The heart monitor smartwatch iBeat is now shipping

iBeat has announced the release of its Heart Watch. Some two years in the making, this is a heart and blood flow monitoring smartwatch that notifies first responders if a user needs assistance.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

We first wrote about the device back in 2016 when the company kicked off its Indiegogo campaign. The gizmo was originally planned to launch this time last year, but, as is the case with most crowdfunded projects, it ran into delays. Its backers will be happy to know the device is finally shipping.

The iBeat Heart Watch is not your run-of-the mill wrist based heart rate monitor. The device has been designed to reduce death from cardiac arrest by intervening in case of emergency. Ryan Howard, the founder and CEO of iBeat, said he started the company after losing a friend who was only about 40 years old to cardiac arrest.

The watch measures heart activity including heart rate, blood flow and other biometrics. In the event of cardiac arrest, the wearable will automatically notify the iBeat’s 24-hour dispatch team, loved ones and paramedics or other emergency responders. Wearers of iBeat can also choose to manually alert if there is an emergency, simply by swiping on the screen.

The watch is equipped with built-in cellular functionality that can send and receive calls for help. This means no phone, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth is required to use the life saving device.

Every iBeat has a personal dashboard to review your heart health information. This is where you’ll find personal insights into your activity and solutions for nutrition, stress and other factors which may impact your heart health.

“We’ve spent the past two years building a breakthrough product that is incomparable to anything on the market,” said Howard, founder and CEO of iBeat.

“Starting today, we are eliminating the stigma of, ‘Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up,’ and are empowering people to age gracefully, while feeling fearless, exploring, and living longer. We truly believe this mission and product will disrupt the $6 billion-dollar personal emergency response system (PERS) industry and turn it on its head.”

iBeat has already applied for FDA approval to register its Heart Watch as a medical device. The device is currently for sale at www.ibeat.com for $249. There is also an additional monthly monitoring fee that starts at $17.

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