yōjō Vagus Nerve Stimulator review: could this handheld device be the secret to a better you?
‘Wanderer’, ‘reset button’, ‘safety switch’ – the vagus nerve has many names and its role in helping to take the body out of stress mode and into a state of rest and recovery has been celebrated in recent years by the health industry. But what exactly is the vagus nerve, and why would you want to stimulate it with yōjō?
The vagus nerve is the longest of the 12 cranial nerves, carrying important signals between the brain and the body. Running from the brain stem to the neck to the chest and abdomen, it plays an important role in controlling the parasympathetic nervous system – the body’s ‘rest and digest’ mode. When the vagus nerve is properly regulated, it can support many wellness functions, including a slower heart rate, improved digestion, reduced stress-related inflammation, and better concentration, sleep and recovery after exercise.
In a noisy world, could controlling the vagus nerve be the key to feeling more balanced? Armed with a decent amount of hope – and, I’ll admit, a healthy smidgeon of skepticism – I was curious to see if using the yōjō Vagus Nerve Stimulator had a noticeable effect on my health.
yōjō review: price and availability
The yōjō launches in the UK in November 2025 and is available to buy now yojo. life with an annual subscription of £399 / €456. It is not currently available in the United States.
The cost includes the device, a personal health plan, real-time biofeedback, personal training and health education courses and content.
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yōjō review: design
The yōjō looks and feels like a premium product. Open the hard case to reveal a small handheld device, a USB charger, one earbud and two gel pens, which twist to release the gel embedded in the phone’s surface to help ensure good contact during use.
The yōjō is activated using a button on the side, and the intensity of the electric pulse is controlled using the buttons on the front of the device or through an app. Although the yōjō can be used alone, downloading the app and pairing with the device via Bluetooth gives you the full experience.
When you’re ready for your first session, plug in the ear, lightly coat the node with straightening gel and tuck it snugly into your left earlobe.
The purpose of this device is to help calm the nervous system, and it is a hassle-free start with a simple and clean setup, and a stylish design.
(Photo credit: Katie Nicholls)
yōjō review: features
You can use yōjō up to twice a day and each session is set to last 30 minutes. It starts with a 30-second face scan through the app – key biometrics, such as heart rate, HRV (heart rate variability), PNS (parasympathetic nervous system) activity, stress index and blood pressure.
With the earpiece in situ, choose from four modes: power, sleep, relaxation or pressure and adjust the intensity of the electric pulse. Yōjō advises that the pulse should never feel uncomfortable, so if the sensation feels disturbing, dial it down a note – the range is 0 to 30.
At the end of the session, take a second facial scan to see how your pre- and post-session biometrics compare. The more you use yōjō, the more data is entered which provides increasingly deeper data to track the state of your nervous system and how your body reacts.
As part of an annual yōjō subscription you also get access to a personal trainer (a person, not a bot) to help you set goals and answer questions. This support is enhanced by standard information from the yōjō library of educational features, lessons, breathing and meditation sessions. Controlling the vagus nerve takes a multi-faceted approach, and there’s a lot to explore here.
The yōjō takes three hours to fully charge, providing a healthy life six to eight hours of active use.
(Photo credit: Katie Nicholls)
yōjō review: performance
The device is easy to use, stylish and smart, making it easy to fit into your schedule. The resource library is engaging, and I found the daily prompts a useful reminder. Access to a personal trainer is another valuable addition, with quick answers to questions.
Another drawback I encountered was the face scanner, which requires a strong light source to register biometrics. If you use yōjō before bed, this can be distracting, as you may need to turn on the lights just as you are trying to calm down.
It was fun to get the biometrics for comparison and the dashboard in the app is easy to use. You can stay with the top line results or go deeper by pressing the ‘details’ tab. As a personal trainer I spend a lot of time looking at health metrics, but I’m also a firm believer in how to to hear it takes precedence over numbers. We all love a metric when it’s in our favor, but did I get tangible results?
In short: yes. After two weeks of using yōjō, my sleep was noticeably better. I haven’t slept well, and even after eight hours I can wake up feeling uncomfortable. After two weeks of daily sessions, I had found the ‘off’ button in my brain when I slept. With improved sleep quality, I also noticed an increase in my energy and concentration levels throughout the day. I can’t support its claim to improve digestion or exercise recovery but I’m sticking with this new trend, so time will tell.
(Photo credit: Katie Nicholls)
yōjō review: decision
Although vagus nerve stimulators are new to the market, stimulating this ‘relax and digest’ button is an ancient practice. There are many ways to trigger it, including cold showers, meditation, humming – even cuddling! All this is free. The yōjō costs £399 a year, which equates to £1 a day. So is it worth the cost?
In order to enjoy significant and long-term improvements in the state of your nervous system, consistency is essential. The yōjō makes this easy. It’s smart and easy to use so you can have a session when you’re cooking, traveling or working at your desk. The addition of a personal trainer and a large resource library backs up the daily sessions and helps build a more healthy understanding of how to keep calm, and keep going.
yōjō review: alternatives to consider
At £399, the yōjō sits in the middle of the price range, when compared to other leading nVNS devices, such as the Pulsetto Lite (£235.99) and the Nurosym (£599). The yōjō wins in the style stakes with the Pulsetto Lite’s quirky on-ear design. The Nurosym has a similar in-ear design but the yōjō throws it into the post with its white, smooth features.
