As wearables continue to reach a wider audience, their potential health benefits have become readily apparent: in fact, one of the first (and most popular) wearables, Fitbit, was at its core a wellness device. Now, more and more companies are developing health, wellness, and fitness wearables — from devices that track sleep to those designed for patients on bedrest — in an effort to dominate the industry or carve new niches into the market. Here are a few companies to watch:
Lumo
Founded in 2011, Lumo [1] is a small wearable company based in Mountain View, California — but although they’re small, their products are already making a big impact! Lumo Run and Lift wearable sensors aim to improve users’ running form and posture, respectively. The Lumo Lift wearable currently has over 2,200 reviews on Amazon [2], and 79 percent of those reviewers gave the device 4 or 5 stars. What makes Lumo’s devices unique is their ability to provide coaching: by pairing with a phone or tablet, Lumo’s wearables can provide tips to improve a users’ form or poster.
Jawbone Health
Although Jawbone managed to make a name for itself by selling wireless speakers and handsfree communications devices, some of the individuals behind the original company have transitioned to the health wearable space — and although some of these devices will be consumer-facing, many will be made for specifically for medical professionals. According to early reports [3], the goal of Jawbone Health’s devices will be to “delay and improve both diabetes and hypertension, detect abnormal heart rhythms, and improve stress management.” Far from counting steps and monitoring sleep, these health wearables may literally be able to save lives, and it’s worth watching whether or not Jawbone Health is able to break into this market with reliable, highly sensitive devices.
Samsung
Undoubtedly the biggest name on this list, Samsung is using their Gear VR technology to help healthcare patients: plans have been announced to begin using the virtual reality device to diagnose mental health problems [4] in patients — and this is in addition to their pain management [5] testing as well as the Gear VR’s use in children’s hospitals [6]. Samsung’s move to the medical industry is proof that virtual and augmented reality wearables can make a difference in the lives of patients, providing more accurate (and less invasive) diagnoses to improve the healthcare experience for all.
Fever Scout
In the first few months of a child’s life, knowing their temperature is vital — that’s why Fever Scout [7] produced a small, wearable device that can monitor a baby’s temperature from up to 130 feet away by pairing with a phone or other connected device. Although newborn and infant wearables haven’t taken off yet, this company proves there’s a market for simple, non-invasive wearables that help parents monitor the health of young children.
Does your company want to break into the health, fitness, and medical wearables market? Contact Fluffy Spider [8] to see how our team can help your product find its niche.
