Woojer
| Woojer | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Haptic technology, consumer electronics |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Kfir Bar-Levav, Mor Efrati, Noam Bar-Levav |
| Headquarters | Herzliya, Israel |
| Notable Personnel | Kfir Bar-Levav (CEO), Mor Efrati (CTO), Noam Bar-Levav (COO) |
| Products | Haptic vests, straps and mats (Woojer Vest, Woojer Strap, Woojer MAT) |
| Website | https://www.woojer.com |
Woojer is an Israeli haptic technology company that designs wearable devices which turn audio into tactile sensations felt on the body. Its main products are the Woojer Vest and Woojer Strap, worn haptic accessories that take a sound signal and reproduce its low frequencies as physical vibration, and a vibroacoustic Woojer MAT. The company markets the products for virtual reality and gaming, music listening, and home cinema, and also positions them as an aid for people who are hard of hearing.[1][2] Woojer was founded by Kfir Bar-Levav, Mor Efrati, and Noam Bar-Levav, and is led by Kfir Bar-Levav as chief executive, with Mor Efrati as chief technology officer and Noam Bar-Levav as chief operating officer.[3]
History
Woojer began as a Kickstarter project. Its first campaign, "Woojer - Feel the Sound," ran from 6 November to 6 December 2013 and described a silent, matchbox-sized wearable "woofer" that let users feel the rumble of low bass tones; it drew 1,710 backers who pledged 143,377 US dollars.[4][2] From the start the founders pitched the device to two audiences at once: gamers and mobile media users who wanted more visceral bass, and people with hearing loss who could perceive sound through touch. SanDisk founder Dr. Eli Harari came on as an early angel investor and, according to contemporary reporting, tied his backing to the company keeping the hearing-impaired use case central to the product.[2] The first proof-of-concept Woojer device shipped to backers in 2014.[3]
A second, much larger Kickstarter, "Woojer Edge," followed and raised 1,916,253 US dollars from 10,949 backers, a result the company has cited in describing itself as one of the most crowdfunded haptic technology projects.[5][3] Over the following years Woojer iterated through the Strap Edge and Vest Edge before moving to numbered generations. Its investor base has included high-profile technology figures: alongside Eli Harari of SanDisk, HTC founder Peter Chou has backed the company.[1][3]
In September 2022 Woojer announced its Series 3 generation, a redesigned Haptic Vest and Strap, opening pre-orders on 13 September 2022 with shipments from mid-November.[6][7] On 13 October 2025 it launched the Series 4 Vest and Strap, lighter and slimmer models with longer battery life that the company sells through retailers including Best Buy, Costco, and Sam's Club.[8] In November 2025 the Israeli manufacturing group Nistec invested 2 million US dollars in the company, its first investment in an Israeli startup, with Woojer reportedly exploring moving some manufacturing from China to Israel.[1]
Technology
Woojer's products are built around a proprietary transducer the company calls Osci, short for Oscillating Frame. Rather than a conventional voice-coil speaker, the Osci is a closed metallic frame holding oscillating permanent magnets that acts as the load-bearing structure of the device and vibrates in response to an audio signal.[3][9] In use, Woojer splits the incoming audio: the low frequencies are turned into tactile sensations the wearer feels, while the mids and highs pass through to a connected pair of headphones.[9] Because the conversion happens on the device, the wearables work with effectively any audio source and do not require special software or per-game integration, although some titles add native support.[9][10]
The current Osci TRX2 transducers used in the Series 3 and Series 4 products reproduce audio in the 1 Hz to 250 Hz range, the band that carries bass and sub-bass energy.[7][10][11] The devices connect over a 3.5 mm TRRS jack or Bluetooth 5.0, charge by USB-C, and pass audio through to headphones so the user hears and feels the same source in sync.[7][10] Woojer describes the Osci as patented technology, invented by chief technology officer Mor Efrati, and presents itself as a pioneer in wearable haptics.[12][9]
Products
Woojer's catalog centers on two wearable form factors, the single-transducer Strap worn across the chest and the multi-transducer Vest worn over the torso, plus a stationary MAT for seated or lying use. The lineup has moved through the Edge generation, Series 3, and Series 4.
| Product | Released | Transducers | Notable specs and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woojer Strap (1st gen) | 2014 | Single Osci | Original matchbox-sized clip-on "woofer" funded on Kickstarter; reproduces low bass as body vibration[4][2] |
| Woojer Strap Edge | 2020 | Single Osci | Chest-worn strap with a built-in haptic amplifier; passes audio through to headphones[10] |
| Woojer Vest Edge | 2020 | Multiple Osci | Torso vest version of the Edge generation with body-wide haptics[10] |
| Woojer Strap 3 | 2022 | One Osci TRX2 | Frequency response 1-250 Hz; about 240 g; up to 8 h battery, 3 h charge; Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5 mm; launch price 180 US dollars[7][10] |
| Woojer Vest 3 | 2022 | Six Osci TRX2 | Two front, two back, two side transducers; 1-250 Hz; about 1.5 kg; up to 8 h battery, 3 h charge; Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5 mm; launch price 500 US dollars[7][10] |
| Woojer Strap 4 | 2025 | One Osci TRX2 | Lighter portable strap; about 250 g; 1-250 Hz; up to 10 h battery; Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C; launch price 129 US dollars (Call of Duty and Fortnite editions 149 US dollars)[8][13] |
| Woojer Vest 4 | 2025 | Six Osci TRX2 | Two front, two back, one each side; 360-degree torso coverage; 1-250 Hz; sizes S to 3XL; up to 10 h battery; launch price 349 US dollars; a white "Made for Meta" edition sold for 369 US dollars[8][11] |
| Woojer MAT | 2025 | Multiple Osci | Vibroacoustic mat for seated or reclining use, aimed at gaming and wellness[1][9] |
Partnerships and reception
Woojer has aligned its newer hardware with major gaming and VR platforms. It joined Meta's "Made for Meta" accessory program so that its Series 3 and Series 4 wearables are optimized for use with Meta Quest headsets, and it has cooperation agreements with Meta and with Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite.[7][1] Several games, including Call of Duty and Fortnite, offer native integration that drives the haptics directly rather than only inferring vibration from the audio mix.[10] The company says its products have reached hundreds of thousands of users worldwide.[8]
Reviews have generally credited Woojer's wearables with adding a convincing layer of physical feedback to games, films, and music, while noting that the higher-end Vest, with its six transducers, delivers a markedly stronger and more directional effect than the single-transducer Strap.[10] Reviewers have also pointed to the wide compatibility that comes from working at the audio level, since any source with a headphone output or Bluetooth can drive the device.[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Nistec invests 2 million dollars in the Israeli startup Woojer". 2025-11-17. https://www.nistec.com/nistec-invests-2-million-dollars-in-the-israeli-startup-woojer-the-groups-first-investment-in-an-israeli-startup-with-potential-for-production-in-israel/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Woojer Wants to Be Both a Gadget for Gamers and a Helpful Oomph for the Hearing Impaired". 2013-11-12. https://allthingsd.com/20131112/woojer-wants-to-be-both-a-gadget-for-gamers-and-a-helpful-oomph-for-the-hearing-impaired.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Woojer: The Startup Promising To Let People 'Feel' Sound Crowdfunds $1.5m". https://globalshakers.com/woojer-the-startup-promising-to-let-people-feel-sound-crowdfunds-1-5m/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Woojer - Feel the Sound". https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1382889335/woojer-feel-the-sound.
- ↑ "Woojer Edge: Immersive Experience that Lets you FEEL Sound". https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1382889335/woojer-edge-immersive-experience-that-lets-you-feel-sound.
- ↑ "Woojer Advances the World of Precise Haptics With Its New Series 3 Haptic Vest and Strap". 2022-09-13. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220913005951/en/Woojer-Advances-the-World-of-Precise-Haptics-With-Its-New-Series-3-Haptic-Vest-and-Strap.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 "Woojer Vest 3 and Strap 3: The Next Level of Immersion for VR Gaming". 2024-10-03. https://gamerant.com/woojer-vest-strap-3-next-level-immersion-vr-gaming/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Woojer Unveils Series 4 Vest and Strap, Redefining Immersive Haptics for Gaming, Music, and VR". 2025-10-13. https://hipther.com/latest-news/2025/10/13/100663/woojer-unveils-series-4-vest-and-strap-redefining-immersive-haptics-for-gaming-music-and-vr/0/.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "Woojer - Haptic Wearables for Gaming, Music and Wellness". https://www.woojer.com/.
- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 "Woojer Vest 3 review - A new level of immersion". https://gamingtrend.com/reviews/woojer-vest-3-review-a-new-level-of-immersion/.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Woojer Vest 4 - Haptic Gaming Vest with 360 Body Coverage". https://www.woojer.com/products/vest-4.
- ↑ "Meet Osci - Woojer's Patented Haptic Technology". https://www.woojer.com/pages/technology.
- ↑ "Woojer Strap 4 - Portable Haptic Audio Device". https://www.woojer.com/products/strap-4.