Muse reveals Softband, a sleep meditation headband, at CES 2019

At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Toronto wearable startup Muse unveiled its first soft headband designed especially for meditation as users fall asleep, TechCrunch reports.

The Softband tracks your quality of sleep while fitting snugly around your head. Due to Muse’s acquisition of the company last year, Meditation Studio has an agreement with Amazon that will allow users to ask Alexa to play a meditation soundtrack as they sleep. The Softband can also play soundtracks through a regular speaker, or a simple pair of earbuds.

Softband’s newer, more flexible form, could allow for more active brain sensing.

This new headband follows the recent release of the Muse 2, which focused on tracking breathing patterns, heart rate, and brain activity while meditating. When BetaKit spoke with Muse during the launch of Muse 2, co-founder and CTO Chris Aimone indicated an interest in developing new form factors, as Muse 2’s design did not allow for unrestricted movement (it’s hard to measure mindfulness during yoga, for example, if your sensor falls off during every handstand).

However, Softband’s newer, more flexible form, could allow for more mindful action. Muse VP of Product Management Alec Singleton told P that the product was exciting because of the opportunities it presents, noting that the Softband can be fitted under a helmet or worn while doing yoga.

The Softband will be released in Q4 of this year, although its main focus will remain on sleep use. The new band will be priced similarly to the Muse 2, which is currently around $299 CAD.

Muse also recently announced plans to release more than 100 guided meditations with biosignal feedback in its app. Users will be able to receive personalized voice feedback that responds to their mental activity.

This story was written by Sera Wong and was originally published on BetaKit.