The 10 Coolest Wearables Of 2016

Wearable Tech

The possible uses for wearable technology are numerous, but in 2016 many manufacturers realized that trying to be all things to all people may not be a winning strategy. This year, health and fitness came into focus as the central use case for wearables, with companies including Apple, Samsung and Garmin releasing wearable devices geared toward a fitness-oriented audience. In the following slides, we rounded up the 10 coolest wearables that we came across in 2016.

Apple Watch Series 2

In September, Apple debuted the second generation of its Apple Watch wearable with a number of upgrades, particularly around health and fitness. Those include built-in GPS and improved water resistance (it's now "swim-proof"). The Apple Watch Series 2 also features boosts to CPU (up to 50 percent faster), GPU (up to 2X faster) and display (2X brighter). Plus, it now comes in a new color -- ceramic white.

Fitbit Blaze

Fitbit’s Blaze smart fitness watch has just about every feature one could dream up for helping to get in shape, which might be ideal for students who don’t have much time to worry about maximizing their workouts. Features include activity tracking, workout instruction right on the display, and multi-day battery life.

Samsung Gear S3 Frontier

As one of the two versions of the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, the Frontier is the one made for adventurers. Unlike the Gear S3 Classic-and Apple Watch Series 2 models, the Gear S3 Frontier has built-in 3G/LTE connectivity, so that all of the functionality will work as long as there's a cellular connection. The Gear S3 Frontier also meets high standards for water resistance and, of course, includes built-in GPS.

Nuzzle Collar

Wearable devices are not strictly for humans anymore. The Nuzzle Collar is a GPS tracker for dogs or cats that can bring some crucial peace of mind. The collar is durable, lightweight and water resistant, and also allows pet owners to track their pets' activities and whereabouts with a mobile app.

Garmin Vivoactive HR

This GPS-enabled smartwatch provides fitness tracking and 24/7 heart-rate monitoring through the use of Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate technology. The device can use the heart rate data to calculate how many calories you've burned and how intense your workouts have been. The wearable also features the always-on, sunlight-readable Garmin Chroma Display.

Fitbit Charge 2

The Fitbit Charge 2 has a number of improved features that fitness wristband fans should appreciate. Those include continuous wrist-based heart-rate tracking, a cardio fitness level tool (which provides a snapshot of your fitness) and impressive battery life (up to five days).

UA Band

A collaboration between Under Armor and HTC, the UA Band is a wearable with wrist-based heart rate sensors that track daily activity and sleep. While UA Band doesn't come with built-in GPS, it does track a variety of workouts, such as cycling and weightlifting. Plus, it'll also give a nudge to users who haven't been active in more than 60 minutes.

Samsung Gear S3 Classic

Though the Gear S3 Classic won't connect over cellular, it still comes with built-in GPS and Bluetooth connectivity. The device is primed for receiving texts, emails and alerts from your wrist, and promises several days' worth of battery life on a charge.

Casio Smart Outdoor Watch

Casio's Smart Outdoor Watch is a rugged smartwatch built for outdoorsy types such as hikers and boaters. The watch has a built-in microphone, is resistant to up to 50 meters of water and has a dual-layer LCD display, enabling it to conserve power and extend battery life. It also comes pre-installed with Android Wear apps, including RunKeeper and MyRadar Weather.

Asus ZenWatch 3

This Android Wear-powered device includes a round, stainless steel case and a stylish design, and has a thickness of just 9.95mm. The device promises battery life of up to two days and includes the ZenFit activity tracking app for step-counting and activity reminders.