Digital Photos That Finally Feel at Home: Why Aura’s Frames Earned Our First Photo Frame Certification

We awarded Calm Tech certification to Aura Home Inc’s bestselling Aspen and Carver Frames–known for their human-centered design that reduces stress, supports wellbeing, and quietly connects families.

In the last few decades, we went from printing cherished family memories to keeping them trapped in phones, buried beneath notifications and apps. While we gained the ability to capture endless moments, we lost something essential about how those memories live in our homes.

The Calm Tech Institute has been closely watching this shift and evaluating technologies that bridge both the analog and digital worlds. We were most interested in looking at photo frames that felt more like a photograph and less like a bright and distracting screen. Today, we're pleased to announce that the Aura Frames have earned a Calm Tech Certified® Gold rating. They're the first and only digital frames to receive this recognition, and for good reason.

Meaningful Photos, Trapped Inside Phones

Millions of people have meaningful photos on their phones that never make it into the printed world. Many photos live in message threads or social media, accessible only when we dive into the chaos of these platforms. Looking at a cherished photo means navigating through layers of digital noise, competing notifications, and endless distractions. Some photos don’t even make it to family members. 

We've traded the calm presence of printed photos for the convenience of digital storage. But what if we didn't have to choose?

Aura's Aspen frame includes a 12″ HD anti-glare display and a paper-textured matting in an ultra-thin form, allowing it to feel natural inside the home without drawing attention away from its environment.

A Different Kind of Screen

During our product testing phase, we found that the experience of these frames felt like they lived in the real environment, not inside a portal to cyberspace. This distinction matters because most digital displays demand we focus on the screen, engage with the screen, and process multiple streams of information at once. A good technology is a pass-through one, in that it makes digital information feel like part of the physical environment. 

The experience feels genuinely special and closest to a traditional photo frame. You get the best of both worlds: Photos that are always present in your environment, like old-fashioned frames, while new images appear as people move throughout their day.

"Our goal has never been to build just another device – it's to create technology that feels like a natural part of everyday life at home." - Ashley Phillips, Director of Product @ Aura

Aura's Carver Frame looks very much like a physical photo in a physical frame.

The Aura Frames earned high certification marks because they embodied the core principles we value, in addition to scoring well on our 81-point model:

Require minimal attention: The frames don't demand focus. Instead, they enhance your feeling of family and connection through peripheral vision. You notice them when you choose to, not when they force themselves onto you.

Communicate without speaking: There are mandatory notifications or alerts. A frame can receive photos from family members across the country with minimal setup. The information is simply present when you need it.

Aura Frames don't require a subscription for use and allow for multiple people to send photos to the frame. Anyone with a frame can see content from loved ones from far away.

Respect natural rhythms: The construction quality and light calibration stood out during our evaluation. The frames can be set to turn off at dusk, keeping bright lights away during bedtime hours.

Blend into the environment: Both frames are individually calibrated displays with designs inspired by natural materials, allowing them to disappear into any room.

Aura has a unique shape and an articulated charging cable that keeps the frame in full view without the charging cable getting in the way.

Why This Matters

What we're seeing with the Aura Frames is proof that it's possible to design screens that reduce stress rather than create it. 

Research shows that family photos in the home environment provide psychological advantages. A study conducted by researchers from Tulane University and Murfreesboro City School found that children surrounded by personal photos experienced a 37% boost in observable self-esteem behaviors in five weeks.

Technology That Feels Like Everyday Life

The certification of these Frames suggests a path forward for how screens might exist in our homes. Not as attention-grabbing portals to the digital world, but as calm, ambient displays that preserve something essential about how memories should live in our spaces.

"When a customer passes by a frame and smiles, or when it inspires them to make a phone call or send a text to reconnect with family, we consider that a success", says Aura's Ashley Phillips.

"Earning Calm Tech Certification validates the years we've spent rethinking what a digital frame could be – technology that fades into the background so that what truly matters – our photos, our memories, our relationships – can take center stage."

- Ashley Phillips, Director of Product, Aura

Sometimes the best technology is the kind that disappears, leaving only what truly matters: our photos, our memories, and our connections to the people we love.

The Aspen Aura Frame in Clay

About Aura

Aura is the leading brand and innovator in digital picture frames, inspired by the fundamental belief that our photos bring us closer together regardless of distance or generation. With a top-rated lineup of premium digital frames, Aura consistently delivers quality through unique, home-inspired frame designs, meticulous photo display calibration, and an intuitive photo sharing app that connects families around the world to the memories and moments that matter most. Aura frames are cherished by more than six million global app customers, with each frame creating small networks of loved ones sharing and enjoying unlimited memories through the Aura Frames app.

Aura is headquartered in New York City, with products available on auraframes.com and through partner retailers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Learn more at auraframes.com.

About Calm Tech Institute

Launched in May 2024, Calm Tech Institute is dedicated to redefining technologies that enhance human life without causing stress or distraction. The Institute advocates for technology that respects human attention and enhances life without overwhelming it. Founded on principles of ambient computing and human-centered design, the Institute provides Certifications for products that embody these values through an 81 point evaluation model. Learn more at calmtech.institute.