As fitness trackers continued to be a huge trend throughout 2017, wearable companies upped their game with products equipped with new technology, new features, and new sports to provide users with even more detailed and accurate data.
Fitbit Ionic
One of the biggest names in tracking had an exciting launch this year, with Fitbit launching its first ever health and fitness smartwatch. Designed to be used for a variety of sports, the Fitbit Ionic (pictured above) is the company’s most advanced device yet, with a variety of high-tech features that promise to track fitness at an even deeper level. Suitable for both experienced athletes and beginners who are just getting started, some of the Ionic’s features include a personal trainer with Fitbit Coach, a running companion to track performance, a new swim exercise mode to track laps, and improved heart-rate technology. Fitbit has even added in a new sensor for estimating blood oxygen levels in an attempt to provide information on a user’s risk of sleep apnea.
(Related: Why the Fitbit smartwatch is the one to watch)
Jawku Speed
While most fitness trackers record and monitor running in general, Jawku this year released a wearable specially designed for sprinters to improve times and performance. Launched in October, the JAWKU Speed combines the latest wearable technology and high quality tracking and timing to measure and record sprint speed, agility and reaction time off the blocks for sprinters at all levels. Tested over 10,000 times by track and field athletes, NFL athletes, college athletes, and runners, and compared against everything from a basic stopwatch to professional timing system, the company claims that the new tracker could now replace the traditional stopwatch for runners.
Waterfi Swim Tracker
After already waterproofing products for companies such as Apple and FitBit, Waterfi finally decided to launch its own dedicated swim tracker this year. Not only is the Waterfi Swim Tracker the company’s first but it also has a unique design which places it on the back of the head attached to goggles, rather than on the wrist, in order to track the whole body. The company also made sure to include data that swimmers themselves have asked for, such as breathing, rest times, calories burned, pace, stroke type, stroke distance, and distance swam, with the tracking technology found inside the wearable the same as that used in VR headsets, drones and spacecrafts for improved accuracy.
Misfit Vapor Android Wear smartwatch
Misfit was another company this year to release a new product, launching its first smartwatch featuring a touchscreen display. Originally unveiled back in January at CES 2017, the Misfit Vapor caused a lot of excitement at the event although fans had to wait until late October to get their hands on one. Misfit has incorporated Android Wear 2.0 into the new smartwatch to make hundreds apps of apps available to both iPhone and Android users on the new touchscreen, and added in Google Assistant to help answer your questions at the touch of a button. Like other Misfit products, the Vapor also offers a variety of tracking features including an accelerometer, altimeter (to measure elevation), and optical heart rate sensor, and GPS.
