Who said that fashion and tech don’t mix together? Over the years we’ve seen how tech and fashion companies have worked to create products that blur the lines between fashion and hi-tech, like Apple partnering up with fashion brands to create Apple Watch straps, or how artists like will.i.am have created gadgets that are hi-tech but yet appeal to the fashion forward. With the holiday season nearly upon us, here’s a list of potential gift ideas you might want to check out if you’re shopping for gadgets that might appeal to your fashion addicted friends or family members (or even yourself).
Garmin Fenix Chronos
Garmin is a brand that for some of us is still associated with navigation, but over the years the company has dived into wearables and fitness trackers, way before more mainstream tech companies have. Recently Garmin has announced the Fenix Chronos at IFA 2016 which is essentially a smartwatch designed to look like a regular watch with stainless steel or leather straps, depending on your preference. It does what pretty much any smartwatch does except in a much more stylish body and is priced starting at $899.
Withings Steel HR
If smartwatches put you off due to their short battery life, then the Withings Steel HR could be a worthy alternative. By all accounts it is a regular watch, except that it comes with a built-in heart rate monitor. The “smart” portion of the watch exists in a small screen on the watch face, which because of that will offer up around 25 days worth of battery life before needing a recharge. It is capable of receiving notifications from your phone, and all of it is packaged in a minimalist design. It is priced starting at $180 and pre-orders will begin on the 7th of December via their website.
Alternatively if you think you can’t risk the watch not arriving in time for Christmas, the Activite Steel is currently available for $150. It offers up a similar design and similar features, just minus the heart rate monitor.
Ringly Aries Bracelet
If smartwatches aren’t your thing, the folks at Ringly have created the Aries bracelet. Upon first glance it doesn’t look like your typical fitness tracker, but we guess that would ideal for those who might be worried about a clash of style. It features activity tracking and can also receive notifications from your smartphone. It comes in a variety of designs with different stones that you can choose from and is priced starting at $245.
Misfit Ray
The Misfit Ray was announced earlier this year and it is another one of those versatile wearables which can double up as a fashion accessory as well. It is also incredibly small with a 12mm diameter and measures 38mm long, so it won’t look too obvious if you are wearing it out. It does pretty much what other trackers do, like alert the wearer to notifications and tracks the wearer’s activity. It also has a battery that will last up to 6 months. Priced at $100, you will be able to get one for yourself via Misfit’s website.
Ringly ring
Similar to the Ringly Aries, the only difference is that the Ringly Ring can be worn on your finger instead of your wrist. If you think you’re more of a ring wearer than a bracelet wearer, or if maybe rings are more suited for the look you’re trying to achieve, then the Ringly Ring could be the answer. Available in a variety of different stones, the Ringly Ring is priced at $195.
Sona Caeden
Don’t let the simplistic and fashionable design of the Sona Caeden fool you because under the hood this hi-tech bracelet packs some serious hardware. For example it features a high-end heart rate monitoring system with a wellness protocol inspired by a method invented by the Russian team that sent the first cosmonauts into space. It also comes with a feature called Resonance that is supposed to help reduce stress. It is priced at $179 but it is currently sold out and there is an estimated 6-8 weeks of waiting.
Tory Burch Fitbit Flex
Fitbit’s wearables aren’t really what you would call fashionable. They’re functional and while they don’t look too bad, we guess some of you more fashion forward consumers might prefer something different. Fitbit knows this which is why back in 2015, they teamed up with designer Tory Burch to create the Tory Burch Fitbit Flex. Under the hood the device functions like the Fitbit Flex, but on the surface it could pass off as a regular bracelet without anyone being none the wiser.
Leaf by Bellabeat
When you think of health trackers you might think of devices strapped to your wrist or around your chest. However the Leaf by Bellabeat is something else altogether. Shaped like a leaf and designed to be worn like a brooch, the Leaf will offer up similar fitness tracking capabilities as other wearables. It also comes with guides to help you meditate and reduce stress. Also for the ladies, the Leaf is capable of tracking your menstrual cycle to help you better prepare for those days of the month, or if you want to keep track of when you might be the most fertile. Available in a variety of designs, the Leaf is priced starting at $119.
Altruis
The Altrius by Vinaya is available as a ring, necklace, or bracelet, depending on your personal preference. It syncs with your smartphone and can deliver notifications to you. The idea is to help reduce our dependence on our smartphones by filtering out notifications that you deem are important. This is done through “Secret Words” which it keeps an eye out for in your messages and subject lines of your emails. More information on pricing and designs can be found on their website.
Tinsel Dipper smart necklace
As far as fashionable headphones are concerned, Beats by Dre has pretty much cornered that market as the headphones can be seen in all kinds of videos, movies, TV shows, and so on. However if you wanted something more subtle the Tinsel Dipper smart necklace might be for you. Featuring a pair of integrated earbuds, a microphone, and a three-button remote control, all these pieces of technology are hidden cleverly into a necklace, meaning that you can look fashionable while still remaining functional. Priced at $199, the Tinsel Dipper is currently accepting reservations, so you might want to hurry if you want to get them before Christmas.
Parrot Zik Red Croc
With smartphone manufacturers starting to kill the 3.5mm audio jack slowly but surely, investing in a pair of wireless headphones might not be such a bad idea. In fact if you wanted a pair of stylish wireless headphones, the Parrot Zik 3 Red Croc headphones might be for you. These headphones feature wireless connectivity over Bluetooth, adaptive noise cancellation technology, and also wireless charging technology. The headphones also boast a battery life of up to 18 hours in airplane mode. The red croc version is priced at starting at $269 from Amazon.
Michael Kors smartwatch
Brands like Michael Kors are probably well-known in the fashion world. However earlier this year the company made the leap into wearables and if you’d like to check out their Android Wear-powered smartwatch, they are priced starting at $395 and will be customizable in terms of the bands that are available to it.
Michael Kors x FujiFilm
Fashion is all about accessorizing and it is also more than just what you wear. If you’d like to remain stylish even with a camera slung around your neck, then the Michael Kors and Fujifilm team-up for the Instax Mini 70 could be worth looking at. Essentially this is the Instax Mini 70 at its core, but on the outside it has been given a more fashionable makeover, and let’s not forget its leather camera bag and a gold-tone chain-link strap that goes along with it. The accessories are sold separately and can be found on Michael Kors’ website, but the camera itself is priced at $149.
Fossil smartwatch
A company known for their leather goods like wallets and bags, although in recent times Fossil has decided to jump into smartwatch game. The company has been pretty aggressive with their offerings and have pushed out a bunch of different smartwatches in the short time since they got into the scene. You can check out their various offerings on their website.
Garmin Vivomove
If the earlier mentioned Fenix Chronos smartwatch isn’t to your liking, then perhaps the Garmin Vivomove could be of interest to you. The device sports a sleek and classy look that would go well for a formal night out. One of the main differences is that it sports an analog face, meaning that it looks like a traditional watch but has some pretty smart capabilities under its hood. Priced starting at $150, you’ll be able to get your hands on it via Garmin’s website.
HP Sprocket
If you’re interested in being able to print photos on the go, there are a variety of options to choose from. However if you wanted something more stylish and classy, then the HP Sprocket might be of interest to you. Featuring a clean and sleek design, the HP Sprocket will connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth. It costs $129.99 and comes with 10 sheets of printer paper, with a new pack of 20 priced at $10 per packet.
Pebble Time Round
Pebble is probably a great example of a Kickstarter project that is hugely successful. Since its first inception, the company has returned multiple times to use Kickstarter to launch new products, with one of their more recent efforts being the sleek and stylish Pebble Time Round.
TAG Heuer Android Wear Smartwatch
With the launch of smartwatches, traditional watchmakers were divided into two camps: one side believed that smartwatches are the future, while the other did not think that traditional watches could be replaced. TAG Heuer seems to fall in the former camp and their Android Wear smartwatch in Rose Gold certainly does seem to highlight that. Priced at $9,900, it costs as much, if not more, than traditional timepieces.
Mira Fitness Bracelet
We know we’ve covered quite a bit of bracelets that double up as fitness trackers, and the Mira Fitness bracelet is another that we can add to that list, which is actually a good thing since it offers more variety. It can track your daily activities and it can also motivate the wearer to be more active if it detects that they are not. The best part is that it will be relatively affordable at $99. Additional bands can be purchased at $49 each.
Filed in . Read more about Fashion, Fitness, Health, Smartwatch and Wearable Tech.