Muse (InteraXon Inc.)

Muse, the neurofeedback headband from InteraXon

Muse is a consumer device that records brain activity via EEG and provides real-time neurofeedback to train attention, calm, and rest. It is sold by InteraXon Inc., a company based in Toronto (Canada), through its online store with worldwide shipping. The company presents itself as the most popular consumer EEG brand, a claim it supports with its own figures: more than 500,000 users, more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, and more than 1,000 research labs worldwide using its compact EEG system.

Models and catalog prices

The store shows two main products. The Muse S Athena incorporates EEG, fNIRS, PPG+, accelerometer, and a one-year Premium subscription; its catalog price is $539.00 USD with Premium and $474.99 USD for the device-only version. The Muse 2, described as the simplest way to get started, tracks calm, focus, breath, and heart rate; it is offered at $309.00 USD with Premium and $249.99 USD without it. Both include free meditation and basic sleep tracking, and allow adding Premium for $45 USD per year. The Premium subscription separately costs $49.99 USD annually.

Cognitive training features

The system translates brain activity into concrete metrics. EEG biofeedback shows when the mind wanders so you can train it, with indicators such as Calm Score and Alpha Peak. fNIRS technology measures oxygen flow to the prefrontal cortex to estimate brain effort, with metrics such as Strength Sessions and Brain Recharge Score. The company frames this training as a mental equivalent to cardiovascular work.

Sleep tools

The Athena model incorporates features aimed at improving rest: Sleep Assist, Deep Sleep Boost, and Smart Wakeup, which wakes you at the lightest point of the sleep cycle. The company claims 88-96% accuracy compared to polysomnography (PSG) and presents these tools not only to track sleep but to intervene in it.

Premium subscription and AI coach

Premium adds an AI coach called Enso, which turns brain data into an action plan; cognitive performance tracking via the Alpha Peak score; Brain Recovery Score, which estimates recovery after cognitive load; Smart Wakeup; more than 500 guided sessions for anxiety, overwhelm, and recovery; and external audio with real-time biofeedback using common audio apps. Each Athena unit includes one year of Premium.

Research and scientific backing

The company cites a 2021 study led by Western University, Cambridge Brain Science, Hatch, and InteraXon in which participants reported better stress management, greater focus and clarity, better emotional regulation, and a 20% improvement in sleep quality measured with the Pittsburgh index compared to a control group. Muse also targets institutions: its compact EEG system is used to obtain brainwave data both in the lab and in real-world settings.

Programs for professionals and businesses

The Professionals program provides access to the Muse Connect platform and is designed for psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, counselors, clinicians, coaches, and studios that want to incorporate meditation into their practice, with tools to set goals and track their clients' habits. The Corporate Wellness program offers corporate wellness programs. The company also produces the Untangle podcast, hosted by Patricia Karpas and Ariel Garten, with interviews with authors and thought leaders on mindfulness, brain health, and leadership.

Customer care and warranty

Customer care operates Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST, excluding Canadian holidays, with an AI assistant available 24 hours a day and an FAQ section for inquiries outside those hours. Purchases include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Location and contact

22 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 200, Toronto ON, Canada M4T 2S5