FAQs
Is it a real clock? Or an app?
The Le Flux menstrual cycle clock is a real, physical, analogue clock, that you can hang on the wall or put on a shelf or bedside table.
It has a hand that turns automatically around the clock to indicate what day of your cycle you're on, as well as what cycle phase you're currently in.
iI has no screens, no app, no notifications, no monthly subscription, no advertisements, it is not connected to the internet or bluetooth and it does not collect any of your private, intimate data.
In a world where more and more of our lives are behind a screen, Le Flux menstrual cycle clocks are intentionally and proudly low-tech and offline.
If you're already using an app, the menstrual cycle clock can be complementary, bringing your cycle out from behind the screen to be visual and accessible on a daily basis, while still keeping your app for recording periods and logging symptoms.
The menstrual cycle clock also works well with cycle tracking journals, which are valuable in recording experiences to identify patterns, and we are developing our own tracking journal to go with clocks.
Does it work for different cycle durations?
Yes: the menstrual cycle clock is adjustable for cycles from 24-35 days in duration.
We know that menstrual cycle durations can differ a lot from the 28-day average we're often told about.
And that cycle durations will also change during our lifetimes, getting shorter on average about one day every five years as we get older.
So it was essential that we build the menstrual cycle clock to not only be adjustable to a wide range of cycle durations, but also to be adjustable throughout the changes to cycle duration that take place over a lifetime.
We're building the menstrual cycle clock to be a companion that accompanies you throughout your menstruating years, and something which you can pass on to another when you no longer need it.
What if my cycle length differs by a few days each month?
Most of us have a cycle that varies by a couple of days from cycle to cycle, and this is fine for using the clock.
Tracking your cycle for at least three months will give you an average duration, and this should be the rotation that you set the menstrual cycle clock to.
If your cycle ends up being a day or two shorter or longer than the average, then this just means you'll get your period a bit before the clock estimates or a bit after, then your can reset the clock to 'day 1' to start a new cycle.
This is the same way that most period tracking apps work.
The clock will still be a good guide to understanding what cycle phase you're in, even if your cycle varies a bit month to month.
The clocks show cycle phases without marking definitive start or end dates for each phase, as it's impossible to know without daily ultrasounds when ovulation actually happens.
If you find that your cycle is finishing consistently earlier or later than shown on the clock, this can be a sign that your duration has shifted, and you can adjust the clock rotation to reflect this.
What if my cycles are very irregular?
Unfortunately the clock won't work for cycles that are always irregular and vary by more than a few days each month.
While it is adjustable for different cycle durations, once it is set to a certain number of days it will continue to rotate at that duration.
If your cycles are for example 27 days one month, and 35 the next, we're sorry to say that the clock won't be a useful tool for you.
Why a clock?
When we glance at a clock, we understand within seconds where we are within the daily cycle.
And we take away key information about what this means for us and how to make sense of our experience in relation to our 24-hour circadian rhythms.
The clock tells us what time of the day it is, and we can connect this with our internal experience of feeling energised, getting hungry and becoming sleepy.
The menstrual cycle clock works in the same way.
Being able to visualise our menstrual cycles on the cyclic form of a clock allows us to immediately and intuitively understand where we are in our cycle.
The more familiar we become with this cyclic representation of our cycles on the clock, the more our ability to use it becomes just like a regular clock to tell the time.
With just a glance, we can take away meaning and understanding about our immediate internal experience.
Who is behind Le Flux?
I'm Sam, the founder of Le Flux, and the creator of the menstrual cycle clock.
I'm originally from Sydney, Australia and based in Paris, France, and I've been working on building the menstrual cycle clock for a couple of years now.
I made the first menstrual cycle clock for myself, because I needed it.
I was having bad pre-menstrual symptoms, with very dark moods and difficult emotions that were affecting my quality of life and my relationships.
It took me a while to realise that this was connected to my menstrual cycle, and even once I knew this, somehow it would still take me by surprise each month.
Because the feelings and thoughts were coming from inside me, and couldn't be explained by any external experience, it was so easy to feel like it was 'true' and so hard to get out of.
Sometimes I would look at my period tracking app and I'd realise that I was on those days again, the ones where I often felt like this.
But sometimes I wouldn't even think to check my app, and I'd only realise what had been happening once my period came and I finally felt like myself again.
I was tired of feeling out of control and in the dark about my own experience, and kept thinking that i needed something physical and visual that i could look at to know where I was at in my cycle, like a clock but for my menstrual cycle.
When I couldn't find what I was looking for, I decided to make it for myself.
It sounds dramatic, but my life hasn't been the same since.
I started learning more about the menstrual cycle, both the science and the spiritual side, and learnt how to live in alignment with the different phases.
Most importantly of all, i got to know my unique cycle experience, what my personal patterns were and the ways that the different phases affected me.
Going from living most of my life without any idea where I was at in my cycle, except of course when i was bleeding, to having a daily awareness of my menstrual cycle brought me such a greater level of self knowledge and understanding, which in turn benefited my mental health, my relationships and general wellbeing.
Soon my friends were also asking for menstrual cycle clocks and i started making them for the people in my life.
I got such positive feedback, that I realised this was a tool that could benefit so many others.
And so Le Flux was born.
When can I buy one?
We're currently on track for a 2026 launch.
For now, we're in the later stages of product development, making sure the clocks work properly, are super high quality and long lasting, are as sustainably produced as possible, and of course that they are beautiful pieces of décor.
We're sending regular updates via email and on Instagram, and are also keen to get input and ideas from our earliest adopters (that's you) on what you want and need from the menstrual cycle clock.