My husband isn’t a traditional gift giver. He doesn’t plan, he doesn’t wait, and he never wraps. But when he finds something he thinks is a really good gift for someone, he’s usually right. He buys it, you get it, and you don’t care that it’s three weeks early or still in the shopping bag or shipping box because it’s just such a good gift. For Christmas, he early gifted me an Embr Wave. Spoiler alert, I love it.
I love it so much that I not only wrote this unpaid completely honest Embr Wave review for you in 2020 when I received it as a gift, but when Embr Labs came out with the Embr Wave 2 I got one of those as well! This updated Embr Wave review will focus on the currently-sold Embr Wave 2 that I have owned for over a year but I will also share how it is better than the original, and how I have used the Embr Wave for nearly three years.
I have traveled with the Embr Wave, it has been worn by my husband and my daughter. I find the Embr Wave such great quality we still use our original Embr Wave as well as the upgraded Embr Wave 2. This review focuses on my experience with the Embr Wave and how it helps with perimenopause symptoms like hot flashes (the reason my husband gifted me an Embr Wave in the first place).
An Honest Embr Wave Review After Over 2 Years of Use
What is the Embr Wave?
Have you heard of the Embr Wave? I hadn’t until he gave me one. It is a personal temperature-controlling device. Looking an awful lot like an Apple watch or fitness tracker, this is a bracelet that will help you cool or warm your body to be more comfortable.
Hot flashes? Always cold? Struggle to fall asleep? Get overheated when you’re stressed or have migraines? Health issues that affect your internal temperature? The Embr Wave is made for such situations.
How Does the Embr Wave Work?
The Embr Wave warms or cools your skin, triggering your nerves to send a signal to your brain. Your brain naturally processes the thermal sensation. In a matter of seconds, your body balances itself and you feel a difference.
The Embr Wave is worn to be against the inside of your wrist (sort of looks like you’re wearing your smartwatch facing in). Since the inside of your wrist has a very high density of thermoreceptors, you only need the small area that the Embr Wave covers to make an impact on how you feel overall.
The Wave’s thermal sensations, which Embr refers to as Waveforms, are engineered to maximize the feeling you get from each pulse, while also balancing power consumption to allow you to cool or warm longer on a single charge.
Please note the Embr Wave does not change your body temperature. You want your body to be around 98.7 degrees Fahrenheit to be healthy. What the Embr Wave does is change your perception of temperature.
My Honest Embr Wave Review
Okay, so now my honest Embr Wave review after using this device for well over a year. Because all of this is on the Embr website but why you’re reading this is for my honest thoughts on this product and if it works.
My husband got me the Embr Wave bracelet in rose gold. It is also available in black. I am not your typical rose gold kind of person, but I like this color because it’s lower contrast with my skin tone and for me looks a little less technical than black.
The packaging is nice, a heavyweight box that slides open with the Embr Wave sitting on a molded tray in the center. Think of the sort of packaging for an iPhone or pair of fancy Bluetooth earbuds. It’s very easy to wrap it if you plan to give it as a gift.
The box also includes a quickstart guide and a round disc the color of your watch that is about the size of a silver dollar. This disc is where you place your Embr Wave bracelet to charge. In a compartment in the box, you will find a 3-foot USB-C cord that will connect your charging disc to a USB port. If you desire a longer cord, it's easy to swap out the provided cord with another from Amazon.
The Embr Wave is round about the size and thickness of a smartwatch or fitness tracker. There is a metal mesh strap connected to one side of the Wave, and the other side is a slot that you slip the strap through. The strap keeps itself closed with a magnet.
It’s very easy to put on and adjust the Embr Wave with one hand, even if it’s your non-dominant hand. The strap is also a nice length; my daughter can wear it on her slender wrist and my 6'4″ husband can fit it on his with still plenty of length. Whether you have a small or larger wrist, the Embr Wave should fit.
You want to charge the Embr Wave once you receive it, but it charges quickly. When it is fully charged the button on the side of the device will light up. The charge lasts a long time, two to three days with 15-50 of their cycles. I’ve found it worked for a few cycles during the entire day, all night long, and well into the morning after breakfast before it notified me that it needed a charge.
The Embr Wave App
The Embr Wave has two buttons on the side; a dotted/textured one and a solid one. Tap the solid button to have it warm up, and the dotted button to cool off. However, the best way to appreciate the Embr Wave is to download the app and use that to manage the device.
The app offers a variety of modes that last certain times and have certain waves and you can fine-tune the temperature. You can customize what will happen when you press the buttons on the device – how long it will provide heat or cooling, and at what temperature.
When I first got the Embr Wave I just used the button and that light is SO BRIGHT. I was like, how does one sleep wearing this thing? But then when I used the app, I realized how well I can customize this experience. I can have it bright, dim, discreet, or even with no light showing, and with the app I can switch between these lighting features at any time.
The app is really easy to use, even if you aren’t tech-savvy. It has a virtual slide to adjust the temperature, just like a thermostat in your house. The modes are simple to understand and choose, though the font may be a bit small or light-colored for older eyes.
The app has a demo to guide you through your Embr Wave; how to use it, how to use the modes, and it’s short but truly helpful. As someone who owned the original version of the Embr Wave and the Embr Wave 2 and experienced both apps, I am impressed by how Embr Labs has improved the user experience, and simplified the process, while offering quicker and more customizable heating and cooling.
How Does the Embr Wave Feel?
While you can get the temperature cool or hot enough to be uncomfortable, in general, the feeling is equal to holding an ice-cold glass of water or a steaming mug of tea. It goes through waves so it’s not a consistent blast of warmth or cold, and those waves are purposeful so you get the all-over temperature change feeling with less time and energy.
This will not make you feel cozy in a bikini in the snow or comfortable in a turtleneck sweater at the beach. The Embr Wave only changes the way you feel by a couple of degrees. Just that bit that makes things more comfortable.
Using the Embr Wave to Manage Stress
Take, for example, decorating the Christmas tree, which we did soon after receiving my Embr Wave gift. It was a warm day, so warm we had the windows open. My kid wanted us to wear our matching plaid flannel pajamas and Santa hats during it. Mariah Carey is singing over and over that all she wants for Christmas is me as my husband and I cart down the 6’ prelit tree and two heavy Rubbermaid totes of decorations from the attic.
I wiggled all the tree parts together to find the prelit feature and decided to stop working. I went back in the attic to look for lights, lots of crawling under the tree to test these lights in the extension cord all while wearing a full face of makeup, flannel from neck to toe, and a faux fur hat matting my curls to my brow.
I was darn glad to have my Embr Wave. When I was under that tree and ready to blow a gasket, I tapped that dotted button to get a blast of coolness to chill me out literally and figuratively. It helped calm me and cool me off enough to get up from the ground with the lights that also didn’t work and calmly ask my husband to check the tool shed before I headed to Target in my pajamas.
I think many can relate to such situations when you’re just so annoyed and the annoyance snowball keeps growing and you’re already warm and maybe you’re also going through perimenopause and you feel a bit like a tea kettle ready to whistle. I appreciated the Embr Wave for keeping me from getting boiling.
Using the Embr Wave for Hot Weather
Another occasion made it great that I now own more than one Embr Wave. We rented a house at the beach, and there was no A/C and the bedroom ceiling fan stopped working. Even with the windows open, the air was stifling, thick, and hot. My husband and I each donned an Embr Wave and within minutes the experience was far more comfortable and we slept soundly. Without the Embr Wave bracelets, I know we would have been angrily tossing and turning all night.
Does the Embr Wave Help with Sleep?
I also am liking the Embr Wave for sleeping. I am so cold when I first get in bed, but often around 1 in the morning I wake up in a pool of sweat. What I’ve been doing is using the Warming Fall Asleep Preset Mode which is 35 minutes of gentle, long waves of warm waves that I do find help lull me to sleep. This mode ensures the button on the device isn’t illuminated.
Since the Embr Wave has an auto-shutoff I don’t experience that heat all night. If I am still awake when the mode shuts off, I turn on the all-night cooling mode. If I don’t and wake up hot, I’ll use the button on the face of the Embr Wave for a quick shot of cool and then use the app to set a mode for the rest of the evening.
I know that when spring arrives I will be using the cooling feature for sleep far more often.
Embr Wave For Hot Flashes and Perimenopause
During a hot flash, your brain acts upon a false signal that it needs to expel excess heat from your body. Research shows that immediate stimulation with cool sensations (like an ice cube or Embr) before or during a hot flash can reduce its overall intensity and/or duration. It can also reduce hot flash stress.
A pilot study with Johnson & Johnson showed that wearing the Embr Wave bracelet resulted in a 16% reduction in Hot Flash Related Daily Interference for daytime hot flashes. A second study showed that wearing the Embr Wave resulted in a 28% reduction in sleep onset latency as well as an increase in nighttime sleep.
I am perimenopausal and have experienced hot flashes. The other day I had one and was glad I was wearing my Embr Wave bracelet. I didn’t take the time to grab my phone; I just clicked the dotted button on the side a couple of times and immediately got a wave of cold on my wrist. Within a few seconds, my body began regulating.
What was cool is no one else was the wiser. My Embr Wave was on under my shirt, no one saw me click the button, it was as though everything was normal while I was stopping a hot flash in its tracks.
The Embr Wave has been fantastic with hot flashes while sleeping. I have experienced around 3 am heat and sweat that wakes me. I can double-tap the dotted button without even opening my eyes or rolling over and soon I have a wave of cold that cools my body and helps me get quickly back to sleep.
What's great is turning off the cooling or warming sensation is just as easy. Simply press the button for a few seconds and the Embr Wave will shut off.
Is the Embr Wave Comfortable?
Wearing the Embr Wave is as comfortable as wearing a watch or a fitness tracker. Some say the metal mesh band snags arm hair; I haven’t experienced that.
If you get sweaty you will feel it under the device just as you would with any bracelet or watch. I do find myself loosening and then re-tightening it throughout the day so it’s not pressed against my skin the whole time.
I read reviews that some had their skin get red from the heat or cool but I have not experienced that. I regularly wear a WHOOP fitness tracker on one wrist and will wear the Embr Wave on my other wrist and experience similar sweat causing a bit of discomfort but otherwise not affected by the item on my wrist.
I read also reviews where individuals found the Embr Wave to get in the way when typing on a laptop and having it accidentally press the touchpad. I am wearing the Embr Wave on my non-dominant wrist while writing this and don’t experience that, but I think that has more to do with your arm/hand position when typing. It would be easy to loosen the band, flip it around when typing, and flip back to the inside of the wrist when you’re finished.
Speaking of which, it’s easy to loosen the band with one hand and not have it slip off. I often loosen my Embr Wave band so it fits more like a bracelet and then just secure it to use the cooling or heating feature. Also, I found this company who makes soft adjustable stretch bracelets compatible with the Embr Wave. I love all the color options!
Is the Embr Wave Customizable?
The Embr Wave at the time of writing this review is available in two colors – rose gold and black. the device as well as the metal mesh wrist strap will be in the same color ordered. However, Embr carries comfort straps and vegan leather straps in a range of colors. Embr also offers comfort cases for your Embr Wave device in rose gold and slate; the comfort case protects your device, offers insulation for your wrist, plus provides additional cooling performance by up to 10%.
I have not tried any of the bands beyond the one that came with my Embr Wave 2, and I have not experienced the comfort case. I also haven't tried these Embr Wave-compatible soft and stretchy bands. If you have tried any of these accessories, please share your experience in the comments!
What to Know When Ordering an Embr Wave
- The Embr Wave is available at several authorized online retailers including Amazon. Embr has specifically partnered with Amazon and often has the Wave bracelet part of Prime Day promotions and is available for Prime shipping.
- The Embr Wave is an approved purchase for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) in the Category: Health Supports, Sub-Category: Hot/Cold Therapy. The Embr Wave is not approved for Health Spending Accounts (HSA). To use your FSA, either pay with your FSA credit or debit card or submit your receipt for reimbursement.
- The Embr Wave also has a one-year limited warranty. If your device stops working or has a defect that Embr isn’t able to troubleshoot, you may be eligible for a free replacement.
- Speaking of which, if you scroll through the customer reviews on Amazon and the Embr website, you’ll not only see that they keep them all there (the good, and the occasional bad which I appreciate as many companies sanitize their reviews) but there are many raving over the stellar customer service that Embr provides if you have a question or the off chance you have an issue with your Wave.
- If you want to know how to use your Embr Wave, the company has made it easy with a small instructional booklet that comes with the Wave, the app tutorial, and many videos showing you how to set up and use your new device and the app.
Are There Any Embr Wave Side Effects?
If you're considering using Embr Wave to manage hot flashes, you may be wondering whether there are any side effects to using this wearable device.
I'm happy to report that Embr Wave is a safe and non-invasive option that uses thermal technology to regulate body temperature and provide relief from hot flashes. However, it's important to note that placing something cool or warm on your skin for an extended period of time could constrict or dilate the blood vessels underneath your skin. This could cause mild irritation and/or redness after extended use, depending on your skin's sensitivity. While this is a rare occurrence, it's always a good idea to monitor your skin's reaction to Embr Wave and discontinue use if you experience any discomfort or irritation.
As always, I recommend checking with your doctor before trying any new product or treatment, especially if you have any underlying medical conditions or concerns. With that said, Embr Wave is a great way to feel warmer or cooler and manage hot flashes without any unwanted side effects.
Experience the ultimate comfort with Embr Wave – try it now!
I think the Embr Wave is a great product, and I am glad I received it as a gift. I hope you enjoyed this Embr Wave review. I was not paid by Embr Wave to write this and the company does not know I am writing this review. However, I do have affiliate links in the post (click here to learn more about how affiliate links work). All thoughts and words are my own. If you have any questions regarding the Embr Wave feel free to ask them in the comments and I will answer to the best of my ability!
Have you tried the Embr Wave? Do share your thoughts on this Embr Wave review to help potential purchasers of this personal temperature-controlling device!
