Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Wearables
  3. Mobile
  4. News

Strap this wearable to your head for better rest, less stress, and fast relaxation

Add as a preferred source on Google

Thync, the company behind the fascinating neurostimulation wearable of the same name, is back, and this time it’s only concerned with helping us relax. The original Thync, which was worn on the forehead, can be used to stimulate the brain to either help us calm down or increase focus at a time when it’s needed. The new Thync Relax Pro uses enhanced technology based on the original version, but only for the purposes of promoting relaxation and good sleep.

The new Thync module attaches to the back of your neck, using disposable electrode pads, and is controlled by a smartphone app. There are two modes, Thync Deep Relax and Thync Deep Sleep. It uses low-level electrical stimulation patterns to manipulate your body into lowering stress, improving your mood, and boosting the quality of sleep.

More: Our review of the original Thync

Recommended Videos

We met with Thync CEO Isy Goldwasser last year for a sneak preview of a device called the Thync Relax. The Thync Relax Pro takes essentially the same neurostimulation app modes we tried at the time, and links them to a more compact wearable module that’s closer to the original design. Goldwasser told us at the time that most people using Thync chose the programs that relaxed them over those that boosted energy and focus. Making a Thync product dedicated to that makes sense.

If you’re concerned about strapping an electrical device to your head and letting it send some stimulating waves through your brain, don’t worry — the technology is safe and has been used for many years, with almost no side effects at all. In our experience with Thync and the prototype Thync Relax, we found that it really works.

Thync has revised its pricing strategy with the Relax Pro. You pay $150 up front for the device, and then $30 each month to access the app and receive the Thync Pad packs. These contain the electrodes that make the Thync work, and are really only good for one or two uses before they need replacing.

We’re confirming the release date, and where it’ll be available. We’ll provide an update here when we have all the details.

Andy Boxall
Andy has written about mobile technology for almost a decade. From 2G to 5G and smartphone to smartwatch, Andy knows tech.
The wearable on your wrist can predict blood pressure crisis events days in advance
A hypertensive crisis can lead to acute organ damage, and the abrupt spikes in blood pressure are also linked to stroke, kidney damage, fluid backup in the lungs, and heart attack. Research says wearable devices can provide a warning 3 days in advance.
Huawei Watch D3 Blood Pressure (6)

In the domain of wearable devices, we have reached a stage where they are available in a variety of form factors. You can go with a smartwatch, something a little more subtle like a smart band without a screen, or even a smart ring. And as the form factors have continued to evolve, so have the capabilities and the sensing hardware. What started with basic light-based heart rate tracking has now reached a stage where smartwatches are capable of tracking multiple metrics, such as taking electrocardiogram readings, tracking sleep, looking for signs of sleep apnea, or even detecting spikes in blood pressure levels.

Now, fresh research courtesy of the American Heart Association claims that these mass-market wearable devices can help predict episodes of dangerously high blood pressure, or hypertensive crisis, up to three days in advance. The research was conducted over a period of 12 months and involved more than 4,000 participants living with stage 2 high blood pressure.

Read more
Wear OS is borrowing your phone’s status bar so you never lose track of time
Your smartwatch is finally getting the one thing it was weirdly missing.
The Pixel Watch on a person's wrist.

If you have ever opened an app on your Wear OS smartwatch and had no idea what time it was, Google is working on a fix. In October, the company launched a Wear OS canary emulator inside Android Studio. It lets developers try out new features and design tweaks well before Google ships them to anyone’s wrist.

The biggest addition in this build is a status bar that never leaves. It lives at the top edge of your round watch face, floats above whatever app you have open, and keeps the clock and your watch’s status icons in view. 

Read more
Samsung’s first AI glasses could arrive in December, but only in two countries
Samsung's Gemini-powered glasses might be arriving a little later than expected, and most countries will have to wait even longer.
Samsung AI Glasses

Samsung's first AI-powered smart glasses are finally getting closer to store shelves. According to a new report from South Korea's ChosunBiz, the company is planning to launch its Intelligent Eyewear in mid-December, and if you're waiting to get your hands on them outside the US or South Korea, you might be disappointed.

For those catching up, we reported earlier in October that Samsung was planning a November launch. However, the latest report suggests the release has been pushed back by a few weeks. Samsung hasn't officially confirmed the new date, and there's still no word on how much the glasses will cost.

Read more