The wearable technology movement has continued to gain speed over the years leaving many customers with options for home use, bring your own device, and even exercise. Being able to reap the benefits of wearable technology at home or in the workplace has changed the shape of how we access customer information or track our fitness and well being.
One in ten U.S. adults now owns a fitness tracker, according to the latest results by NPD Group’s recent Connected Intelligent Consumers and Wearables report. Starting in 2015 the revenue that wearable technology will gain over the next five years is predicted to raise 40-percent as consumers switch from tablet and mobile devices to smaller wearable technologies that can provide the same apps.
Wireless carriers and smartphone companies are even jumping on the bandwagon of wearable technology as it picks up traction to help compliment their mobile devices and data streaming services. Some devices can connect directly with smartphones, cars, or even healthcare monitors.
These smart wristbands and associated services are helping users stay connected with their health and fitness.
The latest wave of new wristbands was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show 2015 in January including the Misfit Shine, Lenovo Vibe Band VB10, E Fun NextOne, Healbe GoBe, and the Nabu Razer X. Find below a comprehensive list of new smart wristbands for 2015.
Jawbone UP3
The Jawbone UP3 is a wearable wristband that has state of the art sensors built into it to track your health on the go. It has a built in heart health sensor that can measure and track your resting heart rate while you are working or at home relaxing. It can automatically sync data of your workouts onto your phone to keep track of your daily and weekly workout regimen. It has a water resistant design along with a full week of battery life before it needs to recharge.
The advanced activity tracker allows the UP3 to learn to recognize your activities throughout each day. Whether you are running or biking it can log the data and sync automatically to your smartphone. It gives a detailed picture of the calories you burn throughout each work out and during the day doing other activities. The heart health tracker uses sensors to monitor your resting heart rate and provide you with information to continue to keep it healthy.
The Jawbone UP3 has wireless syncing through Bluetooth to automatically sync your data in real time. The auto activity sensors learns to recognize your fitness activities to give more detailed information on improving your style that fits best for use. The UP3 has continuous updates and added features for free through the software and apps to provide the best information possible for staying healthy.
Jawbone UP3 has a heart rate tracking system built into it. The difference between it and other tracking sensors is that the technology bioimpedance was adapted from BodyMedia, using metal studs inside that conduct the electrical measurements of the users heart. The downside is the wearable band does not have an LED display. This can make it difficult for some users who want to track their fitness in real time instead of uploading data to a chart on their wireless device.
Manufacturer MSRP: $179.99
Where to Buy: Bestbuy
Product Page: Jawbone
Fitbit Surge
The FitBit Surge super watch is designed for fitness minded people. It has a built-in GPS, multisport functionality, along with a continuous heart rate sensor to monitor your beats per-minute to give the best possible stats for a training regimen. It also has an activity tracker, automatic sleep detecting sensor, along with text and call notifications.
The Surge can be linked with multiple online and mobile devices to sync stats wirelessly and automatically to your computer or smartphone. Users can set fitness goals for each day and track their progress over the week, along with entering food programs to keep track of your diet plan. Once completing tasks you can earn achievement badges on your online dashboard.
The built-in GPS tracker can allow users to set pace and elevation climbed during workouts, and the Surge can monitor heart rates all day long including setting up different heart zones for exercise or resting states. The Smart Notifications can play songs from your smartphone playlist and allow you to see all your text messages from your digital watch display.
The Surge has a built-in GPS system that can track elevation and split times for people who want to keep track of their exercise in real time. This gives users the ability to track and classify workouts to chart their data and upload it easier. The downside is some users have complained that the heart-rate monitor does not always track their heart rate during intense exercises and can give false information.
Manufacturer MSRP: $249.95
Where to Buy: Amazon
Product Page: FitBit Surge
FitBit Charge
The FitBit Charge is an advanced activity wristband that tracks your fitness and exercise cycles and logs them wirelessly. You can track your steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, and active minutes during a workout. It logs your real-time fitness stats and syncs them to your mobile devices. It can also monitor your sleeping heart rate and has a silent alarm.
The Charge is can link to multiple online and mobile devices to automatically sync your stats throughout the day. It allows you to set programs to log your fitness each day of the week along with your food intake to ensure a healthy diet plan. Once certain goals are completed you can earn achievement badges on your mobile device and adds them to your online dashboard.
The Caller ID OLED display lets you see all of your incoming calls on your wrist when your smartphone is within range. The Activity Tracker can log your steps taken during each workout along with how many calories your burn each day and each week. The band is textured to allow for comfortable wear during the day and at night while you are sleeping.
The Charge has given most users the ability to track goals and achievements without letting them realize that they are even wearing the device. The band on the wristband is rather large though and some users have complained that you have to flip it over to read the display.
Manufacturer MSRP: $129.95
Where to Buy: Amazon
Product Page: FitBit Charge
FitBit Charge HR
The FitBit Charge HR is a high-performance fitness wristband that can monitor your continuous heart rate and activity during workouts. You can see your heart rate all day long and the device will log how many calories you burn during workouts and throughout each day of the week. The watch also keeps you connected with Caller ID and the time of day on the OLED display.
The Charge HR can automatically sync your stats wirelessly to your computer or smartphone. It allows you to setup workout programs to check your fitness level each day of the week along with monitoring your foot intake and how many calories you burn. Once goals are completed you can earn achievement badges for your mobile device and to put on your online dashboard.
The PurePulse Heart Rate sensor allows users to get automatic heart rate monitoring throughout the day and during workouts. It has an activity tracker that allows you to set goals for how many steps you travel each day, calories burned, and active minutes for each workout session. It has a Caller ID system that syncs with your smartphone when in range to allow you to see who is calling.
The Charge HR has a lot of the same functions as the Charge, but adds an additional sensor to track heart rate fitness all day long. The band is considered comfortable, but may be to large for some users as it slides over to the bottom of their wrist and may need to be adjusted to look at the screen from time-to-time.
Manufacturer MSRP: $149.95
Where to Buy: Amazon
Product Page: FitBit Charge
Misfit Shine Swarovski
The Misfit Shine is a wearable fitness and sleep tracking device that records your daily activities while looking like a fashion accessory. The Shine emits halo lights that show your progress towards each daily fitness goal and logs the data to ensure you reach your desired result.
The Shine can track running, walking, bicycling and other activities and uploads the data into read charts to keep track of your daily and weekly progress. It can record how many calories you burn each day while logging how many steps you take and even comes with information on how to set fitness goals for the future.
MisFit Shine is compatible with most smartphones and logs all data onto an easily readable chart to help track fitness progress. It keeps time using 12 LED lights and has a minimalist interface. It tracks your daily activity and can monitor how much sleep you get to adjust for sleep goals to make sure your are keeping a healthy lifestyle. It can sync with fitness apps Loselt!, Runkeeper, MapMyFitness, and IFTTT.
The Misfit Shine looks and feels more like a watch than a wearable fitness band. The style could be good for those who want a fashion look throughout the day, but may become annoying to some while they are tracking their exercise.
Manufacturer MSRP: $69.99-$149.99
Where to Buy: Manufacturer Pre-Order Only
Product Page: MisFit Shine
Release Date: Spring 2015
Lenovo Vibe Band VB10
The Lenovo Vibe Band VB10 is a wearable accessory that comes with multiple features to keep users more connected for easier living. It comes with an E Ink display, up to seven-days of battery life, and BlueTooth function that is always active. It has fitness trackers to ensure you can maximize your workout regimen while staying connected with automatic data sync.
The Vibe Band VB10 has instant 150 character notifications that include text messages, Facebook, and Twitter. It has a fitness tracking monitor that allows users to setup their own program and track fitness levels for keeping track of health goals.
The Vibe Band VB10 also is rain and splashproof resistant to keep it functioning even during bad weather. It can work with any IOS or Android device, and has a downloadable Nabu utility app for saving fitness data, calendar notifications, and call settings.
The Vibe Band has a 230 pixel-per-inch ink display that shows up to 150 characters to make it an effective basic smartwatch as well as a fitness tracker. The downside may be that some users who want to track their heart rate throughout the day won’t be able to do so since there isn’t an added heart rate sensor.
Manufacturer MSRP: $89.99
Where to Buy: Displayed at CES 2015
Product Page: Lenovo Vibe Band VB10
Release Date: April 2015
Pivotal Tracker 1
The Pivotal Tracker 1 is a wearable health and wellness tracking band that can be worn all the time. It uses sensor technology to track daily activities and fitness levels to ensure you maintain your health goals each day of the week. It has the ability to track your exercise regimen along with monitoring your quality of sleep.
The Tracker 1’s sensor technology tracks daily fitness goals such as steps walked, calories burned, and exercise programs to make sure your stay on top of your goals. You can also add how much water intake you have each day into the band to monitor your fluid intake throughout the day. It has an activity reminder to ensure you meet your daily fitness goals that are set.
The Pivotal Living Mobile App allows you to sync your goals up to any smartphone or mobile device. It also has encouragement notifications to keep you on track, and allows you to connect with friends and family to create teams for goal setting.
The membership price for the Tracker should appeal to many consumers who don’t want to spend a lot of money for a wearable fitness band. The band starts off with a $12 a year membership offer. The downside is the band only has an average lifespan of five days before it needs to be recharged. This could become a problem for some users who wish to track their data all week long.
Manufacturer MSRP: $12.00-$15.00 One-year membership
Where to Buy: Amazon
Product Page: Pivotal Living
E Fun NextOne
The E Fun NextOne wearable wristband is a fitness and activity tracking band that allows users to monitor their health. It has the ability to track heart rate, sleep, and allows users to setup customizable profiles. It has syncing capabilities via Bluetooth to keep data stored instantly for fitness goals along with keeping track of calls and alerts.
“Practicing healthy habits and fitness is a commitment,” said Jason Liszewski, managing director and VP of sales for E FUN. “The NextOne wristband was created with this in mind to be seamlessly integrated into your everyday life, thus improving your overall quality of living.”
The NextOne wristband has a OLED display screen that lets users read their incoming notifications and track calls off their smartphones. It has a silent alarm with a built in vibration unity to wake up users without bothering anyone else. It also tracks sleeping data to ensure the user wakes up after a full night’s sleep.
The NextOne can act a basic smartwatch that will sync up with Android and iOS smartphones. This is good for users who want to track incoming calls and setup a messaging system. The front OLED display is large and may be uncomfortable for some users to wear throughout the day.
Manufacturer MSRP: $69.99
Where to Buy: Displayed at CES 2015
Product Page: E Fun
Release Date: March 2015
Healbe GoBe
The Healbe GoBe is a wearable wristband with an automatic body manager built in. The wristband has three built in sensors to help track fitness and exercise regimens for users. It uses HealBe Flow technology to monitor heart rate, calorie intake, and how many calories you burn throughout the day.
The GoBe has three sensors specifically designed to track heart rate and metabolic rate for each user. It gives constant updates and syncs through online devices via Bluetooth. It can track and monitor setup exercise programs to let you know your that you are meeting your daily and weekly goals for fitness health and well being.
The GoBe comes in a black band with an oval shaped area that has all three sensors built in to monitor your fitness level. It tracks your glucose level to let you know how many calories you burn each day. It is also waterproof for people who want to exercise by swimming or run in the rain. It has a USB plug in to charge it after the battery runs low.
The GoBe can automatically track what you’ve eaten and upload your calorie intake. This is good for users who don’t always remember to keep track of their food intake. The wristband itself costs $300 and may be to expensive for some users who just want a basic fitness wristband.
Manufacturer MSRP: $299.99
Where to Buy: Displayed at CES 2015
Product Page: HealBe GoBe
Withings Activite Pop
The Withings Activite Pop watch tells time and works as wearable technology. It has the ability to keep track of sleep cycles, fitness regimens, and even syncs data online instantly. It has multiple functions including apps to help keep track of your fitness and ensure you meet your health goals as you update your exercise plans.
The Activite Pop is a watch with a 8 month battery life that can tell time. It even allows users to travel around the world and instantly sync with each time zone they travel into. It syncs with your smartphone to keep perfect time. It works with multiple smartphones and operating systems including IOS and Android phones.
The Activite Pop has apps to help users make sure they can track and monitor their health and fitness. It allows you to track your exercise with calories burned, how many steps you have taken per day, and even monitors your sleep activity to make sure you get a full rest each day. It uploads data via Bluetooth and keeps you up to date by providing information on fitness goals and lets users chart their data for day and week.
The Active Pop has a better designed style for users who are looking to wear a fitness wristband while at business or home. The downside is the display doesn’t offer any advanced tracking features on the watch itself.
Manufacturer MSRP: $149.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
Product Page: Withings Activite Pop
Gymwatch
The Gymwatch is a crowdfunded smart wristband technology started in Germany. It has the ability to manage your workouts and track your fitness goals. It has the ability to measure your strength and motion across each type of exercise and machine that you use for goals. It allows you to setup your own personal fitness regimen for home or at the gym to maximize your heath goals.
The Gymwatch is set with multiple functions for the Gymwatch app that let you start training as soon as you take it out of the box. It has different workout templates for planning your exercise routine each day and tracks your daily and weekly logs to make sure you meet your goals. It also has a personal coach that you can contact for advice and information on better fitness and health tips.
Gymwatch has two sensors that track your range of motion during workouts and how much strength you use while lifting weights. It has the ability to sync with your smartphone to upload the latest data and connect with Gymwatch fitness clubs to ensure you keep on pace with training. You can also sync it to match workout dates with friends or family for a better workout cycle.
The GymWatch has a light soft textured feel to the device for users who want to use a band that they can wear all day long without being reminded that it is on their wrist. The downside for some is the app doesn’t have all the exercises and images for completing the fitness routines for every exercise uploaded into their system.
Manufacturer MSRP: $199.99-$389.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
Product Page: Gymwatch
Nabu Razer X
The Razer X is a wearable smartwatch designed to help fitness minded people stay ahead of the curve. It has the ability for users to track their exercise goals for each day and log them to keep records of their progression. It can also monitor your heart rate and sleep levels to ensure you stay fit and well rested each day.
The Razer X can log data automatically via Bluetooth and comes with its own app. The app allows users to connect their smartphone or laptop wirelessly to check fitness logs and upload data. It can also handle multiple third party apps on iOS devices or Android devices.
The Display has 3 LEDs that can be changed to customize the digital color that fits your style. It has a detachable sensor module that is also water resistant up to 1m below water. The battery lasts between five and seven days long before it needs to be recharged.
The price for the Razer X should be appealing to most consumers who want a low priced yet functional wristband that can track their daily fitness routines. Some users may not enjoy the display which only has three lights on it as features. It can’t function as a smartwatch, but does upload data to any wireless device.
Manufacturer MSRP: $19.99-$49.99
Where to Buy: Not currently available for retail
Product Page: Nabu Razer X
Please contact us if you know about a new smart wristband that we have not listed here.
