[February 07, 2018]

Juniper Research: Clothing- & Ear-Based Fitness Wearables to Grow by over 550% in the Next 4 Years as Specialised Devices Find a Place

A new research report from Juniper Research forecasts that specialised fitness wearables integrated into clothing and ear-based 'hearables' will grow from an expected 4.5 million shipped in 2018 to nearly 30 million in 2022, an increase of more than 550%. By contrast, conventional activity tracker shipments will only grow by 20% in that time.

For more insights, download Juniper's complimentary whitepaper, Fitness Wearables: 3 Must-Haves to Succeed.

Fitbit & Huami Market Share to Drop

The new research, Health & Fitness Wearables: Vendor Strategies, Trends & Forecasts 2018-2022, found that as growth in basic trackers has slowed, session-specific wearables, for example those monitoring gym sessions, have multiplied. Devices from companies like Under Armour, Sensoria, Gymwatch, Atlas and Jabra (News - Alert) provide more granular metrics without the additional messaging and call-handling functions of more general wearables.

It found that as detailed metrics become widespread amongst all vendors, lifestyle tracking leaders such as Fitbit and Huami will decline in market share. Combined, these players will account for 28% of total fitness wearable shipments by 2022, down from over 40% in 2017.

Data Opportunity for Fitness, Still a Hurdle for Healthcare

The research found that the key battleground for fitness wearables is now data, which will ultimately become device-agnostic thanks to initiatives like Suunto's Movesense platform. However, due to lack of consumer interest, Juniper expects fitness software and services revenues to remain under $200 million per annum over the next 4 years.

Despite the promise of wearables in healthcare, there is little specialised hardware available, with fitness wearables being adapted for healthcare purposes. Juniper expects healthcare wearables to make up under a third of all such devices in use by 2022, as regulation slows roll-outs and keeps prices high.

"Healthcare usage has long been the goal of many wearables manufacturers", remarked research author James Moar. "However, more research needs to be done on activity tracking in order to make typical wearables data clinically meaningful to healthcare professionals."

Juniper Research (News - Alert) provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180207005082/en/

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