Five Wearable Tech Offerings for 2021

Not your mother’s pendant or your father’s blood pressure cuff. Today’s wearables, adopted by only a small percentage of older adults, have possibilities for helping many.  Research interviews for The Future of Wearables and Older Adults 2021 report, published in June, show notable change in this market. Wearables today have moved beyond the PERS pendant functionality so long marketed to older adults. Today’s devices, whether on ear, hand, or wrist,  may incorporate AI, enable personalization, track multiple health attributes, notice change, predict future issues, or even provide guidance for suggested health improvements.  Here are five examples, in alphabetical order, discussed with their execs in research interviews -- all content comes from the company website or reviews:

Alango BeHear NOW.  "Do someone you know need only occasional hearing help? In noisy environments, or during mobile phone calls, but not all day? BeHear NOW is a stylish, affordable, self-tunable, and multi-functional Personal Amplifier in a Bluetooth headset. Designed for those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Customize BeHear NOW using the quick hearing assessment in the dedicated free smartphone app. BeHear NOW has 4 different pre-set modes and enables changing change settings in real time." Learn more at Wear&Hear.

BUDDY by LiveFreely. "Take control of aging and caregiving! Created by families for families, BUDDY is a versatile and reliable digital health solution that monitors and supports proactive aging. Powered by revolutionary AI technology, families and loved ones can now enjoy unprecedented levels of freedom, connectedness and safety while living life to its fullest. Automatically track and log your health readings using a wearable device. All of your data will be stored to your personal account where you can view a track record of your health patterns and share with your doctor." Learn more at LiveFreely.

Omron HeartGuide Blood Pressure Monitor. "Designed to fit your lifestyle, HeartGuide is a clinically accurate, wearable blood pressure monitor available in the U.S. Now, track your heart data and learn how your behaviors impact your heart health. Engineered to keep you informed, HeartGuide is a wearable blood pressure monitor in the innovative form of a wristwatch. In tandem with its companion app HeartAdvisor™, HeartGuide delivers powerful new technology making tracking and managing your blood pressure easier than ever before." Learn more at Omron.

Oura Ring. "It looks like jewelry at a glance, but the Oura is far smarter than your average ring. This water-resistant wearable features heart rate, respiration, and body temperature sensors, as well as a 3D accelerometer to measure your activity, sleep, and recovery, and it works with a companion app to help make sense of your data and offer insights to foster healthy habits. The Oura's ability to track workouts is pretty basic compared with a wrist-worn model, but it offers comprehensive sleep tracking and is more comfortable to wear to bed than a watch or wristband, making it an intriguing alternative." Learn more at PC Mag.""