A recent issue of AARP magazine included an article asking if you can improve your wellbeing by wearing “Your Heart on Your Sleeve.” Noting that the digital revolution has “now reached our bodies,” this article and many others in the news recently, focused on wearable health and fitness devices.
More and more Americans are strapping on such devices. In fact, in 2025 AARP reported that nearly 1 in 3 Americans use wearable health monitoring trackers. Devices range from basic (such as a Fitbit for simple step counting and sleep tracking) to fancy (Apple watches which can do much more, monitoring not only steps, but specific kinds of movement, tracking your heart rate and blood sugar levels, sleep patterns, etc.)
Two main kinds of wearables
Wearable healthcare devices fall into two main categories- diagnostic/health devices, which individuals can purchase, such as Apple watches, and therapeutic devices which are used for clinical purposes and
remotely monitored in medical settings such as pain management, respiratory, mental and diabetes centers. One example would be a continuous glucose monitoring allowing real-time monitoring. Wearables are also divided into consumer-grade and clinical-grade devices.
Consumer-grade devices
Readers will be more familiar with the consumer-grade devices such as smart watches, fitness trackers, wristbands and rings which monitor heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, and sleep patterns. These devices are widely used for fitness, wellness, and lifestyle management. They are often used to help individuals better monitor health patterns and to keep motivated. Getting those recommended steps, whether the traditional 10,000 per day (or a lesser goal) or improving sleep is easier with monitoring and often pushes individuals towards obtaining more steps or better sleep.
Medical and Clinical Wearable Devices
While consumer-grade devices do not require prescription, medical and clinical devices do. Because they often require FDA-approval, they are usually more accurate. As you might expect they are also generally much more expensive, although they often are covered by medical insurance.
Wearable healthcare devices are big business with much potential
According to marketing research, the wearable healthcare devices market is expected to grow from $45.29 million in 2025 in the US to 75.98 billion by 2030. Thanks to rising consumer interest in monitoring health, more prevalence of chronic conditions, smart phone adoption, improved connectivity, and innovative new technology, increased use is predicted. However, experts point out that concerns about data security, regulations and clinical limitations remain.
Wondering if a wearable monitor is right for you? Since it’s February instead of wearing your heart on your sleeve, maybe you’ll want to ponder wearing your health on your sleeve. If so, consider doing some research about what’s available out there. A good start might be to read a general article such as the AARP July/August issue “Wear Your Health on your Sleeve” or Google the article “The pros and cons of wearable technology” which provides advice for those thinking about buying a wearable. Talking to a healthcare professional and your friends who use wearable health trackers makes sense as well. If you narrow in on a specific product, reading buyer reviews can provide some helpful information on specific features such as battery duration or recharging, customer support, etc.
