It was only a matter of time before wearables evolved from smartwatches to smart clothing.
Tech integrated clothing is already here and with more items coming in the near future.
It isn’t mainstream yet, but someday soon, you will be able to track your heart rate, emotions, temperature, and activities much more accurately than with a watch or other wearable.
You’ll even be able to pay for your morning coffee without reaching for a wallet or even tapping the screen of your phone.
How does the future look once this moves past the realm of science fiction to reality? Let’s take a look at what is happening now and what to expect with the coming tech-integrated clothing trend.
Security Concerns
Before I get into the potential benefits, we should explore how this can impact your security.
Credit card skimming is already a growing problem and it may grow even further. As it is right now, your smartwatch could be giving away your credit card information. If you’re going to wear any kind of tech, be it a shirt or a watch, then an RFID wallet is essential.
Tech integrated shirts can take skimming to the next level. If your shirt gets hacked, then your wrist movements could give away your PIN when you use an ATM. Hopefully, by the time smart clothing becomes mainstream, tech has caught up on the security front to make wearing your tech as safe as possible.
Improved data accuracy
Wearable trackers like smartwatches are popular for using data to improve your workouts and general health.
The biggest shortcoming is that it is not very accurate to track many metrics with the device on your wrist.
Imagine being covered head to toe in a trackable that can scan your entire body. You’ll be tracking the parts of the body that do the actual work for greater accuracy. Shorts and yoga pants will measure each step instead of using GPS to guess at how many steps you’ve taken.
Your core temperature can be measured over your whole body. Breathing is far more accurate when your shirt is tracking it rather than a wristwatch.
More effective workouts
Getting the most out of your workout or yoga session is much easier with the aid of smart clothing. Yoga pants, for example, can pulse in areas like the hips that encourage you to hold a position or move into a better position.
Using online exercise classes can now be done with more interaction with your online instructor. You can integrate your wearable to an app that the instructor has access to so he or she can monitor your activities.
Fitness and stress levels can be monitored in real-time for adjustments on the fly while doing any kind of endurance exercise. More accurate readings can also be reviewed to be able to optimize your workout and recovery.
The clothes themselves may also assist in your workouts rather than simply monitoring your metrics. If you are an endurance athlete, for instance, your clothes could cool you down if they detect you are overheating. On the flip side, they can also warm you up if you are out in the cold and your vitals are pointing towards your core temperature being low.
Monitor your health
In addition to metrics related to your fitness, tech-integrated clothes can help monitor any diseases. For instance, smart socks can help diabetics know if they may have injured their foot or if they are about to have a diabetic episode. These socs can detect inflammation which is a sign of an injury. A rise in temperature of the feet indicates that there may also be a problem.
Monitoring your baby as professionally as they do at the hospital is now easier than ever at home. Temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen saturation are all monitored by socks. You’ll know if the baby’s sleep is interrupted and if there is any cause for concern healthwise.
Easier ways to connect
Smart suits will be coming soon in which offer many ways to stay connected. Imagine swapping business cards with your suit.
These types of wearables can help to keep everything organized. Having lots of devices can be hard to keep track of. With a suit, you can connect to all of them. Use your suit to set your devices to office mode or driving mode to track specifics. All with the motion of your hand.
