Mudra Link review: is a $300 neural wristband worth it?

All I wanted was for this $300 device to help me in the kitchen.

Thanks to gadgets like Apple Vision Pro, controlling devices through hand gesturing doesn’t seem that dystopian anymore. But for me, it was still something that I wouldn’t consider implementing simply because I couldn’t be bothered to get another device, learn the “correct” gestures, and potentially spend money on something I probably won’t use.

Nevertheless, in some instances, I can imagine how convenient it would be to use my phone or laptop without actually having to touch the device.

So, when I got to try Mudra Link, a wristband that lets you control your devices using neural input technology, I wanted to see if this hand gesturing device could help me in everyday settings whether that’s cooking, learning, or watching TV.

Setting up Mudra Link

Wearable Devices Ltd., the company behind Mudra, now offers two products: Mudra Link and Mudra Band. Mudra Band is designed specifically for Apple Watch users, while Mudra Link is compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows.

During the device’s setup, I noticed that the band, which doesn’t have a display but just a power button, was automatically paired with my Apple Watch. So, I could control the band through my watch instead of having to check the app.

What also caught my attention was how important it is to wear the wristband correctly for it to work properly. This included remembering that the power button has to face me and that the band shouldn’t be on my wrist bone.

At first, I dreaded the setup, as I thought it would take me a while to understand how all the gestures worked. Thanks to a tutorial on the app, I was quite quick to understand how to navigate the device, and even became excited about being able to navigate my phone without touching it.

Mudra Link as my kitchen assistant

While my colleague briefly tested out Mudra Link a few months ago during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 in Las Vegas, I started my test journey in the kitchen.

I cook quite a lot and enjoy trying new recipes, many of which are taken from the web or social media. So every time I’m cooking and am quite literally elbow deep into flour or other products, I hate having to touch my phone, trying to scroll through a recipe or change a song on my phone. Cross-contamination is a thing, and I hoped Mudra Link could help me avoid it.

While it was convenient to use the phone and Mudra in such a setting, one thing did annoy me: I could not put it in “inactive” mode when I was not using my phone and doing other things instead. So, I was quite paranoid that I could be clicking things on my phone involuntarily while I was chopping something or washing my hands.

Mudra Link as my learning companion

While using Mudra Link on my smartphone made me think more positively about the whole hand gesturing innovation, that changed after I decided to pair it with my MacBook.

Once again, I had a general idea of how the device could help. A few months ago, I started learning French again, so some of my free time involves sitting in front of a computer with learning material and making notes in an actual notebook.

In such situations, I sometimes find myself lost, trying to navigate 15 open tabs with one hand while scribbling a sentence with another. I hoped that Mudra could help me switch between pages, scroll through lesson material, and stay more focused.

However, I soon realized that this wouldn’t be the case, since it was hard to navigate the cursor, and at times it even seemed inactive, with me tapping my fingers like crazy for it to finally open or close a page.

Mudra Link to replace a remote control

During this year’s CES event, one of the tools I had the opportunity to try was AirTouch software, which allows users to control their devices through hand gestures.

When I tried the program, created by Neural Lab, what caught my attention was the company’s idea to simply replace TV remote controls with AirTouch.

So, once I got Mudra Link, I wanted to test it on my Apple TV to see whether it could also replace the two remote controls that I often lose or forget to charge.

However, it quickly became clear that my remotes aren’t going away anytime soon. Like with MacBook, it was quite hectic to try using Mudra Link to switch between apps and navigate the TV. I also noticed how the band itself was very sensitive to any touches that would prompt it to take unnecessary actions.

Final thoughts

One thing I enjoyed about Mudra Link was that I could control it through my Apple Watch, as the wristband doesn’t have a display. After the initial setup, I didn’t have to use the app, as I could shift Mudra from a phone to a laptop with one tap on my watch.

However, I often encountered problems with sensitivity and precision, especially when using it on my laptop and TV. After checking what others thought about the device, I found I’m not the only one with similar problems.

Some users even shared that their $300 device just sits there, unused. It seems like good old-fashioned pressing buttons and swiping screens will be with us for a little while yet.