REVIEW – Taking care of your mental health is something we all need to make a priority in this fast-paced, stressful world. If you’re already into meditation, kudos to you! If you’re not but would like a relatively easy way to dip your toe in the calm waters of this practice, I have a gadget for you that might help you get started. It’s the BrainCo OxyZen. Let’s take a deep, cleansing breath and check it out.
What is it?
The BrainCo OxyZen is a wearable device that was created by the Harvard Innovation Lab. It’s a health and fitness device that uses BCI technology (brain computer interface) and has been designed to provide a personal meditation coach.
What’s included?
- BrainCo OxyZen standard headband
- Thin headband for sleeping (shown below)
- Oxyzen module
- USB-C charging cable
- Storage bag
Design and features
The BrainCo OxyZen module is designed to be worn against your forehead. Included with the OxyZen are two headbands. There’s a larger soft headband and a thinner elastic band which is better suited for use while sleeping.
The larger band uses Velcro and should be large enough for most adults. The BrainCo OxyZen module has magnets embedded so that it easily attaches to the standard band.
To use the OxyZen with the thinner band, you have to hook the band into the loops on the module.
The image above shows three biofeedback sensors. These soft sensors are made of metallic material and designed to contact your forehead. You must moisten your forehead before putting on the headband for the sensors to make good contact with your head.
There is also an EEG and PPG pulse oximetry sensor. These sensors measure brain activity, heart rate, and breath.
You can also see the USB-C connector and a small button beside it that is used to power the module on/off.
OxyZen app
The app provides over 600 meditation, focus, mindfulness, and relaxation courses, and instructor-led classes that can be tailored to your individual needs. The sessions are as short as 5 minutes and as long as 30 minutes. Some of the sessions that I tested included nature sounds combined with soothing musical background tracks.
The app uses AI algorithms to detect your mindfulness state, calmness level, and awareness level, providing a score for each one you can track and improve upon with practice.
Brainco claims that the device with the sessions through the app will help people become more relaxed in as little as two weeks. I’m already a pretty chill person, but I still found that the sessions left me feeling refreshed, especially after a long writing session.
OxyZen can also help you get better sleep (at least in theory)
You can also use this device to help you fall asleep if you suffer from insomnia. The app provides sleep-themed content like ASMR features including white noise, and nature sounds. OxyZen will also track your sleep. I tried to test this feature of OxyZen but I wasn’t successful. Why? I’m a side sleeper, and I couldn’t get comfortable. I also noticed (you can see it in the image above) that the sensor light was visible to me even with my eyes closed. I’m very sensitive to my sleep environment, which might not be an issue for others.
Last but not least, I kept getting a disconnection message in the app. This was most likely because I was trying to sleep on my side, which caused the headband to shift. In my opinion, you’ll need to be a back sleeper to use this feature.
Battery life
The built-in battery supports up to two weeks of use on a single charge. With daily 30-minute meditation sessions, it can last for 14-16 days. However, the documentation that came with my sample said that it can only work for about 8 hours straight which could be a problem if you want to use to track your sleep.
What I like about the BrainCo OxyZen smart meditation headband
- Dozens of classes to choose from with no additional subscription fees
- Ability to track sleep too (for some people)
What needs to be improved?
- Battery life. At about 8 hours, it might be too short to capture data for a long sleep session
- Might not work well for sleep tracking if you’re a side sleeper
Final thoughts
In the end, the BrainCo OxyZen is an interesting gadget that mixes technology with meditation, making it easier for anyone to get started with mindfulness. It has smart features that help you track your progress and offers a bunch of free guided sessions, which can be super helpful if you’re new to meditation. While the sleep tracking might not work for everyone—especially if you’re a side sleeper—the OxyZen really shines when it comes to helping you relax and focus. Sure, the battery life could be better, but if you’re looking to boost your meditation game and want some fun tools to help you along the way, the BrainCo OxyZen is worth checking out. Just think about whether it fits your budget and what you want to achieve with your mental wellness!
Price: $299.00 and up
Where to buy: Indiegogo
Source: The sample for this review was provided by BrainCo. BrainCo did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
