Announcing the First Calm Tech Certified™ Awardees of 2025
- Amber Case
- Oct 16
- 7 min read
Updated: 16 minutes ago
We're excited to announce the newest awardees of 2025’s Calm Tech Certified™, a program which evaluates and benchmarks products that prioritize customer well-being (see our 2024 awardees here).
Calm Tech Certified™ is the world's first standard for attention and technology. The following products exemplify the Calm Tech Institute’s dedication to devices which work well with human attention, rather than against it, prioritizing peripheral attention, durability, along with the use of natural/warm light, sound, and materials – ultimately reducing stress and cognitive effort while being used.
Only products that satisfy our 81 point certification model are awarded the Calm Tech Certified™ title. There are three tiers: Certified, Gold, and Platinum.
2025 Awardees
Mudita Kompakt
E Ink Mobile Phone, Platinum Certification
→ Mudita Kompakt ($439)
Calm Tech Institute’s very first certified phone got high marks for its E-ink display, offline mode and calm operating system, with plenty of support for music, phone calls and texts, with additional features as well.
Mudita Kompakt is an E Ink phone running that connects with a standard sim card. It runs a de-Googled version of Android 12 without an app store (read a review here).
While technically a smartphone, Kompakt’s non-phone features are minimized to the essential: music player, maps, and texting (while intentionally omitting addictive social media and endless scroll functionality), making it ideal for reducing traditional phone use.
Noteworthy features include a physical offline switch that fully disconnects from networks, an E Ink display that eliminates blue light exposure and reduces eye strain, exceptional battery life capable of lasting multiple days between charges, and dedicated music player with offline storage.
Calm Tech Principles in Mudita Kompakt's Design:
Require the smallest possible amount of attention:
The E Ink display and simplified interface prevents sleep disruption due to late late-night scrolling, and the effectiveness of short-form content that captures attention on traditional smartphones.
Make use of the periphery: The physical offline switch provides tactile confirmation of connectivity status without requiring screen interaction, while the E Ink display remains readable at a glance in any lighting condition.
Aura's Carver and Aspen Frames
Digital Photo Frame, Gold Certification
It’s difficult to find a high quality frame that makes a photo feel more like it’s in the room with you, like an analog-printed photograph. Many digital frames also require a paid subscription! Aura Carver and Aspen Frames, by contrast, is a subscription-free service, and is perfect for friends and family seeking a private social network of photos that exist in the physical space.
It’s been shown that framed family photos help improve the self-esteem of kids at home. But with the rise of digital apps and smartphone phones, less and less pictures are printed. Aura Frames solves this problem by offering a very streamlined and delightful set of frames with subtle texture, adjustable light, and beautiful displays.
These well-crafted digital photo frames have paper-like, matted borders. They’re constructed to feel like natural photos in the environment with the benefits of digital connectivity. They have high quality paper-like displays with anti-glare coating that mimics printed photographs, and matted borders creating gallery-quality presentation.
WiFi connectivity enables seamless photo sharing from family and friends, automatic photo rotation with customizable timing, portrait and landscape orientation display options, and easy setup through Aura’s mobile app.
Calm Tech Principles in Aura Carver and Aspen's Design
Amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity: Digital connectivity enables effortless photo sharing across distances, strengthening family bonds, while the paper-like display and traditional frame aesthetic preserve the emotional warmth of physical photographs.
Respect social norms: The matted borders and natural presentation honor the established social norm of framed photos in homes, creating a familiar, comforting presence rather than an intrusive digital device.
Make use of the periphery: Photos provide ambient enjoyment throughout the day without requiring excess interaction, while the natural, subtlety glowing display allows the frames to exist peacefully in peripheral vision, like traditional photographs. They can be set to shuffle for variety over time at a desired interval.
Certified Alarm Clocks: Harmony 2, Bell 2 & Dreamie
Many people fall asleep next to their phones with the alarm app enabled, and don’t get a full night of rest.
We’re always looking for meaningful ways for people to leave their phones out of the bedroom for better sleep. We certified three clocks, all with different features. Mudita’s Bell and Harmony achieved top scores for their minimalist, analog feelings and high tech operation. The Dreamie, with its high end audio and industrial design scored highly for a dedicated bedside device.
This category of products is one of the most important to Calm Tech Institute, because a small change in habit can lead to a meaningful difference. For those who late night shop, the cost of one of these products can more than pay for itself in terms of lost sleep and less impulsive online purchases.
Mudita Harmony 2
E Ink Alarm Clock, Platinum Certification
Mudita’s Harmony 2 is our top pick for a travel alarm clock. With long battery life, a noticeably pleasant alarm (a beautifully melodic tone which gently awakes you), and an E Ink display with a backlight (for when you need to check the time but don’t want blue light disrupting your circadian rhythm) it’s perfect.
Throw it in a bag and you’ll have a minimalist and beautiful clock that you can trust. USB-C chargeable with a host of other calming features, such as a meditation setting, pleasant physical buttons, and the ability to upload your own alarms and music, this clock can’t be beat.
Calm Tech Principles in Mudita Harmony 2's Design
Inform and create calm: The E Ink display provides time information without the harsh blue light that disrupts circadian rhythms, while customizable nature sounds and gentle alarm options create peaceful wake and sleep experiences.
Use the Minimum tech needed to solve the problem: By focusing solely on alarm, time display, and audio functions without internet connectivity or apps, the Harmony 2 solves the bedroom clock problem without introducing sleep-disrupting technology.
Peripheral Attention: The large, always-visible display allows time-checking from across the room without the need for further interaction, while the physical dial provides tactile feedback for adjustments in low-light conditions.
Mudita Bell 2
Minimalist Alarm Clock, Platinum Certification
For those seeking a more analog experience, the Mudita Bell 2 offers an alarm clock with physical dial, harmonious alarm, long lasting battery, and USB-C charging. It’s also ideal for reducing blue light in the bedroom.
Noteworthy features include a fully analog design with no screen or display, harmonious alarm bell with a gradually increasing volume, a physical dial for setting alarm time through tactile rotation, a replaceable battery lasting up to a year, and USB-C charging option. The minimalist aesthetic complements any bedroom décor while the simple mechanism ensures reliability.
Calm Tech Principles in Mudita Bell 2's Design
Use the minimum amount of tech needed to solve the problem: A purely analog mechanism eliminates all digital displays and complexity, solving the wake-up challenge with the simplest possible technology that cannot contribute to sleep disruption.
Communicate without speaking: The harmonious bell communicates wake-up time through pleasant, gradually intensifying tones rather than jarring electronic sounds, while the physical dial provides silent, tactile time-setting.
Work even when it fails: The analog mechanism and year-long battery life ensure the alarm functions reliably without dependency on power outlets, software updates, or digital systems that might malfunction.
Dreamie, by Hello Ambient
Full-Featured, Phone-Free Alarm Clock, Platinum Certification
Currently available as a Kickstarter offering, Dreamies’ crowdfunding campaign was oversubscribed within just a few days of launch.
Offering phone-free sleep support through a super red-shift night mode (avoiding circadian disruption caused by the blue light of phones), the Dreamie has pleasant tactile controls, high quality audio, and a sleep routine, with gradually changing illumination levels, and box breathing instructions which help guide you into sleep.
Noteworthy features include a super red shift night mode that preserves melatonin production, completely phone-free operation eliminating bedtime screen temptation, tactile physical controls for eyes-free adjustment in darkness, high-fidelity audio engineering for superior sound quality, customizable sleep routines with guided content, and elegant industrial design worthy of bedside placement. Includes white noise, nature sounds, meditation, and sleep stories.
Calm Tech Principles in Dreamie's Design
Use the Least amount of attention: Physical controls enable sleepy interactions without turning on a night light, and while guided sleep routines require only passive listening rather than active engagement.
Amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity: High-quality audio technology delivers professionally crafted sleep content, while the phone-free design removes digital distractions, allowing users to experience natural, uninterrupted rest.
Inform and create calm: The super red shift lighting and carefully engineered sleep content actively promote relaxation and healthy sleep patterns, while the absence of notifications and screens creates a sanctuary from digital stress.
Home Audio
Converting digital signals (such as an Internet stream) into an analog signals, helps streaming music feel warmer (more like a record or a tape player). One of CTI's standard categories is Sound, and we've been looking for products that deliver exceptional sound quality without complexity or digital distractions.
To do this well, and without an excessive price tag or complex features, has been out of reach for some time. We’re excited to announce the very first awardee in our Home Audio category, a German-made solution that ticks all of the boxes. This is an audio system that showcases music, not a touchscreen.
Henry Audio DA 256
Digital Analog Converter, Platinum Certification
Some home audio systems come with complex user interfaces, multiple connectivity options, and steep price tags—all of which frustrate those who want to hear their favorite music with the best equipment possible. Henry Audio satisfies this desire beautifully and seamlessly.
Noteworthy features include high-resolution digital-to-analog conversion, audiophile-grade components for exceptional sound clarity, compact footprint suitable for any listening space, and simple plug-and-play operation without complex software setup.
Calm Tech Principles in Henry Audio DA 256’s Design
Make use of the periphery: Color-coded LED indicators communicate active input status at a glance without requiring menu navigation or screen interaction, allowing users to verify connections through peripheral awareness.
Use the minimum tech needed to solve the problem: Focuses exclusively on high-quality digital-to-analog conversion without unnecessary features, streaming services, or displays, solving the audio quality challenge with dedicated, purpose-built technology.
Communicate without speaking: Visual LED feedback provides immediate system status information silently and unobtrusively, while superior audio quality speaks for itself – without requiring voice prompts or instructions.
The Next Wave
This is just the first wave of Calm Tech Certified™ products we’re announcing for 2025; stay tuned for another wave of announcements and the full list for this year – planned for release just before the holiday season!
Got a product / service you’re looking to certify? We're excited to help companies design the next generation of consumer devices! Learn about the benefits of Calm Tech Certification, and contact us for workshops, guidance and Calm Tech certification.
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