What is a “wearable”? After all, aren’t the t-shirts and shoes we wear all examples of wearable technology? Well, yes and no. The term wearable refers to the integration of smartphone and computer technology into devices like watches, glasses and bracelets. With the power of devices increasing and their size decreasing, a whole lot of computing power can now be stored on tiny wearable devices.
If you are into running, dieting, photography, travel or have a busy professional lifestyle, wearable tech could revolutionise your lifestyle. This buyer’s guide will provide everything you need to know to assemble the ideal wearables collection for your personal needs.
Wearables have been around for hundreds of years, but the modern era of wearable technology really begins with the introduction of the digital wristwatch by companies like Casio in the 1970s. For the first time, wearers could tell the time and carry out calculations, run stopwatches and even (in advanced models) carry out simple word processing tasks.
However, wearable technology took a quantum leap forwards when the first “smart” watches appeared in the late 1990s. Watches appeared that could communicate wirelessly with computers, providing handy alerts and even functions like fingerprint sensors.
By 2013, smartwatches were becoming seriously clever, incorporating many of the core features of smartphones, lengthening battery life and creating designs that aped classic watches of the past. Apple joined the party in 2014 with its own offering, joining competitors like Google, Ericsson and Microsoft in a crowded market – and things have only gotten more competitive since then.
At the same time, fitness wearables have developed at an exponential rate. Wearable heart monitors, speedometers and distance trackers have long been available, but modern fitness trackers like the Fitbit hook up advanced measurement tools to smartphone apps, vastly increasing their power.
Today, wearable technology is developing at an ever-increasing rate, adding new toys and essential tools to the wearable repertoire. It’s one of the brave new worlds of lifestyle change, so take a leap into this exciting world and see what wearable tech can do for you.
Modern wearables have an almost endless range of uses, and we’ll look at specific types of wearable later on. However, it’s worth summarising the abilities that the latest wearable tech have, just to illustrate how far we have come. For instance, off the shelf wearable devices can:
Accurately measure your running distance, route and speed, and keep track of your heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure at all stages.
Hook up with GPS sensors to accurately provide your location and provide navigational assistance.
Run advanced apps that provide information about exercise and dietary routines.
Enable you to receive notifications of smartphone messages and incoming calls.
Allow you to actually make and receive phone calls (when synched to your smartphone’s phone book).
Use wrist mounted QR tech to check into flights without logging onto the web.
Take photographs and capture HD video footage.
Track valuable medical information like your calorie intake and sleep patterns.
All across the board, if an activity can be reduced to a hand-mounted app, manufacturers are bringing out wearable technology to handle it. From fitness trackers to HD cameras, all kinds of devices can be worn either on the head, around the waist or, most commonly, on the wrist. Here are some of the most popular current varieties:
Fitness trackers – From the very start, the new generation of wearables designers knew that fitness was one of the primary applications. After almost a decade of smart trackers being available, it now seems natural that we can track our every step, record our times, share them with friends and follow minutely detailed fitness regimes – all with the help of a tiny wearable bracelet. Fitness trackers like the Fitbit Alta or the Fitbit Charge can do all of these things and hook up to smartphone apps that record every little detail of your physical activity. With so much data to play with, these fitness trackers have attracted a huge following among dedicated fitness fans, and are the perfect option to go for if you want to drill down into your jogging, gym sessions or cycle rides in unprecedented detail.
Activity trackers – A lot of buyers don’t understand the distinction between fitness trackers and activity trackers, but there are some important differences between the two. As the name suggests, activity trackers are generally less sophisticated than fitness trackers. They don’t set out to power world-class athletes. Instead, they provide invaluable, if not 100% accurate, read outs for everyday people who are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Activity trackers also tend to be more style oriented, with attractive models on offer from fashion labels like Michael Kors and Swarovski.
Smartwatches– Smartwatches are geared towards professionals and other people with hectic, highly mobile lifestyles. Generally speaking, they are used as a supplement to smartphones, providing call notifications, message updates and alerts, but the best smartwatches can contain many different apps, helping the wearer order products, navigate city streets and monitor their fitness. Smartwatches tend to come in iOS and Android compatible varieties, so pick one that synchs with your phone. If you don’t, you may well find that its full range of features is unavailable, and you’ll be missing out on the fun.
Translators – Another great wearable innovation is smart translators. At the moment, the wearable translator market is dominated by ili, which is produced by Logbar. Compact, and capable of instantly translating Japanese and Chinese into English, ili is a potentially transformative product that will be perfect for globe-trotting tech fans. The range of languages may be limited at the moment, but with new options on the horizon, ili could change your world.
Cameras – People have been strapping cameras to their heads for as long as they could do so without developing chronic neck pain, but the new generation of wearable cameras takes things to another level. Companies like GoPro, Contour, JVC and Garmin have all brought out video and still cameras that either strap around the head or clip onto helmets (or wrists). Mainly used by extreme sports fans, these wearable cameras are starting to attract crossover attention from hikers, tourists and general gadget fans. If you are interested, be aware that sizes and weights vary. A lighter camera will be more comfortable and portable, but will probably deliver inferior resolution, so it’s a question of balancing your desire for comfort versus the desire for the best possible footage.
Medical devices and alarms – Wearables have some very useful applications in the medical field. They aren’t just for fun. For example, you can purchase wearable blood pressure monitors that could provide early warnings of heart trouble, and wearable glucose monitors are also becoming available which is a very handy development for diabetes patients. Parents could also have a look at wearable baby monitors like the Mimo (which is worn by the baby, providing feedback on activity and sleep patterns) or the Project Nursery smart bands (which log important events like feeding, toilet breaks and medication).
Smart clothing – Even the t-shirts we wear are becoming smarter by the second, and smart clothing is one of the most promising wearable frontiers. Great examples that are available right now include smart vests from Athos which can monitor heart rate, muscle activity and breathing, as well as Lumo Run shorts which provide a multitude of read-outs to help runners improve their performance.
Wearables for specific activities – Some manufacturers have looked at how wearable technology can be applied to specific sports, with impressive results. Golf is a case in point, where devices like the Garmin Approach S20 contain data about 40,000 courses worldwide, providing distance readings and GameGolf Live, which measures every single shot you make. Specialist waterproof wearables like the Garmin Vivoactive HR are perfect for swimmers, while other products hook onto your tennis racket to provide read-outs for every shot.
The future of wearable tech looks bright as well. Along with smart clothing, we can expect big advances in wearable VR technology, as well as implantable – devices that are physically integrated into the human body.
Fitness trackers are becoming an everyday item for runners, footballers, cyclists and even swimmers, helping them to record their achievements, plot their progress and follow specialist regimes to improve their fitness. However, it’s easy to buy the wrong fitness tracker, leaving you out of pocket and struggling to improve. When you come to buy a fitness tracker, here are eight things that you really need to bear in mind:
Accuracy – Although it might seem to be a prerequisite for any fitness tracker, the accuracy of wearables varies by make and model. Fitbits tend to be very reliable, but the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ is probably the market leader in this regard. However, cheaper trackers won’t be anywhere near as accurate. This matters if you are a professional runner, but less so if you are just exercising casually, in which case a broad guess is usually fine.
Comfort – Comfort is probably more crucial to everyday fitness tracker users that sheer accuracy. That’s because most users tend to wear their trackers all day long, tracking their daily steps as part of a low-intensity fitness strategy. That’s fine, but be sure to choose a tracker with a comfortable design. Something like the Fitbit Charge will do just fine.
Accessibility – For most people, fitness trackers also need to be accessible. There’s no sense in buying a tracker with 500 features, if you can never work out how to use them. Unless you have the time to get used to more advanced trackers, go for something simple that can be ready to use in minutes. The streamlined Fitbit Alta would be a great option.
Durability – If you intend to use your tracker during sports like climbing, skiing, cycling or swimming, durability becomes vital. Not all off the shelf fitness trackers are built to handle water or sudden impacts, but some are pretty tough. The waterproof, rugged Garmin Vivoactive HR is probably as strong as it gets.
Compatibility – For many people, their fitness tracker is an extension of their smartphone. This makes it vital to choose a model that synchs up with your particular make of phone. Some trackers have great iOS compatibility, while others are solely for use with Android phones. Make sure your favourite has the right compatibility options before making a purchase.
Battery life – As with all wearables, battery life really matters. It’s frustrating to lose your data halfway through a 10-mile run, so pick a tracker with plenty of juice. The Fitbit Charge HR is a champion in this regard, offering over five days of charge.
Price – After weighing up all of the considerations above, now’s the time to think about price. What are you really willing to pay for the chance to track your activity, and how sophisticated does your wearable need to be? You’ll find big variations in price, from around £20 to hundreds of pounds, and there’s a reason for this. If you need laser-like accuracy and plenty of features, look for discounts on the most advanced trackers. If not, why not go for something cheaper, simpler but less accurate?
Whatever kind of wearable device you go for, it’s really important to think about how you are going to use it. Are you really going to get the most out of an Apple Watch or a Fitbit Charge HR, or are you just buying a gadget to have a little fun? There’s nothing wrong with that, but wearables can be expensive.
The bigger problem is that people purchase wearables without actually knowing what they can do. Instead of purchasing devices that they know they will use, they over-buy, finding themselves with high-spec devices that do too much and come with a high price tag.
Some people also point to the inaccuracy of some wearables, suggesting that they are an immature technology that doesn’t merit the investment. Millions of fitness tracker wearers seem to disagree, but there’s no doubt that the distance measurements and speedometers on most wearables are indicators, not scientific instruments. As long as you are comfortable with that, it’s not a reason to avoid them.
A better reason to think twice about wearables is whether they actually have a place in your lifestyle. You might think you need a fitness tracker, but will it actually motivate you to work out more often? Are you so in demand that a smartwatch will help keep in touch with key contacts? Is your schedule so hectic that wearable alerts are essential? Maybe, but for some people, wearables won’t make much difference.
Everyone has a stash of gadgets that they thought they needed, only to find that they weren’t quite right. That may not be the case with wearables, but it’s worth asking the question.
Now that you’ve thought about whether you need a smartwatch, a strap on camera, a fitness tracker or a basic activity tracker, what is the best way to actually go ahead and make the purchase?
Firstly, there’s no shortage of UK retailers that sell wearables. You’ll find watches and trackers at leading high street retailers like Currys, Halfords, John Lewis, Argos, the Apple Store and Mappin & Webb, as well as online sellers like Very, the Watch Shop, Amazon, eBay and Viking Direct.
All of these retailers also feature on the HotUKDeals wearables listings, which should be the first place you look. When you’ve narrowed down your wearables options, search on HotUKDeals for the model you’d like. You’ll see the latest offers at the UK’s leading retailers, with discounts on everything from smartwatches to baby monitors. Find a deal, click through and make the purchase – it’s as simple as that.
It also makes sense to time your purchase strategically. If you can, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in late November are good times to make tech purchases, with retailers dropping their prices in preparation for the festive season. The January Sales are also a fruitful time for bargain hunters, particularly for fitness trackers, with sellers targeting buyers afflicted by post-Christmas guilt.
Whatever type of wearable you need, you can drive down the cost of acquiring the latest tech gadgets by hunting for discounts at HotUKDeals.
Wearables are quickly becoming indispensable for the people of Britain. From high-flying professionals who rely on smartwatches to run their schedule to fitness fanatics who want to log every stride of their runs, wearables are becoming ever more popular. From Fitbits to fashionable smartwatches, all of the latest wearables offers can be found at HotUKDeals, allowing you to enhance your life with cutting-edge technology at the lowest possible price.
