Best 6 Portable Ultrasound Machines for Pregnancy: Top At-home Care Options
Updated: September 25, 2024

Portable ultrasound machines for pregnancy are revolutionizing how expectant mothers follow the health and development of their unborn babies.
Thanks to these portable devices, expectant mothers don’t have to necessarily schedule a meeting with their prenatal care provider at a health facility.
Instead, they can conveniently have prenatal checks at home with a home ultrasound machine for pregnancy.
At Dr. Sono, we know it is crucial for mothers to know they are relying on the best home ultrasound machine for pregnancy to follow the growth and well-being of their unborn bundle of joy.
That’s why we created this post, so expectant mothers can know, and their prenatal care providers can choose from the best 6 portable ultrasound machines for pregnancy.
We tell you their best features, how much they cost, and what makes them great at-home ultrasound machines for pregnancy. We also tell you the benefits of at-home ultrasound for pregnancy and answer the common question, “Can ultrasound harm your baby?”
But first things first. What is a home-use ultrasound machine for pregnancy in the first place?
What Is a Home Ultrasound Machine for Pregnancy?
A home ultrasound machine for pregnancy, or a home ultrasound machine for baby, is a portable device used by trained sonographers or prenatal care providers to monitor the health, growth, and development of unborn babies in the home context.
These portable ultrasound machines for pregnancy are not the over-the-counter fetal heartbeat doppler devices that expectant mothers and their partners use to listen to the fetus’ heartbeat.
In fact, many consumer welfare agencies like the FDA and the AIUM (American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine) caution against the use of these fetal heartbeat dopplers.
That’s because, one, they can mislead mothers about the state of their unborn baby. And most significantly, their excessive use can expose the fetus to dangerous heat.
But what about the portable ultrasound machines? Can they harm the fetus?
We give you the answer to that query later in the article. But before that, let’s focus on the best 6 portable ultrasound machines for pregnancy for at-home use.
Best Portable Ultrasound Machines to Use at Home
Sourcing from our expertise in ultrasound equipment, the best portable ultrasound machines for pregnancy to use at home have features such as high image quality, inbuilt wireless WiFi connectivity, long battery performance hours, lightweight for easy portability, and high waterproof rating for safe cleaning and disinfection.
With those features in mind, here’s a summary of our 6 picks for the best ultrasound machine for pregnancy:
Our Top Pick:
Dr. Sono Tri-scan Max
Nothing beats a portable ultrasound scanner that is extremely light to carry for at-home prenatal care. The Dr. Sono Tri-scan Max portable scanner fits that description because it weighs a minimal 250g (8.8oz).
The ultrasound machine has several cutting-edge performance features, including being a dual-side probe scanner.
Using its convex probe, sonographers and clinicians can perform complex pregnancy imaging to ascertain normal fetal growth and health. Besides, the convex side also has presets for cardiac, abdomen, urology, kidney, and lung imaging.
By flipping to the linear side of the probe, sonographers can do precise imaging beyond OB/GYN in specialties like pediatrics, breast, vascular, thyroid, carotid, and Musculoskeletal (MSK) imaging.
Whether at-home scanning is done for pregnancy or other diagnostic needs, the images are high-quality and super clear to display the required details. That’s because the Tri-scan Max can use a range of scanning modes, including the B, M, Pulsed wave, Color, and Power Doppler modes.
With the freeze and scan feature, the sonographer gets the perfect image and video clips of the fetus and can share them on the mother’s phone.
Price and Subscriptions:
Tri-scan Max is currently listed for $3,599, a 21.7% discount from the original price of $4,599. You also get a 5% listed price cut with the code, “DRSONO.”
No extra payment as membership fees.
Top Benefit:
- Unlimited access to a free-to-use app compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems.
Best Features for At-home Pregnancy Ultrasound:
- Lightweight, allowing easy carry for at-home pregnancy imaging.
- 3-5 hours of battery life.
- Inbuilt WiFi facilitates wireless connectivity between the scanner and mobile device at any location.
- Realtime image and file sharing between the at-home sonographer, mother, and a prenatal care provider at the healthcare facility.
- Ipx7 waterproof rating supports thorough cleaning and disinfection.
What Could Be Better
Image quality can vary with the sonographer’s mobile device performance.
Best Fetal Image Quality:
Vscan Air™ CL
GE’s Vscan Air™ CL proves to be the perfect home ultrasound machine for pregnancy because of its next-generation imaging quality. The images of the fetus are ultra-clear, thanks to the scanner’s SignalMax™ technology.
With such images, the mother and prenatal care provider can tell how well the unborn baby is growing and notice any abnormalities.
The sonographer will find it easy to bring the 205g (7.2 oz) portable scanner for at-home care. It is almost unnoticeable, even in a lab coat pocket.
For prenatal care imaging, Vscan Air uses the convex side, which also produces quality images in the cardiac, lung, and urology specialties.
The linear side is best fit for vascular, pediatric, ocular, MSK, and small organ imaging.
With its B, M, Pulsed wave, and Color Doppler modes, the Vscan Air can perform advanced imaging for precise fetal health and development monitoring.
Price and Subscriptions:
Vscan Air costs $4,855 with access to the basic app tools. Access to advanced digital tools requires a $430 annual subscription, rounded off to $1,165 if you opt for a 3-year subscription.
Top Benefit:
- Premier image quality and a 3-year warranty for the scanner.
Best Features for At-home Pregnancy Ultrasound:
- Easy portability due to its low weight.
- Wireless connection enables seamless scanner and gadget pairing, video and image sharing, and video consultations with the “MyRemoteShare” feature.
- Extensive patient data storage space with the free software feature, up to 500 patients.
- An IP67 waterproof rating renders it safe and easy to clean and disinfect.
What Could Be Better
A 75-minute battery charging only gives 50 minutes of battery performance.
Best for Live Teleconsulting:
Clarius C3 HD3
Clarius C3 HD3 is a convex probe ultrasound scanner with high image quality. The scanner uses the latest AI-powered technology to produce pregnancy images similar in quality and frame rate speed to cart-based ultrasound machines.
Sonographers can take extra clear baby images in M, B, Pulsed wave, Color, and Power Doppler modes.
In addition to pregnancy ultrasound, the C3 HD3 creates high-quality cardiac, abdominal, lung, and superficial imaging. Subscription is required to use other imaging options like thoracic, vascular, hip, urology, and spine images.
Price and Subscriptions:
You pay $3,595 to own the Clarius C3 HD3 and an additional $595 compulsory annual membership fee. That’s $4,190 initial cost.
Top Benefit:
- Superior image quality, evidenced by an image gallery on the manufacturer’s homepage.
Best Features for At-home Pregnancy Ultrasound:
- High-speed wireless connection between the probe and iOS or Android devices.
- Supports ultrasound image sharing and live telemedicine.
- Fairly lightweight, 308g (10.8 oz).
- Safe to clean and disinfect, with an IP67 waterproof rating.
What Could Be Better
Battery capacity is only 1 hour after 3 hours of charging.
Safest for Pregnancy Imaging: Butterfly IQ3
The Butterfly iQ3 ultrasound scanner is built to ensure safe imaging for pregnancy. With its 2x image processing power, the scanner ensures reduced ultrasound wave exposure time to the fetus.
Improved over time from the Butterfly iQ version, the 3rd generation Butterfly iQ3 provides a comfortable hold with its ergonomic features and high image quality from cutting-edge data processing and transfer speeds.
With its tri-probe feature, sonographers can take quality fetal images with the low-frequency convex probe or opt for the phased array probe. With the linear probe, all three probes increase the specialties covered by the iQ3, including lung, abdominal, cardiac, bladder, MSK, vascular, and small organs.
The pregnancy imaging can be realized in the B or M mode for routine scans or Pulsed wave, Color, or Power Doppler modes with special clinical indications for advanced fetal assessment.
Price and Subscriptions:
The Butterfly iQ3 costs $3,899. An additional membership subscription of $299 – $3,500 per year is calculated based on your package.
You can trade previous Butterfly iQ and other scanner models for credits of up to $1350-$1500 towards buying the iQ3.
Top Benefit:
- Many scan modes and presents, plus secure scanning with advanced ergonomic features.
Best Features for At-home Pregnancy Ultrasound:
- 2-hour battery performance.
- Lightweight for easy carry to at-home prenatal imaging. 300g (10.6 oz).
- Easy connection to the EMR system from the at-home care location, enabling data access by prenatal care providers at a health facility.
- An IPX7 waterproof and IP6X dustproof rating make it safe to clean and disinfect before and after at-home scanning.
What Could Be Better
Not every scanning mode is available in all countries and operating systems.
Most Specialized:
K9 Quick Scan Q6
An ultrasound machine for pregnancy, such as the K9 Quick Scan Q6, specially created for OB imaging, is great for at-home prenatal scanning.
Equipped with a convex probe, the Q6 scanner allows the sonographer or prenatal care provider to take and share with the mother all the OB measurements, including Biparietal Diameter (BPD), Head Circumference (HC), Abdominal Circumference (AC), Femur Length (FL), Crown-rump Length (CRL), and Gestational Sac Mean Diameter (GS).
With its 192 elements, the Q6 offers full-color imaging and produces premium-quality fetal images in the B, B/M, Pulsed wave, Color, and Power Doppler modes.
Price and Subscriptions:
The Q6 scanner is listed for $3,600 with options to pay in monthly installments.
Top Benefit:
- The wireless connection makes the K9 Quick a great choice for sonographers on the go.
Best Features for At-home Pregnancy Ultrasound:
- 3-hour battery performance.
- Lightweight for easy portability, 240g (8.4 oz).
What Could Be Better
Compatible only with iOS (not Android) devices.
Best Value for Money:
Sonosif CLC4CD
The Sonosif CLC4CD is a 3-in-1 ultrasound machine that offers linear and convex with phased array (cardiac) preset probe types. For a 3-probe-type scanner, the price is a great deal for its value.
Created with dual 192 elements, the scanner produces superior-quality ultrasound images in an inexhaustible range of specialties, including OB/GYN, cardiac, abdomen, urology, kidney, lung, carotid, vascular, breast, and MSK.
Sonographers can count on the Sonosif CLC4CD to create clear images of the fetus in the B, B/M, B+B, Pulsed wave, Color and Power Doppler, and a combination of B, Color, and PW.
The scanner’s universal compatibility with Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems means mothers can be incorporated into the at home ultrasound for phone imaging experience of their unborn baby.
Price and Subscriptions:
Sonosif lists the CLC4CD for AR644,630 ($672.86), a discounted cost from the original AR935,214 ($976.17).
Top Benefit:
- You have an option between USB and wireless WiFi connection.
Best Features for At-home Pregnancy Ultrasound:
- 3-hour battery performance.
- Lightweight, 90g (3.17oz).
- A fairly safe cleaning and disinfection experience with its IPX5 waterproof rating.
What Could Be Better
Waterproof rating is lower than in other models (not safe for immersion).
And now that you know which are the 6 best portable ultrasound machines for pregnancy, you probably want to know if using them is safe for your unborn baby.
Can Ultrasound Harm Your Baby
Prudent use of ultrasound machines in pregnancy is generally safe for the unborn baby.
At Dr. Sono, we advise both mothers and sonographers that ultrasound energy can cause undesirable biological effects with prolonged exposure and multiplied dwell times.
Specifically, imprudent use of ultrasound machines for pregnancy can over-expose the unborn fetus to ultrasound waves with these two consequences:
- Slight tissue heating.
- The formation of minute gas pockets in body tissues and fluids.
These risks go to warn both mothers and sonographers that they should stick to the recommended ultrasound scanning times.
For these reasons, the only way expectant mothers can reap the benefits of at-home ultrasound for pregnancy is by having trained sonographers or professional health care providers perform the scanning.
Sonographers, clinicians, and medics are trained on how to perform and read ultrasound scans, crucial knowledge that expectant mothers lack.
To show how true that is, a study that allowed self-examination with portable ultrasound machines found that expectant mothers did well with image quality for examining amniotic fluid levels. However, they were challenged in fetal heartbeat and facial profile scanning and reading.
In summary, home ultrasound machines for baby should be used with medical precaution to keep the unborn baby safe. Doing that comes with benefits.
Benefits of Portable Ultrasound for At-home Prenatal Care
When used at home by trained professionals, portable ultrasound machines come with these benefits for mother and baby:
- Fewer trips to scheduled prenatal care at a health facility. That comes with reduced anxiety for the mother.
- Stress-free prenatal monitoring for high-risk pregnancies. Evidence shows home care can reduce emotional and social stress for mothers with risk pregnancies.
- Greater family involvement. Other family members can participate in the growth and development of the baby alongside the mother.
Enhanced safety and sterilization. With the elevated health consciousness that has come with the COVID-19 pandemic, expectant mothers will feel safer in their home space without the large crowds in hospitals. Plus, sonographers observe advanced safety and sterilization with at-home ultrasound services.
Concluding Thoughts
Portable ultrasound machines for pregnancy are a perfect option for sonographers and prenatal care providers who offer at-home prenatal care to expectant mothers.
The best ultrasound machines for baby have high image quality, offering mothers a unique bonding experience with their unborn babies. Besides, they are light enough to carry to any location. They support wireless connectivity, allowing sonographers to share ultrasound images with the mother.
Talk to Dr. Sono about purchasing a reliable ultrasound machine for baby for home use.
As your trusted partner in quality ultrasound machines for pregnancy, Dr. Sono advocates for the safe use of ultrasound machines in pregnancy and recommends working with your prenatal care provider to ensure your unborn baby is safe and developing well.
Whether you are a professional sonographer, doctor, clinician, or expectant mother curious about what ultrasound machine for pregnancy your sonographer should be using, you can talk to us today.
Sources
- International Ultrasound Services: Use of Portable Ultrasound Equipment for at Home Pregnancy Scanning.
- CHISON: Portable Ultrasound Machine For Pregnancy.
- Mohammadi F, et al. Exploring Potential Achievements and Barriers to Provide Homecare for Women with Preeclampsia: A Qualitative Study. Int J Community Based Nurse Midwifery. 2022 Jan;10(1):30-41. https://doi.org/10.30476%2FIJCBNM.2021.89368.1605
- Pontones CA, et al. Feasibility and Acceptance of Self-Guided Mobile Ultrasound among Pregnant Women in Routine Prenatal Care. J Clin Med. 2023 Jun 22;12(13):4224. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fjcm12134224.
- Consumer Reports: Think Twice Before Buying an At-Home Fetal Doppler.
- FDA: Ultrasound Imaging.
- AIUM: Prudent Use and Safety of Diagnostic Ultrasound in Pregnancy.
- AIUM: Recommended Maximum Scanning Times for Displayed Thermal Index (TI) Values.

Article by
Scott Caswell
Scott is a co-founder of PUM and an ultrasound technology expert with a passion for innovation in the medical field. Scott has dedicated his career to advancing portable ultrasound devices, making medical imaging more accessible to professionals around the globe.
When not refining ultrasound devices, he enjoys hiking, experimenting with new recipes, and exploring the latest tech gadgets. Scott is dedicated to making healthcare more accessible and efficient through cutting-edge ultrasound solutions.
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