Head-to-head

Babycare Elle TENS 2 vs Babycare Elle TENS Plus

Babycare Elle TENS Plus7.7Around £100Amazon

The short answer

The Elle TENS 2 is the better labour TENS; the Elle TENS Plus is the one that does more after birth. Both have a labour mode with a boost button and a contraction timer, run on two AA batteries and come with a one-year guarantee. The Elle TENS 2 is built around labour, with two mode ranges, five pulse-width settings, a backlit screen and a timer that stores your last five contractions and the gaps between them. The Plus is a three-in-one, adding a general pain mode and a pelvic floor mode that uses an included vaginal probe, from at least 12 weeks after birth.

The Elle TENS 2 already doubles as a general TENS for back and period pain, so the Plus's real extra is pelvic floor stimulation. Pelvic floor exercises are free, though, and if you have leaking, heaviness or pain after birth, a pelvic health physiotherapist is the first step rather than a gadget. The extra modes also mean more to navigate mid-contraction.

My call: the Elle TENS 2. It's around £80 against £100 to buy, and Babycare hires it out for £29.95 for seven weeks. Choose the Plus only if you're sure you'll use the pelvic floor mode, ideally on a physio's advice.

Point by point

Measure	Babycare Elle TENS 2	Babycare Elle TENS Plus
Tech Dad Score	8.3	7.7
Labour features	9.0	8.8
Ease of use mid-contraction	8.4	7.0
Pads & build	8.2	8.0
Value & hire options	7.8	5.8
Use after birth	7.5	9.0
Typical price	£80	£100
Modes	2 mode ranges, each with burst and boost	Birth, general pain, pelvic floor
Contraction timer	Yes, last 5 contractions and gaps	Yes
Power	2 x AA batteries	2 x AA batteries
Guarantee	1 year	1 year

★ marks the stronger of the two. Scores are out of 10.

Read the full reviews

Babycare TENS

Babycare Elle TENS 2

The labour TENS to beat: a simple boost button, a genuinely useful contraction timer, and you can hire it.

8.3

Gold StarAround £80

Best for Anyone who wants the most complete labour TENS, whether hiring for one birth or buying to keep.

Read the review Amazon

Babycare TENS

Babycare Elle TENS Plus

Labour TENS, everyday TENS and pelvic floor stimulator in one box, at a price.

7.7

Splurge StarAround £100

Best for Buyers who want one device for labour, postnatal aches and, later on, pelvic floor stimulation.

Read the review Amazon

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See every labour TENS machine I've scored