CalmiGo Is an Awesome Portable Device That Instills Calm Through Breathing in Just 3 Minutes

As effective as I knew breathing exercises can be for instilling calm and reducing stress, I'm terrible at them.

Even when I'm using an app to time my inhales and exhales and regulate my breathing, I find my mind wandering off and getting distracted—and forget about trying to do them without outside help. In general, I've only been able to successfully do these exercises when I'm already focused and in a relaxed state, which is when I don't really need them.

That's precisely what drew me to CalmiGo, a unique device that promises to help users achieve calm in just three minutes through regulated breathing. When the team behind the device reached out to me, I just had to give it a whirl, and it's since become one of my go-tos for tackling stress and grounding myself.

The Product

CalmiGo is a device that helps users reach a sense of calm in only three minutes using drug-free, proven methods to relieve stress. It utilizes a combination of breathing regulation, aromatherapy and multisensory stimulation, tuning in the senses of sight, smell, hearing and touch, to instill calm that doesn't just benefit users in the moment, but also in the long run.

(via CalmiGo)

According to the brand, CalmiGo is scientifically proven to reduce stress hormone levels through the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, resulting in immediate relief from stress. It also adapts to individual users to be most effective in rapidly producing calm.

The device comes in purple and grey colors, with scented elements available in Lavender, Peppermint and Bergamot. One CalmiGo device with a scented element of your choice retails for $179, while additional scented elements are available for $12 each, or in a three-pack for $30. If you're not totally happy after a month, they have a 30-day money-back guarantee, and CalmiGo also has a one-year warranty.

 

The Experience

Getting started with CalmiGo was super easy. The device runs on two AAA batteries, which were included in the box, so I just had to install those with a Phillips head screwdriver. From there I just had to remove the rubbery protective sleeve, attach the scented element (I went with Lavender, to start) and clean the mouthpiece with some rubbing alcohol, and then I was good to go.

Turning it on was as simple as pressing a button. When I did, the green battery light, as well as the four blue feedback lights, lit up and the device buzzed to let me know it was on. From there it was time to see what the fuss was all about.

I just had to put the mouthpiece in my mouth and exhale to start. As I did, the blue lights activated, one at a time, until the fourth one lit up, and the device buzzed, to tell me it was time to inhale. I inhaled through my nose, taking in the very calming lavender scent, before exhaling through my mouth again. At first, I found it a little tough to exhale for a slightly long period until the CalmiGo would buzz, but I found that it quickly adjusted to my breathing pattern, so I didn't have to exhale for so long.

But, much more important than the breathing itself, was how it made me feel. It truly required focus, as I honed in entirely on the experience, in terms of breathing, the scent, the sound and the tactile sensation, which rid my head of pretty much anything else I had going on. In just a minute or so, I truly did feel fully relaxed, like all of my stress had melted away. I kept this going for about three minutes and felt great, and I think each subsequent use has made that effect even more profound.

Using it at night before bed, however, is a slightly different experience. I often find it tough to sleep because my mind races before bed, and felt CalmiGo would be a nice solution to that. However, I do wish it were slightly more user-friendly for nighttime or dark places. Conveniently, the vibration can be turned off to make the experience silent, but I actually liked that feedback in terms of guiding my breath. The battery and feedback lights are also green and blue, which I find calming during the day, but at night, they're a bit bright and tend to make me feel awake—even when I keep my eyes closed the whole time. Red lights might have been better for nighttime—but they're also not the most calming to look at, so I understand why they didn't go with that choice. If you plan to use CalmiGo before bed, I recommend incorporating it into your wind-down routine before lights out to get the most benefit from it.

And while CalmiGo works like a dream, it can look a little strange, and I can't imagine whipping it out in public and breathing into it for three minutes in front of strangers if I found myself in a stressful situation on the go. The portability is definitely convenient, but your mileage will vary depending on how self-conscious you are about things. I would also love for future CalmiGos to have a built-in timer for three minutes because my internal ability to measure time is nonexistent.

Regardless of all of that, I can't get enough of CalmiGo, and I plan to keep using it for the foreseeable future. When I'm feeling a little anxious, it gets me back to zero so fast. It turns out breathing exercises are for me—I just need a little more help from a device like this.

 

Bottom Line

If you're looking for a safe and drug-free way to combat your own stress, I can't recommend CalmiGo enough. It's definitely on the pricier side, but it truly works, and the fact that it brings all of the senses into the experience helps turn it into a grounding and relaxing treat. The aromatherapy aspect is also wonderful (I happen to like the lavender scent the best), and in my experience, it just works.

And while I'm sure many people can get a somewhat similar experience without the device through other breath training and aromatherapy practices, CalmiGo really does make it fool-proof. I've had so much more success with CalmiGo than with other breathing techniques I've tried in the past, and I'm sure others will feel the same way.

 

Want to explore other options before dropping any cash? Click HERE for more of our favorite products that reduce anxiety and inspire calm.