These are the top wearable tech products of 2024

The new year is a few days away, but before we start thinking about all the technology coming in 2025, let’s look back and remember this year’s biggest successes.

I spend 40 hours a week testing products, writing reviews, and curating best-of lists (like the one you’re about to read). To compile this list of the best products releasing in 2024, I considered a few things. The first is my pure enjoyment of the product; that is, how much do I want to continue using it — even after the trial ends?

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The second is how transformative or innovative the product is in the respective space — like sleep tech, health tech or audio tech. Third is the level of value of the product compared to its price. Sure, some of these products may be pricey, but I’m including them because this product is the best ice cream for its price.

It’s been a big year for wearable health tech, from sleep headphones that actually put me to sleep to smart rings that track my activity. But other products, such as a great pair of headphones for working out, also made the list.

Oura Ring 4

When Oura Ring 4 Launching this fall, the only smart ring it needs to beat is its predecessor, Oura Ring 3. It’s done so with a flatter and more comfortable design, an extra day of battery life, and software upgrades that continue to show the Finnish smart ring brand is ahead of all its competitors.

The smart ring stays around your finger all day while you exercise, work and sleep, and provides a complete picture of your data daily, weekly and longitudinally. You get scores on your sleep, readiness, and activity, as well as information about your cardiovascular capacity, cardiovascular age, daytime stress, and past recovery (how well your body recovers). after stress and activity).

Also: Oura Ring 3 vs. Oura Ring 4

I’ve been following Oura all year long and have yet to find a smart ring competitor that delivers such accurate results on overall health and offers new features around the clock.

Wearable health technology made huge strides in 2024. This month, Oura rolled out a Symptom Radar feature to notify ring wearers before they get sick. Because the smart ring tracks your vitals, it can detect data fluctuations in body temperature, heart rate, heart rate variability, and breathing rate, often before the ring wearer begins to notice. experiencing symptoms of illness. This personalized approach to wellness puts the ring wearer and all that data front and center to deliver health insights that cater specifically to them.

Even before the feature was launched, Oura’s smart ring had a tendency to warn about the risk of stress or illness. It warned Oura’s Vice President of Science that something was wrong and to stay calm, as his heart rate was 10 beats per minute above baseline; That warning came two days before he went in for emergency dental surgery. I’ve read stories on Reddit of Oura providing users with the data they take to their doctors to receive a diagnosis of autoimmune diseases.

Also: Oura Ring 4 is one of the best smart rings I’ve tested

This use case — using wearable technology to receive a diagnosis from a medical professional — appears to be the future of health and wellness technology. Just this year, the FDA approved Apple AirPods Pro 2 used as hearing aid that can not only help listeners hear their surroundings more clearly, but also provide users with a hearing test, whose results they can take to a doctor to diagnose hearing loss. Apple has also developed a new sleep apnea detection feature on the Apple Watch Series 10, which monitors the user’s breathing disorder throughout the night and brings that data to the doctor for diagnosis.

Ozlo sleeping earplugs

I’ve tested a few sleep headphones for my work, but none have impressed me as much as this one. Ozlo sleeping ear plugs. Created by former Bose engineers, the Sleepbuds take some notes from the discontinued Bose Sleepbuds and implement them in a comfortable form that I had no problem wearing every night. Perhaps the most telling sign of a product I have to test for my work is whether I continue to use it after the testing period ends. That was indeed the case with these earbuds that helped me fall asleep on the noisiest nights.

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My bedroom overlooks a busy street in Brooklyn. During the summer, my neighbors would throw loud parties outside, or I would be woken up by the sounds of ambulances, police sirens, or fire trucks. On a noisy weekend, I decided to try the Sleepbuds. The sound power of these headphones impressed me – and put me to sleep immediately. In my review, I wrote that it was “somehow loud enough to completely mask the outside sounds outside my bedroom window while also being quiet and neutral enough to put me to sleep.” Sleep.”

Sleepbuds prioritize comfort. The wing tips help secure the earbuds in your ears throughout the night, and the earbuds themselves are flat—perfect for side sleepers like me.

At $300, they are not a cheap purchase. But if you need to fall asleep and block out surrounding noises, the Ozlo Sleepbuds will get the job done.

Empty Ear (a)

Sure, AirPods are great. But I like to use it You’re welcome Ears (a) earbuds a more interesting alternative to Apple’s product — for a few reasons. The first reason is the clear and powerful sound of the headphones. The sound output is balanced and great, and noise cancellation is strong without completely removing you from the environment or creating pressure in your ears.

I couldn’t hear myself typing or people talking around me when I had these headphones playing music in my ears. The second reason is that they are $100 – $150 cheaper than the AirPods Pro 2 – and they have the same pinch controls for audio control, one of my favorite features that makes using the Ear(a) making it ideal for exercising and moving around.

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Battery life in the buds is 10 hours with ANC turned off. I used these to run my first half marathon and was happy with my choice. They keep the music loud, stay in my ears with tactile ear tips, and make phone-free listening and song skipping a reality with responsive pinch controls. After trying Nothing Ear(a), I can’t think of any reason to buy a pair of AirPods.

Bose Ultra Open

One 2024 trend that I welcome with open arms (pun intended) is the growing popularity of open-back earbuds. It all starts with these Bose Ultra Open Headphonesreleased earlier this year, the clips on your ear, almost like clip-on earrings. The headphones hang over your ears and provide a large, immersive and wide soundstage, while also keeping you aware of your surroundings. I’ve never seen such a clever and functional design before with a button on the anchor to pause, play, and skip music.

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Soon after the Ultra Open launched, other brands released their own open-back headphones. Sony has improved its LinkBuds Open, although the Ultra Open beats them by a mile. Nothing Ear (Open) came out shortly after – and was only a fraction of the price of the Ultra Open. Additionally, JLab has released a dupe of the Ultra Open which I tested myself.

The rise of open-back headphones this year offers an alternative to headphone noise cancellation and audio technology. Some people realize that they don’t want to alienate their environment with silence but instead want to go out and be aware with their headphones open.

The sublime air ring

Yes, Oura gets all the hype. But the top dog smart ring comes with a $6/month subscription, a notorious deterrent for many potential customers. If you don’t want to pay extra for a subscription to get access to your health data, I recommend it The sublime air ring instead of.

Also: I tested a subscription-free smart ring that competes with Oura

I am very impressed with the many new features introduced. Additionally, when I tested the smart ring, the data it collected scored similarly to Oura’s.

The Ultrahuman Ring Air takes a more rigorous, technological approach to health monitoring, compared to the Oura. The Ring Air is the kind of smart ring I imagine for fitness enthusiasts who are stuck optimizing everything from wake-up time and diet, to exercise and sleep. , to wearing. However, as someone who is not a fitness junkie, I still like the data it collects and illustrates.