Meditation Wearables – Our Top Three Picks For Staying Calm
Tech wearables tend to come in two main forms – fitness trackers and smartwatches. In fact, these two wearables make up approximately 85% of the wearable market. But, slowly and surely others are creeping into the tech wearable market. Meditation wearables are beginning to stake their claim.
According to the Global Organization for Stress, 80% of workers report feeling stress on the job. Nearly half of these people say they need help learning how to manage stress. Globally, stress levels are on the rise. One of the best ways to combat stress is through proper breathing and meditation. So, it is no wonder that meditation apps and wearables are increasingly in demand. Meditation wearables tend to be pretty basic. Most focus on calming your breathing through simple, guided visual exercises. These exercises are designed to slow your breathing and calm your mind. Don’t get us wrong, they work, but, we’re ready for something more, something that will take us a little deeper into the mind, body, spirit connection.
We took a look at the breathing/meditation wearables currently on the market and chose our top three picks that offer something a little different than the others.
Spire claims to be the only breath and activity tracker proven to decrease stress. It aims to detect rising stress levels even before you are aware of it. Spire detects stress by analyzing your respiration patterns and body movements. Once increased stress levels are detected Spire sends a notification suggesting you take time out for some breathing exercises. The aim is to return you to calm before the stress gets worse. Spire also nudges you to get active when it detects you have been focused or sitting too long.
Visually, Spire is exactly how you think a meditation wearable would look. It is a small, gray, tranquil stone and even comes with a cork charging plate. It’s sleek, minimalist look oozes calm.
Spire is meant to simply be clipped on to your bra or waist and it will monitor your breathing. It can be paired to your phone to help you visualize your breathing patterns. Guided meditations are included in the Spire App, led by meditation gurus like Deepak Chopra and Thich Nhat Hanh. Like other fitness wearables Spire also tracks your steps, activity and calories. Daily and weekly stats enable you to monitor your progress. These stats give a clear visual of the time spent in various states – calm, sedentary, focused, tense and active. Vibration levels and frequency of notifications can be customized.
That being said, Spire is not perfect. The most common complaint is discomfort in certain positions and the need to reposition the Spire in order for it to work properly.
If you are looking for a meditation device that will increase your awareness of proper breathing, and help you focus on being present, Spire may be just what you are looking for. We think it is a good first step in creating a true meditation wearable.
Related: Hack Yourself & Discover Calm With The Spire Mindfulness Wearable
Bellabeat is our top pick for aesthetically pleasing meditation wearable. We love it’s zen-like, earthy look. Designed specifically for women Bellabeat truly focuses on mindfulness meditation and overall well being. A unique feature of Bellabeat Leaf is it’s ovulation calculator. It is designed to make fertility tracking fast, easy and accurate. The leaf identifies the patterns of your cycle which affect your sleep, activity, and stress levels. It also acts as a fitness tracker – counting steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes. Silent, vibrational alarms and reminders to get moving, custom activity tracking, fitness goal setting and sleep tracking are reasons we think Bellabeat is truly on the right track. It offers more of what we want in a meditation device – a mind, body and spirit connection.
With a focus on mindfulness meditation, Bellabeat Leaf offers endless guided meditations. You can choose meditations for areas such as inner peace, focus, confidence and deep sleep. Meditations generally last from 2-10 minutes and can be done anywhere, anytime. Breathing exercises are also available. All you have to do is breathe deeply, relax, calm and nurture your mind. The tracker is able to tell you if you are breathing and meditating the right way. New to Bellabeat’s Leaf App are eight 3-D guided meditations that fully immerse you in the experience, taking you to peaceful islands, meadows or other faraway places. Filled with sounds of nature to help you find your zen, you are encouraged to focus, relax, let go and be in the moment. The Leaf App also sends daily inspirational messages designed to inspire a mind-body connection.
Bellabeat has a six month battery so requires no charging and has a 14 day memory. It comes in a variety of colors and styles, including new active bracelets. The Leaf can be worn as a necklace, bracelet or clip. When meditating or practicing breathing, the Leaf is clipped onto your pants in order to track and monitor belly movements. In the future Bellabeat Leaf is planning to use this information to assess the level of calmness experienced during meditation and breathing exercises.
Related: Leaf Wellness Pendant Is As Cool As It Is Mysterious
We love, Muse. It is a unique meditation wearable that markets itself as a “brain sensing headband that will elevate your meditation experience.” It mimics weather sounds to correlate to the state of your mind. When you’re calm, you’ll hear peaceful weather sounds. When your mind wanders or becomes more active, the weather will intensify, guiding you back to a calm state. You can choose to meditate to the calming sounds of 5 immersive landscapes including a beach, desert and rainforest. You receive real-time information regarding the state of your brain while you meditate, allowing you to work towards a positive meditation practice. For those new to meditation or just not sure if they are doing it right, Muse helps to reduce the uncertainty by giving you feedback on your experiences. Personalized tracking, motivational challenges and rewards encourage you to build a more effective and regular meditation practice.
You can create multiple accounts for friends and family. At the end of each meditation session you can look at the results and graphs, to further analyse and improve your meditation practice. You can choose the gender of the meditation voice, the difficulty and the length of the meditation session.
The Muse headband is lightweight and fits across your forehead and behind your ears. It can be worn anywhere, though it is not discreet so not everyone will be comfortable wearing it in more public situations. The Muse needs to be charged after every 5th or 6th session. It should also be noted that it needs to be calibrated before using it each time. Calibration is simple, but it is an extra step prior to actual meditation.
While not perfect, most users report feeling significantly calmer and more focused after a meditation session with Muse. We are very excited about the Muse headband and the future of meditation with wearables.
