Review: Muse brain sensing headband

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Most wearables today are focused  activity trackers positioned to measure and evaluate a user’s progress and performance. Muse has created a wearable that takes a different approach and aims to help user’s to gain mental relaxation and calmness. 

I was at first skeptical of the Muse Brain sensing headband because I thought it was something people would have to wear all the time (like smartwatches and fitness trackers) but Muse’s approach is different, it deliberately requires time to set up and use, plus it focuses not on physical activity but on brain activity. 

This is a device you’re not expected to wear the whole day but at specific points throughout your day and when you are wanting to relax and detach from your other devices. It took me around 10 minutes to set-up the Muse headband which is worn over the ear with sensors placed in various locations to pick up brain activity. The headband is unlike anything I’ve worn before, so it took a good amount of time to get it centered and have all the sensors aligned. 

One it was on, I had to run a calibration app on my iPhone to learn the first few exercises. An animated landscape, complete with a soundtrack, shows the state your brain is in as you try to focus and relax it. 

The symbolism is quite good, if you are focused and relaxed, the sound of a gentle breeze plays and a blue sky is visible, once you start to lose focus, the winds begin to blow harder and the sky becomes more tumultuous. 

It took numerous sessions for me to really prolong the relaxation, as I easily became distracted or let my mind wander. Muse seems to be quite accurate in picking up brain activity and figuring out if one is stressed or not. 

Depending on how well you can relax, you are given a score as well as a visual progress report. I liked that I didn't have to be glued to my iPhone's display and could close my eyes and let myself relax throughout the process.

I found Muse to be a great meditation tool and while I don’t think I am the ideal user for this type of device, I did learn to improve breathing and deep meditation which helped me relax even without the headband. 

For anyone who might be having anxiety issues or has trouble mentally calming down ( the Muse brain sensing headband) can be an accurate and precise tool to help guide the process. 

The byproduct of our relationship with technology today is that we’re constantly ‘on’ and checking and interacting with our smartphones, tablets, PC’s and other devices. Partly fear of missing out (FOMO) and partly because being so connected and surrounded by all these devices has become a huge part of our lives. 

Muse brain sensing headband is a viable tool that can help us disconnect, wind down and get in touch with the peace and relaxation many of us crave for. 

Rating: 4 out of 5