Wearable technology is not just about smartwatches anymore. The category is exploding to include all types of innovations. One of the biggest ones represented at CES 2025 is smart rings with innovations from top brands to smaller start-ups. Similarly, health and fitness products is expanding its focus beyond devices that monitor vitals and workouts. They include analytics, many powered by AI with features designed to help you make proactive changes to your lifestyle. Plus, there are plenty of products for post-workout recovery targeting aching muscles.
CES 2025 has highlighted wearable and health tech in newly expanded section of the show this year. Here are some highlights.
Garmin Instinct 3 smartwatch
One smartwatch that stands out at CES 2025 is the Garmin Instinct 3. The rugged smartwatch comes with an ultra-bright AMOLED or solar-powered screen, the latter maximizes battery life. The more efficient solar lens helps better harness the power of the sun, says Garmin.
The Garmin Instinct 3 is made for outdoor adventurers. It features a metal-reinforced bezel so it’s even more durable than before, meeting the MIL-STD 810 specification for thermal and shock resistance. It’s also rated to go as deep as 100 metres under water. The built-in flashlight is a handy feature. It comes with variable intensities that you can use when navigating outdoors in the dark, or even trying to find something you dropped under the couch. For safety, the flashlight also has a red light and strobe mode.
You’ll get up to 24 days of battery life in smartwatch mode with the AMOLED models and virtually infinite battery life with the solar powered one with extended exposure to the sun (or access to strong artificial light) to keep it recharged. It comes in 45mm or 50mm sizes in a variety of colour options.
Withings BPM Vision blood pressure monitor
The Withings BPM Vision blood pressure monitor is perfect for the elderly or non-tech-savvy individual. With an easy-to-use design, it has a large, colour high-resolution screen that provides step-by-step instructions as you proceed to take a reading. You also get reminders and motivational nudges.
Capturing systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the blood pressure monitor can help you detect hypertension, keeping track of results you can present to your doctor. It also has colour-coded feedback that advises if you have taken the reading correctly. The cuff is interchangeable with a circumference from nine up to 17 inches to accommodate different arm sizes. You can even program the screen to send reminders to take your medication or view prompts to log certain symptoms. With Wi-Fi connectivity, you can sync data to the companion app. It has a six-month battery life and can track up to eight users.
Renpho Extend 2 massage gun with extendable arm
Renpho is known for its recovery devices, including everything from massage guns to eye massagers. I met the product designer at the show. He showed me one of the coolest new options in the line: the Renpho Extend 2 massage gun. The extendable arm is perfect for getting to those hard-to-reach spots on your back. It has moderate percussive force and a 2,000mAh battery. I tried it out. And while it takes some getting used to the process for twisting and extending the arm, it works well. It’s comfortable to use and weighs just 1.56 lbs.
Noise Luna smart ring with AI features
While Noise isn’t well known in North America (yet), the brand is quite popular in India. The new Noise Luna ring is said to be the world’s first AI-powered smart ring (though I have tried smart rings with AI features before). The personal AI Coach assesses your metrics over time and provides recommendations to help you improve your health. It can track more than 70 body metrics along with features like stress, sleep, and women’s health. Constructed from fighter jet-grade titanium, what sets it apart are the AI-driven insights. It works alongside the NoiseFit app.
Airthings Corentium Home 2
The Airthings Corentium Home 2 is a follow-up to the brand’s popular digital radon detector. Built to be even smarter, it comes with new features in the app to provide readings on radon levels and advice on how to reduce risks. You can’t see or even smell radon, a radioactive gas. That’s why many people may not realize it exists in their homes. Yet it can negatively impact the quality of air that you breathe.
While this unit is similar to the existing one, it has a detector that’s built on improved sensor technology developed by Airthings engineers. It’s said to offer more reliable data along with real-time status of radon levels in your home. It can even compare radon levels in your home to those in the neighbourhood.
Amazfit Active 2 smartwatch
If you’re looking for an affordable yet well-reviewed smartwatch, Amazfit is one of the best brands to consider. At CES 2025, the company is showcasing its new Active 2 smartwatch, focusing on style as much as function. Crafted from stainless steel, it has a 1.32-inch HD AMOLED screen with 2,000 nits peak brightness so you can comfortably see the screen outdoors. It comes with the latest BioTracker 6.0 biosensor with dual-LED that Amazfit says can pick up more biometric signals.
The PulsePrecision algorithm ensures accurate heart rate tracking while you also get accurate sleep tracking leveraging the RestoreIQ algorithm. The smartwatch stands out from the previous generation thanks to the inclusion of additional sensors, including a barometer to measure altitude. Plus, it comes with an accelerometer and gyroscope for better sleep recognition, along with an ambient light sensor for better viewing in all lighting conditions. Battery life has improved to last for up to 10 days under typical use.
Amazfit smartwatches offer an abundance of sports modes and the Active 2 is no exception. It comes with more than 160 activities, including strength training that can auto detect specific exercises and intelligently count reps, sets, and rest time. Skiing is a new addition, something Canadians who love the winter activity will especially appreciate.
The smartwatch comes in a standard or premium version, the latter of which includes a genuine leather strap and sapphire glass screen along with a silicone strap for enhanced breathability.
More exciting developments in health and wearable tech
From the new smartwatch lineup to smart ring and blood pressure monitor, there’s a lot of exciting new devices in the health and fitness and wearable tech space. But this merely scratches the surface of what’s available at CES 2025, as the industry continues to grow with more innovations. Stay tuned for more as we cover all the exciting health tech products coming to Canada throughout the year.
