Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice. All statements are merely the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to anti-anxiety measures.
CalmiGo is a patented stress relief device. The manufacturer claims that it’s clinically proven to work, and that it “provides immediate drug-free relief in moments of anxiety, stress and panic attacks.”
But is CalmiGo based on good science or are these just marketing claims? How does it work in the body? How do real users rate and describe the effects of CalmiGo? And what retailer sells the device for the best price?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the clinical trials on CalmiGo to give our take on whether the device is likely to be effective or if it’s a waste of money.
We’ll also feature real, unsponsored CalmiGo user reviews and provide a price comparison showing what retailer sells it for the best price.
Is CalmiGo Proven to Work?
CalmiGo claims that their device has been tested in eight clinical trials, and to the credit of the brand, some of these trials appear to be published in legitimate, peer-reviewed journals which is the gold standard of product research.
A clinical trial published in the Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback journal tested the effects of CalmiGo on test anxiety and the device was found to be highly effective.
Stress levels decreased by 19% in the CalmiGo group.
Another clinical trial found that CalmiGo significantly reduced stress and PTSD levels in combat veterans. However, this study does not appear to be published in any journals so the standard of evidence is weaker than the previous study in our opinion.
These are the only clinical trials with published results, and the brand claims that there are six more ongoing clinical trials.
Based on the available evidence, we consider CalmiGo likely to be effective for stress reduction, although the value of the device will be more convincing if the majority of the ongoing studies also report positive results.
But how does CalmiGo work? We’ll review in the next section.
How Does CalmiGo Work?
CalmiGo claims to work due to three components: personalized breathing recommendation, grounding and calming scents.
Personalized breathing seems like an interesting technology, but we’re not sure how novel it is because we know from decades of clinical research that consciously slowing down breathing reduces stress levels. The benefit of “personalization” beyond this would have to be proven in future trials.
A 2021 clinical trial found that a deep breathing program helped anxious participants reduce stress levels by 24%.
Grounding is described by CalmiGo as engaging the four senses. This is different from the grounding, also described as “earthing,” that we reviewed in a previous article that involves making direct contact with the Earth’s soil.
Sensory stimulation is clinically shown to alter mood, but it seems like it would vary significantly based on the stimulus. We do not find this product benefit to be particularly convincing.
Calming scents have been used for thousands of years to induce relaxation, and are often referred to as aromatherapy.
CalmiGo uses “Scented Plates” but it’s unclear to us what specific materials are used to create the scent. Is the lavender “Scented Plate” purely formulated from lavender essential oil, or does it have other ingredients added?
Without this information, we cannot ascertain the safety and potentially efficacy of this part of CalmiGo’s technology, and we urge the brand to publish more clearly the materials used on the “Our Scents” page of their website.
This video from the brand shows how the device is used:
Real, Unsponsored CalmiGo User Reviews
A YouTube creator named “Pätrick und Caleb K” has a comprehensive review of the CalmiGo that explains if the device was effective for their type of stress:
A TikTok user named “lauren nicole” reviews CalmiGo and says it changed her life:
@laurenjnicole this device is seriously a game changer and you NEED to try it out. @CalmiGo ♬ State Lines - Novo Amor
Where to Buy CalmiGo for the Best Price
CalmiGo is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown at the time of updating this article:
Amazon: $239 (link)
HSA Store: $199.9 (link)
Brand website: $198 (link)
The brand’s website has a $15 off coupon so that’s the best option for customers paying cash.
The HSA Store is an online platform that allows customers to purchase health devices with their Health Savings Account (HSA), which is a government-designated and tax-efficient investment account. This is the better option for customers with an HSA set up.
Does CalmiGo Cause Side Effects?
Given that this is a hardware device rather than an ingestible product, its risk of side effects is likely minimal.
Neither CalmiGo clinical trial references any side effects or patients having to discontinue use, which suggests that CalmiGo is unlikely to cause side effects.
That being said, we consider the risk of side effects to be slightly higher than the brand claims given our concerns about the materials used to create the scents. If there were artificial fragrance ingredients used, for example, they may cause irritation in some individuals.
It may be inadvisable to inhale anything with uncertain contents.
Real Customers Review CalmiGo
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
CalmiGo has been reviewed over 900 times on Amazon with an average review rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “sandra adkins” who claims that the device helped mitigate her hyperventilation:
“This product actually stops the spiraling, not sure if that makes sense to you.. But panicking goes from starting to panic and progress to oh my God I'm going to die and I can't get enough oxygen.. I've tried meditation, every daily drug you can think of and NOTHING helped. It's such a simple idea but it works. Today is the first day I didn't hate every hour of the day. Thank you. My job is very important to me and I actually have hope that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Dixie” who claims there are more affordable options:
“I have panic attacks and asthma and this morning I was having trouble breathing I got my calmigo out and started to use it I have been using it regularly three times a day trying to feel better. it has not done anything for me. I cannot smell the scent also if I just meditate and learn how to breathe deep it works better and a lot cheaper. I really really wanted it to work. To pay that much money when you don't have it you really do want it to work.”
Our Clean Mood Support Picks
There are ingredients that are clinically shown to help support relaxation.
Green tea was shown in a 2017 clinical trial to significantly reduce stress levels, and has been used to promote mental and physical wellness for centuries.
Pique Japanese Sencha Green Tea is our top green tea pick. It costs $16 for 14 servings at the time of updating this article, or only $1.14 per serving.
Magnesium is a mineral that 45% of Americans are deficient in according to a research review, and "existing evidence is suggestive of a beneficial effect of [magnesium] on subjective anxiety" according to a medical review published in the Nutrients journal.
Bulletproof Magnesium is our top magnesium supplement pick and costs under $15 at a subscription rate at the time of updating this article.
CBD is clinically shown to be absorbed through the skin, and was shown in a 2020 medical review to be a "promising" natural treatment for anxiety disorders.
Cornbread CBD Lotion is our top pick for a stress-relieving topical product.
All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of additive ingredients that we consider unhealthy.
Pros and Cons of CalmiGo
Here are the pros and cons of CalmiGo in our opinion:
Pros:
- Natural
- Clinically shown to work in some settings
- Multiple clinical trials ongoing
- Affordable when amortized over years
- No clinically proven side effects
Cons:
- Expensive one-time payment
- Materials used to create scents unclear
- Mediocre Amazon reviews
