Pulsetto Reviews - Does It Really Work?
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IN THE INTEREST of full disclosure, I’m suspicious of wellness gadgets. Can a single piece of Bluetooth technology really improve my sleep, boost my mood, lower my anxiety level, and increase my resilience to stress? Pulsetto is the latest nondrug health wearable promising to do just that, by using ultra-low radio frequency energy to stimulate the vagus nerve in the neck.
To test these bold claims, I used the Pulsetto neckband for over a month, to see what impact it would have on my health and general well-being.
Yes, I’m coming into this review with a sense of skepticism (would you want your review journalists any other way?), but with so many potential benefits on offer, and “no prior mindfulness or meditation experience required,” if it can help this cynic, just imagine how much it could benefit someone actively looking for help?
Does It Work?Aside from the daily pressures of self-employment, parenthood, London life, and the escalating cost of living, I wouldn’t consider myself to be overly stressed, pressured, or strung out. I also don’t have a history of mental health issues. Compared to some, I may well be a fireball of pent-up neurosis, but the point is, I’m not actively worried or looking for help with stress. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn't benefit from a bit of calm.
Extracting myself from the bustle of life for a few minutes of Pulsetto time each day was a treat. It’s what apps such as Apple's Breathe have been prescribing for years—the benefit of a moment to chill with some deep breathing and enforced relaxation.
During the first few sessions with Pulsetto I couldn’t really tell you what, if anything, it was doing for me. I soon got used to the buzzing in my neck, but I didn’t come away from a session feeling any different. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I certainly wasn’t finding it. I was, however, enjoying the stolen moments of peace and quiet regardless of the device itself.
The Deals Is Live Visit The Official Website By Clicking Here!!Impatiently, I soon started to experiment with the intensity level, and I found the difference between levels 5 and 7 to be quite significant. Anything above 7 was too much for me, but at the higher rates I did at least start to feel some effects.
I didn’t suddenly turn into the Dude, but the feeling reminded me of experiments with CBD oil. Annoyingly, I intensely dislike the effects that CBD oil has on my mind and body, making me feel dizzy, with undertones of nausea. Dizziness is one of the common Pulsetto side effects, alongside local pain, muscle twitching, headaches, and tingling.
After a session—admittedly the ones at the higher intensities—it would often take a few minutes to feel normal again. Yes, the more I used Pulsetto, the more I got used to the post-pulse wooziness, but I could never marry these feelings with those of being less stressed or anxious. Maybe I need to work on myself more.
But is it working? Apparently stimulating the vagus nerve regularly for three to four weeks can also lead to a drop in heart rate and an increase in HRV (heart rate variability). According to the people at Whoop, my HRV (as a 45-year-old man) should be between 35 and 60. According to my Apple Watch health data, I hover around the 38-40 mark. Healthy enough, but no athlete. So the question remains, without altering my routine, would the Pulsetto improve my HRV?
Sadly not. Over a month or so (hands up, I did miss a few days here and there), there was no upward trend in my HRV data, which continued to fluctuate slightly as it is supposed to. Whoop suggests that minimizing alcohol, getting more sleep, and working out more can also increase HRV, but I wasn’t about to add any sadistic variables to this test.
Pros and Cons of Pulsetto- Sleek app with stimulation programs and sound library
- One-time purchase
- Simple setup
- Extensive FAQ and help center
- Certified by FCC
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 2-year warranty
- Mixed user reviews on effectiveness
- Limited research on Pulsetto gadget
The Pulsetto is extremely easy to use, with a clear, icon-driven app that makes it perfectly clear what you’re supposed to be doing. In the box there’s a charging cable, plastic neckband, and tube of electrode gel. This is the same gloop used during ultrasound examinations, and it helps to ensure the best possible connection to your skin. The 60-gram tube goes a long way, and a 250-gram replacement costs just £3 ($3.75).
The Deals Is Live Visit The Official Website By Clicking Here!!Once your neck is sufficiently lubed, it’s simply a case of turning the Pulsetto on, placing it around your neck, waiting for it to connect to the app (iOS and Android), and choosing your treatment. You can opt for sessions targeting stress, anxiety, sleep, burnout, or pain management, each lasting from four to 20 minutes. You can adjust the intensity of the session, and there’s feedback opportunities at regular intervals. Over time you can compare sessions and discover which intensity worked best for you.
Fizzy FeelingWhat does a Pulsetto session feel like? It’s a little like a nervous twitch, with the stimulation causing an odd, but not painful, fizzy, pulsating feeling in my neck. It’s not a million miles away from a painless bout of pins and needles, or, for that matter, the sensation of licking a 9-volt battery. (Oh, please, we’ve all done it.)
As a typically sized (English) male, I had no problems with the fit of the Pulsetto, but when I asked a petite 5'6" friend to try, she found the neckband far too big for her neck. The contact points on the Pulsetto just didn’t touch her skin in the same way, and even with the intensity turned up she could feel very little. I checked the device, and it was already at its smallest circumference—so pencil neck jibes aside, it’s an issue worth flagging.
Most sessions last just a few minutes, with “pain management” being the longest at 20. Given how similar each of the sessions are—between 4 and 6 on an intensity scale from 1 to 9—choosing stress, anxiety, sleep, etc. seems like a clever placebo, given that the device only really does one thing. It’s akin to choosing a generic drug like paracetamol or ibuprofen specifically for back pain, simply because there’s a picture of a person with a bad back on the box.
Main benefits of PulsettoPulsetto suggests that it could help manage stress and burnout, improve sleep, control anxiety, and reduce pain. Of course, the device standalone only can do so much, so you need to bear in mind that the benefits are accumulated with regular sessions and healthy habits. However, here are some of the benefits I discovered while analyzing Pulsetto nVNS:
The Deals Is Live Visit The Official Website By Clicking Here!!Some research suggests vagus nerve stimulation may contribute to a slower heart rate. Pulsetto's approach to stimulating the vagus nerve could potentially play a role here, but more research is needed.
Reduced stress and anxietyPulsetto suggests that vagus nerve stimulation may activate the body's relaxation response, leading to a decrease in stress hormones. Pulsetto claims their device achieves this by stimulating the nerve, potentially promoting feelings of calm and reducing stress and anxiety.
Better sleepA well-functioning vagus nerve is linked to better sleep quality. Pulsetto's dedicated sleep program also aims to stimulate the nerve in a way that encourages relaxation and prepares the body for restful sleep.
How much does Pulsetto cost?Pulsetto device is a one-time purchase and comes with a Premium app and 1-month trial. However, you don’t have to worry, as the free app (Pulsetto Lite) also has everything you need for a sufficient stimulation session. Here’s a breakdown of what you get and how much it costs:
Product Pulsetto device with Premium app 1-month trial
Price $299 + free shipping
Money-back guarantee 30 days
What’s included A manual on how to get started with the app, a USB-C charger, electrode gel, the Pulsetto device
The Deals Is Live Visit The Official Website By Clicking Here!!I especially liked that if you’re not happy with your purchase, you can return your Pulsetto device within 30 days from the date of delivery for a full refund. Plus, every Pulsetto device comes with a standard 2-year warranty.
According to Pulsetto, “80 percent of customers see a substantial improvement in their stress and anxiety levels after 3 to 4 weeks. The time necessary to see a difference varies from person to person and might range from 1 to 2 days to 4 to 6 weeks.” Well, this wasn’t the case for me.
After my initial misgivings I genuinely wanted Pulsetto to change my life. I wanted regular daily use to drop my heart rate and raise my HRV. I wanted to exude calm and radiate wellness. No such luck. If I were wracked with anxiety and desperately in need of a better night’s sleep, I’m pretty sure investing time in myself would go a long way to helping. While adding the Pulsetto into this mix might well assist to some small degree, in this particular instance, after a month of testing, I can’t help but feel that a foot rub could do the same.
Then there is the bigger issue at play here. The over-prescription of drugs is a serious matter, with time-pressured doctors (certainly in the UK) often quick to prescribe blood-pressure pills for the easy win, rather than suggesting patients should eat better and exercise more. And despite not being drug based, Pulsetto isn’t really any better, offering a supposed quick fix to the symptoms of stress, sleep issues, and anxiety, without ever addressing the root cause of the problem.