Smart Clothing

The popularity of smartwatches and activity trackers have paved the way for smart clothing.

Smart clothing are clothing that monitors the wearer’s physical condition while providing biometric data like pulse rate, temperature, heart rhythm, and other physical movements. The data is then transmitted via Bluetooth to an app In real time.

The concept of smart clothing has been around for awhile; in fact, since the 1980s. However, it’s only been recent that smart clothing have begun to emerge. Today, we see everything from t-shirts to bras and underwear that measure biometrics.

Unlike other wearables, smart clothing are much more customizable. They can be easily created in different colors and styles giving us an endless variety to choose from. Furthermore, because they were designed to look like regular clothes, they don’t look like tech at all. This is particularly important for people who would rather not announce to the world that they need to monitor things. Things like their heart rate or stress levels which are especially the case if you are wearing it for health-related reasons.

Here are a few examples of smart clothing that are already making names for themselves:

Lumo Run

The Lumo Run shorts track metrics such as cadence, ground contact time, bounce, pelvic rotation, braking, and stride length through sensors. Via an app and headphones, you’ll get real-time audio feedback.

Athos

Tight fitting and filled with EMG sensors, the Athos shirt and shorts have the capability to detect everything from breathing to heart rate and even muscle activity. To deliver data via Bluetooth to your smartphone, the smart clothes work with a 20g gadget that slips in the shorts pocket and can last up to 10 hours before needing to recharge.

Radiate

Much like a mood ring, the Radiate shirts change color when the muscles get hot. This offers gym buffs a fun way of working out and may encourage a more robust workout. Particularly if you notice that your shirt isn’t changing color. Simple yet effective. Brilliant.

Ralph Lauren PoloTech Shirt

Through bio-sending silver wiring, the Ralph Lauren smart shirt can track everything from calories burned, workout intensity, and heart and stress rates.

The Future Of Wearables

These are just a few smart clothing which are already in the market or available for pre-order. Victoria’s Secret also has a smart bra that measures heart rate while Fruit of the Loom has their smart boxers. A piece of smart clothing changing up the game is Joe’s Jeans. They have developed skinny jeans that have a special pocket for charging your iPhone.

The popularity of smart clothing step from what some consumers may feel is the unreliability of fitness bands or smart watches. Because they are only worn on the wrist, they don’t guarantee a wide enough scope of the body. This makes their readings potentially inaccurate.

It’s evident that the possibilities for smart clothing are endless with many companies looking beyond fitness and seeing their value in the healthcare sector. Patients can wear smart clothing comfortably without the daily reminder of it on their wrist.

Smart clothing in the form of bras, shirts, boxers, and even underwear are such normal parts of our lives that they would never cause irritation or disturb your natural routine.