Shiftwave launches a $20,000 nervous system regulating chair

Jakob Wagner set out to create a wellness and recovery experience that looks as good as it feels.

The result is the Shiftwave Arc, a $20,000 sculptural recovery chair designed to bring nervous system-focused technology into luxury homes, hotels and wellness spaces.

The Shiftwave Arc’s sculptural design brings recovery technology into a furniture-inspired form.

The Shiftwave Arc combines pulsed pressure waves with guided breathwork and audio to create an immersive recovery experience designed to bring users from states of stress and overstimulation to calm alertness.

Shiftwave calls this approach Active Regulation, with the ultimate goal of supporting the body’s ability to move between states of activation and restoration.

The technology

Central to the Shiftwave experience are rhythmic waves of pressure delivered along the back of the body, creating alternating sensations of compression and release.

These work alongside more than 100 signature protocols featuring music and guided audio to create a multisensory experience. 

Personalization via protocols

Users begin by identifying how they feel, how they want to feel, and how much time they have available. Based on these inputs, the chair recommends protocols suited to their desired experience.

Select protocols incorporate Shiftwave’s patented BioDrive® technology, which uses live pulse feedback to adapt the pressure-wave experience in real time, making each session more responsive to the user.

BioDrive® technology adapts the pulsing pressure to live pulse feedback, creating a bespoke experience for each individual.

Users can revisit a previous session through the accompanying iPhone or iPad app, making it easy to repeat a favorite protocol.

The app also stores physiological metrics collected during sessions, including heart rate, heart rate variability and blood oxygen levels, so users can monitor how their bodies respond to different protocols over time.

A new look for recovery technology

Shiftwave’s previous device, the Shiftwave Pro, offers many of the same core capabilities as the Arc, but in a more portable, flexible design. The Arc takes a different approach, prioritizing form and integration into its surroundings.

Designed with luxury homes, hotels and wellness spaces in mind, it transforms recovery technology into a sculptural piece of furniture rather than equipment that needs to be tucked away after use.

Wagner’s industrial design portfolio includes a piece in the permanent collection of the MoMA. Who knows, maybe the Arc is next. 

Pricing & availability

Available on Shiftwave.co, the Shiftwave Arc retails for $20,000, with financing options through Affirm and potential HSA/FSA eligibility through TrueMed, subject to approval and a Letter of Medical Necessity.

The system is controlled through the Shiftwave app on iPhone or iPad, with headphones required for guided sessions.

Eligible military members and veterans, military families, first responders, healthcare workers, government employees and teachers may also qualify for an exclusive discount through GOVX ID.