The future of wearable tech is diversifying each year and is going way beyond the scope of step counting to possibly detecting cancer and mental illness as well as neurodegenerative diseases. While medical detection devices may still be a few years off, there have been significant advances since this technology came to the masses in the early 2000s. Years later, what matters most to people is that it’s got to be both highly useful and highly wearable. Some of the top manufacturers are stepping up their game, creating useful tech that is also stylish. Whether you’re looking for fitness tech, safety devices or wearable computer technology, here are six must have wearable tech gadgets to add to your life.
Under Armour Gemini 3 RE smart shoes
If you’re not a fan of jewelry, tech-connected shoes may be more your style. The Under Armour Gemini 3 RE smart shoes allow you to track fitness levels with the tech hidden inside the soles of the shoes. The soles contain an accelerometer that records your running metrics and saves all the data through Bluetooth connectivity that’s viewable in an app. The shoes also feature a pre-run jump test to measure how ready your body is to perform. An ideal feature if you’ve just signed up for a marathon. Available for both men and women, you can find them at Underarmour.com.
Misfit Ray
It started back in 2015 with a simple wristband that monitored your daily steps and heart rate…then the Apple Watch happened. Now, new fitness gadgets need to be top class if they want to grab (and keep) our attention. The Misfit Ray delivers. Stylish enough to dress it up or down, it automatically tracks your steps, distance and calories. It may also help you sleep better by tracking your light and restful sleep patterns. You’ll never miss a beat with the vibration alerts for your incoming calls and texts, movement reminders and alarms. With the touch of a button, you can control your connected household devices from your wrist. It’s swim-proof with an anodized aluminum cylinder and multi coloured LED progress display. It’s non-charging, replaceable batteries last up to four months. Check it out at Misfit.com.
Motiv Ring
If wearing a wrist band is a little too cumbersome for you, you might prefer to put a ring on it. The iPhone-compatible smart ring, Motiv, turns heads with its sleek, 8mm wide titanium band in rose gold or slate grey finishes. Inside, it’s a fitness tracker that monitors your steps, distance, active minutes and optical heart rate. The battery lasts five days, and is even waterproof up to 50 metres. Plus, there are seven sizes to fit both male and female fingers. Find them at Mymotiv.com.
Jiobit
Even the most well-intentioned parents sometimes have a hard time keeping track of their kids. Small children wander off in the blink of an eye, and as they get older, the helicopter parenting needs to stop in favour of independence. Meet the kid leash of today, the Jiobit. It combines Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and cellular triangulation in a hybrid system of location tracking, along with machine learning, to map the typical patterns of your child over time and notifies parents of deviations. Small and discreet, clip the Jiobit to your child’s clothing, backpack or shoelaces. See it at Jiobit.com.
Levi’s® Commuter™ Trucker Jacket
As if denim wasn’t cool enough already, Levi Strauss & Co. partnered with Google’s Jacquard Project, which aims to turn everyday objects into interactive, gesture-controlled surfaces. The denim jacket comes to life through conductive fabric and a Bluetooth device that attaches to the cuff and connects to your Smartphone. The connected area consists of 15 threads on the left sleeve that are just visible enough so you know where to touch. The Commuter allows you to get directions, adjust music volume or answer a phone call – all triggered by swiping a finger on the jacket fabric. Check it out at Levi.com.
Safelet
In an emergency situation, you can’t always get to your phone to dial for help. The Safelet solves that problem as a stylish accessory. This smart bracelet uses a Bluetooth low energy GPS connection that notifies your friends and family — or even the police — of your location and that you need assistance. Activated by simultaneously pressing the two buttons on the side, it sends out a help signal when you can’t get to your phone. Available at Safelet.com.
Written By Lin Parkin