Moonbird is a handheld breathing coach, developed in Antwerp with physicians. The evidence: six studies across eight research institutions, plus 2.1 million real breathing sessions. Five European insurers reimburse it. TIME named it a Best Invention in 2024 and 2025. Trustpilot users rate it 4.7 out of 5. It is all on this page, judge it for yourself.
Breathing is the one autonomic function you can take over at will. When you slow it down, a chain of physiological responses follows. Your vagus nerve fires more strongly, heart rate variability rises, and the balance between your stress and recovery systems tips toward rest. These three cards are what’s happening underneath a session.
Each number comes from a single, cited source. No averages across incomparable studies, no composite scores. Every stat links to the paper it came from.
of stressed users feel noticeably better immediately after a session.
moonbird data · 2.1M sessions
better sleep quality after one month. PSQI, clinically meaningful.
Vermeylen et al. 2022
HRV gain at your personal ideal pace vs. a fixed 6.0 BPM.
moonbird internal, n=552
additional sleep per night for elite athletes during the Euros.
Red Flames pilot, 2025
preferred moonbird over a competing tactile breathing device.
Honinx et al. 2025
the HRV improvement rate for adults 50+ vs. middle-aged users.
Truesdale et al., under review
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A fixed 6 BPM is a compromise. Your resonance shifts by roughly 1 BPM within a single day. When you breathe 1–2 BPM off your ideal, HRV doesn’t plateau, it drops. Moonbird reads your heart rate continuously and finds the rate your body is in, right now.
One session at your personal pace beats a hundred at the wrong one. Rate selection, not repetition, is what drives the gain.
better subjective sleep quality
p < .001
faster sleep onset
p < .01
more refreshing sleep
p < .001 (NRSS)
less daytime dysfunction
p < .001
Ten players from the Red Flames used moonbird through the Euros. On the nights they used it, their wearables showed more sleep, better sleep performance, and strong adherence with no coaching.
39 adults, one-month pilot. PSQI dropped three points, past the clinical threshold; subjective sleep quality improved 37% (p < .001) and daytime dysfunction fell 32% (p < .001). First peer-reviewed evidence that haptic breath pacing changes sleep in a normally-sleeping population.
read the article →
Six case studies ranging from autism-spectrum anxiety to post-burnout recovery. All six participants continued using moonbird voluntarily after the clinical study ended, pointing to sustained engagement without coach pressure, unusual for a self-regulation tool.
read the article →
36 participants compared moonbird to a competing haptic breathing device. Moonbird increased HRV, shifted EEG power toward relaxation bands, and 79% preferred it. Co-authored with Prof. Steven Laureys (University of Liege, Coma Science Group).
read the article →
62 participants, two-month randomised trial across two exam periods at the University of Antwerp. On days participants did their breathing exercises, they reported less tension and a better mood the next day. Highly stressed students who practised more reported lower examination stress, and benefits grew with how easy the device was to use.
read the article →552 real-world users across 84 sessions. Sustained RSA gain with repetition, and a pronounced age effect: adults over 50 improved at 2.2× the rate of middle-aged users (30–49). Largest consumer-device HRV dataset published for breathwork to date.
Ten Belgian national-team players used moonbird through the 2025 European Championships. WHOOP-measured: +35 minutes sleep per night (p = 0.016), +5 percentage points sleep performance (p = 0.046), and 77% voluntary adherence without any coaching.
Moonbird was founded in Antwerp by Stefanie Broes, who holds a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, and her brother Michael Broes.
The idea came from Stefanie’s own sleep problems during her PhD. Meditation apps kept her awake, more screen, more audio, more effort. So she built the opposite: a device that breathes in your hand, so you can breathe with it.
Moonbird was developed with physicians and tested with people with sleep issues. That is also why every number on this page names its source.
Yes. Five European insurers reimburse part of the cost of moonbird. It is the only breathing device in Europe they do this for.
HSA and FSA eligible
Insurers are careful institutions. They check the evidence and the claims a company makes before they put their name next to a product. Conditions differ per policy, so check with your insurer.
Moonbird scores 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot, from 866 reviews. 84% give it five stars.
2% give it one star. Breathing with moonbird takes practice, and it is not for everyone. We reply to every negative review, and the 30-day return window exists for exactly this reason.
Read all reviews on Trustpilot →Use moonbird at home for 30 days. If it is not for you, send it back for a refund.
Two-year warranty, and a granted EU patent on the hinge that drives the breathing motion.
Moonbird works fully without the app and without a subscription. The app adds biofeedback when you want it.
Fewer than 7% of devices are returned (internal data).
We share our data, our methods, and our device with research groups across clinical, behavioural, and sport-science domains. If you are running a study in breathwork, HRV, sleep, stress, anxiety, ADHD, or adjacent areas, we would love to hear from you.
Moonbird has already partnered with eight institutions across three countries. Six studies are published or under review. The next one could be yours.
Comparing options before you choose? Read our honest comparison of moonbird, Pulsetto, CalmiGo and meditation apps
Slow breathing, five to six breaths per minute, is one of the best-studied ways to calm your body. For moonbird specifically: a peer-reviewed trial measured 27% better sleep quality after one month, and a peer-reviewed 2025 study measured a rise in HRV during use plus a 79% preference over a competing device. In our own data, 72% of stressed users report feeling better right after a session, across 2.1 million sessions. It is a practice, so give it the full 30 days.
A handheld device that slowly expands and contracts in your hand. You match your breath to the movement. A PPG sensor reads your heart rate and heart rate variability, so the app can show what a session does to your body. Made by moonbird BV in Antwerp, Belgium.
Five European insurers reimburse part of the cost: Zilveren Kruis, Menzis and ONVZ in the Netherlands, CM and Helan in Belgium. In the United States, moonbird is HSA and FSA eligible. Conditions differ per policy, so check with your insurer.
Yes, fully. The device runs its breathing exercises on its own, with no phone nearby and no subscription. The app is optional and adds biofeedback and personalised breathing rates.
Moonbird was founded in Antwerp by Stefanie Broes, PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, and her brother Michael Broes. The device was developed with physicians and tested with people with sleep issues.
On Trustpilot, moonbird scores 4.7 out of 5 across 866 reviews. The review section above shows live reviews from that profile, unedited.
Six studies across eight research institutions in three countries: two published and peer-reviewed, two under review, and two pilots. The publications section above links every paper.
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