We live in an ever-changing world, a world which at times can cause us a lot of noticeable or underlying stress. Stress is a serious health concern and often referred to by health professionals as a silent killer. Luckily, there are now more practical ways, available right at your fingertips, to learn how to better manage our stress. Enter the Calm App.
Our Calm App review will dive into everything you need to know about this stress-management product, including whether or not you’ll be able to better achieve your desired stress goals. We’ll examine the pros and cons of this meditation-driven app, look into the features, break down the costs, and help you to see if it truly suits your needs.
Calm App Review Score – 4.8/5
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 4.7/5.0 |
| Features | 5.0/5.0 |
| Cost | 4.6/5.0 |
| Experience | 4.8/5.0 |
| Final Score | 4.8/5.0 |
Contents of our Calm App Review
- Pros and Cons of the Calm App
- Fast Facts About the Calm Relaxation App
- What is the Calm App?
- Ease of Use and Sign-Up Process
- Detailed Features Breakdown
- Calm App Cost and Insurance
- Verdict – Is the Calm App Worth It?
- Calm App FAQ
Pros and Cons of the Calm App
Pros
- The number 1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
- Available to both individual’s as well as businesses and organizations
- There are no ads while using the app
- Extensive collection of exclusive Sleep Sounds
Cons
- Most app content is only available through paid subscription
With the risk of sounding like raving ways, the Calm App and its creators know what they’re doing. In fact, several members of our staff signed up for memberships (on their own) after completing the review. The biggest standout of the Calm review was the features. It seemed like an endless calm stream of feature after feature, which, even if you don’t use everything, still gives you a lot of flexibility.
It’s also nice to see that you get a free 7-day trial. Yes, you do have to put in payment information, but it’s easy to cancel if it’s not for you. We HIGHLY recommend that anyone looking for a way to manage their stress and just be a happier person give the Calm App their own review and test drive.
Fast Facts About the Calm Relaxation App
- The Calm App has over 80 million downloads and 1,500,000+ 5-star ratings from actual users.
- Started in 2012, the Calm App has become the number 1 app for sleep and relaxation.
- The most popular Calm App feature is called ‘The Daily Calm’, giving users a unique and different daily meditation which may be completed in 10 minutes.
- 100+ exclusive Sleep Stories help to achieve a deeper and more restful sleep. The stories are narrated by well-known celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey and television personality Bob Ross among many others.
App Store and Google Play Ratings and Awards
- iOS App Store – 4.8 stars over 1.5 million reviews
- Google Play Store – 4.3 stars over 500,000 reviews
- “Best of 2018 Award Winner” – Apple, “2017 App of the Year” – Apple, “Happiest App in the World” – Center for Humane Technology
What is the Calm App?
The Calm App is an app you can download to your devices which helps users at any level, from beginner to more advanced users. It helps the user to develop better sleeping habits, learn how to relax both their body and mind, with a goal of decreasing life’s stressors.
What we found during our Calm App review is that the technology focuses on mindfulness practices based in meditation principles and is non-religious. Mindfulness has been described as a practice where you focus on your emotions, thoughts, and experiences without placing judgement on them. The main point of mindfulness is to achieve better mental calmness and an ability to maintain your composure in nearly any situation.
The app contains meditation features which are timed or untimed. The timed features help you to fit your relaxation into your day or select an untimed meditation for those days when you have a bit more flexibility within your schedule. The most popular of these meditation features and one of our favorite moments of our Calm App review is ‘The Daily Calm.’ This feature gives users a unique meditation experience daily in only 10 minutes.
If not for any other reason, we recommend giving Calm a try to check out ‘The Daily Calm.’
Reviewing the Calm App Ease of Use and Sign-Up Process
One of the big things we tested during our Calm App review was how easy the app is to use and how simple (or difficult) it is to get signed up.
Here’s the bottom line upfront. Using the Calm App is quite easy, no matter your level of tech savvy. All you have to do is click the link above, and then download the free app. The signup process can be completed in less than 5 minutes.
Step 1 – Calm App Registration Process
The signup process is simple and straight forward enough. You will be prompted to register for an account using an email address, Facebook account, or Apple ID.
Step 2 – The Calm App 7-Day Free Trial
Prior to logging into the Calm App for the first time, it will require you to subscribe to the 7-day free trial of Calm Premium. There is no obligation to continue with the service past the 7-day free Calm App trial. If you prefer to cancel the subscription prior to being charged, remember to cancel at least one day prior to the end of your free trial period.
Step 3 – Calm App Meditation Questions
The Calm App will then ask you a series of multiple-choice questions about your meditation preferences. This was another shining moment of the Calm app review. It’s amazing when companies build programs and systems that are smart enough to cater to your unique needs. That’s exactly what these questions are for.
It will take approximately one to three minutes to complete this section. Here are the questions in case you’re curious.
- What brings you to Calm?
- Are you interested in meditation?
- What’s your experience with meditation?
- On average, how many days per week do you practice meditation?
- How many days would you like to meditate this week?
- When would you like to meditate?
- Would you like to set up reminders to meditate?
- How did you hear about Calm?
Once you have completed answering the above questions, the Calm App will give you several suggestions of where to start using the app based upon your unique answers. To view all the app’s recommendations, simply swipe or click to the right on your device.
To navigate to the home page of the Calm App, click or select the X located in the upper left corner of the screen.
Step 4 – Calm App Recommendations
From the Calm App’s home page, you may easily view recommendations for several different mindfulness topics including:
- Mental Fitness
- Sleep Stories
- Meditations
- Music
- Recent Sparks
- Recent Daily Calms
You may move to different pages within the app by selecting one of the tabs along the bottom of the homepage. One of these tabs takes you to the “Other” page. Once you have selected this tab, you may adjust your user experience by selecting the gear icon located in the upper right corner found on the “Other” page.
Step 5 – Calm App Background Music and Scenes
Upon opening the Calm App you will hear music playing as you navigate between the pages of the app. This is designed to help the user begin to relax and unwind. In addition to the Calm App’s background music, you may select a different nature scene for the app’s background.
Should you desire to turn the volume down, or turn the volume off on the Calm App’s background music, simply select the mountain icon located in the upper left hand corner of the Calm App’s home page (the “For You” page). Slide the volume bar to the desired volume level, and then you are all set. While the user friendliness was incredible during our review of the Calm App, this was one thing it took us a minute to find.
To change the background scene within the Calm App, select the mountain icon located in the upper left-hand corner of the “For You” page, or the app’s homepage. Under the Scenes section, slide to the right and left to see available background scenes. When you see a scene you like best, select the scene by tapping or clicking on the image.
Detailed Features Breakdown
Mediate
Filled with tons of meditation options to help with breathing exercises, anxiety reduction, stress coping, increase focus, stabilizing emotions, and so much more.
Sleep Stories
Listen to relaxing stories as you gently fall asleep. Story narrators include celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey, Kelly Rowland, Harry Styles, among many others.
Music
The calm App has its own exclusive music to help you with meditation exercises, and sleep. You can even select lullabies for the little ones or make a playlist to include all of your favorite tranquil jams.
Calm Body
This special feature includes great stretching to get your day started or to wind down your day and relieve any pent-up stress left in your muscles from the hustle and bustle.
Calm Masterclass
The Masterclass sessions are such a wonderful feature of the Calm App. Being able to sit and relax while learning about mindfulness from some of the top experts around the globe.
The Spark
Another incredible feature we saw during the Calm App review is what is known as The Spark. This feature includes short interviews with people who have different professional backgrounds from entrepreneurs to athletes. These short interviews are meant to help inspire and motivate.
Check-Ins
This feature allows you to trach how you are feeling and to reflect on different topics each day. Over time you can see the positive changes starting to take shape in your life through growing in your mindfulness exercises.
Breathing Exercises
We all breathe, but sometimes we need to remember to take a deep breath and to focus on our breath. Learning and using breathing exercises have a lot of positive health affects over time, including stress reduction.
Calm Kids
Why not get the kiddos involved in some fun calming exercises? Yes, this seems like a bit of an oxymoron, but there are some great sleep stories and other features for children included in the Calm App.
Calm for Work
Work can be a large stressor for some people, or in a lot of cases, it is the main stressor. The calm for Work feature has great content to assist with mindfulness around the way you approach and react to your daily work.
Scenes
Who does not love sitting on the beach at sunset and relaxing as the waves crash in? Well, now you may do this from the comfort of your phone. With the Calm App you may select from tons of different scenes and their accompanying sounds to help you through your meditation or even to lull you off to sleep.
The Daily Calm
One of the most popular features of the Calm App is the feature known as The Daily Calm. This feature gives listeners a new and inspiring meditation to explore in short segments every day.
Calm App Cost and Insurance
| Plan | Term | Price | Billed As |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | 1 Year | $69.99 | 1 Annual Payment |
| Monthly | 1 Month | $14.99 | 1 Monthly Payment |
| Lifetime | Forever | $399.99 | 1 Lifetime Payment |
There are three different options when it comes to subscriptions for the Calm App.
The first option is an annual auto-renewing subscription. The yearly renewal subscription is just $69.99 for the year. The second payment option, the lifetime plan, is truly unlimited, with no renewal necessary. With this subscription option, you make a one-time, upfront payment of $399.99. This gives you full access to all the Calm app features forever and you will not be charged again.
The Calm App does have a monthly option, as well. However, getting access to this payment plan is a little tricky. To learn more about the costs and how to get the monthly plan, check out the dedicated Calm App cost page.
Verdict – Is the Calm App Worth It?
You may have heard the expression before “life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to what happens to you.” Well, stress works much the same way. Getting control over your thought processes and how you react to different experiences will ultimately affect your overall level of stress and health.
An investment into one’s own self is always worth it. As far as the Calm app is concerned, this is one of the greatest investments a person could make into themselves. Mental health and mental clarity is something we must actively work on and pursue on a daily basis, and the Calm App gives you a way to not only do that in a tangible way, but also in an affordable way.
The bottom line of this Calm App review? It’s a win and a must-have app.
Calm App FAQ
Is the Calm app free?
Yes, it is free to download the Calm app. However, users will need to subscribe to a paid subscription plan to utilize all the Calm App’s functionality. The free download includes some preview options of the Calm App including:
- 1 sleep story
- 1 timed meditation
- Day 1 of the 7-day meditation program
- Day 1 of the 21-day meditation program
- Breathe Bubble feature
- 4 free scenes which are pre-loaded into the app and may be used during meditation
Even if you do not purchase a subscription after your free trial of the Calm App concludes, the free features of the Calm App will continue to remain unlocked for further use.
Can I use the Calm app on my iPhone?
Yes, iOS users may download the Calm app for free from Apple’s App Store. It is compatible with most of your iOS devices including iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. A limited Calm experience may also be enjoyed through your Apple TV and Apple Watch. Recommended for use with iOS devices operating on iOS system 9 or newer.
Can I use the Calm app on my Android?
Yes, Android users may download the Calm app for free from the Google Play Store. A limited Calm experience may also be enjoyed through your Google Home and Android Wear devices. Due to the amount of memory required to use the app, there may be difficulties running the Calm App on Android devices utilizing Android system 5 and below.
Are Calm’s meditations religious?
No. The Calm App is a non-religious platform focused on universal teachings of mindfulness. Mindfulness is focusing on your own experiences, thoughts, and emotions to achieve better mental calmness and clarity.
What languages are available on the Calm App?
The Calm App is currently available in 6 different languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Korean and Portuguese. The Calm App creators have plans to include more app languages in the future. The Calm App language settings can be adjusted by users within the Calm App’s language settings tab.
