Putting a New Face on Recovery

There are plenty of recovery tools these days, but perhaps stress and tension aren’t just the result of exercise. Let’s be honest, a massage gun probably isn’t the best tool for these particular jobs.

Brands are starting to take a more holistic approach to this area as more people realize that recovery is more than just a post-workout rest activity. While it boasts one of the best massage guns on the market, if you dig a little deeper into its lineup, you’ll see devices targeting aches and pains that aren’t hard gym PR or long-lasting results. afternoon run. Therabody first stepped into holistic peace of mind with the launch of his TheraFace Pro, but now the brand is leading the way with a number of useful devices, including its first wearable, his SmartGoggles. are participating in

Cranked to 11, similar to an all-too-common sleep mask, this new silhouette targets the eyes and head to reduce facial tension, reduce eye strain, reduce headache intensity, and calm the mind. Designed to help you relax and improve sleep. SmartGoggles, like his TheraFace Pro mentioned above, aim to achieve this relief by utilizing heat, vibration, and massage modalities.

To see if this bulky, face-hugging wearable was worth its weight, I wore the SmartGoggles for a few weeks (not continuously), focusing every available session and treatment on technology. We tested the effectiveness of this compact, portable device for relaxing after a hard day’s work, taking a break from the computer screen, or relaxing on a calm Sunday afternoon. to see if Therabody has landed on a star with regards to healing fixes. , or simply over the moon.

Here is what i found.

What’s so good about Therabody’s SmartGoggles?

It’s bulkier than other sleep masks, but its profile fits comfortably across your face.

To say SmartGoggles are sophisticated is a clear exaggeration. The silhouette is about 1.5 inches thick across the frame, so we wondered how comfortable this device would feel when resting across your eyes, forehead and temples. It’s surprisingly light, and I wouldn’t say it disappears across the dome when worn, but it’s much more comfortable than I first imagined. I am grateful.

I also appreciate the ease with which I can switch between the various buttons on the top of the device. This takes a bit of learning—your eyes are covered, after all—but changing the heat and vibration settings was easy to figure out. smartly gave the specified raised texture. This is great for trying to keep the temperature down while maintaining a pre-planned massage pattern.

Finally, SmartRelax, Focus and Sleep modes offer great service, altering specific pressure points, heat and vibration settings for better relaxation. I immediately fell in love with the focus modality for increasing focus during the day. The sleep feature was a great way to turn off my brain before hitting the pillow.

The device packs away easily, making it perfect for travel.

Another advantage worth mentioning about Therabody’s SmartGoggles is that this mask folds up for easy storage. A convenient carrying case houses both the device and the included charging cord, allowing him to fit the entire operation into one discreet package.

I usually kept the SmartGoggles outside my nightstand during testing, but it’s easy to see that their foldability and portability are a true boon for the upcoming travel season. After headaches and hardships, or the occasional nightmare during hotel check-in, I look forward to hanging this impressive tool on my students and decompressing them for a while.

What’s not ideal about Therabody’s SmartGoggles?

This is more of a “before bed” treatment than a traditional sleep mask.

As I said above, I really enjoyed the sleep feature built into SmartGoggles, but I highly recommend doing a nightly recovery session. Before you climb under the seat. This modality has proven effective in getting you ready to catch 40 winks, but the thick profile makes it difficult to nod while wearing the device.

SmartGoggles automatically turn off after 15 minutes, so there’s little need to worry about snoozing before pressing the power button. However, as someone who usually switches positions mid-sleep, large protrusions across the eyelids can create complex conflicts. We recommend taking it off and going out actively to improve your sleep cycle.

Wearing a device can be tedious to pick and choose modalities.

This isn’t all that surprising, but when visibility is compromised by a large silhouette, it’s not entirely helpful to change settings or choose a particular modality. I’ve tried running a few mitigation sessions by turning on and switching settings to my liking, but often gave up after a few seconds to achieve a decent benchmark and simply unplugged the device. bottom.

But the best workaround for this dilemma was to pair the SmartGoggles to the included Therabody app.By doing so, I was able to pre-select all the settings and preferred modalities.[Go]You can tap a button to start a session. No sight required.

Is this the worst negative? No, but it’s worth noting, especially for those who tend to forget about companion apps and make all their changes on their device.

Therabody SmartGoggles: The Verdict

SmartGoggles are certainly a niche product, but by offering a great way to escape the ordeal of daily stress, they definitely deserve their existence. The comfort is obvious, and the added benefit of a companion app makes it easy to pick the right use case. Consider adding SmartGoggles to your repertoire this year if you’re looking to brush off the tension that’s laying in your tracks.

Therabody SmartGoggles are available online for $199. It may seem like a lot for an overly complicated sleep mask, but when it comes to eliminating those headaches, when I say that the window of usability is much wider than the night shift, I’m Please believe in