The Oxa Breathing Wearable is a possible answer in our modern, hectic life. Most of us can associate with the high pressures and hard demands of each day. Oxa, a product designed by neuroscientists for stress relief and better sleep quality, could be a useful aid for making our daily lives that little bit easier.
Using the latest technology, Oxa is a system of personalized breathing exercises and it delivers immediate, real-time insights into your vital signals like heart rate and breathing rate. Read on for our full review of this unique and innovative product!
Design
The box we received for us to test contained the following items: Sensor unit, t-shirt, machine-washable bag, charging wire, quick start guide, and a mobile phone stand. The Oxa sensor unit is a small lightweight pebble-sized device encased in a durable, plastic casing. A soft silicone protective ring is positioned around the outside of it.
There is a small LED light on the front of the unit to display different statuses (eg. red = low battery). Four gold-plated pins on the rear of the sensor unit help to attach it to the Oxa t-shirt you are wearing.
The eco friendly t-shirt is designed with comfort and breathability in mind and it’s made with odour-resistant technology. Electrodes are situated on the inside of the garment. The t-shirt is suitable for breathwork, low intensity activity and sleeping in.
The machine washable bag is provided is necessary for cleaning the t-shirt. The wooden mobile phone stand has a diameter of approximately 8cm and features the Oxa logo.
Performance
Keeping fit, building muscle, staying strong and eating well are all on the list of priorities in my life. I’ve trained hard and watched my diet over the years, but one thing I’ve never really paid attention to is the importance of breathing in the pursuit of health.
Having the opportunity to try out Oxa would be the chance to discover the benefits of breathing exercises and the effects it could have on my body and mind. Described as “the world’s first breathing wearable that captures your breath and heart activity”, this was definitely something to get excited about!
Wear Oxa whilst sleeping
Getting Started with Oxa is Easy
Getting started with Oxa breathing wearable was rather easy. Once you’ve put on the snug fitting t-shirt (positioning its electrodes on each side of the bottom of the breastbone), give the sensor unit a little shake to activate it then clip it onto the shirt.
Switch on your phone’s Bluetooth, open the Oxa app and it’s simply a matter of seconds until the phone and sensor are connected. Navigating the app is fairly straightforward, and like anything new that you do, it takes a little bit of time to gain familiarity with.
The obvious place to start is on the basics. Clicking on the tutorials puts you on the path to learning a whole new set of breathing skills and exercises. A male or female voice gently guides you through the exercises while mellow music and soothing sounds lead you into a relaxed state.
Once you get started with the Oxa breathing wearable, you will see the effect of the instant biofeedback in action. Rather impressively, circles on your phone’s screen expand and shrink in real time corresponding with your breathing in and out.
There is a satisfyingly large selection of exercises to explore on the Oxa Life app. They range from easy beginner exercises, “Animal breathing” for instance, to more advanced and skillful ones such as “2 breaths per minute”. Each one has the specific purpose of improving qualities like your calmness, focus, or resilience. If you have limited spare time in your daily routine, you’ll find a useful range of quick exercises that start from three minutes in duration.
You’ll Quickly Find Out Which Exercises Suit You Best
As I gained more experience with the Oxa breathing wearable, a few of the exercises quickly became favorites of mine. The power breathing exercises, fast-paced breathing followed by breath holds, are beneficial for building mental strength and feeling energized. Box breathing, a 4 phase exercise (inhale, breath retention, exhale, breath suspension) is used for focus and mental readiness and it’s something that is utilized by military special forces.
Being the type of person who struggles to switch off and relax, I quickly became fond of the “Wind down from work” exercises as well. They were nigh on perfect for relaxation after a demanding day at work, and equally effective when done before bedtime for a solid night’s sleep.
Oxa app Your breathing data shown on your smartphone
High-Level Biofeedback Accuracy
In every exercise, information from the unit is relayed back to the app to keep track of your performance. In fact, the level of accuracy of the biofeedback readings is really good. Breathing rate, breathing depth, heart rate and heart rate variability are monitored and measured, and the details are shown throughout and/or at the end of the exercises. You’ll find your personal records on the app’s home page which tells you details of your maximum breath hold, minimum heart rate and your longest session.
Additionally, you can check your history and check the exercises you have done over the last few days and weeks. As well as feeling the physical and mental benefits of using Oxa it also proved to be an educational journey for me.
Each exercise has explanations about how and why it is beneficial to your body and mind. I learned about how exhalation activates the vagus nerve and how mouth breathing stimulates the brain’s amygdala. Terms I’d never encountered before like “air hunger” and “heart rhythm coherence” are now something I have an understanding of.
Within the space of a few weeks, I’d turned from a complete novice to someone who knows a respectable amount about breathing. Needless to say, I’m well pleased with that.
Value
The OXA sensor unit can be purchased paired with either a shirt, bra, or band and costs a total of £299. If you wish to buy the sensor unit alone it will set you back £197. A “Night and Day” bundle is also available and this includes a band (for daytime use), shirt/bra (for night use) and the necessary sensor.
This option costs £283. Shipping is free to UK addresses and some other countries eg. USA, and EU. The company offers a free returns and exchanges policy, and a 30 day money-back guarantee. Feel free to purchase here, and in addition, for a stress free Christmas they’re also offering 30% off if you order through Keep Fit Kingdom now.
It may take you a short while to save up for the Oxa products but you will reap the rewards of improved physical and mental health, increased wellness, stress reduction and better sleep.
Favourite Exercises
- Power Breathing
- 180 Second Reset
- Box breathing 4:4:4:4
Oxa bra and sensor for women
Summary
No doubt whatsoever, the Oxa package exceeded my expectations. It succeeds at reducing stress and tension every time it is used and it eases the pressures and stresses that affect us all too often.
It’s clear that an incredible amount of scientific research and time has gone into developing this excellent product. With its easy to use features and its high reliability, I cannot recommend Oxa enough.
