If you’ve ever considered fertility tracking — also known as ovulation tracking and natural family planning — chances are you’ve come across the Mira Fertility Tracker.

Mira is a high-tech at-home device that tracks your hormones to give you a more detailed understanding of your menstrual cycle and when you might be ovulating.

Want to know if Mira’s the right choice for you? Read on to get the details about the Mira Fertility Tracker.

Mira is a fertility tracking device launched in 2018 by CEO Sylvia Kang.

“I have a lot of friends who, like me, [prioritized] their career advancement and higher education, and they tended to delay their maternal age,” Kang told TechCrunch. “But there’s no education for them about when to try for a baby, and they have no awareness about their fertility health.”

Unlike many fertility apps and companies of the past, Mira uses consistent at-home testing that syncs to an app on your phone. This helps create a more accurate, reliable picture of when you’re most likely to conceive.

“The Mira app tracks menstrual cycles but also combines this information with urine hormone assessments,” says reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist Banafsheh Kashani, MD. “This allows a highly accurate determination of [the] fertile window and expected ovulation.”

Kashani notes that Mira can even work for people with irregular cycles and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

While Mira can be used by people hoping to become pregnant, it can also be useful for people who want to track their hormones for other reasons. These can include:

Mira claims to be the “first personalized, at-home, lab-quality hormone tracking system” to deliver 99 percent accuracy.

So, how does it actually work?

The system uses urine samples to track three hormones:

This can give you a clear idea of exactly when you’re ovulating and likely to conceive.

E3G is produced when estrogen breaks down in the body, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This causes a person’s cervical mucus to become thin and slippery around the time of ovulation. The thin, slippery mucus may make it easier for sperm to swim and fertilize an egg, resulting in pregnancy.

Using Bluetooth, the Mira device analyzes the exact measurements of each hormone, then logs this data on your phone in the Mira app.

The app uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to transform your data into a unique hormone curve, showing you exactly when in your cycle you’re likely to be ovulating.

“Mira measures LH and estrogen levels in the urine, providing numeric hormone values and making it very easy for [people] to understand their menstrual cycle even if it’s irregular,” says Kashani.

LH can indicate the exact days of ovulation. This is because the hormone spikes dramatically when a mature egg is released from the ovary.

When you see a sharp spike in LH, you know that your body is at its most fertile for the next 24 to 48 hours.

The device also tracks estrogen, which can be a good indicator of:

  • ovulation days
  • possible cycle inconsistencies
  • periods of infertility

At first glance, the Mira tracker looks a little bit like an oversized Tamagotchi.

The sleek white device is distinctly egg-shaped, with a square screen, single button, and slot for your testing sticks.

The complete system also consists of:

  • a round white pouch
  • a set of testing sticks
  • a set of urine cups

If you purchase the Fertility Plus Starter Kit, your kit will come with:

  • Mira Fertility Analyzer
  • deluxe Mira carrying pouch
  • charging cable
  • user manual
  • 10 individually packaged single-use Mira Fertility Plus Test Wands
  • quickstart guide
  • 10 urine containers

In a box of Mira Plus Test Wands, you’ll get:

  • 20 individually packaged single-use Mira Fertility Plus Test Wands
  • user manual
  • quickstart guide
  • 20 urine containers

Mira is simple to use. Just follow the steps below.

Step 1: Set up the Mira app

Before doing your first test, you’ll need to link your device to the Mira app. You can do this by following these steps:

  1. Download the app for Android or iPhone.
  2. Follow the instructions within the app to create an account.
  3. Connect your Mira device to the app.

Note: If you don’t open the app and sync before you test, your results won’t get recorded.

Step 2: Dip a testing wand in a urine sample

First thing in the morning, or after 2 hours of no liquids, take a urine sample using one of the collection cups. Here’s how:

  1. Urinate into the cup.
  2. Place the white end of a testing wand in the cup for exactly 10 seconds.
  3. Remove the wand.
  4. Take off the blue protection cap from the other side of the wand and place it over the testing strip to avoid any mess.

Note: You’ll need to use a second testing wand if testing for progesterone, available as of September 2021.

Step 3: Insert the wand into the Mira device

The other side of the testing wand consists of a long white strip with a digital chip. Here’s what to do with it:

  1. Insert the white strip end into the slot in your Mira device.
  2. You’ll hear a little beep.
  3. Leave the device on a flat surface for 15 minutes.

Step 4: Check your results on your app

After 15 minutes have passed, your results are ready! The last steps are:

  1. Open up your Mira app.
  2. Your hormone levels should appear on your screen and your curve will be updated.
  3. The app will tell you when to take your next test.

Pros

  • mess-free
  • ergonomic design
  • exact estrogen and LH measurements
  • AI helps interpret your data
  • easy-to-use app

Cons

  • more expensive than other options
  • new supplies needed each month
  • separate testing wand needed to track progesterone
  • doesn’t come with a guide to average hormone levels

If you’re using Mira to look for a hormonal imbalance, you’ll need to research what to look for in your results on your own. However, the company does offer a free Hormones 101 e-book.

Overall, the Mira Fertility Tracking Kit has mostly positive reviews from online customers. Here’s a sampling:

  • On Reviews.io, Mira has a 4.67 rating across 1,114 reviews.
  • On Google, it has a 4.6 rating across 795 reviews.
  • On Amazon, Mira has a 4.1 rating across 346 reviews.

On the other hand, the app itself has only gained 3.5 stars on both the Google Play Store and Apple Store. This is mostly due to complaints about freezing and syncing issues, which is pretty common with Bluetooth devices.

Note on editorial testing

I was curious to try the Mira device to better understand my cycle.

It’s important to note that I’m not trying to get pregnant. However, I wanted to see whether my mood swings, acne, and energy levels were linked to my hormonal curve.

When I received my device, I was immediately impressed.

The device came in a sleek, stylish white pouch, while the testing wands came in a small box. I was also impressed by the ergonomic design.

Using the urine collection cups was easy and mess-free (thank goodness!), and I loved having a protective cap for the testing wands.

The device and the app could not have been easier to use, and I had no problems getting my phone to sync my results.

Overall, Mira worked like a charm for me.

The Mira system is a little more expensive than other fertility systems.

At the time of writing, a starter kit with 10 wands costs around $200, while a set of 20 replacement wands costs around $65.

If you have a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA), your Mira purchase may be eligible for reimbursement.

While Mira does offer a range of unique features, there are several other fertility trackers that may better suit your needs.

Clearblue Fertility Tracker

Clearblue Fertility Tracker is the most similar device to Mira. It also uses daily urine tests to detect estrogen and LH to predict your ovulation days.

However, unlike Mira, this device doesn’t give you insights into your hormonal curve, so it doesn’t always work well for people with irregular periods. A pack of 10 tests costs around $30.

Modern Fertility

Modern Fertility offers an at-home finger-prick test that’s reviewed by physicians. At $159, this test will give you a broader picture of your hormone levels because it tests for seven hormones.

However, unlike Mira, this test is a one-off — you will not get a picture of your hormonal curve throughout your cycle. But you will get reports on potential causes of infertility, your egg reserves, and your overall fertility timeline.

LetsGetChecked

LetsGetChecked is another option. They offer a single female hormone test that shows you levels of four hormones.

Again, at $129, this will give you a better picture of your overall fertility. But, unlike Mira, it won’t show you your peak ovulation days.

Natural Cycles

Natural Cycles is a fertility tracking app that uses a $15 thermometer to measure basal temperature.

While this system can give you a sense of your ovulation times, results are far more vague and unreliable than Mira’s hormone measurements.

“Temperature tracking is one way to determine if ovulation occurred,” Kashani says. “The problem is that the highest chances of conception occurs when couples have intercourse prior to ovulation rather than after.”

While there are numerous other fertility trackers on the market, Mira is one of the only trackers of its kind to offer consistent, daily at-home hormone tracking as well as hormonal curve results.

The Mira system can be purchased from the company’s website. They offer an option to pay over time with four interest-free payments.

It can also be purchased from other retailers such as Amazon and ExpressMed.

When you buy, make sure you purchase from a reputable company and check to see whether you can use FSA or HSA funds if you have them.

Can I use Mira to prevent pregnancy?

While you can use Mira to track your most fertile and infertile periods, no fertility tracker is approved by the FDA as a foolproof contraceptive.

Always use a second form of birth control, such as condoms or another barrier method, if you want to prevent pregnancy.

Can I use Mira if I’m breastfeeding or postpartum?

Yes, you can use Mira to track your first ovulation before your period comes back after giving birth. Breastfeeding won’t affect these results.

Can I use Mira if I have an ovarian cyst?

Yes, Mira may also help you track treatment efficiency, hormonal irregularities, and red flags when you have an ovarian cyst. However, it should never replace medical care.

Can I use Mira if I’m taking Metformin, Letrozole, or Clomid?

Yes, you can even use Mira to tell if an ovulation stimulation drug like Metformin or Letrozole is working.

The answer is also yes when it comes to Clomid. Clomid stimulates LH and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) release. Mira measures LH levels to detect your ovulation.

Can I use Mira if I have endometriosis?

Yes, tracking your cycle with Mira can help you conceive even if you have endometriosis. The condition won’t affect test results.

The Mira Fertility Tracker is a cutting-edge product.

Unlike other fertility trackers, this easy-to-use device offers exact hormone measurements throughout your cycle so that you know when you’re most likely to conceive.

According to plenty of glowing reviews, the device has lots of benefits to offer you on your unique fertility journey.

While it may be pricier than other options, it may be worth spending a little extra to get lab-like results at home.