16 hours ago
5
ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- NextSense earbuds show encephalon enactment utilizing EEG.
- The slumber earbuds assertion to usage EEG for restorative sleep.
- They outgo $399 and are disposable to preorder.
Brain-tracking exertion is coming to your adjacent brace of earbuds. Companies person figured retired however to enactment EEG exertion into user devices similar earbuds and headphones -- and this capableness could fundamentally alteration the features disposable successful your adjacent purchase.
Take the NextSense Smartbuds, for example. The EEG earbuds not lone person soundscapes and audio that nonstop you to sleep, but besides assertion to present much restorative slumber done their brainwave-sensing technology.
Also: Best of CES 2026
To instrumentality an EEG (or electroencephalogram) successful a aesculapian setting, individuals person 20 electrodes placed astir their skull. These electrodes are adhered to the skull with sticky gel and measurement encephalon electrical enactment with the assistance of a aesculapian professional. After the EEG-monitoring league is over, radical often usage aggregate shampoos to region the gel from their hair.
Now, NextSense is bringing that brainwave-sensing exertion to its caller earbuds; nary sticky gel oregon vigorous shampooing required.
"While fewer radical would elite to routinely caput to a doctor's bureau for a accepted EEG, which involves tons of electrodes, immoderate conductive gel, and clunky machinery, they conscionable mightiness not hesitate to popular successful a acquainted earbud," NextSense CEO and Founder Jonathan Berent wrote successful a 2024 blog post.
After Berent learned done his Apple Watch that helium had atrial fibrillation, helium wondered wherefore we didn't person the aforesaid user exertion and data-capture features for the brain.
Also: The astir absorbing wellness tech I saw astatine CES 2026
The NextSense Smartbuds tin instrumentality an EEG, but alternatively of requiring 20 electrodes, each of NextSense's earbuds has 3 electrodes. The flexible parts of the bud are made of conductive polymer to execute adust electrode recording, successful spot of that sticky gel. Of course, the earbuds are designed for user applications and cannot execute the aforesaid benignant of monitoring that a medical-grade EEG successful a doctor's bureau can.
NextSense Smartbuds.
Better sleep, little clip successful bed
Like different sleep earbuds, the Smartbuds app includes audio tracks radical tin perceive to for falling dormant -- oregon they tin link to their euphony oregon audiobook app of prime arsenic well.
Once the earbuds person sent a idiosyncratic to slumber and they scope heavy sleep, NextSense uses dilatory question enhancement to summation restoration portion sleeping. Slow question enhancement uses pinkish sound astatine a definite frequence to nudge encephalon waves to nutrient much dilatory waves. "You get much of that restorative encephalon bushed without adding much clip successful bed," Caitlin Shure, NextSense caput of product, explained successful an interrogation with ZDNET.
Also: Smart jewelry is getting smarter and much stylish, finally
Because the earbuds tin besides beryllium worn for enactment oregon exercise, Shure said much daytime applications and features are coming soon. Shure suggested that, if radical usage the earbuds during the day, the earbuds could stitchery brainwave information and supply insights into their daytime focus. Shure said artillery beingness is astir 7 to 10 hours, depending connected usage level.
The earbuds, which retail for $399, are disposable for preorder to vessel successful February.
English (US) ·