HALO vs. smartwatch wellness tracking
Smartwatches infer stress and readiness from heart rate and HRV at the wrist. They are excellent at the body — but they never see the brain. HALO measures neural activity directly at the forehead, then fuses it with the same physiological signals.
HALO vs. Smartwatch Wellness
| Dimension | HALO | Smartwatch Wellness |
|---|---|---|
| Measures brain activity | Yes — frontal EEG | No |
| Heart rate / HRV | Yes (PPG) | Yes |
| Cognitive load | Yes | Inferred / limited |
| Placement | Forehead (near source) | Wrist (peripheral) |
| Neurofeedback | Adaptive, closed-loop | None |
| Always-on convenience | Session + daily wear | All-day |
The brain, measured directly
Wrist devices infer mental state indirectly from cardiovascular proxies. HALO records frontal EEG — the activity that actually reflects attention and arousal — and uses physiology as supporting context, not the whole story.
Cognitive load, not just stress
Smartwatches surface a generic stress score. HALO distinguishes focus, mental load, fatigue, and recovery, enabling guidance that responds to how your mind is working, not just how your heart is beating.
Complementary, not redundant
HALO incorporates PPG and HRV like a smartwatch does — then adds the neural layer on top. It is the wrist's data plus the dimension the wrist can never reach.
The verdict
Smartwatches estimate your state from the outside in. HALO measures cognition at the source, then adds the body context — a fundamentally richer signal.