Image source: Fitbit

New study shows marked difference in why men and women buy wearables

A new study shows that men and women look for different things when it comes to purchasing a wearable.

The study comes from an outfit called Lumoid. The San Francisco startup has a one of a kind setup. If you live in the US, it actually lets you try on Fitbits, Misfits and Garmins for a week to give you a chance to decide whether you want to buy them. Renting up to 5 at once costs $20. Lumoid says, one in three renters go on to purchase an item.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets for 2017

Because users need to fill in a form with some basic questions, the company has a unique insight in what people are after when it comes to choosing a wearable. And its come out with some interesting data.

Apparently, men are more keen on smartwatches than fitness trackers, particularly the Apple Watch. Why? Its not the counting steps or calories, but the notifications. They want to be reminded when to plan for their next meeting and to be notified as soon as a new message or email comes in.

Despite what they might say, it seems that many men also like to be nagged and told what to do. They tend to be fans of inactivity reminders, guided breathing exercises and prompts from posture trackers to stand up straight. Who would have guessed?!

Essential reading: Ten gadgets for advanced sleep tracking

Women, on the other hand, want wearables for other reasons. Non-Millenial women tend to look for fitness tracking functionality. They are interested in keeping tabs on steps, distance, calories and achieving fitness goals.

Interestingly, Millenial women are primarily concerned about sleep tracking. In fact, a whopping 72% stated that sleep tracking was their reason for renting the wearable.

In a sense its not surprising. Its well known that sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

Better sleep starts by knowing what’s happening at night. While this industry is still in its infancy, there has already been a boom in health and fitness wearables offering advanced sleep tracking.

Sleep is big business and the global market for sleep technology is expected to hit $77bn in three years time. About 60% of the demand for such products comes from the anxious and sleep deprived people in the US.

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Marko Maslakovic

Marko founded Gadgets & Wearables in 2014, having worked for more than 15 years in the City of London’s financial district. Since then, he has led the company’s charge to become a leading information source on health and fitness gadgets and wearables.

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