Brain stimulators are the new wearable tech for mood, focus and even period pain. We tried them

You’ve hit the 3pm slump, but you no longer reach for a coffee. Instead, you pop on a headpiece that instantly nudges your brain back into gear. When the dull ache of period cramps strikes, another mind-boosting gadget helps those feelings soften. After all, pain starts in the brain…

It might sound like an episode of Black Mirror, but the science says brain stimulators aren’t just for movies – they can actually work to improve focus, mood and pain. And multiple doctors, including Gloss Book expert Dr Sophie Shotter, are already using and recommending them.

Take the Flow Neuroscience headset, which just became the world’s first FDA-approved, at-home brain stimulator for treating depression. It’s now available at Boots. This clever little headband zaps a gentle current into a part of your brain that can be sluggish in people with clinically low mood. Some NHS doctors are already prescribing it to their patients.

At home mood modulation tech has previously been dominated by vagus nerve stimulators, such as the Sensate ‘power-nap pebble’  and the Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator, £459 (read my review). The vagus nerve originates in the brainstem and travels downwards, through the neck to key organs like the heart, lungs and gut, signalling safety and calm along the way. These devices therefore work indirectly on the brain by nudging the nervous system towards a calmer state, which then feeds back to the brain.

Becki tries the Pulsetto vagus nerve stimulator

Now, the very latest generation of brain-stimulating devices target the brain directly and bring to your home what was previously only available as high-tech in-clinic experiences, such as Exomind, which uses targeted magnetic pulses (TMS) to help improve your mood and potentially treat symptoms of ADHD and brain fog.

The main drawback is the cost – these can set you back anything from a few hundred pounds to several thousands. But if these portable brain boosters could help people skip pill-based prescriptions and be a lifeline while awaiting professional assistance, could they be worth it?

Why are mind stimulation devices becoming so popular?

Who hasn’t had a conversation with friends or family about feeling overwhelmed and anxious, or on the edge of burnout? It’s no surprise that we are craving cheat codes to manage stress, improve sleep, and boost focus. While we might know we need more support, a stretched NHS and long waiting lists for specialist mental health care can make getting help feel out of reach.

“People are understandably looking for additional tools they can control themselves at home, and wearable tech has normalised ‘body hacking’,” affirms the aesthetic practitioner Dr Nima Mahmoodi, who runs the biohacking clinic, Remedi London and uses the Alpha Stim device, which clips on to the ears, to calm his mind.

“Once you’re wearing an Oura ring, Whoop tracking wristband or continuous glucose monitor to track your sleep, recovery and blood sugar, the idea of ‘training’ your brain with a headset doesn’t feel so far-fetched, ” he says.  “The hardware has also become smaller, cheaper and Bluetooth-enabled, which makes remote coaching and app-based protocols possible.”

These devices can’t fix a ‘broken’ brain, but they can be an important part of the rewiring process, so long as you’re prepared to put in the work. “I always tell my patients the same thing: [these devices] are there to support you, not to replace your own ability to regulate,” warns the functional medicine pharmacist and practitioner Dr John Kim. “If you rely on them without strengthening your own nervous system, you’re not actually healing, you’re masking. The people who benefit the most are the ones who pair these devices with simple, consistent habits.”

4 types of brain stimulator – which one is right for you? 

For calming anxiety: Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES)

CES devices are typically small clip-on ear accessories that deliver a very gentle electrical current to your brain through the tissues around your ears. Rather than targeting one specific brain region, they help shift overall brainwave activity, including alpha wave activity (the calming pattern most associated with meditation). This promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and supports better sleep and mental clarity.

“The gentle stimulation from CES nudges the brain toward more relaxed, regulated electrical patterns,” says the aesthetic doctor and wellbeing expert Dr Sophie Shotter. “It sort of reminds the brain what it feels like to relax, so it’s especially helpful if someone has been stuck in stress mode for a long time,” adds Dr Kim.

The best-known (and most critically acclaimed) CES device is Alpha-Stim, winner of the Get The Gloss Best Wellness Tech Award 2025. The technology has been used medically for decades to treat anxiety, and it is particularly celebrated for its help with insomnia and stress. The Alpha Stim is now helping NHS staff cope with their busy workloads.

You’ll usually feel a gentle tingling, pulsing, or slight warmth while wearing CES devices, but it’s never uncomfortable, just a subtle nudge letting your brain know it’s getting a little help. You can also notice subtle improvements in your mood within a single 20 to 60-minute session, but the best results are cumulative with use over several weeks or months.

Another example is the Neurosym, favoured by Dr Sophie Shotter.

For depression, focus and mood: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

tDCS devices, such as Flow and Nettle, are headband-like devices that use electrodes resting on your scalp to deliver a more direct electrical current to specific areas of the brain. The appeal of tDCS is its precision: the technology directly targets the parts of your brain known to have an influence on your cognitive function. That includes your mood, making it helpful for treating conditions such as depression, as well as for boosting focus and cognitive performance, and managing mood swings and pain in your cycle.

“tDCS doesn’t make neurons fire on command,” explains Dr Shotter, “but it can nudge them to be more or less active depending on the current. For example, Flow targets the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain often underactive in depression, with the aim of lifting mood and motivation.”

There are plenty of exciting clinical studies into tDCS, although results are, of course, protocol and individual-dependent. “Popular devices like Flow and Nettle have been studied in over 20 controlled trials, showing real antidepressant effects,” notes Dr Mahmoodi.

When wearing a tDCS device, you may feel a more noticeable prickling or tingling under the electrodes compared to CES, but it’s generally comfortable once you settle in. You can also notice the subtle mood-boosting effects after a single 20 to 30-minute session, but the best results come from daily use for at least four weeks.

To improve your neuroplasticity: Photobiomodulation (PBM)

Rather than electrical stimulation, photobiomodulation (PBM) uses light, “specifically near-infrared or red light, delivered through the scalp and sometimes intranasally [through the nose],” explains Dr Mahmoodi. There is currently only one main at-home PBM device on the market, and that’s the rather futuristic-looking Vielight.

It works by shining light into your brain tissue, with the aim that your brain cells will soak up the photons like little solar panels, helping the cells make more energy (ATP). The technique is also designed to boost blood flow in the brain, giving your neurons a little extra support to form new connections.

All that ‘wake up’ brain activity doesn’t feel like much more than perhaps a gentle warmth where the light is applied – but regular use of the technology is linked to mental clarity, reduced anxiety and more restorative sleep in as little as 12 weeks. There are also rumours of exciting trials into how the therapy could help treat Alzheimer’s and other brain health conditions in the future, but in reality, the research into PBM devices is pretty new.

“Right now, I’d frame brain PBM as biologically plausible with encouraging early data,” says Dr Mahmoodi. “But it is still very much in the ’emerging therapy’ category rather than a proven mainstream treatment.”

The brain trainers: EEG (electroencephalogram) and fNIRS (Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy)

Finally, there are the brain trainers, such as Muse or Mendi. which look like sports headbands and connect to an app. They give real-time feedback of your brain activity, either via EEG sensors that track the brain’s electrical activity or fNIRS (Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy), a non-invasive brain imaging technique that involves shining near-infrared light into the skull.

“These don’t change your brain activity directly, but they teach you to recognise patterns so your mind can function better in the long run,” explains Dr Shotter. “Seeing real-time biofeedback helps users identify what a ‘focused’ or ‘calm’ state feels like in the body, so they can hopefully reproduce it without the device in the future. For example, simply knowing your cognitive triggers, such as noise, caffeine dips, time of day or emotional overwhelm, makes it far easier to create environments and habits that support concentration.”

Wearing the device doesn’t feel like much, but it’s not necessarily relaxing like the other devices. A bit like the effort required when solving a puzzle, you might be asked to ‘work your brain’ during the sessions for the best results.

Studies increasingly support neurofeedback techniques, though. “A growing number of trials show brain training devices can enhance meditation adherence, increase time spent in calm, focused states and potentially reduce perceived stress. However, evidence for broad cognitive enhancement in healthy individuals is still limited,” explains Dr Mahmoodi.

Who can benefit most from brain boost tech?

This is what our experts recommend a wearable brain stimulator for.

• If everyday stress is your main issue, you have difficulty switching off or struggle with patchy sleep, low-level anxiety, or a general lack of motivation.
• If you’re already supported medically. People with mild-to-moderate anxiety, insomnia or depression may find these devices helpful alongside proper medical care.
• If you’re happy to put the time in. This isn’t a quick fix. Most protocols involve 20–30 minutes a day, with benefits building gradually. As Dr Nima puts it, “These interventions are not one-hit wonders.”
• If you’re into mindfulness or biohacking. Meditators, or anyone working on focus, emotional regulation and stress resilience, may find these tools help deepen awareness and train the nervous system.
• If you’d rather avoid medication (or can’t tolerate it). For those seeking non-drug approaches to managing anxiety or stress – or who struggle with medication side effects – these devices can be an appealing alternative.

Brain stimulators are not suitable for people with a history of seizures, certain neurological conditions or implanted electronic devices, and they shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for full medical care in the case of more severe mental health conditions.

Still intrigued by brain stimulators? Here are our top picks…