Wearables are going completely off the rails

When most people hear the term “wearable,” they probably think of apple watch. For a long time, wearables have been defined by smartwatches and all the health-tracking, discreet notification-delivery capability they provide. But it’s been a long time since the first Apple Watch arrived on the scene – over 10 years, in fact – and a lot has happened in the world of wearables since then. are likely to be, Too much, In fact.

I’m only slightly exaggerating when I say there’s a wearable device for basically everything. Take this recent entrant from a company called allWhich crams wearable technology into a beanie. What does the wearable/beanie actually do, you ask? Well, read your mind of course. Sabi says that by using electroencephalography (EEG) and lots of tiny sensors inside the beanie, their wearable device can act as a brain-to-computer interface and translate your thoughts into text on a separate device. The device can apparently put words on the screen at a rate of about 30 words per minute.

Hello world, it’s me @sabicap https://t.co/VmvFtopA8I

– Sabi (@sabicap) 16 April 2026

This type of device has the most straightforward applications for those who need access, but theoretically, anyone can use it, and as new as this ideal may seem, brain-sensing wearable devices with EEG are an increasingly competitive category. I should know, because I’ve tried some. For example, audio products, such as those made by a company called NextSense, promise to incorporate the health benefits of a wearable inside a small set of wireless earbuds.

Using EEG, NextSense Smartbuds Can monitor your sleep in real time, which is a difference compared to other sleep-tracking wearables. Peers like ora smart rings Estimate sleep through other biometric signals, like heart rate and body temperature, which are a little less direct. NextSense has taken its EEG buds one step further. The company says that its wireless earbuds can not only monitor your sleep but can also assess it. level Sleep and then make it better by playing pink noise at strategic times. This is a new approach to sleep tracking, and it didn’t work as well as I would have liked when I reviewed the buds, but it’s still an interesting example of how comprehensive wearables have become. NextSense is not alone in its thinking.

Somni, the company offering sleep headband, is also following the same path. Like the NextSense smartbuds, Somni Sleep Headband It has an EEG that can read your brain waves and is intended to improve sleep, although it does take a slightly different approach. Instead of deepening sleep with pink noise, it actually gives your brain a little shock (15 minutes of mild electrical stimulation, called transcranial alternating current stimulation) to mimic sleep signals and get you to sleep faster. I’ve tried it, and it’s weird to say the least, but for some people it can really improve sleep.

If having an EEG in a beanie and shaking your brain to sleep doesn’t sound exciting enough, I’ll extend an EEG inside a gaming headset for you. It’s from HyperX and a company called Neurable Can read your brain waves and assess your focus level. If it turns out that you are distracted, you can take a brief attention test that involves focusing on dots on the screen until they form a single orbit. This, in theory, is supposed to help increase your focus and perform better in games like shooters, which require tip-top reaction times and mental acuity. Gizmodo staff reporter Kyle Barr Tried the headset at CES Last year, and while the results were mixed, he improved his accuracy in the shooting test.

Brain-reading wearable devices are still in their infancy, and although there’s no solid evidence on their effectiveness at tasks like increasing focus, improving sleep, or making you a pro eSports player, that hasn’t stopped companies from trying. Hey, Apple also wants a piece of the wearable crossover pie; Its airpods pro 3 Insert health sensors into the company’s iconic wireless earbuds to make them part health wearable, part audio product. Sure, they’re not making your brain race just yet, but reading your heart rate could be the start of what’s to come.

And even though wireless earbuds and headbands can’t cure all our collective ills, it’s fun to see them try. I will, sort of, be the first one in line, ready to shock my brain into better sleep – Lord knows I need it.