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Dodow alternatives: a breathing light on the iPhone you already have

Dodow made breathing with a light popular. Here's how it compares with SlowLight (our app), Wind Down and the other options, so you can choose.

By Ryan, maker of SlowLight · Updated October 27, 2026

Side by side

Dodow details from Livlab's US store, Wind Down details from its App Store page, checked October 27, 2026. Wind Down without Pro has no sounds, chimes or Apple Watch app. Prices change; check before you buy.

Light: red glow vs blue halo

Dodow projects a blue circle on the ceiling that grows and shrinks. You breathe in as it grows and out as it shrinks. It's simple and works without a phone, but you need to lie on your back to see it, and some reviewers find the blue light bright even on its lowest setting (Illuminate Labs).

With SlowLight, the phone lies face-up, out of reach, and glows dim red beside you, brightening and dimming. Dim red light is less likely than blue to suppress melatonin, the hormone that rises at night (Harvard Health). Any light can be a little alerting, so SlowLight keeps the glow as faint as you set it and fades it all the way to dark.

Sound, and breathing with your eyes closed

Dodow is silent, so you follow it with your eyes. Wind Down can chime, or vibrate in your hand on every breath. SlowLight adds an optional sound that follows the same rhythm as the light: a soft wave that rises as you breathe in and falls as you breathe out, or two quiet bell notes. Once your eyes close, you keep breathing with the sound, and the phone stays out of reach. The sounds are kept soft so they don't wake a partner, and you can turn them off.

Starting pace

Dodow always starts at about 11 breaths a minute and slows to 6. If you're breathing faster or slower than that when you lie down, the first minutes can feel out of step. For some people, keeping up with a pace that isn't theirs feels stressful, the opposite of winding down.

SlowLight asks for three breaths, once: you hold a circle as you breathe in and let go as you breathe out. From then on it starts at that pace and slows you down so gently you barely notice, to about 6 breaths a minute, with each out-breath a little longer than the in-breath.

Other Dodow alternatives

Apps

• Wind Down ($8.99, plus $6.99 for Pro): the app that works most like Dodow, with a glowing screen to follow and vibration for eyes-closed breathing. Compared in the table above.
• Apple Watch Mindfulness (free if you have the watch): breathing with gentle taps on your wrist. Good for a short break, but sessions last only a few minutes and don't slow you down.

Devices

• Morphée (about $70–100): one of the best-known screen-free sleep devices. A box of guided audio sessions, 8 or 20 minutes, including breathing. No light.
• Moonbird ($150–200, plus about $80 a year for premium after the first year): a handheld device that expands and contracts, so you breathe with it by touch, eyes closed. It adjusts to your pulse.
• Budget breathing lights ($20–35 online): Dodow-style lights from lesser-known brands, mostly blue. Beurer's SL10, sold in the UK and Europe, also has a red setting.

Free: do it yourself

You don't need any device to breathe slowly. Breathe in for about 4 seconds and out for about 5, gently, for a few minutes. Our 3 AM sleep guide shows how, step by step. The hard part is counting in the dark, which is what a breathing light takes over.

Which should you choose?

Dodow is the better choice if

• you don't want a phone anywhere near your bed
• you don't have an iPhone
• you sleep on your back and like a light on the ceiling

SlowLight is the better choice if

• you want to relax and quiet your mind at your own pace
• you sleep on your side or front, or want to keep your eyes closed
• you'd prefer a dim red glow, so the light won't disturb your sleep
• you'd rather not buy another device, or want to try it free first

Wind Down is worth a look if

• you want lots of presets and settings to tweak, or breathing on an Apple Watch. SlowLight deliberately keeps settings to a few, so it stays simple and relaxing at bedtime

Questions

Is there a Dodow app?

No. Dodow is a standalone light with no breathing app. Apps such as SlowLight and Wind Down put the breathing light on your phone.

Does SlowLight work the same way as Dodow?

The idea is the same: follow a light that slows your breathing to about six breaths a minute, with a longer out-breath. The differences are the red glow, the optional sound, and starting at your own pace.

Can I use it lying on my side?

Yes. You don't need to see the ceiling. Watch the glow, or close your eyes and follow the sound.

Why not just use the breathing on my Apple Watch?

It's free and good for a short pause in the day. For falling asleep, its sessions are short and stay at one pace. SlowLight slows you down gradually over 8 or 20 minutes, then fades to dark.

Will a phone screen keep me awake?

Not if you leave it alone. It lies out of reach and shows a dim red glow, with a few tips for the first seconds and no text after that, then goes dark. Turn on Sleep Focus to silence notifications. If you want no phone at all in the bedroom, Dodow is the better fit.

Dodow is a trademark of Livlab. Wind Down, Apple Watch, Moonbird, Morphée and Beurer are trademarks of their owners. SlowLight is not affiliated with any of them. SlowLight is a relaxation tool, not a medical device, and isn't meant to diagnose or treat any condition.