review – Is getting a good night’s sleep deterring you? Or maybe you wish it was easier to tune out with a meditation session? Sure, there are apps with soothing sounds and directions, but the screen that connects to the device requires those apps to be selected and run, which kind of defeats the purpose. Morphée has a very different approach, and while it has batteries and speakers, it feels very analog and slightly steampunk in a good way. Will it put me to sleep? … ZZzzzz. ZZZZ.
What is it?
Morphée is a very interesting audio sleep aid designed to help you fall asleep, calm yourself or meditate without distraction. You can choose to listen to a combination of over 210 guided sessions by relaxation and sleep experts through the built-in speakers or headphones.
What’s in the box?
- sleep device
- beech wood shell
- Sleep Blue Book (not shown above)
- thank you card
- USB charging cable and wall adapter
Hardware Specifications
Battery Life: One 20-minute session per day for approximately 7-10 days – the device automatically shuts down at the end of the session
run: More than 3 hours when using the built-in speaker
charging time: ~ 2 hours
LED behavior: low battery = red | charging = blinking orange | fully charged = solid orange
Screen: No.no here
phone application: no way! (according to Murphys)
aspect: 4″ diameter, 3.5″ high (use position), 8 oz
Design and Features
Morphée doesn’t look like most gadgets. Fresh out of the box, it’s beautiful, almost confusing with its wood top and soft base. A quick look doesn’t reveal any release mechanism or way to open it.
Four holes have deep recessed mounting screws. You don’t need to get out a screwdriver, though. There is a helpful opening hint in the settings section.
Once turned on, you’ll see icons, numbers, and three keys, plus a separate LED in the middle.
set up
So I admit I was a bit stumped at first not being able to separate the wooden top from the base. It’s ultimately just a leverage issue. You can’t easily grab the base with one hand and the top with the other because the curve on the base starts too quickly. You can’t twist either, because the silicone or rubber ring you see in the picture below is gripping the wooden top all the way at 6 raised points. The trick is to use your thumb to push the base towards the far end while rotating from the top as shown in the picture below.
You can then use the top as the bottom and push the base into it with the keys facing up. If you rotate the device 180º, you’ll see the Micro USB port where you can plug in a cable and wall adapter to fully charge it. Should be less than the normal 2 hours as it comes with some fees.
Let’s tackle the rest in the next section.
Performance
When you use Morphée for the first time, you will begin to unravel some of the mysteries of what the product is and how it works. To use Morphée, press the power button once and the central LED will light up. Select a specific course by turning each of the three (satisfying click) keys to the desired combination of icon, number, and duration. Now let’s define these.
The first key (left) is used to select between 8 different themes. Starting with the leaves, clockwise are natural sounds, relaxation music, naps, heart alignment, visualization, movement, breathing, and body scans.
The second key (right) selects 1 of 8 different sessions in the selected topic.
The third key (bottom center) selects a session length of 8 or 20 minutes.
You’ll want to read the accompanying Sleep Blue Book for more details on topics, lessons and tips.
The buttons on the right are for volume control and for selecting male or female voices for the session.
The session will start when you’re ready to try one-touch play/pause.
Note that if you turn the keys after starting playback, you will need to hit play again to start a new lesson. You’ll probably do this a lot at first to learn about each theme, sound, and some individual lessons, so get used to hitting play again.
Another thing to note is that there are actually 16 for the visualization session, half read by Jessica and half by Tim, so don’t be afraid to switch between voices. Also, 8-minute and 20-minute class lengths are different, so there are plenty of options.
There are two things you can’t find on Morphée (or by) Morphée. First is the screen. Doctors have been telling us for years that using a smartphone before bed is bad because blue light can harm your body’s natural melatonin production. Second is an app. The same reason applies to the extra haptic element of having a unique dedicated gadget that creates routines that your body can associate with sleep or calming functions.
The only other thing I wish was an analog clockwork key. It will magically complete the picture to completely ditch the entire charging scene.
My wife and I have been using Morphée regularly for the past month. To be honest, the first three times we fell asleep before the class was over. Both sounds have that soft, deep, soothing quality that just helps you fall asleep. The sounds of nature are great, especially the ‘storm’ and ‘cat’ purring (apologies to my dog).
I mentioned to my mom that I was reviewing it only a few days after I received it and was very surprised she turned around and bought one that day. I just checked out her experience and she has a couple of really interesting shots. She also had some trouble figuring out how to open it. At first she thought it seemed complicated, but it passed quickly. She prefers male voices and also makes heavy use of natural voices and relaxing music. Most notably, she mentioned that in addition to using it to sleep (or even fall back asleep), she uses it whenever she starts to worry about my siblings or myself or things in general. She finds that a male voice and calming sessions can help her get out of the worry vortex quickly. Also, she likes to be fun to watch and use, and looks great sitting next to the bed.
what do I like
- Wood and slight steampunk vibe
- Analog nature of controls
- Featured content and soothing sounds
what would i change
- Would love to see a clockwork version without batteries
final thoughts
I really appreciate what this device contains and how it’s presented. While it can be a little tricky to remember key locations for a particular class, this book can help you quickly find your favorites or find something for a new scene. The separation from your phone or tablet is a welcome change, as is the use of audio with any kind of over-the-counter medication to induce sleep. I’m especially glad it was a useful resource for my mom.thanks Murphys!
price: $99.99
where to buy: Amazon
source: This product sample is provided by Audiozen/Murphys
