'Pokémon Go' Incubators: Events, levels, limits, cost, types and everything else we know

Pokémon eggs are terrifically important for the dedicated Pokémon Go player because eggs increase the odds of catching the rarest Pokémon in the game. That means you'll want to stock up on incubators if you plan to become a Pokémon Go master.

Incubators in Pokémon Go are used to hatch the eggs players may receive from visiting PokéStops. All Pokémon Go players get one free unlimited-use incubator in their inventory. You can also earn extra limited-use incubators by leveling up your trainer or simply buying incubators in the Pokémon Go store.

So when developer Niantic starts giving incubators away for free, you had better pay attention. You could save a lot of money by cashing in on special events that give away incubators.

Pokémon Go Incubator: The great Christmas event giveaway

Niantic gave away one free incubator per day to every Pokémon Go player that spun a PokéStop between Dec. 25, 2016 and Jan. 3, 2017. This was a huge deal, owing to how egg inventory works in Pokémon Go.

You can hold a maximum of nine eggs in your inventory in Pokémon Go, and the only way to remove an egg from your inventory is to hatch it. To hatch an egg you have to walk a certain distance.

Pokémon Go eggs come in 2-, 5- and 10-kilometer varieties. Generally speaking, the rarity of the Pokémon that hatches from an egg in Pokémon Go is related to how long you had to walk to hatch the egg. 

Snorlax and Lapras, two of the rarest and most sought after Pokemon in Pokémon Go, each hatch from a 10km egg, according to the Pokémon Go egg data published by fan community The Silph Road. If Snorlax and Lapras are rare spawns for you, 10km eggs may be your best hope of adding these Pokemon to your Pokedex.

Pokémon Go Incubators: The only thing worth buying?

When the first person to catch all 148 Pokémon in Pokémon Go was interviewed about his technique, he said that players got "the most bang for [their] buck" when they bought incubators.

Incubators cost 150 PokéCoins each, which breaks down to about $1.50 to incubate three eggs (an incubator breaks after you use it for a third and final time). If you want to get rid of 2-kilometer and 5-kilometer eggs from your inventory with any due speed, you're going to need a lot of incubators.

By giving away one free incubator per day last week, Niantic helped a lot of Pokémon Go players clear their egg inventories quickly. Of course, Niantic has a motivation to help players hatch eggs, namely the new Gen 2 Pokémon introduced to the game on Dec. 12, 2016. 

And if last week you got used to hatching eggs quickly, Niantic might have you on the hook for some PokéCoins now that its Christmas event is over.

More Pokémon Go news, tips, tricks and updates

If you're stocking up on incubators in Pokémon Go, you may also want to check out Mic's other Pokémon Go tips and tricks. Here are guides on how to catch Gen 2 baby Pokémon, the 98 Gen 2 Pokémon that have yet to be added to the game, how to catch Pikachu and his adorable new Christmas hat, our analysis of post-update Chansey and Rhydon, everything you need to know about finding the long-awaited Pokémon Ditto, how to create new PokéStops, how to maximize your chances of catching Pokémon and how PokéStops distribute Pokémon eggs.