Muse 2 review - the device to help you achieve calm through meditation

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VERDICT

The Muse 2 headband is a useful product for those who meditate regularly and provides a great introduction to those who would like to meditate but don’t know where to start. With regular use you will learn the skills to calm your mind and achieve a new level of zen.

In this high-paced world we live in, we need to take a breather from time to time with a little bit of meditation to reduce stress. And there is a product that can help you do just that – it’s the Muse 2.

Muse 2 is a headband that contains numerous sensors so users can see real-time feedback on their brain activity, heart rate and breathing to help you achieve a consistent meditation practice.

It is an EEG device which is used by neuroscientists and uses advanced signal processing to monitor your mental activity.

With the companion app, Muse 2 allows users to concentrate and calm their mind.

Through the app, you can hear the sound of rain and the more you relax and calm your mind, the quieter that rain will get.

If your mind drifts and your thoughts start racing, you hear the rain getting heavier and louder.

These are your cues that remind you to focus on breathing and calming yourself.

Users can also choose from other soundscapes like the beach, the rainforest or a city park.

The app is free to download and it can help you find your preferred meditation experience or select an immersive soundscape to help you to learn to sit, read and focus.

For our review our first attempt with the Muse 2 saw us achieve only about 30 seconds of calm in a three-minute exercise.

But by the second attempt we got that calmness up to over a minute.

After each session you can see on the app a graph of your progress which shows you how your brain, heart, breath and body reacted during your meditation session.

In the mind meditation section, the graph will show you the periods where your mind was active, neutral and calm.

Over time, Muse 2 will teach you a few things about your own mind, heart, breath and body as well as provide motivation to help you improve.

It does this by awarding points and making it easy to set goals and challenges.

The band fits across your forehead and rests behind your ears – a little bit like a pair of sunglasses but without the lenses.

There are seven finally calibrated EEG sensors.

Two are on the forehead, two more are behind the ears and there are three reference sensors which all work together to help detect and measure your brain activity.

Also onboard the Muse 2, are PPG and pulse oximetry breath and heart sensors along with a gyroscope and accelerometer body sensors which are found behind the ears.

The band itself has adjustable arms to help you find the ideal fit.

It connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth

The first time you wear the Muse 2, the app guides you to find the right fit.

You will know when you’ve achieved that when you can fill all the sections of the circle on the screen with solid colours.

Each section relates to a different sensor so you can visualise if you’re getting the optimal connection.

It’s easy to see even if you are slightly off so you can make the adjustment and achieve the best contact between the band and your brain.

It took us a little while to get the adjustment right. We learned that once we got in the zone we just had to keep still which was actually what you need to do to help you achieve a new level of calm anyway.

The device can also be used with your headphones so only you can hear the audio feedback.

For those who want to take it a step further, they can purchase a Guided Meditation subscription from about $16 a month.

Users who subscribe receive unlimited access to the full catalogue which include courses and collections which deal with various areas including sleep, increased confidence, reducing stress, work performance and many more.