5 wearable notification devices that will make life so much better
We’ve all experienced it. You’re waiting for an important call. You step away from your phone for just a few moments and return to a dreaded "Missed Call" notification. Or you call someone to chat about something important, and they don't pick up. When they finally get back to you, they give some lame excuse about how their phone was in the next room, or in their purse, or in their pocket, or they didn't feel it vibrate. Blah, blah, blah.
With so many high-tech wearables on the market, there's no excuse for not knowing when someone is trying to reach you. Some devices even have the added benefit of letting you know when you're getting too stressed or if you've left your phone behind.
But with so many options to choose from, it can be hard to know which ones are worth your time.
Here are our favorites:
1. Ditto
Ditto (not to be confused with the Pokémon) is a tiny notification device that helps you stay connected while your phone charges in the next room. Ditto can be customized to let you know of incoming calls, texts, emails, and app notifications, plus its gentle alarm feature can wake you up in the morning.
You can wear the pint sized device to the gym or to work —pretty much anywhere you wear clothing. Just snap it onto your sleeve, pants, or someplace else that's secure. It's discreet enough to never garner attention and even comes with a wristband so you can wear it as a bracelet. It'll also notify you if you start to leave your phone behind.
2. Chronos
What happens when you want the notification capabilities of a smartwatch but don't want to give up the style of your existing timepiece? You buy Chronos, the smart disc that attaches to the back of any watch.
Chronos is a thin, stainless steel disc. Installation is simple: Wipe off the back of any watch with the included wet wipes, peel off the plastic film from the face of the Chronos, and stick it on.
When your phone rings, it’ll buzz your wrist. If you want, you can turn on the light notifications for a more colorful alert. Trigger the shutter on your camera app to take the perfect selfie with a tap on the wrist. And if you lose your phone, you can repeatedly tap your watch which, thus causing your phone to ring.
When you want to recharge it, just click it into the included base and plug it into the wall.
3. Ringly Bracelet
If you’ve ever missed an important message because your phone was at the bottom of your bag, Ringly has a stylish solution for you.
Its GO smart bracelet connects to your phone and helps you stay on top of your daily activity through customized alerts. When you’re out to dinner and you want to keep your phone tucked away, a small light on your bracelet will let you know someone’s buzzing. Use it to track calories or to accessorize with your favorite outfit. It comes black and beige at Target.
4. Spire Stone
The Stone by Spire is the wearable you never have to take off because it’s waterproof, weatherproof, and evenmachine washable. What makes the Stone so special is that it aims to improve your mental health.
The Spire Stone works by notifying you of your breathing patterns throughout the day to help you control and manage your stress levels. The sensors monitor your breath and report the findings to your smartphone. During the day, if the device recognizes a rapid change in your breathing pattern, it will alert you of actions you can take to help you relax.
It’s like a reinvented fitness tracker but for your mind. And with a 10-day battery life, you don’t have to worry about remembering to charge it all the time. Just set it on top of the sleek charging pad, and it will charge wirelessly.
5. Bellabeat Leaf
This high-tech made-for-women wearable may look like just a piece of jewelry, but it’s also incredibly smart.
It tracks your activity and can be enabled to encourage you to do breathing exercises. The Leaf vibrates to notify you when it’s time to wake-up in the morning and, unlike unisex fitness trackers, can monitor reproductive health.
The Leaf can be worn as a necklace or as a bracelet. Like most others, the app is ground zero for monitoring your activity. With no buttons and no screen, you just put it on and sync it to your phone.
Topics Smartwatches
