Skip to main content

Warm up or cool down with the press of a button on the wrist-worn Embr

Ember Wave
Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Why you can trust Digital Trends – We have a 20-year history of testing, reviewing, and rating products, services and apps to help you make a sound buying decision. Find out more about how we test and score products.“

I don’t know who’s in charge of the thermostat at Digital Trends headquarters, but based on how hot they like to keep it here, I’ve concluded that this person was most likely born and raised on surface of the Sun. I know this because no matter what season it is or what the weather happens to be like outside, the office is almost always kept at a balmy 5,778 Kelvin.

Recommended Videos

OK, so obviously that’s a bit of an exaggeration. To be completely honest, I have no clue what the exact temperature is — but I do know that if you engage in any activity that’s more strenuous than sitting at your desk and typing, you almost immediately break into a sweat. I seriously keep a spare towel and a stick of deodorant on hand just in case I ever need to tie my shoes, unplug my monitor, or sneeze more than twice in a row.

For the past few days, however, I haven’t been as bothered by the oppressively high temperatures of the office — and it’s all thanks to a nifty new gadget called the Embr Wave.

The Wave

Developed by a team of MIT grads, the Wave is essentially a wearable heater and cooler that leverages quirks in human physiology to sort of “hack” how your body perceives temperature.

“It’s a product for people that are too hot or too cold, that offers thermal relief,” explains Embr Labs co-founder Sam Shames. “What it does is it heats and cools one spot on your body and helps you improve your comfort, without changing your core temp.”

Note that last part. It’s important to know that Wave doesn’t actually change how hot or cold your body is overall. Instead, it essentially tricks your body and brain into perceiving a slightly different temperature.

“It’s kind of similar to cupping your hands around a hot mug of coffee in the winter after you’ve come in from being outside in the cold, or dipping your toes in the ocean on a hot summer day,” says Shames. “So it doesn’t change your core temperature. It does change temperature of your wrist while you wear it, but it’s not so much ‘tricking your senses’ as it is your brain and body naturally responding to temperature change.”

As it turns out, changing the temperature of one part of your body can have a strong effect on how you feel overall. “What that illustrates is that there’s a lot more to the sensation of temperature, or the subjective experience of temperature, than people realize,” Shames says,  “and that’s really what we’re here to help people with.”

Under the hood

So how exactly does all this black magic actually work? It all comes down to a nifty physical phenomenon known as the Peltier Effect.

“There’s a lot more to the sensation of temperature, or the subjective experience of temperature, than people realize”

Named for French physicist Jean Charles Athanase Peltier who discovered it in 1834, The Peltier effect describes the phenomenon of heating or cooling caused by an electric current flowing across the junction of two different conductors. As the current moves from one conductor to another, the transfer of energy causes one side to heat up and the other to cool down. Embr Wave is basically a series of these junctions (called a Peltier cooler) powered by a small battery and attached to a wrist strap. When placed against the skin, the device makes you feel cooler by reducing the temperature of your wrist a few fractions of a degree per second for a couple seconds at a time.

That’s where the “wave” in Embr Wave comes from. Rather than providing a steady stream of heating or cooling, the device pulses with short waves of temperature fluctuation. It’s a bit counterintuitive, but according to Shames and his colleagues, this burst-based method is actually the most effective way to alter your perception of temperature and provide a sensation of thermal relief.

“That’s one of the most important features,” says Shames, “because if you think about our normal experience of temperature and what our bodies are designed to do, they’re designed to adapt. For example, if you walk into an air-conditioned room and it feels incredibly cold when you first get in there, but then two minutes later you’re like ‘it doesn’t feel as cold anymore!’ — that’s because humans are hardwired to adapt to temperature. What we’ve figured out is that by having the temperature come in waves — in other words having the sensation fade in and out — you basically overcome that natural adaptation.”

Cool in theory, cooler in practice

All this might sound like a load of pseudoscientific bull excrement, but Embr Labs’s technology is surprisingly effective. I’ve been wearing a Wave for the past few days, and despite the fact that it looks like an Apple-inspired house arrest bracelet, the device is undeniably pleasurable to use.

Truth be told, I was a bit underwhelmed when I first put it on. The cooling sensation isn’t particularly bold at first. It’s not like stepping into a walk-in freezer and getting hit with a shiver-inducing burst of temperature change, which is what I was (naively) hoping for as I hastily unboxed the review unit in the oppressive heat of my office. The feeling is much more subtle; like running your wrist under a cold tap, or moving your head to the cold side of your pillow. That’s not to say it’s not enjoyable — the sensation just isn’t as pronounced as you might expect.

Embr Wave - A Thermostat For Your Body

Still, despite the fact that it doesn’t freeze the sweat on your brow at the push of a button, the Wave is a lovely thing to have on your wrist. I didn’t realize how soothing it is until I took it off for a few hours, then found myself craving that chilly sensation on my wrist. I dare say it’s mildly addictive.

At the end of the day, the Wave is really just a wearable device that offers pleasant sensations on demand, and that’s precisely what makes it so enticing. Not everyone wants a band that counts steps or a watch that can send texts — but a wrist-borne button that makes you feel good when you press it? Now that’s something everyone can get behind.

Drew Prindle
Former Senior Editor, Features
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
The Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the $7,500 tax credit
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

After a brief and confusing absence, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit — and this time, it's sticking around (at least for now). So, what happened? Let’s unpack the ride.

The Ioniq 5, a sleek and tech-savvy electric crossover, initially made headlines not just for its design, but for being built at Hyundai’s brand-new Metaplant in Georgia. That domestic assembly qualified it for the EV tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which requires vehicles to be made in North America with batteries sourced from trade-friendly countries. But early in 2025, the Ioniq 5 vanished from the list. Why? Likely due to its battery packs, which were then still being sourced from SK On’s Hungarian facility.

Read more
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more