A Bluetooth-Operated Sand Garden You Need To See To Believe

Looking to destress a touch? Tell me about it. I don't have the answer to very much, but I do have the answer to this. Three words: Drift. By. HoMedics. I'm a dramatic person but I'm genuinely not being an ounce dramatic when I tell you how addicted I am to this thing. It's a passive wellness device that makes the most intricate sand patterns with a small metal ball. It sounds confusing, but it's really not. Keep scrolling for the full scoop and why I can't live without my new Drift.

​(While I did receive the Drift by HoMedics in exchange for an honest review, all of the following thoughts and opinions expressed below are my own and are not influenced by HoMedics​, in any way.)

Drift is a mindfulness tool intended to induce a sense of calm, enhance focus, and promote creativity. You know those sand gardens that you rake and fill with rocks to create shapes and patterns? This is sort of like an automated version of that, where you use an app on your phone to control the designs created in the "sandscape." Bluetooth technology dictates the movement of a small metal sphere to carve intricate patterns into the sand. You'll be mesmerized by the creation process and amazed by the level of detail these movements reveal.

The sand is housed in either a 16-inch or 21-inch bowl, both of which come in your choice of a black or cream finish. The smaller version (which is still quite large) costs $399.99 and the larger is sold for $499.99. You'll control everything from the pattern to the ball's speed to the light color and brightness through the HoMedics Drift app. (The Drift can be illuminated with customizable light colors.) Plus, you can make your own playlist of back-to-back patterns or select from pre-made themed playlists.

The assembly process truly couldn't have been any easier. I simply took the bowl out of the box, poured in the included pack of sand, quickly spread it out with the included rake, and then placed the metal ball in the center. I plugged in the device, downloaded the app on my phone, which hooks up to the Drift through Bluetooth, selected a pattern, and watched the Drift do its thing. Easy as that.

This product is simply amazing. Its pros are endless but include the unbelievably easy setup, user-friendly app, sleek aesthetic, and mind-blowing product in and of itself. It's the ideal way to calmly begin your morning or decompress at the end of a long day. It's also quite lovely to have a playlist of patterns consistently running in the background of your busy life. I just can't believe something like this exists and I truly cannot express the amount of joy and calm it brings me.

The biggest con is the bulky cord needed to power the product. It makes it a little trickier to find the perfect spot for your device and takes away a bit from its sleekness. The only other slight point of frustration is that you can only hook up one phone at a time to the Drift. This means that you'd have to disconnect one phone from Drift's Bluetooth before another can take control. I have zero complaints otherwise.

There is no arguing that the price is steep, but I wholeheartedly believe it is worth the investment. This product doubles as a piece of art and will make the most perfect conversation starter in any office, entryway, or living room. There's truly nothing quite like a Sunday morning cup of coffee accompanied by relaxing music as you watch your favorite drift patterns in action.

Keep scrolling for a few of my favorite patterns the Drift has created and a link to score your very own.

Erin Lassner/Hunker

Erin Lassner/Hunker

Erin Lassner/Hunker

HoMedics Drift, $399.99-$499.99

HoMedics