Nina Raemont/ZDNET

ZDNET's key takeaways 

• NextSense earbuds monitor brain activity using EEG.
• The sleep earbuds claim to use EEG for restorative sleep. 
• They cost $399 and are available to preorder.

---

Brain-tracking technology is coming to your next pair of earbuds. Companies have figured out how to put EEG technology into consumer devices like earbuds and headphones -- and this capability could fundamentally change the features available in your next purchase. 

Take the NextSense Smartbuds, for example. The EEG earbuds not only have soundscapes and audio that send you to sleep, but also claim to deliver more restorative sleep through their brainwave-sensing technology. 

Also: Best of CES 2026

To take an EEG (or electroencephalogram) in a medical setting, individuals have 20 electrodes placed around their skull. These electrodes are adhered to the skull with sticky gel and measure brain electrical activity with the assistance of a medical professional. After the EEG-monitoring session is over, people often use multiple shampoos to remove the gel from their hair. 

Now, NextSense is bringing that brainwave-sensing technology to its new earbuds; no sticky gel or vigorous shampooing required. 

"While few people would elect to routinely head to a doctor's office for a traditional EEG, which involves lots of electrodes, some conductive gel, and clunky machinery, they just might not hesitate to pop in a familiar earbud," NextSense CEO and Founder Jonathan Berent wrote in a 2024 blog post. 

After Berent learned through his Apple Watch that he had atrial fibrillation, he wondered why we didn't have the same consumer technology and data-capture features for the brain. 

Also: The most interesting health tech I saw at CES 2026

The NextSense Smartbuds can take an EEG, but instead of requiring 20 electrodes, each of NextSense's earbuds has three electrodes. The flexible parts of the bud are made of conductive polymer to perform dry electrode recording, in place of that sticky gel. Of course, the earbuds are designed for consumer applications and cannot perform the same sort of monitoring that a medical-grade EEG in a doctor's office can. 

NextSense Smartbuds.

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

Better sleep, less time in bed

Like other sleep earbuds, the Smartbuds app includes audio tracks people can listen to for falling asleep -- or they can connect to their music or audiobook app of choice as well. 

Once the earbuds have sent a user to sleep and they reach deep sleep, NextSense uses slow wave enhancement to increase restoration while sleeping. Slow wave enhancement uses pink noise at a certain frequency to nudge brain waves to produce more slow waves. "You get more of that restorative brain rhythm without adding more time in bed," Caitlin Shure, NextSense head of product, explained in an interview with ZDNET. 

Also: Smart jewelry is getting smarter and more stylish, finally

Because the earbuds can also be worn for work or exercise, Shure said more daytime applications and features are coming soon. Shure suggested that, if people use the earbuds during the day, the earbuds could gather brainwave data and provide insights into their daytime focus. Shure said battery life is about seven to 10 hours, depending on usage level. 

The earbuds, which retail for $399, are available for preorder to ship in February.