It's important to know the limitations of this device before ordering, so that's why I'm taking the time to write this review. Since the limitations that make this device all but useless for me are all software, I have hopes that Zeo will make changes and I can change my review.
First, this is important for making an informed decision: It must be noted (and isn't clearly noted when purchasing the unit) that the headband you wear (not the black transmitter) is rated for only about 90 days and then requires you to purchase a new one which costs (at time of review) about $20 for 1, $50 for 3. The headband has sensors on it which need to be replaced, otherwise it will not pick up brain signals reliably or at all. The length of time the sensors/headband lasts depends on many factors, including how oily your skin is or if you wear night cream to bed (these reduce the life of the sensors). This is not a "con", it's just a fact of the unit, so be forewarned before purchasing that there will need to be additional purchases which, over the course of a year, could almost equal the price of the unit itself.
Now for the Pros: I have had no problems whatsoever with the functioning of the device. I find that the headband is, after adjusting for size, quite comfortable (I'm a side sleeper though. Those who sleep on their stomachs might have an issue with comfort), and I haven't once had an issue with the headband falling off my head. I connect with an iPod Touch, and haven't once lost signal during the night, lost data, or had an issue uploading to the website. From a technical perspective, the unit appears solid and the nightly operation is effortless. The "Smart Wake" function in the app works amazingly well. Some reviewers for the past iteration of this device complained that the unit was logging them as asleep while they were awake, but I have never encountered this. In fact, I'm quite amazed that it knows I'm awake, even when I'm not moving, which is a big pro over other sleep trackers I've used in the past. The website is easy to navigate, has useful information, and displays data nicely. It even has the function to export to a CSV file that can be opened in excel or other programs so you can manipulate the data yourself (if you are so inclined).
Cons: Now with so many pros, you can tell that I love the unit and would have easily given it 5 stars, EXCEPT for me, the system completely doesn't work and here's why. The software does not have the capability to deal with naps, multiple sleep times, or an irregular sleep schedule. If you sleep in one sleep session a night, going to bed at a fixed time and waking up at a fixed time, then you can stop reading and buy the unit with my blessings. But, if you are like me with a sleep disorder which keeps you from getting sleep in a single block or at set times, or you are a person who sleeps in more than one block (wiki polyphasic sleep) the unit will be worthless for you. For me personally, I have a non-24 hour sleep cycle, which means that everyday I go to sleep later than the day before (for me, my day is about 25.5 hours). Since I still need to try to contort to a world that operates during daylight hours, I often need to sleep for 4 hours, get up and take care of my son and see him off to school, run some errands, then go to sleep for another 4 hour block. But the software, as written, can't deal with this. If I have 2 periods of sleep in a 24 hour block, it simply throws one out it will show up on my iPod, but not on the website and won't be figured into any of the website's calculations and averages. So all of the data that spits out of the website for me is missing crucial data and is therefore unusable. I can see the sleep periods on my iPod, but I can't even export the data to use the data myself (when exporting from the website, it doesn't have the sleep periods the system threw out amongst the data). So what I have, in the end, is a device that I can see all of my sleep periods on my little iPod screen, but can't really use the website which is the heart of the unit.
So, you are wondering, is this worth removing 2 stars from the review just because I have a particular sleep disorder? Yes and here is why. Zeo itself knows that this is a deficiency in their software and has made comments to it in the forums on their website. In the forums, they have said that the ability to deal with naps or multi sleep sessions would be forthcoming, however that was posted quite a while back. People working for the company even went so far as creating a separate little program for analyzing sleep with more than one sleep period, but it works only with the bedside unit, and not with the mobile unit. These shortcomings aren't clear when you purchase the unit, and there are many people who would buy this who have sleep issues where they would need to log naps or what not. And who would think that the unit wouldn't be capable of recording and calculating your sleep whenever you put the unit on?
So my hope is that Zeo can deal with this and post a solution. That either they can alter their software or come up with a solution for the rest of us. And even if there are only 15% of all users that would encounter this problem, you would still want to know before buying a car that it works on only 85% of the roads and none of those roads are in your state. If a solution is developed, I will be certain to change my review.
Must admit, I'm a big Zeo fan having used the bedside unit for 1.5 years prior to the Sleep Manager Pro. At first I was missing some features I loved on the bedside unit. Turns out, by turning my iPod to landscape mode those features show up! Then I found the free "myzeo" app and can now review trends and nightly data on my iPod instead of having to go to the web site. The Pro is now my primary Zeo and I use the bedside unit to monitor meditations and naps.
I find the Sleep Manager Pro to more accurately report wake-ups than the bedside unit and I have no idea why. I hand log all my wake-ups each night and the Pro reports a higher percentage of them. Zeo does not report micro wake-ups which we PLMD patients experience most. Still, I get a good picture of my sleep by focusing on the amount of deep and REM because it's those darn micro wake-ups that impact the amount of those 2 important phases of sleep.
Zeo is extremely useful for tracking how medications and food affect sleep. It's amazing to see how even one glass of wine, a low dose sleeping pill or an OTC sleep remedy affects sleep architecture.
I've rated it 4 stars because wake-ups are Zeo's weakest feature.
Edited 8/18/12 The Pro needs more tweaking and testing. It stopped working after a month. Lots of communication with Zeo hasn't resolved the issue(s). I returned to using the trusty bedside unit and will be happy to try the Pro again once the bugs are worked out. I'm still a fan of Zeo and think they're on the right track.
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I have been using Zeo products since first available. Before Zeo I have had three sleep studies, worked with a sleep psychologist, used a CPAP, tried all types of medications, and worked with many others on sleep hygiene.
I really didn't think there was much more I could do, but I am a softie for new technologies and was very interested to see if I could gather more data like the trends of my sleep studies.
I have been so impressed with the data I get, and when I journal my habits, I have been able to make some improvements.
Lately I have had the opportunity to use the Sleep Manager Pro. I highly recommend this product for anyone with ANY level of sleep issues. It is so easy to use. It charges quickly and then is used wirelessly. It can transmit via bluetooth during use or the data can be imported later. The changes in ease of use are worth the upgrade alone. But it is the outstanding sleep advice that steals the show. After all those years of work on my sleep, I found myself learning something new from the Daily Sleep Advice that is custom to my sleep score from that night, and I've been pleased to improve my sleep weekly.
I consider myself an occasional Early Adopter. Regret purchases come with the territory. ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS HERE. And if you have any trouble sleeping, I really doubt you will regret buying this either.
Read Best Reviews of Zeo Sleep Manager Pro Here
my device didn't hold a charge for more than one hour & asked customerservice for advice / replacement. Other than getting an automatic case number my 5-6 requests didn't yield any human response dealing with my issue. they must have serious support management issues. Bottom line for me: I bought a device that is useless.
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If ever a product deserved a one star review, it would be this. I owned the Zeo sleep manager pro plus and originally loved the sleep feedback. I still love the feedback when it works. My first device broke and I received a replacement. A few months later, the pro plus stopped working again. I was advised (when you could still talk to a human at zeo) to purchase new headbands. I spent 50.00 for a new headband and the problem persisted. I gave up on the zeo pro plus.
I did miss the sleep feedback information so when I noticed there was a new version called simply the sleep manager pro, I purchased it in hopes that it would be more reliable and easier to use. It is horrible!!!! It takes about an hour each night to try to get it to sync with my phone. I miss more sleep and become so frustrated that I sleep badly with this unreliable piece of junk.
I tried to call Zeo during their normal business hours and just got a recording to email then or live chat online. The live chat just dumps you to email. In other words, Zeo does not want to talk to people who have purchased their faultly products.
One of the problems is that a red light blinks constantly on the device. On the Zeo website , it states that if there is a red light blinking then you need to open the zeo application on the device. That is a joke because when the light is blinking the Zeo app IS open and it states that it is CONNECTED.
Save yourself some money and a whole lot of aggravation and skip this product.
I just noticed something. All of the 1 star reviews are from Amazon verified purchasers... NONE of the 5 star reviewers are.... Hmmmm???
I found Sleep Md by Google. Amazon gave the best price. Ordering was easy and the product arrived within about 4 to 5 days. This product has helped my husband get a better nites sleep than he has had in a long time. He would wake up and not be able to go back to sleep and now he falls back to sleep and usually stays asleep. Thank you for such a great product.
