The Essential Wearable Technologies For Every Type Of Athlete

Blank pixel used during image takedowns

Trace is billing itself as the do-all wearable for those who can't get enough board sports.  If you're into snowboarding, Trace can measure powder-specific stats like vertical distance, slope time, and airtime.  If you're a skater, Trace can measure tricks and tell you "how well you landed that 360 flip."  For surfers, Trace tracks everything from wave length to number of waves caught.  And like with most of these technologies, everything is recorded and stored for you in their personal app.

[via ActiveReplay]

Think you've got a wet jumper?  ShotTracker is here to help you bring Niagara to your next pickup game.  With sleeve, wrist, and net sensors ShotTracker will break down every detail of your jumper to make sure you're getting the most out of your practice time on the court.

[via ShotTracker]

That's right -- FITNESS SOCKS.  The idea of wrapping your foot in a futuristic sock allows Sensoria to track more than just speed and calories burned, it can actually provide feedback to track and assist with cadence, foot landing technique, and weight distribution to transform you into a more effective runner.

[via Sensoria Fitness]

While still in its Kickstarter funding stage, Smash makes the list due to how deep the device/app goes to help you become a more effective tennis player.  This isn't just a bracelet to tell you how hard you can serve, Smash dishes out advice on improving topspin accuracy, follow through, and shot consistency.  While the Aussie-backed project may still be a year or so away, there's enough here for tennis players to get excited about.

[via Kickstarter]

Krack claims to be the skateboarding wearable "by and for skateboarders," and from the looks of their site and details of their app they seem to be just that.  The developers wanted to make a device that was small and light enough so skaters wouldn't feel the difference, but with an app that includes social elements like skatepark finder, session finder, and spot destroyer there's good reason to believe skateboarders will feel the difference one way or another.  

[via Krack]

One of a number of big-name do-everything training wearables, Adidas' MiCoach says it has "everything you need to get the results you want."  With multiple devices like Smart Run & X_Cell, real-time coaching, and highly-sophisticated performance tracking technology, it's hard for us to disagree with them.  

[via Adidas MiCoach]

Maybe the most powerful name in athletic training has stepped up to the plate with one of the most powerful technologies.  Nike+ has been around for years, but now that the company has paired its Nike+ line with the Fuelband, Sportwatch, and it's Nike+ Training Club there are very few limitations on what they can develop in the future.  There are other wearables on the market that offer things Nike+ currently doesn't, but it's hard to imagine they won't catch up and take market share sooner or later.

[via Nike+]

Zepp offers small sensors that can be used to track any number of sports and activities, but don't let that make you think their devices aren't specialized.  The Golfsense wearable looks a bit larger than the traditional sensor, but what it delivers is a wealth of information and coaching to help you get everything about your swing in order from tempo and backswing position to hip rotation.

[via Zepp Golfsense]

An entirely different product than its Golfsense offering, the baseball wearable fits on the bottom of any baseball bat to provide you with all the details about your swing you need to turn you and your hittas into more consistent players.  

[ via Zepp Baseball]

It's not hard to imagine a future where every high school player is wearing the Checklight or something similar.  With brain injuries and concussions taking center stage as the main issue facing American football, it only makes sense to have a device that can help coaches and trainers decipher whether or not a player has suffered a head injury.  The idea is simple: if the hit may have caused serious injury, the Reebok Checklight turns red.  "I'm good, coach" no longer cuts it.

[via MC10]

OMsignal decided to forget the wearable all together and simply but a sensor in a shirt, thus eliminating the need for bracelets or any other attachments.  The tracking module fits securely near the ribs and provides you with all the effort statistics and coaching feedback needed to turn that Gucci Mane gut into a summer six-pack.

[via OMsignal]

The idea almost seems too simple: turning signals for cyclists.  While the glove won't track your heart rate or give you computerized feedback on how hard you need to pedal, in the end it might save your life.  How many of us really remember what those old bicycle arm signals mean, anyway?

[via Zackees]

One of the most robust and impressive wearables on the market, Moov is a fantastic combination of versatility and value.  For under $70 you can track your motion in any number of activities as well as take it to the pool and see how many calories you can burn in the water.  If you were looking for a waterproof device that can help with both yoga and MMA training, you may have found it.

[via Moov]

Similar to the Reebok Checklight, FITGuard's object is to stop players from causing further injury to themselves in the case of a big hit.  The mouthpiece is connected to an app, thus allowing coaches/trainers to track the level of impact of every hit in real time.  In the case of a possible head injury, FITGuard could be the difference between a player doing further damage or getting the sideline assistance they require.

[via FITGuard]

Possibly the most amazing wearable technology a wanna-be athlete could purchase.  While not intended to help users get faster or stronger or better at their sport, what it can do is help them get closer to the action.  The idea behind Alert Shirt is that you're wearing a shirt that's connected to the uniform of one of your favorite athletes, thus allowing you to feel what they feel through multiple feedback sensors in the shirt.  Right now the tests have only been performed on Fox Footy viewers, but the second the NFL gets its hands on these Alert Shirts armchair quarterbacks all over the country will be feeling the pain of their favorite signal caller.

[via WearableExperiments]