Review: Therabody Smart Goggles

The modern world has ruined my brain. I'm in constant need of stimulation, watching TV and scrolling TikTok at the same time, or playing Tetris while mentally adding all of Jenna Ortega's outfits in Wednesday to my cart. I know. I need help. 

I'm not quite the adult equivalent of an iPad kid. At least, I can still put my phone away while in the presence of other people. But couple my phone addiction with a job spent writing on a computer screen, and my skull and eyes have started to revolt. I'm plagued by eye fatigue and pounding headaches, the latter of which may or may not be a result of the aforementioned habits. Sometimes the headaches are throbbing, hitting me like a bolt of lightning. For added measure, occasionally my vision blurs for 20 or so minutes before the pain strikes. (These ocular migraines started before I owned a smartphone, for what it's worth.)

I thought I was destined for a life of pain and discomfort, left with nothing to blame but my own poor choices. But then I tried Therabody's smart goggles. The company is best known for its Theraguns, the powerful and professionally priced massage guns. When I heard about these goggles, I wasn't sure what to think—they could either be great or an overpriced gimmick, but my throbbing brain needed a solution. Thankfully, these warm, vibrating goggles turned out to be the former. I love them.

Therabody via Medea Giordano

The smart goggles work by combining massage, heat, and vibrations to ease headache pain and reduce eye strain and tension. They look a little like a VR headset, and I feel like I should be teleporting somewhere when I bring them over my eyes. I have a few sensory issues and can feel incredibly uncomfortable very fast if even one thing is touching me incorrectly, but these feel good, not annoying. Plus, there's an adjustable strap to make it looser or tighter. The eye area is sufficiently padded, and it's easy to wipe that part clean. You should use it on clean skin, but occasionally I need to use it in the middle of a full-makeup day.

The goggles are Bluetooth-enabled and connect to the Therabody app (available on iOS and Android), where you can adjust controls and session times from five to 30 minutes. There are also small buttons on the top of the actual device. I like having the option to not use my phone, but adjustments are much easier and straightforward on the app. You can turn the vibrations and heat off, but the massager is always on. It squeezes just enough to relieve pain, but it isn't uncomfortable, and it releases and contracts frequently enough that it shouldn't bother you. It took my husband a little bit to get used to the feeling, while I could have had my brain squeezed a little harder, if we're being honest. (I was imagining myself opening up my skull à la Dr. Finkelstein from The Nightmare Before Christmas.)

Photograph: Best Buy

There are three main preset modes: Focus, Sleep, and SmartRelax, plus several other sessions in the TheraMind section of the app. SmartRelax sets vibrational patterns based on your heart rate, in an effort to lower the speed. There is a small heart-rate sensor on the inside of the goggles that rests against your cheekbone. (You won't even notice it there when you're wearing them.) The app uses this to provide a breakdown of your starting, ending, and average heart rate when a session is over. Heat is automatically turned off during sleep mode, so as not to interfere with the body's natural cooling as you start to fall asleep, but you can turn it on. (I prefer to use it.)

I didn't notice a huge difference in how I felt after using different modes, or whether I really could focus better after that particular setting. For me, the goggles always made me feel calm and relaxed. When I wore them during a headache, it did relieve pain. For some of the really bad ones, the pain prevailed past the session time, but for those 30 minutes, I was in bliss. When my vision blurs, I can't do anything but ride it out anyway, and wearing these Smart Goggles are the only way I've ever been able to relax during one of these migraines. Even though I know my vision will return, it's always scary to go through.

Photograph: Therabody

Therabody's smart goggles just might be the best gizmo I tried in 2022. They're not cheap, at $200, but given the price of other Therabody gadgets, I was relieved to see it didn't exceed three or four hundred. They fold up and fit in a zippered case that you could throw in a backpack or suitcase. I'm terrified of flying and need to be heavily medicated just to walk into the airport, but next time, I'm definitely bringing these along to assist in lulling me into a near-coma-like state.

These goggles have become a normal part of my nighttime routine in an effort to wind down, rip my eyes away from a screen, and turn my brain down from its constant chatter. I like to take a hot bath, curl up under a heavy weighted blanket, and gently squeeze my face.