Perifit vs Elvie Trainer: which Kegel trainer, and do you need one?

Perifit and Elvie Trainer are insertable pelvic floor trainers: each measures your contraction with a sensor and turns it into a game in its app. They differ on regulatory clearance, charging and price, and both are made for women only. We make Kegelia, an app with no device, so we compare the two trainers on their own published facts and put the device-free option in a third column.

iPhone (iOS only for now)

The short version

Perifit has two FDA 510(k) clearances and is cleared to treat stress, mild to moderate urge and mixed urinary incontinence in women through exercise. It never needs charging, and its two models list at $149 and $199. Elvie Trainer is CE and UKCA marked, its manual says it must not be used to treat or prevent any medical conditions, it charges in its carry case, and it lists at $199; on 13 October 2026 Elvie's US store showed it as sold out. Both show what your muscle just did. An app with no device, like Kegelia, shows what the movement should look like instead, and measures nothing.

Two insertable trainers and an app without a device, point by point.
	Perifit	Elvie Trainer	Kegelia (no device)
How it guides the lift	Your measured contraction drives games in real time	Your contraction moves a gem through a workout in real time	Shows the direction: the bell draws up and in on the lift and opens on the release, with a haptic on each lift
What it measures	Force sensors measure the strength of your contraction	Tracks pelvic floor muscle movement and tone	Nothing: the jellyfish is a model of the movement
Regulatory status	Two FDA 510(k) clearances	CE and UKCA marked on its own labeling	Not a medical device
What it's for	Cleared to treat stress, mild to moderate urge and mixed urinary incontinence in women, through exercise	An exercise tracker for one adult woman at home; its manual says it must not be used to treat or prevent any medical conditions	Doing the exercise regularly, in a discreet minute
Charging and setup	No charging. Insert the probe and connect over Bluetooth, on a phone that supports location services	Charges in its carry case. Clean it, install the app and pair over Bluetooth	None. Download and start
Phones	iPhone, iPad or Android (iOS 13 or Android 8 and later)	iPhone, iPad or Android (iOS 14 or Android 9 and later)	iPhone only, iOS 26.0 or later
Who it works for	Women	Women	Women and men
When not to start	Its FAQ lists pregnancy, the first 6 weeks after birth and a hypertonic pelvic floor as contraindications	After birth: not in the first six weeks, then only with a health professional's approval	A tight or painful pelvic floor: see a specialist first
List price	$149 (Perifit Care) or $199 (Perifit Care+)	$199; shown as sold out on Elvie's US store	Free one-minute session with no time limit; a subscription for the rest
Perifit facts checked 13 October 2026 against the Perifit FAQ and its store listings, and 22 September 2026 against FDA 510(k) summaries K221476 and K231780. Elvie facts checked 13 October 2026 against the Elvie Trainer product page, and 22 September 2026 against its instructions for use. Prices are list prices and change often.

What Perifit does well

Perifit is the one cleared by the FDA to treat urinary incontinence through exercise, a stronger regulatory position than Elvie takes for its trainer. It never needs charging, Perifit covers the battery with a 5-year warranty, and the two models give a lower entry price. Its FAQ also lists its contraindications plainly, including pregnancy, the first six weeks after birth and a hypertonic pelvic floor.

What Elvie Trainer does well

Elvie Trainer turns each squeeze into a gem you lift through a workout: the harder you squeeze, the higher it rises. Its carry case doubles as the charger, and its product page sends you to a health professional first after birth or with prolapse or pelvic pain. If you want biofeedback from a well-known brand and it's in stock, it's a legitimate choice.

Do you need a device at all?

Both trainers answer one question an app can't: did the muscle contract, and how hard. Whether that changes results is less clear: the 2025 Cochrane review found that, in women with urinary incontinence, adding biofeedback to pelvic floor training made little or no difference to incontinence quality of life. If what you need is to do the exercise regularly, an app without a device is the cheaper start. The Kegelia app shows the direction of every lift, up and in, the opposite of bearing down, starts with a free one-minute session, works for men and women, and in Secret Mode keeps only the jellyfish on an active screen. It measures nothing, and it says so.

Which should you choose?

Choose Perifit if you want FDA-cleared biofeedback for bladder leakage, no charging and the lower entry price. Choose Elvie Trainer if you prefer its gem workout and can find it in stock. Start with an app if cost, privacy or a daily habit matters more to you than measurement; a trainer can come later. Kegelia vs Perifit, in detail.

One exception applies to all three: if your trouble is pelvic pain, tightness, or muscles that won't let go after a squeeze, rather than weakness, neither a trainer nor an app is the place to start. See a pelvic floor physical therapist first; for a tight floor the work is learning to release, not squeezing more.

FAQ

Is Perifit better than Elvie?

Neither is better across the board. Perifit has two FDA 510(k) clearances, needs no charging and starts at a lower list price; Elvie Trainer is CE and UKCA marked, and its manual presents it as an exercise tracker rather than a treatment. Both measure your contraction, and both are for women only. The Kegelia app is the third option, with no device and nothing measured. How six options compare.

Do Perifit and Elvie need charging?

Perifit says it never needs recharging and covers the battery with a 5-year warranty. Elvie Trainer charges in its carry case over Micro USB. The Kegelia app needs nothing beyond your iPhone. Kegelia vs Elvie, in detail.

Can you use Perifit or Elvie after giving birth?

Not straight away. Perifit's FAQ lists the first six weeks after birth as a contraindication, and Elvie's manual says not to use it in the first six weeks after birth; its product page then asks you to wait for a health professional's approval. Gentle pelvic floor exercises without a device can often start earlier after an uncomplicated vaginal birth, as your midwife or doctor advises; after a C-section, follow your doctor's timing. Pelvic floor exercises after birth.

Can men use Perifit or Elvie?

No: both are designed for vaginal insertion. Men who want guided Kegel exercises need an approach without a probe, and the Kegelia app works the same way for men and women. Kegel exercises for men.

Is there an alternative to Perifit and Elvie without a device?

Yes: a pelvic floor physical therapist, or an app that guides the exercise. No app without a sensor can measure your contraction, the Kegelia app included; what it shows is the direction of each lift and the release, with a haptic on every lift, and it is free to start. Do you need a Kegel device?

Try the device-free one.