Oak - Meditation & Breathing Reviews

by Zachary J G.

As a teenager, I always feel so busy even though I’m on summer break I feel like I want to stick to myself and get a little angry when I have to do a chore or something else similar to that because I watching memes and the such. However since I recently got injured with a couple knee fractures I have been feeling so anxious to have my surgery completed and begin walking again. (Especially because I like skiing in the winter and don’t wanna miss out on that.) Then I thought about trying meditation and turns out after finding the right pick for me that had simple 10-15 sessions where I could truly relax and have full awareness of my breathing without having to stress my breathing by inhaling for a long time. Also it had to be at no cost because I don’t wanna buy something to relax I want pay by giving my time to use a service and then 💥 bam you got a new downloader of your app. 8/10 would recommend.

by Dr3w.$h31

I’d continue using Oak, but for now I’m going back to meditating organically. I use the unguided meditation in Oak and love the background noises and chimes to let me know when my time is starting and over. I don’t understand why the background noises are so quiet though. When I turn them up to block other noise and the chime to let me know my time is up starts, it is insanely loud and even makes me jump. Why is there such a difference between volume levels? I don’t understand. I’ll go back if the developers ever add a volume HUD and slider to change it to how I’d like or if the volume is equalized and the background noises weren’t barely bearable at a medium volume. Otherwise, I really enjoyed Oak and would use it often if this was fixed

by Natty305

I have tried one other meditation app and I liked it but couldn't afford the monthly cost. I trust Kevin Rose and so when he announced Oak I jumped at it. To begin with, this needs Chromecast support. I am fairly new to meditation so I really appreciate when there is guided meditation as it helps me focus on what I am supposed to be focused on. Oak starts off wonderfully but I feel that more tutorials would help for those of us new to meditating. I love the "Wisdom" section and hope to see more use in this department. If you can't find audio wisdom, I recommend Kevin recording some quotes from where ever. It's a quirky little feature that I like.
I know I saw, when I first tried it, a way to see how many people are on at once but I can't seem to find it anymore. Overall good but not great. Keep it up and definitely ADD CHROMECAST SUPPORT!

by COWMSNDJAMX

I absolutely love Oak. There is no subscription that you have to buy to use it. There is an in app purchase but that’s besides my point. I absolutely would recommend Oak. Whenever I’ve had a stressful day I can always count on this awesome app to help. Waking up early? No problem! The sleeping section helps with that. Can’t focus? The breathing section helps with that! Just want to be guided on meditation without having to tap your screen to make sure it’s on? The meditation section helps with that! Here’s a quick story: when I first found Oak and saw that you could have rain playing for 55 minutes with you phone off, I had to recommend it to my mom. She loves sleep and falling asleep to rain. It was the best to her!

Another thing: Since it’s Pride Month I’ll share this. The meditation section REALLY helped me accept my sexuality and gender identification since I was struggling with that and coming to terms with who I was. I was a little ehh about it but doing the I think acceptance breathing meditation course, for a while really helped me come to terms.

Have I proven my point that this is a freakin amazing app yet? Still not convinced? Try it out, see how you like it.

by Arbyc4

Oak is by far one of the best meditation apps. It is free unlike many other apps and is soothing. I’m so glad I found it not only to help with my anxiety but to just calm me down or help me sleep. I have only done a few sessions and I’m already in love with this app. You can choose to have background noise or not and the options are pretty decent for not having to pay money for Oak . At first when I saw it, I thought there must be a catch but there isn’t and I am very happy. I believe that apps like this shouldn’t cost money because you shouldn’t have to pay money for something that is supposed to help you. I’m sure most apps like this won’t help your bank account😂 I highly recommend Oak for anyone. 5 stars all the way👏

by EmiliaThompson

I cannot recommend Oak highly enough. It is a gorgeous and highly accessible app- it has a few different types of meditations, some guided breathing techniques, and some night techniques. All are completely free and without any ads whatsoever. Even Oak in-depth courses on different meditation techniques are free. The things I really appreciate about Oak are 1. How much flexibility there is in meditation settings- there are light and dark options for the screen, you can choose a background noise effect (but don’t have to have one at all), can adjust speaker volume and background volume separately, and can adjust the length of meditation. It’s so simple and effective. 2. I love the loving kindness meditation. I have tried other guided loving kindness meditation routines and a lot involve visualisation techniques that end up distracting me personally. This one is the best- it’s so beautiful and peaceful and is so easy to follow. Truly a treasure and such an effective way to cultivate feelings of tenderness and compassion. I couldn’t fault Oak if I tried, it’s my absolute favourite. Can’t recommend it highly enough!

by J.J. 😜🐨

I have began using Oak every morning and night and it has made me a calmer happier person, I know that sounds crazy I’m not someone who believes an app can do that. It helped me find a calm place in my mind I can go when I’m stressed or upset bring me back to my self. The loving guided meditation brought me to tears tonight and that’s why I’m writing this right now it asks you to find someone who means a lot to you and wish the health happiness and peace and my mom care to my mind. My mom is the last person I thought I would have thought about but she was the first to pop up and as I repeated the phrases I saw her happy and healthy and it made me happy. If you want to get into meditation this is a way to do it and it’s free no subscriptions at all it’s amazing truly.

by Amsknels

I have tried other meditation apps, and I too, disagree with profiting from helping people meditate and finding joy within themselves, so when Oak popped up, I decided to try it. I manage three types of depression, anxiety, and a personality disorder and have been in all kinds of therapies for years. The Loving Kindness meditation was the first I tried and it blew me away. Sometimes I forget that while I want these things for others and myself, actually meditating and naming them brings a deeper connection to that meaning and a jump start to giving that love and compassion when I leave the house. I love the simplicity of the interface, the quotes, and the “no muss no fuss”. This is a keeper, and by far, the best meditation app I’ve tried. Give it a go, and be free my friends. ♥️

by Mama Of 4 Lil' Birds

I originally downloaded this app as a meditation timer. From what is shown in the description, I liked the aesthetics and customisation possibilities. Just coming back to meditation after a long time out of practice, I didn’t know if I would be able to stick with it so I didn’t want paywall distractions or confusing options. After 100+ days straight of morning meditation (and breath work!), I feel it’s safe to say this app has been a phenomenal start to my day and a wonderful addition to my routine. I started with 5 minutes unguided and worked my way up to 15 minutes. I am planning on increasing to 20 minutes when I hit my 200th day of practice. this app has become part of my daily rituals and I am grateful for it. Thank you!

by _Phile

With all that is going on right now, I decided to try again with meditation. I’ve tried a bunch of times, with various apps in the past, and never really clicked with it. I don’t know why I love Oak so much...but it really works for me. I love that I can choose the background sound. I love the voice of the narrator. When I feel overwhelmed by the news, I take ten minutes and do the first guided meditation, and immediately feel more centered and at peace. Thank you for making Oak, and thank you for making it free right now. I almost never leave app reviews, but this one has measurably improved my life the past couple weeks. If an app can change a life, then I would put this one on the list. ❤️

by A$AP Beiler

I have used Insight Timer for years, and while that app is still my go-to for a large library of free guided meditations and logging statistics, I think this may be Oak I use for regular daily meditations. This is because of Oak ’s minimalism—all the extra bells and whistles of other apps can distract and result in switching from meditation to meditation until I find the “right” one. this app seems to give me just enough options to provide choice but keep it simple. The interface and meditation artwork is also very satisfying, and the fact that it does not display an overwhelming number of stats will keep me from being distracted from my real goal of meditation: no winning or losing, no good or bad sessions, no “progress” or “regress”—just gentle, mindful practice. Thanks, this app.

by Robin Dane

Okay first of all, I don’t write reviews (one of the reasons I recommend you, reader, check it out) and since this is my second time writing a review, maybe third in my life, it’s not gonna be really detailed.
The ability for Oak to be able to turn off at the requested time is incredible. I can set a session (in my case guided breath or relaxing sounds) to any time I want, usually 15 minutes, and guaranteed I will fall asleep in that span of time, and my phone will not play until it dies, like if I played a song for example. It will turn off, and it will be on a screen, and the iOS ability for my phone to turn off when not active (I don’t know if it’s on other brand phones)
Means that my phone will turn off, doesn’t die and lulls me to sleep. Adiós

by Mall71

I am new to meditation — one could say I’m probably new to calming my racing mind too. I am uncomfortable having a live meditation coach (or exercise buddy or any other type of personal trainer). I travel extensively and need reminders and the portability of an app to keep me on track. I’m goal-oriented, so earning badges and maintaining streaks keeps me motivated. This this app App is perfect for me! I started out with just the breathing exercises — anyone can breathe, right? Then tried a few meditation practices. I just did the Loving Kindness meditation for the first time and loved it — that’s what prompted me to write this review! And they’ve just added some Sleep exercises/functions that I can’t wait to try! Thanks for building such a great app — the world would be a much better place if everyone could just meditate for even 10 minutes a day! “May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be at peace.”

by Alejandro Mallado

I love Oak deeply and always recommend it to my friends. It was specially helpful during the first months of the pandemic when I had trouble sleeping. I use it pretty much every night to meditate and get ready to sleep. I just wish you could balance the volumen btw the voice and the background sound because to get the voice volume right is make the background almost imperceptible. Also, and this didn’t happen in the past, now although I set my sessions for 15 minutes when I wake in the morning it is still on, which drains the battery. In the past it would stop but now it just keep going. I wonder if is due to the new iOS15 or the new focus mode or something like that. I hope you fix those two things in the future because is a wonderful app and it’s made my life better. 100% recommended.

by Ii_hito_

Oak made meditation and breathing accessible for someone like me, who has a very anxious mind. Thank you for the options of breathing exercises, and different types of meditation (e.g. mindful meditation, loving kindness meditation, unguided meditation). Thank you for the option of male or female voice! Thank you so much for the clean and beautiful user interface! I really appreciate this app being a free app for everyone to use, at this time when meditation has become so commodified and monetized. Other apps charge more for less features. There is a paid 10 day mantra meditation course (thankfully a one time fee), but all other content is free. I understand the optional paid course to keep access to Oak free to those who can’t afford it. Even when I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t find a free white noise app, and just happened to wonder, “I wonder if this app has sleep sounds...” It really did. Bravo, truly bravo. Thanks so much.

by L0 Lo.

Whoever created Oak thank you, thank you, thank you! Oak is aesthetically appealing, I love the minimalistic look to it. When I want to mediate the last thing I want to do is busy my mind with a lot of moving parts or tracking variables, and Oak design helps that. I’ve used other apps that make you pay a ridiculous amount to use them and that are heavily promoted on social media and radio but I usually was never able to get into the flow of the meditation. Maybe because there was one more reoccurring fee coming out of my bank account. I like that Oak doesn’t have so many different selections it’s straight and to the point and has makes me want to meditate more. I’d gladly pay a one time fee for Oak but the fact that it’s free is amazing and a blessing. Anyway if the developer ever accepts donations I’d gladly donate as a thank you for allowing me to train myself to be still and to BREATH.

by JMMayo111

I used the v2 app for the first time today, June 15, 2018, the day it was released. I miss the calming darker blue background with white clock numbers. I meditate in a low light environment. The new lighter (white) background is too bright. When I open my eyes to check the countdown timer, it hurts my eyes and the thin-lined black clock numbers are hard to read. Also, when I close my eyes again, I still see the photo image for a few seconds. This brightness is counter intuitive to relaxation. I do like that the makers kept my previous data and that they fixed the breathing counter to go higher than 1k.

UPDATE: July 10, 2018 - I have been manually adjusting the brightness on my iPad app each time I use it and am very happy with the results. I highly recommend it his app often to friends and family.

UPDATE Oct 14, 2018: FYI, the “Growth” section is not opening. There might be a glitch. It has been this way for a couple of weeks.

by PocketSprocket80

This is by far the best meditation app out there. I love how it’s completely free. Well you have the option to pay for a course but there’s no subscription fee. I paid for the mantra course and I don’t regret spending $6 for it. It was worth every single penny.
I hate meditating, but Oak got me hooked. I meditate everyday now. I feel refreshed and relaxed once my mediation session is over. All the mediation guides on Oak are soothing and very calming. There might not be a wide variety of choices to pick from, because there’s only a few. But personally I think it’s better this way. All the other apps have thousands to choose from that it’s too overwhelming that I don’t feel like meditating.
Oak has helped me extremely with my stress and anxiety that I’ve had over the COVID-19 situation. It’s a marvelous app, and its amazing how there’s no fee. Just try it, because I promise that you’ll love it too. All those positive reviews are definitely not fake, they’re real.

by SuddenlySeymour

It’s everything you’d want from a subscription app but without the subscription. Simple to use, soothing backgrounds, and plenty of options.

May I offer one suggestion? I like to turn off the chimes on the unguided meditations because they startle me — even the quietest options. (That’s a me thing, not Oak .) It would be nice if I could use the background sounds to keep track of the time instead, but without an ending chime, the sound just keeps going. There’s no way to tell how long I’ve been meditating unless I stop to pick up my phone, and wondering whether or not I’m going over time distracts me. Would it be possible to have the background sounds just stop when the time is up? Then I wouldn’t have to be startled at the end of each meditation, but I also wouldn’t risk being late because I accidentally spent 20 minutes meditating instead of 10. :)

Otherwise, though, it’s a fantastic app. I like that I have meditation options, deep breathing exercises, and sleep sounds all in one place.

by Good Moves Monica

I just discovered the this app app the other day and absolutely LOVE IT. I’ve used Calm, Headspace, 10% Happier, Insight Timer and this is BY FAR the simplest and most accessible app there is. It’s as simple and quiet as the practices it contains. I am an RYT200 yoga instructor and also a corporate director of employee training & development...my passion is to marry the two to provide meaningful experiences for people to do the real inside out work of development. That’s where the true growth comes from.

Anywho, I wanted to let you know that I will be recommending this app to all 10,000 employees at my organization plus at my conference speaking engagements. It fits so well with the breathwork and practices I’ve already been doing! I wanted to let you know and to potentially interview the developer to hear the story of how you were led to create Oak. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR HEART AND TECH SAVVY to create this app!

by Emma1202

I totally love Oak and I’ll be the first one to admit I’m very resistant to making time for meditating. Intellectually, I get it, I know it’s good for me but who has the time? Oak completely broke through my resistance. It’s clean, beautiful and very straightforward. I can easily pick what I want to do and do it before my brain finds something else to do! I love having options for each of the 3 categories (meditation breathing and sleeping) and I like the short and to the point explanations. It’s an app I actually use everyday! Thank you!

Hoping for an Apple Watch option at some point so there can be vibrating guidance during the breathing exercises.

by Squid500

this app is everything I've wanted from a mediation app. Theres no ad’s, they're not trying to push anything on you trying to get you to buy a membership.

Im relatively new to meditating, I've had a few failed starts over the past couple years but this is the first app that I've wanted to stick with. I really enjoy the guiding voices and the various background noises you can select. Listening to a wood sauna or a stream really helps calm me and to focus.

Oak is perfectly simple with no unnecessary frills but retains a sense of quality. I suppose if I could change anything it would be to add even more variety of background sounds, and bring back the Alan Watts lectures!

by CelestialZen

I’m extremely cautious and skeptical when it comes to trying new meditation apps. The trend for these services to charge over $10 a month for some simple voice tracks is ludicrous. So far, this app has bucked that trend and kept me smiling. Their blend of breathing exercises and meditations allows for variety without being excessive or overwhelming. I loved the customization in background noise during the guided meditation. I also found the UI to be pleasant and easy to navigate. This may be the last meditation app that I download in my quest for something to meet my needs. Please don’t go Freemium on me! I’ll happily pay a one-time fee for a thoughtfully designed app, but will NEVER pay for a meditation subscription.

by Anthony Gauna

I’ve gone back and forth between tons of the meditation apps out there. After I got Oak, I deleted all the other apps on my phone. I love that this app is very simple. I find myself meditating more. And I never feel like I’m doing anything wrong or overthinking what the person is saying. It’s just simple. Only suggestion I have is being able to have a bell or chime at the end of an unguided meditation. I always feel myself not knowing when to stop when I’m only able to fit in 5 or 10 minutes in the morning. Other than that, this is by far the best meditation app out there. Especially because of the breathing exercises!