Short Summary

In this blog I write about my experiences with One Step Ovulation Strips. They are a cheaper alternative to the more expensive Clearblue tests.

When I was using this one step, I was also using the digital Clearblue test at the same time to be able to compare them. Both tests show the increase in the LH hormone and thus signal the time in which you are most receptive.

I have tested how easy it is to use the test and how meaningful it is. The nice thing is that both tests show the LH climax on the same day. This means that the One Step Ovolation test works just as well as the slightly more expensive one. (You can find the article about the digital Clearblue test here).

I am very happy with the Clearblue, but the reason why I still bought the One Step is because it is significantly cheaper. For 13 EUR you get 50 test strips. That is only 0.26 cents per test. In comparison the Clearblue costs 2 EUR per test.

But since I wanted to test several times on the days when I expected ovulation, the Cleablue was out of the question for me. I wanted to test several times a day to make sure I got the right ovulation time. That’s why I bought the One Step.

I ordered the One Step Ovulation Strips from Amazon. There are different packaging combinations between which you can choose. For example, there are combination packs that also contain pregnancy tests. Or jumbo packs with 100 test strips. I bought the package with 50 tests. The large selection is another plus in addition to the price.

The test itself is also easy to use. With the test you get a manual in which the correct use is simply described. The tests will use similar to Clearblue.

Nevertheless, there are a few differences to the Clearblue Test, which make me continue to use the Clearblue Test as the main test and the One Step Tests only as additional information.

With the results, for example, you have to wait a little longer for One Step. Here you wait about 10 minutes compared to the 3 minutes with Clearblue.

The sensitivity of the One Step is 20 miu / ml and is lower than the 40 miu / ml for Clearblue. This is especially important for women with polycistic ovaries.

But the biggest disadvantage is that the test strips cannot be easily interpreted and therefore never sure when the climax is. If you have the comparison with the Clearblue, then it is clear. But if you have to decide alone based on the color of the one step, you are not always sure.

My test experience

As written, I used the One Step strips together with the digital Clearblue test. I was able to determine the climax in parallel with both tests and both tests showed the highest value on the same days.

I started the Clearblue test on the 6th day of my cycle. I only used the One Step strips from the 8th day.

The One Step stripes have two lines. The dark red control line and the lighter test line. The closer you get to the positive result, the darker the test line and the more similar the control line. In fact, it never turns quite as red as the control line, as you can see in the last picture.

I had a big jump in my Lh hormone level on the 11th day of my cycle. The Clear Blue Test signaled it to me immediately. In the One Step Test, the two lines were almost the same color. This means that you can expect ovulation in the next 12 to 48 hours. So it is in the instruction manual. It is important, however, that you know that ovulation can occur after a few hours. That from then on you can start the experiments. In the following picture you can see what a positive result looks like.

As you can see, the test line is darker than the control line. Even if they are the same color, the test is positive.

It is important to say that it is recommended to do the tests in the afternoon. At least 2 hours before the test, you should not go to the toilet or drink fluids.

I tested myself both in the morning and in the afternoon, but noticed no significant difference in the results. The positive test you see in the picture was taken just before noon. At the next test in the afternoon, the same result came out.

After a positive result, the test line should become lighter the next day, as the LH concentration then decreases again.

I read that for some women the result is positive for several consecutive days. In my case, the test line was still very visible the next day, but it was already brighter than the day before. You can see that in this picture.

The test line should disappear completely after a few days. The Lh hormone is increased in women with polycystic ovaries, and since the One Step Test is very sensitive, the test line may only ever be present with a lower intensity. With me it was barely visible the next day.

The best at the end. In the last picture I have photographed all the ovulation strips side by side so you can see the difference ..

I should also mention that the color changes slightly when the strips dry. I took the pictures above 10 minutes after the test. Therefore, the colors in the pictures above are a bit more intense.

The top test strip is the first on the 8th day of my cycle, the next is the 9th day etc. The bottom test strip is the 13th day of my cycle and my last test day. The left line is the test line and the right one is the control line.

As you can see before the positive result, the left test line slowly darkened until it got darkest on day 11. You can see very well the sudden increase in Lh hormone due to the strong discoloration of the test line on the 11th day. It was darker than the control line.

The picture above conceals that the discoloration does not always look the same. That one is not sure whether the darkest streak is today or will only come tomorrow. If you then wait and the line gets lighter the next day, you have lost a day or even missed the cycle. Therefore, the Clear Blue is much easier. Because he shows a yes or no that day.

If you want to buy One Step Ovulation Strips, you can do so through Amazon.de. The price is approx. 13 EUR for the package with 50 test strips.

You can choose one of the combination packages. In this case the price varies from package to package.

If you want to read impressions about other products, click here!