Refreshed: 9 May 2026 · Reviewed by Jade, APA titled Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist with a special interest in pelvic health
If you've narrowed your pelvic floor trainer search down to Perifit and Elvie, you're not alone. They're the two devices women in Australia ask me about most, and for good reason. Both are smart, app-connected biofeedback trainers. Both are well-built. Both genuinely help women understand what their pelvic floor is doing.
But they aren't the same device with different colours. The right choice has less to do with which one wins on paper, and more to do with your body, your goals, and which one you'll actually pick up at 9pm when you're tired.
We stock both at Blossom Pelvic Health because both are legitimate, high-quality devices. Here's how I'd walk a patient through the decision in clinic.
Technique comes first, every time
Before we get into the devices, this part matters more than anything below it: no biofeedback trainer can compensate for an incorrect pelvic floor contraction.
The most common pattern I see in clinic is women who think they're lifting their pelvic floor when they're actually:
- Bearing down - pushing the pelvic floor out and down instead of drawing it up.
- Gripping the glutes - squeezing the bum cheeks, which feels like effort but isn't pelvic floor.
- Holding the breath - which raises intra-abdominal pressure and works against the lift.
- Over-bracing the abdominals - tensing the upper belly until nothing is moving where it should.
If the pattern is wrong, even the most expensive trainer will reinforce the wrong pattern. That's a real concern, not a theoretical one.
And not every pelvic floor needs strengthening. Some women have an overactive or tight pelvic floor, and a Kegel-based device can make those symptoms worse. That's why I'd always recommend a single appointment with a pelvic health physio before you start. One session usually gives you the green light to train, or it tells you to put the device away and work on releasing instead.
Biofeedback devices are tools. They aren't diagnostic instruments. Used with correct technique, they're brilliant at improving awareness, holding you accountable, and giving you something measurable to chase. Without it, you're guessing.
How Perifit actually works
Perifit is an internal trainer that uses pressure sensors to detect pelvic floor activity. Once it's inserted, it pairs with the Perifit app over Bluetooth and your contractions control what's happening on screen.
The thing that makes Perifit different from most biofeedback devices is that it picks up both upward lift and downward pressure. If you're bearing down instead of lifting, the device sees it. The app uses that information to coach you back toward the right pattern.
Perifit's exercises are game-like. You're guiding a butterfly through obstacles, or holding a balloon at altitude, or running a dot up a hill. For women who find traditional Kegel programmes boring (most of us), the gamification is genuinely useful. People stick with it because they want to beat their last score, not because their physio guilt-tripped them.
We stock both Perifit Care and Perifit Care Plus at Blossom. Care Plus has a more flexible body, which most postpartum women and women with a sensitive pelvic floor find more comfortable.
How Elvie actually works
Elvie Trainer is also an internal device, but it uses motion-based feedback rather than pressure sensors. It detects how your pelvic floor moves a small object inside the vagina, and the app translates that into a clean, calm visualisation.
Where Perifit leans into data and gamification, Elvie leans into simplicity. The app is minimalist. The exercises are short. The progress markers are easy to read at a glance. Nothing about it feels overly clinical or technical.
For some women, especially anyone who finds the idea of pelvic floor training a bit intimidating, that simplicity is the difference between using a device and leaving it in a drawer. Consistency wins.
You can view the Elvie Pelvic Floor Trainer here.
Perifit vs Elvie at a glance
| Feature | Perifit | Elvie Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback type | Pressure sensors | Motion-based |
| Detects bearing-down | Yes | Limited |
| Data and metrics | More detailed | Simpler |
| App style | Game-based, structured programmes | Minimalist, calm |
| Comfort | Care, or softer Care Plus body | Single smooth design |
| Best fit | Women who like progress data and gamification | Women who want quiet, no-fuss training |
| Available in Australia | Yes | Yes |
| Stocked at Blossom | Yes | Yes |
Is Perifit recommended by doctors?
Both Perifit and Elvie are used and recommended by pelvic health physiotherapists, including in my own clinic, but with the same caveat I'd give anyone before starting. The evidence behind biofeedback for pelvic floor training is reasonable. The evidence behind any specific brand is much thinner. What lifts outcomes is consistent, correct training. The device is the delivery mechanism, not the active ingredient.
So when a patient asks "is Perifit recommended?", my answer is: yes, it's a tool I'm comfortable recommending to the right person, after we've confirmed they can lift correctly and that strengthening is the right direction for their pelvic floor.
Pros and cons of Perifit and Elvie
A short, honest list, because nothing on the internet about either device gives you both sides.
Perifit pros
- Bearing-down detection - genuinely useful if you're new to Kegels or you've been doing them wrong for years.
- Structured programmes - the app builds endurance, strength and quick-flick work in a logical order.
- Gamified workouts - keeps you on the device long enough to get a result.
- Two body styles - Care Plus is gentler for postpartum or sensitive pelvic floors.
Perifit cons
- The gamified interface isn't for everyone. Some women find it busy or distracting.
- The Bluetooth connection occasionally drops mid-session, which is irritating.
Elvie pros
- Simple and calm - low intimidation factor, lower barrier to picking it up.
- Compact, discreet design - easy to travel with.
- Easy-to-read progress - the app is visually quiet, which suits some users far better.
Elvie cons
- Doesn't catch bearing-down as reliably as Perifit. If your technique is uncertain, this is a real limitation.
- Less granular data, which can frustrate women who want to chase numbers.
Neither device is the right pick if your pelvic floor is overactive or painful. Both work by asking the muscle to lift and squeeze. If that's already the problem, you'll want to look at pelvic wands or a release-based plan instead, and again, an assessment first, not a guess.
Which one is better for bladder leaks?
This is the most common question, and I understand why. Leaking when you cough, sneeze, run or lift is the symptom that finally makes most women look up a trainer.
Pelvic floor muscle training has good evidence behind it for stress urinary incontinence (the leak-when-you-cough kind). Biofeedback devices can support that work by sharpening contraction accuracy and helping you train more often. Perifit may have a small edge here for women who tend to bear down rather than lift, because the device flags that pattern early.
That said, the device that gets used four times a week will always beat the device that gets used once a fortnight, no matter how clever it is.
If your leaking pattern is more about urgency (sudden, hard-to-defer needs to go, sometimes with leaking on the way), that's a different driver, and biofeedback alone often isn't enough. A read-through of overactive bladder symptoms can help you work out which kind of bladder issue you're dealing with before you spend on a trainer.
What about postpartum, perimenopause and menopause?
Postpartum, the pelvic floor often feels weak, disconnected or simply absent. Once your six-week check is done and your GP or physio has cleared internal exercise, biofeedback devices can be a brilliant way to rebuild awareness alongside basic strength work.
Around perimenopause and menopause, two things shift at once: tissue quality drops with falling oestrogen, and pelvic floor symptoms (urgency, leaking, prolapse heaviness) often become more noticeable. Both Perifit and Elvie can help here, particularly when paired with vaginal moisturisers or topical oestrogen if your GP has prescribed it. The training itself is the same. The expectation should be that progress is steadier rather than dramatic.
If you're starting from a very weak baseline and the idea of a connected app is too much, even simple Kegel balls can be a useful first step before moving to a biofeedback trainer.
Will Perifit or Elvie stay in during exercise?
I get this question a lot, often from women who lift, run, or do CrossFit. Honest answer: neither device is designed to be worn during heavy compound lifts or running. Both can shift under high intra-abdominal pressure, and a moving sensor isn't reading anything useful anyway.
Use them lying down or sitting comfortably. Save the squat and deadlift work for a separate progressive plan. If leaks are happening during those lifts, that's a sign to get assessed rather than train through it. Sometimes the issue is timing or load, not strength.
Which pelvic floor trainer is best, really?
If you push me on it, this is how I'd answer it in clinic.
Choose Perifit if you want detailed feedback, you respond well to data and progress markers, you suspect your technique is off, or you know yourself well enough to know that a game-style app will keep you consistent.
Choose Elvie if you want something simple, calm and discreet, you don't want to think about metrics, and the lower-stimulus interface is more likely to get you actually using the device.
Both are good. The wrong choice is the device you bought because someone said it was "the best" and now lives unused in your bedside table.
Made your call?
Here's where to get each one, with full Australian warranty and physio-led support if you need it. Still not sure strengthening is your starting point? Message us before you buy. We'd rather help you choose well than sell you the wrong device.
Buying Perifit or Elvie in Australia
A quick checklist before you buy from anywhere:
- Authentic stock - both brands have grey-market sellers, particularly online marketplaces. Buy from a stockist you trust.
- Local warranty - imported devices often don't come with a usable Australian warranty.
- Access to clinical guidance - if you have a question, you want someone who can actually answer it.
- Genuine local shipping - faster, easier, no customs surprises.
Browse our full Perifit and Elvie ranges at Blossom Pelvic Health, with full Australian warranty support and physio-led guidance if you need it.
A note from Jade
Pelvic floor training isn't about chasing the best gadget. It's about correct technique, consistency, and slowly progressing the muscle the way you would any other muscle in the body.
Perifit and Elvie are both good devices in the hands of someone who knows what they're trying to do. If you're not sure which way to go, or whether strengthening is the right starting point at all, message us. I read the questions that come through, and we'd rather help you choose well than sell you something that won't suit you.
This comparison is based on publicly available manufacturer specifications, the clinical principles of pelvic floor rehabilitation, and what I've seen working (and not working) with women in clinic. It is not a substitute for individual assessment.
