I Tried New Sleep Tech From the Cult-Favorite Brand Behind Theragun. Should You Add It to Your Holiday Wish List? Therabody's SmartGoggles 2nd Generation and SleepMask offer different solutions for sleep.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- The majority of Americans (57%) said they would feel better if they got more sleep, per a 2024 Gallup poll.
- Therabody's new sleep-focused products use heat, massage and vibration to help users de-stress and prepare for sleep.
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In 2024, for the first time since Gallup polling in 2001, the majority of Americans (57%) said they would feel better if they got more sleep. Science backs up the claim: Getting enough rest can impact your weight, emotional well-being, blood pressure, mental and physical performance, and more, according to UC Davis Health.
If you want to roll into the new year feeling well-rested and refreshed, consider a couple of new sleep-promoting products from Therabody, the cult-favorite wellness brand that introduced the Theragun, a handheld massage gun, in 2016.
"It makes me proud to be able to say that we're sticking true to what we are as a brand," Therabody founder and chief wellness officer Dr. Jason Wersland tells Entrepreneur. "We want to help you and empower you to take your health into your own hands."
Image Credit: Courtesy of Therabody. Dr. Jason Wersland.
Related: How Success Happened for Benjamin Nazarian, CEO of Therabody
Therabody's SmartGoggles (2nd Generation), a wearable device providing heated eye massage for relaxation, headache relief and better sleep, and SleepMask, a blackout eye mask with soothing vibrations for improved sleep, hit the market in September, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Wersland says the idea for Therabody's SmartGoggles, first released in 2022, came several years earlier during the development of the company's Theragun G2Pro. The machine made a noise that coincided with the pulse of its motor, which meant that "what you were feeling was what you were hearing," and it got him thinking about how he could apply the technology to sleep.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Therabody
"That pulse in the goggles, your heart tries to match that."
SmartGoggles 2nd Generation, which retails for $199, builds on the initial model. Like the original, the 2nd Generation headset includes a built-in biometric sensor for customized treatments within three 15-minute modalities: SmartRelax, Headaches & Eye Strain and Sleep. These modalities incorporate low and high levels of pulse, wave (a slow rise and fall) and constant vibration patterns to achieve the desired outcome. The product is SleepScore validated.
The new design blocks light and features contoured padding and an adjustable strap for comfort and better fit. SmartGoggles 2nd Generation is also available in black instead of the original white — a response to customer feedback about the latter's tendency to show more wear with frequent use, according to Wersland.
In SmartRelax mode, the biometric sensor analyzes the user's pulse to produce vibration patterns tailored to reduce heart rate and increase relaxation. "That pulse in the goggles, your heart tries to match that," Wersland explains. "So what we're feeding you is a lower stimulus than your heart is beating because your heart tries to match its environment."
The feeling of the SmartGoggles on your head for the first time might take some getting used to if you're not overly accustomed to wearing tech on your face (I wasn't), but the 2nd Generation is 10% lighter than its predecessor, and it's only meant to be worn for about 15 minutes at a time, not overnight.
Related: The Science Behind How Sleep Makes You Smarter
True to form, when I first tried the SmartRelax mode, its heartbeat-like staccato started up, alongside heat and a massage cycle designed to treat trigger points, including the forehead, temples and above and below the eyes. The pulsing vibration pattern also required a bit of an adjustment period, which makes sense, as the device provides input at odds with the body's status quo to induce a parasympathetic state. However, about halfway through my first SmartRelax experience, I became better acquainted with SmartGoggles' presence on my face and movement patterns and started feeling more relaxed.
The Headaches & Eye Strain and Sleep Prep modes also use a combination of vibration and massage to achieve their intended effects, the former to relieve tension headaches and eye strain and the latter to prepare the body for sleep. Sleep Prep's cycle doesn't include heat, though, as a lower body temperature is typically considered better for sleep.
"These micro moments in your life [help you] flow into a parasympathetic state."
All of the modes are customizable within the Therabody app, allowing users to adjust how long each session lasts and select from various routines, which are also personalizable. For instance, when I clicked on "Relaxation" from a drop-down menu of benefits — which also includes options like "Focus" and "Travel Relief" — I was presented with 27 routines and chose "Day at the Park." The nature soundscape, replete with birds chirping and leaves rustling, played from the app while the SmartGoggles emitted low heat and pulse vibration.
If you run the session for at least five minutes, you can view your starting and ending heart rates within the app.
"The whole goal was to give you 15 minutes, these micro-moments in your life, to be able to flow into a parasympathetic state," Wersland says. "Mind your heart, mind your breath work, just take a second and chill."
Therabody's SleepMask, which retails for $99 and is also SleepScore validated, came about after Wersland's mother told him she had trouble staying asleep. The SmartGoggles aren't meant to be worn for a full night's sleep, as they're too bulky, but SleepMask is a lightweight solution with the same three sleep-promoting vibration patterns (pulse, wave and constant) that can be adjusted for intensity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Therabody
In addition, the SleepMask's machine-washable interior and 100% blackout feature definitely put it ahead of most standard eye masks on the market — in my experience, the contouring and adjustable strap really did succeed in eliminating any hint of light.
"If a product isn't solving a problem, it'll be a flash in the pan."
So, should you add Therabody's SmartGoggles and SleepMask to your holiday wish list this year? Either (or both) might be well worth it, depending on what you're seeking from the purchase. If you're searching for multi-purpose wearable tech that can help you target stress and tension during the day and prepare you for a good night's sleep, the SmartGoggles are a solid option. If you're willing to forego some of the bells and whistles for a simpler product that focuses on sleep, the SleepMask might make more sense.
Of course, anyone searching for less stress and better sleep may want to double up and see if the combination unlocks new levels of relaxation.
At the end of the day, Therabody strives to offer individualized solutions with the science to back them up. "If a product isn't solving a problem, it'll be a flash in the pan," Wersland says. "A real issue that we all have is our nervous system regulation. So, for me, that's what drives our products. That's why I feel so confident we're not even close to finished making amazing things."
