9 Strange Health & Wellness Gadgets You Didn't Know Existed

Ever see someone wearing a cyborg-like mask with their pajamas and wonder what they're doing? Well, me too. Technology has certainly come a long way in every regard, none more so than in the area of health and wellness. We've found that gadgets like wearables are a great way to track health and fitness.

Tech companies have tapped into this by coming up with more and more devices to keep the world's 8 billion people in tip-top shape. Innovation is everywhere — from devices that track your hydration levels to gadgets that help you sleep. Health and wellness tech has taken an interesting turn, producing some of the most bizarre devices you have ever seen. Though some of these, at first glance, look like something straight out of a sci-fi epic, they claim they can transform your life. 

With that in mind, here are 10 strange health and wellness gadgets you didn't know existed.

Did you know your eating pace impacts your health? HAPIfork certainly does. Studies have shown that eating more slowly can improve overall diet quality. Yes, it's not just about what you eat anymore, but also about how you eat it. Eating slowly aids digestion through chewing and helps you reach your target body weight a lot easier. There's no better tool to help you achieve this than a cutlery loaded with tech, and HAPIfork's smart fork fits the bill.

This fork does a not-so-simple task in a very simple way. According to HAPIfork, the product tracks your eating pace and alerts you with a vibration if you're eating too fast. It records the time intervals between bites and, through app integration, sends you the data for analysis. Once you connect the fork to an app that tracks your eating habits, you can see how many bites you take, how long your meals last, and so on.

The purpose of all this is to help you with weight management and digestion, ensuring you're making healthy eating choices. But, a problem we've found with smart forks in general is that they require specific eating gestures to operate smoothly. So you'll have to find out for yourself if this smart fork matches your eating style. And while the original HAPIfork is no longer being sold in the U.S., it seems the folks at SmartFeed have taken up the mantle with their own smart silverware.

Just like our diet, sleep plays a vital role in our well-being. The quality of your sleep determines your body's ability to energize, destress, and regenerate cells. Realizing this, Somnox created a sleep aid device that they say will help you sleep better. This breathing, snuggling robot is designed to help you relax and fall asleep faster. The sleep robot takes inspiration from cuddly stuffed animals you find on children's beds. It is made from a hypoallergenic material that is soft, almost cushion-like, to replicate the feel of a pillow.

Somnox claims that the robot produces a slow breathing pattern that your body will mimic, helping you fall gently asleep and stay that way until you wake. Alternatively, it can adapt to your breathing pattern and gradually adjust itself, slowing both of you to a relaxed pace. Think of it as comforting a baby back to sleep — only this time, you're the baby. According to the manufacturer, the device can also play your favorite songs or soothing sounds, such as white noise, natural rain sounds, and so on. It comes with a compatible app for you to make your customizations and personalizations. You can get the Somnox sleep robot from their website for $599, and it comes with a 100% risk-free 30-day trial.

Another device aimed at helping you sleep better is one created by Re-Timer. Only this time, it doesn't come in the form you'd expect. Re-Timer is an Australian-based company that markets research-based products. The research is primarily conducted by its founding university. One of these products is its glasses, which it claims "keeps stress at bay" [sic]. You read that right — glasses that have little to do with sight and everything to do with reducing stress. The wearable leverages light therapy technology, which has become increasingly relevant in recent times. It has even been found to aid disease treatment, as seen in a 2021 study that showed how light therapy helped in treating Alzheimer's.

Re-Timer claims to have poured 25 years of research and development into producing this device. The glasses emit a mild green-tinted light that is supposed to help the brain produce melatonin and serotonin. They are advertised as an alternative to using medications, such as melatonin pills, since they only aid your brain in performing a natural function. According to the manufacturer, 30 minutes of daily use of the glasses is all that's needed to reduce stress levels and improve sleep. The device is rechargeable and Bluetooth-enabled. It also comes with a mobile application you can use to set up, modify, and control the glasses. A pair of these glasses sells for about $170 on Amazon.

Still in the realm of strange wearable fitness tech, we have the cryotherapy face mask. You might have unusually come across your favorite influencer, neighborhood soccer mom, or even someone in your circle wearing an Iron Man-esque face mask and thought to yourself, why? Despite appearances, they weren't cosplaying their favorite characters or trying out Halloween outfits. Instead, it is another wellness device that uses light therapy — only in a much different way and for a much different purpose than sleep-inducing glasses. Cryotherapy face masks are skincare tools designed to promote skin health, particularly by reducing inflammation and replenishing skin cells.

The masks use a combination of LED lighting and cold therapy. The cold temperature boosts blood circulation, tightens skin pores, and improves the overall appearance. Think of it as an ice bath for your face. The device is reusable, adjusts to fit your face, and covers every area of it. It is usually refrigerator-safe so you can cool it before use. Its main function is to prevent face puffiness and swelling in the morning. The success of this might depend on the brand you choose, but the idea is the same across all products. You can get one on Amazon for around $370.

Up next is another type of face mask with a different fitness goal in mind. Imagine a surgical face mask that does more than just protect you from airborne bacteria. That's what FaceBit, a revolutionary gadget that claims to take your everyday mask to the next level, does. This wearable health monitor is designed to give you real-time insights about your body and environment. The idea was developed by researchers at Northwestern University during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is basically a Fitbit for your face and is marketed as such.

The FaceBit comes with a tiny sensor chip that attaches magnetically to most masks. While you breathe, it tracks vitals such as your respiratory rate and heart rate. According to the manufacturer, it can even estimate your stress levels based on your breathing patterns. The target market for the FaceBit mask was healthcare workers, who were often so busy helping others that they forgot to take breaks for their own health and fitness. However, it also appeals to a broader audience. The device syncs with an app on your phone, letting you monitor the data. It also has a really strong battery life that can go as long as 11 days. This is much more than most smartwatches offer.

Moving on to a strange wellness device that is sure to bring the heat. Saunas have an immense range of health benefits, and humans have known this for centuries. Whether it's cardio health, brain health, or even skincare, the positive impacts of saunas cannot be overstated. Access to them has always been a challenge. Saunas are typically found in spas and sports facilities, and rarely would you find a house that comes equipped with one. So, when innovative blankets that produce the same effect as saunas were released, it was sure going to be a welcome development — a strange one, but welcome nonetheless.

The portable sauna blanket uses infrared heat technology to penetrate your skin. With the blanket, you can set a preferred temperature and timer, just as you would in a sauna. You can typically preheat it prior to use. It is also usually waterproof to be able to withstand sweat, and the blanket itself is heat-resistant. Most manufacturers design it to be compact, lightweight, and foldable, so you can use it anywhere. And unlike traditional saunas, you don't need to share it with anyone during your session. The portable sauna blanket is a great gadget for detoxification, muscle recovery, and pain management. You can get a HigherDOSE portable sauna blanket from Amazon for about $700.

We've already seen smart cutlery on this list, so a water bottle wellness device, strange as it may be, shouldn't feel too out of place. Water is a core necessity of life, and as such, hydration forms the bedrock of health and wellness. Unfortunately, there is no automatic way to hydrate besides manually drinking water. Staying hydrated sounds simple, but in reality, it's easy to forget to drink enough water during a busy day. That's where a smart water bottle comes in.

Smart water bottles are designed to help you track and improve your fluid intake. They are usually equipped with light, sound, or vibration alerts to remind you to drink water throughout the day. This can be a great gadget for meeting fitness goals and health requirements. Some smart water bottle brands also claim to offer temperature control to keep your water or other fluids at a specific temperature. For instance, LARQ claims their PureVis smart bottle, retailing on Amazon for $118, can keep hot beverages hot for 12 hours and cold beverages cold for 24 hours. This adds a different dimension to the water bottle's utility. Smart bottles are usually mobile app compatible, allowing you to set goals, track progress, and analyze data. Some products of notable brands include Gatorade and Hidrate Spark, priced at around $70, and iHome Aquio, priced at about $150.

Back to wearables now and a device that disguises itself as a fitness fashion staple. This is none other than a headband, also known as a meditation headband or EEG headset. A meditation headband is a device designed to monitor brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) technology. That is to say, this accessory addresses your mental health by proposing to help reduce stress and anxiety, helping you focus and stay sharp during tasks.

The headband aims at achieving calmness, relaxation, and focus. It does this by tracking brain activity and, in some cases, other indicators such as heart rate. It will then give you feedback on how to train your mind into a calmer, more focused state. According to manufacturers, the headband is for people looking to sleep better and improve their overall well-being through meditation. There are many brands that manufacture this type of device on the market today. Choosing one should depend on which one aligns with your specific application for the headband. Some of the popular ones include Muse and FocusCalm. You can grab a Muse headset today for about $320 and FocusCalm headband for $250.

Do you know you might be brushing your teeth wrong? With that in mind, the last but certainly not the strangest entry on this list, all things considered, is the Oral-B AI toothbrush. Artificial intelligence is already taking over many aspects of our lives, so why not our dentistry, too? The Oral-B iO is a line of electric toothbrushes that uses algorithms to improve oral hygiene. We got a first look at it in 2019 at the Mobile World Congress with the Oral-B Genius X. In their words, "The mouth is the gateway to health, and a toothbrush touches it twice a day."

The toothbrush does what you expect from an AI-powered device. It tracks, guides, and gives insight into your brushing. According to Oral-B, the brush tells you what areas of your mouth are clean and what areas need more attention. It also supposedly has a pressure sensor that alerts you if you're brushing too hard or too softly. It even gives you a score at the end of your brushing. The toothbrush has multiple modes to suit your dental needs. As expected, it comes with a compatible app to simplify your interface. It sells on Amazon for about $300.