Elvie Trainer is a “smart” Kegel trainer which utilizes biofeedback technology to measure the force and motion of a contraction and lets you visualize pelvic floor movement in real-time.
What is it: A vaginal probe which should be connected to a smartphone app you’ll need to download for free. Both connect wirelessly via Bluetooth.
How it works: Place the probe in the vagina and squeeze pelvic floor muscles following the guidelines from the app. The device will assess your Kegels using biofeedback. The probe has sensors detecting your contractions, and it sends the measures to your phone, so you can immediately visualize the effect. It measures both force and control, as well as your ability to relax your muscles.
When it’s time to work out, you insert the device and wirelessly connect to the app. The app leads you through a series of exercises and provides real-time feedback in response to your Kegels. The workouts are typically 5 minutes long, and you can do them as often as you want. Elvie recommends three times a week. Elvie's developers claim it should only take a month of routine exercises to see a difference.
Overall, this product has mostly positive reviews on Amazon, even if some users report Bluetooth connectivity issues.
“Here I am 6 weeks in and I just had to let you know that I can now do star jumps for the first time in nearly 30 years since I had my children!! Stress and urge incontinence symptoms have gradually disappeared.”
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With the Elvie Trainer, which looks like a small pale-green egg, you will follow prompts on the screen and move a gem with your pelvic floor contractions. For example, one exercise asks you to quickly contract and relax, hitting targets with your gem. Another one consists in maintaining your gem in a target or following a pattern. In total, there are 6 different exercises aiming at improving different skills: “Learn control”, “Build endurance”, “Improve agility”... You can choose your workout goal depending on your needs and the frequency of use, and the app will build a training program for you accordingly. The more you train, the faster you get new levels, and there are four levels in total. You can track your progress from the last 10 workouts and observe the evolution of your LV score, which corresponds to the strength of your squeezes.
Elvie is compatible with all iOS and Android devices, going back as far as the iPhone 4S.
Pros:
- Made with BPA-free premium silicone that makes it safe to use
- Gives instant visual feedback on your Kegel exercises and records the progress, which increases your motivation
- 100% waterproof, making it hypoallergenic and easy to clean
- Two size options - contains an additional cover to allow for more custom fit
- Sleek design, the probe has a premium look
- Discreet case and charger
- Different types of pelvic floor exercises including lifts, pulses, speed and a few others
Cons:
- Small size may be an issue for some users, even with the additional cover
- May not offer easy connectivity (Bluetooth issues reported by some users)
- On the pricey side when compared to other devices
- The app lacks contrast and the workout is quite repetitive - the exercises are not really games and while the experience is relaxing, it's not "fun". On a long term, the experience lacks novelty and diversity
- The app detects faulty contractions (bearing down vs. lifting) but does not guide you on how to make it right. No differentiation between the superficial and deep pelvic muscles
- You’ll need a smartphone with Bluetooth connexion
Product video from Elvie website, featuring the app contents:
Conclusion: The Elvie Trainer looks great and is a good product for those who value small and beautiful tech gadgets. On the downside, you might find it too small, or too expensive when compared to other options, also taking into account that the app is not offering a lot of choice in terms of exercises and games.
More information on Elvie website
Read here our comparative review Perifit vs. Elvie Trainer
Read here our comparison of Amazon bestselling Kegel exercisers
