has a handy visual showing when to expect my period or a positive pregnancy test.
Track symptoms & mood
Throughout my cycle, I log any notable symptoms like cramps, bloating, or breast tenderness in the app. It also has a cute emoji system to track my moods. It‘s a holistic way to connect the dots between my hormones, physical symptoms, and emotions. Goodbye, PMS mood swings!
I love the simple, intuitive interface and how Ava turns all the complex biometric data into actionable insights. It feels like I have a personal fertility coach in my pocket!
What real Ava users are saying
Of course, I wanted to know if my positive experience with Ava was just a fluke or if other users felt the same way. So I scoured the internet for Ava reviews and pored over the 1,800+ ratings on TrustPilot.
Spoiler alert: Ava has a stellar 4.2 out of 5 star average and 85% of the reviews are 4 or 5 stars! Here are some of the most common raves:
"I‘m 40 and have been trying for a few years…I figured I had nothing to lose. I got pregnant after only 3 cycles with my Ava! I truly believe I would not be pregnant without it." – Lauren, TrustPilot reviewer
"Ava has been a great way for me to track my irregular cycles. It gives me a bigger picture of my fertility window than just OPKs and makes the whole process less stressful." – Sarah, TrustPilot reviewer
"As someone with PCOS, I never knew when or if I was ovulating. Ava has given me so much more insight into my cycle patterns. Even though I‘m not pregnant yet, I feel more in control." – Lea, TrustPilot reviewer
"Ava is worth every penny! I love the detailed health info it gives me and how I can see my cycle trends over time. Plus the bracelet is so comfortable and cute!" – Olivia, TrustPilot reviewer
I even found a few fellow PCOS cysters in the reviews who said Ava helped them better understand their unpredictable cycles. As one reviewer put it, "Ava has been a total blessing for this PCOS mama!"
These glowing reviews echo my own experience. While no device can guarantee a BFP, Ava is empowering women to maximize their chances by better understanding their bodies. The hype is real!
Is Ava right for you?
At $259 for the basic Ava 2.0 kit, this wearable is definitely pricier than your average period tracking app. But in my opinion, the benefits are 100% worth the investment. You‘re getting:
✔️ A stylish, medical-grade wearable that collects unprecedented fertility data
✔️ Personalized health and fertility insights based on your unique cycle
✔️ An average of 5 fertile days identified per month (vs. 1-2 with LH strips)
✔️ Convenient, hassle-free tracking without pesky BBT charting or OPKs
✔️ A supportive community of fellow TTCers in the Ava Women app
If you‘ve been trying to conceive for a while or have irregular cycles that make tracking tricky, Ava could bring you the clarity you‘ve been missing.
For those willing to invest a bit more, I highly recommend the Ava Plus ($299) or Ava Premium ($359) plans. They include a 12-month or 6-month money-back guarantee if you don‘t get pregnant in that timeframe (full deets here). It‘s like a conception insurance policy!
Ultimately, everyone‘s fertility journey is unique. Ava isn‘t a miracle solution, but it‘s a powerful tool to optimize your baby-making odds. I can‘t imagine navigating this process without my trusty Ava!
The final verdict
Ava is hands-down the most advanced, data-driven fertility tracker I‘ve tried. The science is legit, the app is user-friendly, and the bracelet looks cute on my wrist. Most importantly, it‘s helped me feel empowered and in-tune with my cycle like never before.
No, wearing Ava won‘t magically make a baby appear. But it WILL help you accurately predict your fertile window, maximize your conception chances, and better understand your body. That‘s a huge win in my book.
If you‘re ready to get off the TTC roller coaster and take a more precise, personalized approach, I wholeheartedly recommend giving Ava a whirl. And with their 6 or 12-month pregnancy guarantees, it‘s a low-risk investment.
To all my fellow hopeful mamas out there – baby dust to you! May your fertility journey be short, sweet, and full of Ava-fueled insights.
Ready to meet your own Ava and get a handle on your fertility? Click here to explore the options and save $20 on your order!
