If you’ve recently walked into a Rebel Sport, JB HiFi, Harvey Norman or similar, you might notice these stores now carry massive wellness ranges. From massage guns to foam rollers, spiky balls, recovery boots, heat packs, cold compressions, and even saunas.

Athletes and people in general are prioritising their wellness more than ever before. That’s why companies like Therabody are leading the charge on wellness devices. We’ve already shown you some of the benefits of the massage guns, and now we’ve got our hands on the new Therabody SmartGoggles.

Therabody SmartGoggles promise

The Therabody SmartGoggles are designed to “reduce stress, soothe headaches, ease eye strain, enhance relaxation, [and] sleep better”. All things we need during the stressful holiday period. Many of us working at desks could certainly use some therapy to reduce our own strain from the endless hours staring at a computer screen.

Furthermore, SleepScore Labs conducted a scientific study that found participants experienced an 82% reduction in stress, 23% improved sleep quality, and 71% lowered anxiety. The product works by using gentle eye and temple massages with included heat and vibration. You can choose to reduce the massage or heat level. So does this eye mask live up to the hype?

Out of the box

Therabody has taken care to package this product in a tight bundle. There’s no wasted space. The box comes with the Therabody SmartGoggles, soft carry case, USB charger, and instruction manual. The device is charged right out of the box so you can start using it immediately. Once you open the pouch, you’ll see the goggles inside. They goggles do look a little funny folded up and tucked firmly in their case. Take the goggles out of the case, unfold them, remove the tags, and you’re good to begin.

Trying it on

These are the second generation Therabody SmartGoggles and a few things have changed since gen one. The second gen is 10% lighter, but more importantly it’s much ‘squishier’. The material in gen two is a thermal type of foam housed in fabric covered plastic. This casing creates an indentation for your eyes to fit, providing a comfortable fit and blocking out all light.

The strap is adjustable making it suitable for most everyone. I’m one of those people with a weird shape, and small head, and thus I find fitting goggles like this a challenge. I discovered if I put my hair in a ponytail and rest the strap on my pony, the goggles don’t feel like they are sliding off my face.

Most people would not have this problem, however, a head strap, like the one seen on the TheraFace Mask would be the perfect solution. After some tinkering and adjusting had the goggles fitting perfectly and I was ready to give it a try.

Massage combinations and options

The Therabody SmartGoggles have intuitive controls sitting on top of the device. When you place the device on your head, your hands naturally reach for the controls. There are so many different massage combinations to choose from. There are three main modes: SmartRelax, Headaches & Eye Strain, and Sleep Prep. Each mode has a 15 minute cycle and focuses on a specific area.

My favourite was the Headaches & Eye Strain mode as I enjoy the temple massage. There’s also a vibration intensity button to cycle through high, low, and off. Finally, you have the choice of various heat settings; high, medium, low, and off. My choices were high-to-medium heat, and no vibration. I found the vibration rather loud since the straps go over your ears and thus the vibration sound isn’t appealing to me.

I also enjoy the heat and having this setting is a huge win for me. I also liked how the device plays increasingly higher pitched beeps when changing the intensity of the heat.

You might find it takes you a few goes to find the right settings and combinations for you. I spent around 30 minutes trying out each different setting before settling on the one I enjoyed the most.

The Therabody SmartGoggles also have a small built-in biometric sensor. This sensor reads your heart rate and adjust the vibration to more closely match your heart rate to help reduce stress. I preferred zero vibration and I still felt my whole body relaxing. You know when you can feel your legs go a little tingly and reach the point of zen? That’s what I felt using the Therabody SmartGoggles.

When to use the Therabody SmartGoggles

Is there really ever the ‘right’ time to relax? Some would argue yes. I would argue we could all do with a little more relaxation in our lives. After using the Therabody SmartGoggles, it’s the most relaxed I’ve felt in weeks. The only way I could make this better would be to put my leg massagers on and enjoy multiple massage points at once. Or maybe Therabody could design a scalp massage next.

Thus, one could argue you can use these goggles whenever you like. The 15 minute cycles are perfect for timing a short relaxation break. Kick back in your office chair—most chairs have reclining functions—and decompress after a stressful meeting. Come home from work, jump on the couch and pop the goggles on to recharge before tackling the evening’s chores. Therabody’s scientific research showed using one cycle before heading to bed can help improve your sleep.

Should you share your SmartGoggles?

My husband was really excited when I received the Therabody SmartGoggles as he was keen to try it too. Whilst you probably shouldn’t allow everyone to test out the SmartGoggles, sharing between a couple shouldn’t be a problem. Give the device a decent wipe between users with a non-abrasive damp cloth or an alcohol-free cleansing wipe. Alternatively, you can use Christmas as an excuse to purchase multiple goggles. Then there will be no arguments over whose turn it is.

On the go

Love to travel? Or travel a lot for work? The Therabody SmartGoggles are perfect for travelling. They come with a soft case for easy transport. I spend a fair bit of time on the plane and I’m itching to try these my next flight. A single charge can provide around two hours of run time depending on the mode. That should be plenty of time to get in a bit of relaxation. Many planes have charging ports so I can experience longer sessions on long haul flights.

The included USB-A charging cable can fit into an airline charging port, or even into a portable battery charger. There’s a snuggly pouch for the charging cable that neatly fits into the Therabody SmartGoggles carry case, ensuring you have everything you need wherever you take your goggles.

Therabody wellness app

Fully customise all your massage options with the Therabody wellness app. Available on iOS and Android, this app provides guided videos, personalisation, and the ability to connect your devices with other health applications. You’ll need to create an account to get started, and choose your Therabody devices.

There’s the option to personalise your treatment by answering questions about your wellness goals, activities you participate in, and areas of pain. Connect your device via Bluetooth.

The goggles will beep when in pairing mode. Once paired, you’ll be able to see device battery and choose various routines. Due to this customisation and personalisation, it’s best to have your own goggles.

If you are running your device and then try to connect to the app, your device will end the treatment. Initialising a routine from the Therabody application is the best way to get the most out of the goggles. You’ll be able to choose a suitable routine, listen to music playing from your phone, and choose the desired heat and vibration settings before starting your routine.

Whilst these settings will be disabled from your phone once you start the routine, you’ll still be able to use the controls on the goggles. Routines have set times so you determine how long a session will take. There are routines between five and 20 minutes available so you’re sure to find something that suits any busy schedule.

Grab the Therabody SmartGoggles

If you want to experience pure relaxation bliss—let’s be honest, who doesn’t?—you can purchase the generation two Therabody SmartGoggles for $299 AUD. To be completely blunt, this is a great price. A standard massage is usually around $100 and you can’t put a price on reduced stress, well in this case it’s $299 AUD. Otherwise, save a little bit of cash and grab the generation one goggles on sale for $149 AUD.

It’s the perfect Christmas present for your significant other, or yourself. If you’re looking for other great Christmas gift ideas, check out the Therabody Massage guns, and Pro massage gun. On a budget? Opt for the Wave Solo massage ball at $79 AUD which is perfect for targeting plenty of sore muscles.