Gartner Expects Smartclothes to Become More Prominent as Smart Technology Evolves

Hardware and software manufacturers will continue to create partnerships with companies in other verticals to develop new products for consumers. The smart clothing market is often overlooked for snazzy smartwatches and other wearables, but is a market segment that will see explosive growth in the coming years, according to the Gartner research firm.

The current generation of smart clothing is mainly embraced by professional athletes, as a new tool to help track biometrics. However, these types of technologies should be able to find a new home in the casual market, especially among athletes, trying to further improve their own performance.

Here is what Gartner research director Angela McIntyre told the Guardian:

“Because smartshirts and other smartgarments can hold more sensors closer to the skin, they can collect more information and produce better data, like the full wave of the heart beat rather than just the pulse. First-generation smartshirts have been available from companies like Adidas and Underarmor four a while now marketing them to professional athletes, but we’re starting to see interest from regular manufacturers of garments for a much larger audience.”

The industry is developing so fast, in fact, that smart clothing will overtake smart wristbands in 2016, with shipments reaching 26 million – 7 million more than smart wristbands – Gartner predicts.

Overall, consumers will have a wide selection of different smart technologies they will be able to choose from, including smartwatches, smart wristbands, smart clothing, smart eyewear, and other next-generation products.

Image courtesy of Apple Insider