Get ready for B2B wearables.
Polar is taking wearable tech beyond the fitness enthusiast with the recent launch of Polar 360, a new business-to-business platform designed to help companies boost employee health and productivity.
Offering a suite of devices — from fitness trackers to smartwatches — Polar 360 gives employers tools to monitor vital metrics like heart rate, activity levels and sleep patterns, turning wearables into assets for corporate wellness programs. By delivering real-time health data and actionable insights, the platform seeks to reduce absenteeism, enhance well-being and support a healthier, more productive workforce.
“Today, fostering well-being is no longer just an individual responsibility — it is a collective effort, where companies, organizations and societies all play a crucial role,” Polar CEO Sander Werring said in a news release. “With Polar 360, we are advancing our mission to empower people globally to lead healthier and happier lives and bringing our expert biosensing capabilities and data analytics ecosystems available at once to a significantly larger user base.”
Wearables in the workplace can greatly improve operations, according to Zachary Robichaud, instructor, School of Retail Management, Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University.
“The launch of a new B2B wearable product is an exciting development,” Robichaud said. “Wearables in the workplace have the potential to revolutionize industries by providing real-time insights, enhancing communication, and improving ergonomics and safety. For instance, in sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare and logistics, wearables can monitor worker health, track movements to reduce workplace injuries and facilitate hands-free communication.”
This shift toward B2B applications “signals a maturing of the wearable market beyond consumer-focused products,” he added. “As businesses increasingly adopt wearable technologies, the emphasis will likely be on scalability, security, and integration with existing systems.”
The PYMNTS Intelligence report, “Connected Wellness: Tracking The Rise Of Health-Tracking Technology,” produced in collaboration with CareCredit, revealed usage of health-monitoring websites or apps, as well as health-monitoring technologies and wearables, has increased.
In 2025, wearable technology will feature advancements across various trends. Head-mounted displays (HMDs) will enhance training and simulation in industries like aviation and medicine, offering immersive augmented reality/virtual reality experiences.
Beacon technology will improve real-time location tracking and personalized advertising, while GPS trackers in wearables will offer safety and fitness monitoring. Wearable heart monitors will become more sophisticated, providing continuous cardiovascular tracking with AI-enhanced diagnostics. Smart clothing will integrate sensors for health monitoring, and wearables will offer hands-free fitness tracking and real-time translation.
Meanwhile, 5G will allow faster, data-rich applications like remote patient monitoring, and AI will personalize insights from wearable devices. Biosensors will monitor health metrics like glucose and stress levels, and the large volumes of data will allow for more individualized healthcare through wearable analytics.
The wearable technology market, valued at $62.54 billion in 2023, is expected to experience substantial growth and reach $198.83 billion by 2032. The market is growing, driven by technological advancements and greater availability through eCommerce platforms. Growth is particularly strong in developing regions, where increasing consumer awareness of fitness and wellness is driving demand. However, challenges remain, including high upfront costs, data privacy concerns and intense competition.
As the wearable technology market expands, the demand for devices continues to change as consumers and businesses embrace new applications. This growth presents both opportunities and challenges in meeting the diverse needs of different sectors.
“Wearables represent one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing segments of the tech and consumer products industry,” Robichaud said. “Fueled by advancements in technology, increasing consumer demand for health and fitness monitoring, and expanding applications in workplace productivity, the wearables market continues to see substantial growth. Notably, we’ve seen the adoption and integration of Meta’s eyeglasses on social media and adopted into pop culture.”
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