BeechBand Panel Review

The Beech Band is a device worn on the wrist that delivers pulsing vibrations to create a tapping sensation. The idea is that the ‘tapping’ vibrations can act as a calming distraction and help to reduce anxiety, dyskinesia, rigidity, walking problems and speech difficulties.

It was developed by Carl Beech, who was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s (YOPD) aged 51. His speech became slurred and he developed a worsening stammer. However, he found that he could improve his symptoms a lot through therapeutic tapping. This rhythmic tapping let him regulate his speech and eliminate his stammer. This is when he had his breakthrough. He discovered that the rhythmic tapping allowed him to regulate his speech and relieve his stammer. 

This discovery sparked an idea. Carl and his friend Nick, a software expert, created more than 30 prototypes of a wearable vibrating device in under a year. The first official version of the BeechBand launched in July 2025. The company describes the BeechBand as a wellness device that can help manage multiple Parkinson’s symptoms.

Carl is the former CEO of Spotlight YOPDopens in new tab, a charity dedicated to advocating for those living with YOPD. He told the Tech Guide: “It’s a novel idea. After I hit an all time low I decided to try and fool my brain and perhaps even re-train it. I developed the idea of subconscious vibrotactile stimulation. Once you forget you have the BeechBand on the results can be quite stunning.”

Most of the review panel found the instructions and setting up the BeechBand to be “very easy”. Just one reviewer found the instructions “fairly difficult”, describing them as “next to nothing.”

By contrast, a 79-year-old reviewer said: “You could start using the BeechBand immediately. It just took a few minutes to set up.”

Another reviewer said that, even though they’re used to seeing illustrative instructions with their tech purchases, the written instructions with this product were still “fairly clear.”

But a reviewer who struggles with dyskinesia, stiffness and speech difficulties felt that, even though they were “clearly written”, there was an “obvious omission” in the instructions.

They explained: “A bit of important information seemed to be missing —  recommended usage time per day.

“At least some guidance on this for when first using the device would have been useful on the instructions. Looking around the Beechband website there seems to be differing advice. The shop page suggests ‘at least 2 hours a day’, and a video on the website version of the user guide suggests as much as possible between recharges.”

Robustness

We asked our reviewers how robust the product seemed and half the panel said it felt weak. 

“It’s just plastic, it feels very cheap,” said 1 reviewer. Another added that it “looks like it would break easily if dropped on a hard surface.” 

Unfortunately for 1 reviewer, the back of the device detached “frequently” during their testing. “It kept falling apart,” they told us. The device was still usable but the reviewer had to use an elastic band to secure it.

Turning on and off

The BeechBand turns on and off by sliding a button on the side of the device. However just one reviewer said it was easy to turn on and off, with the rest of the panel experiencing some issues.

A reviewer whose Parkinson’s symptoms affect their motor control confidence, said: “It could be fiddly turning it on and off when I was wearing it.

“The on/off button lacked a ‘clean’ click to know if you had hit the button accurately to activate/deactivate the unit. This did irritate me on quite a few occasions.”

Another reviewer commented: “The on and off switch was quite difficult for me, possibly due to my lack of strength and poor coordination with Parkinson’s.”

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The wrist strap

A few of our reviewers also struggled with the device’s wrist strap, leading to half the review panel having to ask family for help.

The strap provided is a rubber wristband with a buckle fastening. A reviewer told us: “The buckle can be impossible to put on and take off if you happen to be in an ‘off’ state, and seemed like an oversight considering the intended users. An elasticated or velcro strap might be better.”

Another reviewer agreed, saying that the strap was “difficult to fasten” and was “most uncomfortable.”

A 76-year-old reviewer also found the actual device much too large and “tricky” to wear. They said: “It was a bulky item to try and get onto my wrist and for it to position comfortably.”

The same reviewer also had concerns about keeping the strap an device clean: “It is likely to get wet when washing hands and the product is not water resistant. It also gets quite gummed up with skin cells and it’s not easy to clean.  It may cause skin irritation on hot summer days.” 

Vibrations

The BeechBand uses vibrations to create a tapping sensation on the skin. For four of our six reviewers, the vibrations were a big distraction and they found it was too loud. 1 reviewer likened the sound to a “bee trapped in a box”.

A 60-year-old reviewer said: “It was very loud and distracting in certain settings. I could not operate it while watching TV,  reading, travelling on the bus or sitting in waiting rooms.

“Also when I walk in my local woods many dogs did not like it and I had to be alert to turn off the unit quickly when dogs approached.”

This reviewer also found the actual strength of the vibration too strong, saying “The unit made my arm vibrate up to elbow level.”

Another reviewer agreed, jokingly adding: “With the intensity of the vibrations and the fact you can’t adjust it, it means it will shake itself to death!”

A 45-year-old reviewer, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 33 years old said they couldn’t use the BeechBand while in a work meeting “as the volume of it was distracting.” They added that they found the “sensation of wearing it a little annoying”.

Battery life and charging

The BeechBand takes approximately 45 minutes to charge. It needs a USB-C charger that is not included with the device. Many smartphones use a USB-C charger and you may already have one at home. If not, you’ll have to buy it separately.

All the reviewers had some concerns about the battery life and charging the device. They were all disappointed that the battery only lasted for 2-4 hours at a time.

“Its operating time was too short. The unit charge didn’t last all day so I had to recharge it during the day. It sometimes got forgotten about when I left the house and so I was not able to use it.” said a reviewer.

A different reviewer looked on the company website and discovered a video that suggested the option of buying a second one to use while the other is charging. They said: “I think it would have grated with me if I had just purchased one!”

Another problem that reviewers raised was that it was impossible to know when the device was fully charged.

“You can’t tell if it’s charged or not. It would be better if there was an indication of when it’s fully charged,” said a reviewer.

Impact on Parkinson’s symptoms

The BeechBand aims to help alleviate several Parkinson’s symptoms, including anxiety, rigidity, stiffness, speech difficulties and sleep problems. All our reviewers experience a combination of these symptoms at different severities.

From our panel of six reviewers, two of them found the band helped with their anxiety. “It took off the edge of my anxiety. This in turn made it easier to get on with motivating myself to complete any task I was engaged in.” said one. The other added: “It has kept me a little calmer and helped me sleep a little longer at night so I was pleased with those aspects.” 

One reviewer got a “surprise” from wearing the device. They found that the BeechBand “cured” their micrographia (very small handwriting caused by Parkinson’s).

A 79-year-old reviewer said that wearing the BeechBand had “improved my quality of life” by “negating my tremor and helping with my speech.”

Two reviewers didn’t see any change to their symptoms. A reviewer who has also tried the CUE1+ told us: “It didn’t work for me. The device did not make any noticeable improvements to my symptoms.”

Another unsatisfied reviewer, who said they tried wearing the device on both wrists as well as their ankle, said: “For the first couple of days I was using it I thought that it might be making a slight improvement to my gait, my speech when it was becoming worse, and rigidity, in the same way that putting on some music with a prominent beat can slightly help sometimes. This did not continue however, and I found that using the device over the course of testing did not provide any benefits.”

With a price tag of £49.50, the cost of the BeechBand split our panel. Two reviewers felt the device was very purse-friendly, especially compared to the prices of other Parkinson’s tech.

The reviewer who told us the device helped them feel calmer and sleep longer said: “I have used a lot of other things that have cost me an awful lot of money in the past. I’ve spent over £5000 on different things so far altogether so this seemed a bargain, in fairness.”

However, other reviewers did not think the BeechBand was worth the price. One reviewer said the product was “overpriced” and wouldn’t be good value for money until it was “much more robust.” Another reviewer added: “I don’t think it’s worth the price yet. I think it has been rushed without much thought being given.”

If you purchase the BeechBand and don’t experience any benefits, you can return it within 100 days for a full, “quibble-free” refund, provided it is in a “like-new” condition.