Ok, we’ve seen wearable wristbands that track a person’s heart rate and calories, but we’ve never seen a baseball cap capable of doing the same. That is exactly what LifeBEAM has designed with their smart hat. What looks like a regular baseball hat on the outside is far from it, based on the technology that is integrated on the inside.
The all-weather compatible hat features electro–optical sensors that monitor a person’s heart rate, cadence, and calories, while they go out for a run. Runners will notice that there is no need for a traditional chest strap heart rate monitor because the sensors are located on the hat’s rear strap.
Wearers will be able to view their stats through a mobile device app that is compatible with the hat. Devices with Bluetooth 4.0 and ANT+ should be able to be paired with the hat and fitness tracker apps, like iBiker and Samsung’s S Health, will allow for viewership of heart rate and calories. There is some speculation about the list of compatible devices; and there is also no information about the hat’s compatibility with newer services, like Google Fit, so some of LifeBEAM’s comparability features still need to be put to the test.
At $100, the hat is relatively less expensive than some wristband trackers out there that mostly offer the same features. The crucial difference is that LifeBEAM offers a new way for active people to track their stats by wearing a hat that looks like a normal baseball cap, but offers all of the features of a pricy fitness wearable.