Over the past few years, we have started tracking everything in our bodies that can be turned into a number. We count our steps, measure our heart rate, analyse the quality of our sleep and check every morning whether we have recovered sufficiently from the previous day. The next phase of this obsession with data goes even deeper, focusing on the brain, breathing and the autonomic nervous system.
Neurowellness is a broad and still relatively new term encompassing technologies and practices designed to regulate the nervous system, improve sleep and concentration, and support overall recovery from stress. The Global Wellness Summit identified the rise of neurowellness as one of the major trends for 2026, describing a shift from niche biohacking to more accessible devices for home use. These products attempt to influence the way we breathe, measure the brain’s electrical activity or use vibrations and gentle electrical impulses to encourage a state of rest.
Their enormous popularity is hardly surprising. At a time when stress, sleep problems and constant digital stimulation are treated as part of everyday life, the possibility of giving the nervous system some kind of physical signal to slow down sounds more than appropriate. Of course, not every gadget available today has proven to be a good investment, so below we have selected today’s best-known and, according to users, most reliable neurowellness devices.
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Pulsetto
Pulsetto looks like a futuristic collar worn around the neck and is designed to stimulate the vagus nerve. Before use, conductive gel is applied to the neck, the device is connected to an app and then sends gentle electrical impulses through electrodes. Users can choose programmes designed for relaxation, sleep or stress management, with standard sessions lasting just a few minutes. Pulsetto appeals to people who are more interested in active stimulation than data tracking, although not everyone will find the sensation of electrical impulses pleasant. People with cardiac implants, epilepsy or other health conditions should not use this type of device without first consulting a doctor.
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Muse S Athena
Of all the products on this list, the Muse S Athena definitely looks the most like a medical device. It is a soft headband that combines EEG sensors for tracking the brain’s electrical activity with sensors that monitor changes in blood oxygenation in the frontal region of the brain. The device also measures heart rate, movement, body position, breathing patterns and sleep stages. During meditation, Athena turns the data into auditory biofeedback. When the algorithm determines that attention is stable, the ambient sound becomes calmer, while it intensifies when the mind begins to wander. At night, the device provides more detailed sleep data than a typical watch or ring, while certain programmes adjust the sound to the moment you fall asleep or wake during the night.
Moonbird
The Moonbird device is designed to fit in the palm of your hand, slowly expanding and contracting during each exercise. Users follow its movement with their palm, inhaling as the device expands and exhaling as it contracts. The device can be used on its own or with an app offering various breathing programmes, while built-in sensors can track heart rate and changes in heart rhythm during a session. Its greatest advantage is that it is not based on an especially complicated claim. Slow, rhythmic breathing has fairly well-documented short-term effects on the autonomic nervous system. Of course, we can follow the same rhythm using a free app or by counting on our own, while Moonbird primarily solves the problem of consistency. The physical expansion of the device makes it harder to speed up the exercise and gives the hands something tangible to focus on, which could be useful for people who quickly grow bored with traditional audio meditations.
Sensate 2
Sensate 2 is a small device worn over the sternum using a strap around the neck. During a session, it emits deep vibrations synchronised with soundscapes in the app, creating the impression that the music can be felt through the chest. A session usually lasts around ten minutes, and the brand describes this technology as “vagus nerve toning”, which is not the same as the direct electrical stimulation used by Pulsetto. Its approach is based on sound, vibration and a soothing sensory experience, with the idea that repeated rhythms can help the body shift into a more relaxed state.
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Apollo Neuro
Apollo Neuro can be worn on the wrist or ankle and, at first glance, looks like a simple activity tracker. Unlike a watch, it emits different patterns of gentle vibrations, which the company calls Vibes, while users select programmes for focus, energy, relaxation or sleep through the app. The vibrations vary in speed and intensity. Focus programmes use more energetic patterns, while those designed for sleep are slower and gentler. The idea is similar to the way a certain musical rhythm can energise or calm us, except that here the rhythm is transmitted through the skin rather than through hearing.
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Can a gadget really calm the nervous system?
As much as we may want a quick solution to problems caused by years of accumulated stress, worry, insufficient sleep and inadequate care for our bodies, things are simply not that straightforward. A gadget can make it easier to establish a routine, help us slow down our breathing, make meditation more engaging or provide the body with a physical signal that it is time to rest. It is much harder to prove that it can restore the nervous system, cure insomnia or permanently increase resilience to stress. Neurowellness devices should therefore be viewed as tools that support our routines, rather than as substitutes for sleep, movement, therapy or medical care.
