Your cart

Archeologists claim that the practice of meditation dates back to 5,000 BCE. Nonetheless, it wasn't until the 1900s that meditation became a spiritual tool whose benefits went beyond its use in specific religions. It is now regarded as one of the most powerful techniques to achieve both physical and mental well-being by promoting a sense of calm and balance.

However, meditation is widely considered complicated, especially given that our attention spans are constantly shrieking, which is why spending more than a few minutes focusing on one thing is no easy task. But the truth is - it's easier than you think! Especially if you're using the right tools. That's why today we'll talk about some of the best meditation devices on the market you can incorporate into your wellness routine!

Key Takeaways

• The Mendi headband (fNIRS technology) and Muse S headband (EEG technology) are both neurofeedback devices that provide real-time feedback on brain activity, enhancing focus and mindfulness during meditation.

• The BrainTap headset offers a unique combination of light and sound therapy, along with over 500 guided wellness programs that can help improve your mental health.

• The Inner Balance and the Moonbird devices use biofeedback as a method to enrich your meditation practice by providing real-time feedback on various physiological responses.

• The n.o.w Tone Therapy System and the Sensate device use sounds and vibrations to promote a sense of tranquility and peace, allowing you to focus on the present moment.

1. Mendi

Ideal for: mindfulness meditation, improved focus, reduced stress, improved sleep, improved emotional regulation, gamified experience, increased self-awareness, prefrontal cortex monitoring

The Mendi headband is a groundbreaking neurofeedback device that uses functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, a region crucial for focus and decision-making. This innovative technology gives users immediate feedback, allowing them to visualize their brain activity through a gamified neurofeedback app.

This process clears your mind, encourages you to learn how your brain works, and helps you become more grounded, thus connected to the present moment. In other words, it offers exactly what a meditation session ought to offer!

Over time, consistent sessions with the Mendi headband can help you become more aware of your brain activity, improve your stress response, as well as help you regulate your emotions better and have healthier sleep patterns. In short, it promotes overall mental well-being and cognitive enhancement.

Numerous scientists have vouched for the technology used to create the Mendi device and the product's adherence to science. Therefore, it is a powerful tool for anyone looking to boost their cognitive abilities through mindful practices and get a better understanding of their prefrontal cortex activity.

The Mendi headband costs only $299 and comes with a lifetime app subscription with no additional fees. Plus, it is designed for multiple users, so you can share the device with your entire family.

2. Muse S

Ideal for: guided meditations, sleep tracking and improvement, auditory feedback on brain activity, heart rhythm monitoring, reduced stress

The Muse S headband is a neurofeedback device designed to enhance focus, performance, and sleep quality. It primarily uses EEG sensors to monitor brain activity, but it also measures heart rate, breathing, and body movement, thus providing you with comprehensive insights into your physiological state during meditation.

One of the standout features of the Muse S headband is its real-time feedback capability. The device uses audio cues to respond to your brain activity levels, allowing you to adjust your focus during meditation sessions. As you quiet your mind, the Muse S soundscape becomes calmer, designed to increase focus and encourage deeper meditation. For example, if your mind starts wandering, you may hear storm sounds; when you regain your focus, the weather gets calmer.

In addition to aiding meditation, the Muse S headband excels at sleep tracking. It monitors various sleep stages, including REM, and provides detailed insights into your sleep quality and patterns. It tracks sleep stages, intensity, positions, and patterns, helping you understand and improve your sleep patterns.

The Muse S headband costs $399.99 (alternatively, you can buy the Muse 2 headband, which is slightly more affordable). To access their database of 500+ guided meditations, you require a premium Muse app subscription, which costs $12.99 a month.

3. BrainTap

Ideal for: light-sound meditation, deep relaxation, stress relief, improved quality of sleep, brainwave balance

The BrainTap headset combines:

• Light frequencies that yield a healthy brainwave balance

• Auriculotherapy

• Beats and tones

• Guided visualization

• 10-cycle holographic music

All of these are combined in a proprietary neuro-algorithm, offering users a unique approach to balancing brainwave patterns through light that is synchronized to binaural beats and isochronic tones. This combination leads to deep relaxation and a state of tranquility. The BrainTap device also offers guided visualization with a selection of over 2000 titles you can choose from, each targeting various wellness goals.

Among the most praised benefits of BrainTap are improved sleep, deep relaxation, mindfulness, reduced stress, and improved brain health.

The BrainTap brain fitness device costs $797 and includes a carrying case. However, to receive full access to their database of wellness programs, you require an app subscription, which is $29.99 per month or $260 per year.

It is worth noting that BrainTap advises individuals who are prone to seizures to avoid using the light portion of their headset system.

4. Inner Balance

Ideal for: mindfulness meditation, stress and anxiety relief, heart rhythm monitoring, improved physical health

Inner Balance is a meditation device that uses heart rate variability (HRV) to enhance mindfulness and reduce stress. By tracking HRV, it assesses the user’s emotional and physiological state, providing real-time feedback to improve meditation practices.

The HeartMath science relies on the heart-brain connection, stating that the heart signals have an important effect on brain function. They influence the way we process and regulate our emotions and can improve our focus, problem-solving skills, and memory. Therefore, by tracking HRV, the Inner Balance meditation device promotes a state called psychophysiological coherence, which indicates that our psychological and physiological processes are in harmony.

Furthermore, the Inner Balance device is linked to an app that provides users with guided techniques, video learning programs, full-length audiobooks, and heart-based living practices. You can track your progress on the app and analyze your personal HRV graph, which can help you visualize various coherence states. Plus, you get points as rewards, which can fuel your motivation.

The Inner Balance device costs approximately $327, which includes a lifetime app subscription. You can also subscribe to the HeartMath free weekly newsletter for more information about your heart-mind health!

5. n.o.w Tone Therapy System

Ideal for: brief mindfulness meditation, stress and anxiety relief, improved focus, calm mind

The n.o.w Tone Therapy system is a unique meditation device that uses meditative tones of various frequencies to help you enter a pleasant, mindful state. Each session lasts between 3 and 3:40 minutes, and the manufacturer advises listening to one session two times a day.

The tones are reproduced through two separate speakers that work together to create a unified sound field. All you have to do is press "ON," and the system will activate the speakers and the tones as needed for deep relaxation.

The special tones incorporated in the n.o.w Tone Therapy sessions are said to relieve stress, boost energy levels, and enhance focus, promoting a state of tranquility.

The n.o.w Tone Therapy System costs $179 and comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to reap its benefits without financial risks.

6. Sensate

Ideal for: vagus nerve toning, deep relaxation, parasympathetic nervous system activation, reduced stress and anxiety

The Sensate device is yet another non-invasive, wearable device designed for meditation and relaxation. The primary goal of the technology behind it is to reduce stress and anxiety levels, therefore promoting overall well-being.

It does so by toning the vagus nerve, which can promote relaxation by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. The device creates a mix of infrasonic frequency vibrations and soundscapes that send a signal throughout the entire body. Your chest intercepts those sounds, thus signaling the vagus nerve to relax.

The device comes with headphones through which you listen to calming sounds available on the Sensate app. This meditation technique is said to calm your anxiety in just ten minutes, lower your stress levels, and improve your sleep.

The Sensate device costs approximately $284, but at this price, you only receive access to the free soundscapes in the Sensate app. Or you can get it for $369, which also includes a 1-year Plus app subscription. The product also has a 90-day money-back guarantee, so if you don't like it, you can return it within that time frame.

7. Moonbird

Ideal for: tactile-guided meditations, deep breathing exercises, heart rate monitoring, reduced stress, improved emotion regulation

Moonbird is a biofeedback device that measures your breathing rate. Its technology aims to balance the autonomic nervous system. The device employs the all-natural, screen-free Tactile Guidance technology that guides you to breathe slower, reaching only six breaths per minute. All you have to do is hold the device and feel it moving - it expands when you need to inhale and contracts when you need to exhale, basically being your personal breathing coach!

If you pair the device with the dedicated app, you'll also notice how your heart rate increases when you inhale and decreases when you exhale. If you practice this meditation technique regularly, you'll notice an improvement in stress levels, emotion regulation skills, and even heart rate variability (HRV).

It is recommended to use the Moonbird device daily during the first 2-3 weeks. In addition, it's best to start with shorter sessions and gradually increase their duration.

The Moonbird device costs $199 and comes in different colors. It is highly portable, given that it's quite small, so you can take it anywhere you go, basically meditating on the go. Plus, the product comes with a 30-day trial period and a 100% money-back guarantee.

How to Choose a Meditation Device

Here are some things to consider before purchasing a meditation device:

• Experience. When choosing a meditation device, it's important to understand what type of users it's designed for. Some products target people who already have extensive experience meditating. Others, however, like the Mendi headband, are more straightforward and can be used by everyone.

• Your goals. Meditation and wellness devices are usually created for specific goals - whether it is reduced stress, better sleep, or improved heart rhythm. Assess their benefits carefully and choose the product that aligns with your specific goals.

• Your preferences. Given that these devices have different designs and provide different types of feedback, you have the luxury of choosing one that suits your preferences. For example, some people prefer headbands over devices that need to be held.

• Technology/mechanism of action. Let's take the devices we mentioned above - one uses fNIRS and visual feedback, others use EEG and guided meditations, some rely on tunes and binaural beats, and the last product mentioned uses tactile guidance. It's important to choose a device you'll feel most comfortable with.

• Your budget. Naturally, the budget matters, especially if you've never meditated before and just want to give it a try. Evaluate each product's cost and benefits, and make sure they have a money-back guarantee policy.

• Scientific backup. It is extremely important to know exactly what you're paying for. Check the official website of each product and look under the "Science" section, which should tell you everything about the technology behind the device and its mechanism of action.

• Portability. If you travel frequently, make sure your device is portable and comes with a carrying case.

• Device compatibility. Make sure the device you've chosen is compatible with your smartphone/table.

• Battery life and warranty policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is better than EEG?

Instead of EEG devices, you can use Mendi, which is an fNIRS device that tracks blood flow and oxygenation in your prefrontal cortex - the brain region responsible for key cognitive abilities.

What are the best biofeedback meditation devices?

Among the best biofeedback meditation devices are Mendi, Muse, BrainTap, InnerBalance, Sensate, and Moonbird.

What are the best meditation tools for beginners?

If you're a beginner, you can try meditation gadgets like the Mendi or the Muse headbands, the Moonbird device, or the BrainTap headset.