Basal Thermometer for Menstrual Cycle Tracking

How to choose your basal thermometer for menstrual cycle tracking – this is the right question to ask yourself if you want to start monitoring your cycle or practicing the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM).

But I know. Lately, more and more gadgets are coming out on the market and it’s sometimes hard to find our way around.

Do we agree?!

That’s why, in this blog post, I’ll explain how to choose the right basal thermometer and I’ll give you some affordable options.

What is a basal thermometer?

A basal thermometer will take your basal body temperature – that is, your temperature at rest.

The reason we take our basal temperature for cycle tracking and the FAM is because it is the lowest and most stable temperature we’ll get throughout the day. That’s why you should always take your temperature every morning at the same time and before you even get up from bed.

Yep – all it takes is standing up and our temperature starts going up.

Can you use any thermometer for fertility awareness?

No! Standard thermometers are not accurate enough and most of them only show one digit after the comma.

The point is to be able to notice temperature changes, no matter how small.

Therefore, measurements should be taken with a basal thermometer so that the analysis is not distorted later on.

What to look for in a basal thermometer

1. Choose a basal thermometer, not a standard thermometer

Once again, choosing a basal thermometer is essential for fertility awareness and menstrual cycle tracking – we want results to be precise! When looking for a thermometer online, make sure it is clearly labeled “basal”.

Also, make sure it has two digits after the comma – again, this is important for us to be as accurate as possible in our measurements.

2. Turn to a basal thermometer that is NOT connected.

The fact that the market is developing more and more solutions for women and their cycles is a really good thing. And in some aspects, I love technology. Just not when it comes to managing our fertility.

If you’ve already read my review of the Daysy monitor, which cost me around $300, you probably already know how I feel about connected thermometers and apps that “predict” your cycle.

Let me explain.

Most thermometers that are connected will collect your temperature and put it into an app – so far, so good. The problem is when that same app starts predicting your next period, your fertile and non-fertile days.

Why is that a problem? Because your body is not a robot and these predictions are based on an algorithm. Just like social media.

The app is not aware of any variations in your temperature coming from a change of lifestyle – and therefore some predictions can be totally wrong.

Secondly, these apps are based solely on your temperature. If you already know about the fertility awareness method, you already know that we need a second factor in order to analyze your cycle – either the consistency of the mucus or the position of the cervix.

This means that an app can predict things that are wrong and end up misleading you. If you’re trying to have a baby, that’s fine. But if you’re trying to avoid pregnancy, that can be risky AF.

The only reason I would recommend a connected thermometer is so you don’t forget to record your temperature after you take it. Perfect if you’re the kind of person who falls asleep 2 seconds after taking it – we know about that here lol.

Other than that? A standard basal thermometer is perfect and much cheaper.

3. Optional: light and temperature memory

The following is completely optional, but it can be convenient to have.

Light: some displays are not illuminated, so it becomes difficult to see your temperature in the morning in the dark.

Temperature memory: if you are the type of person who goes back to sleep after taking your temperature or if you don’t have a light on your thermometer, having a memory is super convenient. It allows you to come back later in the day to note your temperature taken in the morning.

The best basal thermometer for menstrual cycle tracking

As you can probably tell, I recommend you stick to a simple basal thermometer. Even though the technology is moving pretty fast, you are the best person to rely on to analyze your cycle.

I personally use the Cyclotest Lady – but if you don’t live in Europe, you may not find it easily.

I’ll leave you similar, cheap thermometers below:

• Iproven Digital Basal Thermometer
• MABIS Digital Basal Body Thermometer
• Beurer OT20 Digital Basal Thermometer

I hope this article will help you choose your basal thermometer – and if you have any other recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments so we can all benefit!