Within the last decade, the wearable market has increased exponentially year on year, with advanced technology becoming part of things we use every day. From smart watches to wearable speakers, there are wearables for many different purposes. They allow you to be more in sync with your body, as well as with everyone else around you and with other devices in the internet of things (IoT).
Intelligent wearable devices come in many shapes and sizes, from glasses and bracelets, to watches and even intelligent clothing. While many wearables, such as fitness trackers, are used for fitness purposes, many are used to aid with other aspects of health, with some being simply for pleasure as well.
While fitness devices have definitely got a hold of the bulk of the wearables market, there’s no doubt that devices such as wearable speakers, along with devices to aid people with disabilities, are seeing a rise in popularity. The limitations of wearables are really down to the smart technology within them. Wearables that rely on voice inputs for example are limited by their ability to understand speech. While wearables that offer connectivity with other devices in the IoT are limited by things like GPS connectivity and battery life, the wearables of the future will be able to last weeks without being charged and will understand every word you say.
Best wearable devices in 2020
Ōura Ring and Motiv Ring
The Ōura Ring (developed by a Finnish company) is a smart ring that is designed to track various signals from your body and present you with insights about your fitness and sleeping habits. The Ōura ring makes accurate health information personal and accessible to everyone, and is designed to be worn 24/7 and uses various sensors to give you data to help you understand things like your heart rate and its variability, as well as your sleep balance. The Oura Ring is also water-resistant up to 100 meters. The Motiv Ring was much the same, heading in the direction of biometrics, but it’s no longer being produced due to a recent acquisition of the company behind it (see https://www.wareable.com/wearable-tech/motiv-ring-sells-out-7958)
Smart rings are typically the size of traditional rings or very slightly larger, and combine some features of a mobile device with popular innovative uses such as activity tracking or gesture control. Smart rings can communicate directly with smartphones or compatible devices (such as personal computers) through a variety of applications and websites. Some smart rings can operate without the need for a mobile phone, for instance when interacting with back-end systems in the cloud, or performing standalone functions such as activity tracking. They typically do not have a display and operate by contextual relevance, such as by making a payment when near a payment terminal, unlocking an electronic lock when near the lock, or controlling home appliances when making gestures in the home. Some smart rings have physical or capacitive buttons to use as an activation mechanism, such as to initiate a gesture or make a phone call. One example of this is the Circular Smart Ring (see https://www.smartringnews.com/smart-ring-products/circular-smart-ring).
Bellabeat
Bellabeat is another health and wellbeing wearable designed for women. This is a sleep and activity tracker with a difference, moving away from the rechargeable batteries that are found in most wearables. Instead, it offers months of charge on a single replaceable battery, while still being able to track things like menstrual cycles and activity levels, and it can even help you with guided meditation.
Bellabeat was founded in 2013 and is a Silicon Valley femtech startup based in San Francisco. It creates innovative wearable products for women to track, manage and improve their overall health and well-being through educational content and community support. The most known product of the company was the Bellabeat Leaf, which is a wellness tracker that can be worn as a bracelet, necklace or a clip. It keeps track of your activity, sleep, menstrual cycle, stress sensitivity, and access other exclusive wellness content.
In 2019 Bellabeat launched a new subscription program, called Bellabeat Wellness Club. This subscription offers various content covering personalized wellness coaching programs and fitness, mindfulness, nutrition, health, beauty, and lifestyle topics. There are hundreds of home fitness, yoga, Pilates, guided meditations, relaxation music, face yoga videos. Bellabeat Wellness Club consists of 4 applications: Bellabeat Wellness Coach (tracks period, daily activity, water intake, sleep) Bellabeat Period Diary (tracks and predicts period, ovulation, fertility, etc.), Bellabeat shell (records baby’s heartbeat in the womb through mobile microphone) and Bellabeat Mind (offers various meditation programs).
Wearable speakers
While headphones are most people’s first choice for music on the go, wearable speakers are proving popular as well. Whether you’re riding your bike, jogging on a trail, or socializing with friends, one of these wearable speakers will let you take your tunes and podcasts with you. From watch-like options to devices that go around the neck, they are packed with useful features and the ability to reproduce decent sound quality from a wide variety of audio sources, including mobile phones.
An example from Bose is the Soundwear Companion wireless speaker that can be worn around your shoulders. This offers some brilliant sound quality for up to 12 hours, and it means you can wear your music on your shoulders while you run, ideal for running with friends or family members that also want to listen.
Zulu Alpha is more compact than many other models, making it convenient to travel with and less noticeable when worn and makes use of magnets to stay firmly affixed to your T-shirt as you go about your day.
With speakers in the brim, the Edyell Cap combines technology and style. Buttons on the left panel give you control over the volume, and let you play, pause, and skip tracks. It has a snap closure for a custom fit and boasts up to six hours of runtime and it is perfect runners or cyclists.
Two other wearable speakers worth mentioning, Tech-Life BoomBand and the Jambanz, can be worn like a watch and are great for all kinds of sports, from running to cycling to skiing and disc golf. Jambanz comes in a variety of bright colors that young kids will love, and most will also enjoy the slap band-style of donning it.
WeWALK: The cane for the blind
The WeWALK smart cane is designed to help blind people navigate the world in a smarter and safer way. It uses advanced technology to help them navigate obstacles, deal with traffic and be able to communicate with people on the go. It connects to your smartphone, and can be used for things like destination tracking, making the world a safer place for blind people. It is very convenient because it keeps one hand free and the blind people can leave their smartphones in their pockets. It provides them with automatic voice feedback while walking and it also gives a full list of nearby places, restaurants, shops. The WeWalk application can be used by blind people at public transports to navigate to stops or check timetables.
Umay Rest
The Umay Rest is a unique wearable, offering the wearer thermal meditation to alleviate the stresses of the modern world. It allows you to rest your eyes, making use of heat to counteract the negative effects of too much screen time. It’s portable and rechargeable, designed for those who often feel tired or stressed and want a solution to take with them on the go. This digital device helps their users find stress relief and reset the effects of screen time by resting their mind and restoring the natural functions of the users’ eyes.
Furthermore, it comes with a USB charger, enabling you to enjoy it from any location. It also has an automatic timer and shut off, therefore it is easy for anyone to use.
