Natural Cycles Launches $130 Wristband for Birth Control App

Women using Natural Cycles for birth control just got a more budget-friendly way to track their fertility without buying an expensive smartwatch.

The company behind the FDA-cleared birth control app launched a new wristband that measures skin temperature, heart rate, and movement during sleep for $130. The device syncs with Natural Cycles' app, which uses an algorithm to determine daily fertility status and help users prevent or plan pregnancy.

Until now, Natural Cycles users needed to manually take their temperature each morning with a basal thermometer or pair the app with devices like an Apple Watch or Oura Ring. Those options meant either remembering to measure every day or shelling out hundreds of dollars for wearable tech.

The new wristband fills a gap for people who want automatic tracking without the premium price tag. It charges via USB-C and lasts up to 14 nights on a single charge, making it a set-it-and-forget-it solution.

Natural Cycles received FDA clearance as a form of birth control in 2018, making it the first digital contraceptive approved in the United States. The company already had authorization to collect data from third-party devices, and the FDA recently allowed them to use temperature-tracking wearables without requiring additional approval for each new device.

The Bright Side

This launch represents progress in making fertility awareness more accessible to more people. While smartwatches offer incredible features, not everyone needs or can afford a $300-plus device just to track their cycle.

The wristband costs $130 on its own or comes included with Natural Cycles' annual subscription for $150. Current subscribers can upgrade to the band for $100 for a limited time, and anyone who already owns a thermometer can keep using it.

Natural Cycles says the band uses encryption and pseudonymization to protect user data, collecting only necessary information for tracking fertility. The company emphasized privacy protections remain a priority as more people turn to digital health solutions.

More affordable health tech means more people can make informed choices about their bodies on their own terms.