When you think of fitness wearables, what do you think of first? You mind probably runs to Fitbit, Jawbone and other wrist-based devices. It certainly doesn't jump straight to T-shirts or other things that you'd normally wear while working out. Montreal-based OMsignal hopes to change all that with its brad new "biometric smartwear."
The company just announced that its short sleeve and sleeveless biometric workout shirts are available for pre-order. The shirts look like any other workout gear from the likes of Under Amour or Nike, but it's extremely smart. OMsignal's biometric smartwear can track your heart rate, the number of steps you take, breathing rate, the number of calories burned and more.
Although the shirts have a lot of sensors in use, you don't see them at all. The only thing you need to attach to the shirt is the power source and transmitter that sends all the pertinent info to an app on your smartphone via Bluetooth technology. The black box, as it's called, is very small and clips on to the shirt so you barely notice its presence.
OMsignal really knows what it's doing, too. All the biometric measurements are intended to give a well-rounded picture of every aspect of your workout, whether you're pumping iron or running a few miles. All of the companies' fitness products are made in consultation with a practicing surgeon named Dr. Jesse Slade Shantz, who also happens to be the company's Chief Medical Officer.
Stéphane Marceau, the CEO and co-founder of OMsignal says the idea behind its wearables is simple.
"We've been wearing clothing all our lives," he said in a statement. "It's the most natural and therefore the ultimate "wearable" medium. Clothing has always been about protection and fashion, but it will now also help motivate us to better ourselves every day. You would never drive a car without a speedometer, RPM or a fuel gauge, right? Well, with OM, you now get a dashboard to better steer your life, to increase your self-mastery, to push your fitness performance, and live a healthier lifestyle."
Marceau also believes that more fitness wearables should be backed with the same amount of research that went into the creation of OMsignal's products. The company has even given the shirts to Olympic athletes to see how the product stood up to the ultimate test. Additionally, OMsignal's biometric smartwear can provide trainers and doctors with detailed information if an athlete gets injured.
"Exercise physiology research has defined human performance through intricate lab studies, but the technologies researchers use were never available for everyday and the aspiring athlete. You could never bring hospital or lab-type equipment with you on the court or track," he said. "OMsignal now makes it easy to track biometrics in real time, in real life and during sports activity. At OMsignal we've focused on giving consumers quality insights on performance, taking the research a step further to guide users to their peak performance."
Currently, OMsignal only has shirts for men and prices start at $199. The black box is $140, but can work with multiple shirts, so you only need one. OMsignal has plan to launch women's biometric smartwear in December 2014 or the start of the new year at the latest. The company says it's trying to meet women's demand for fashionable workout gear.
