Recently I’ve been reading about a brilliant new clothing company. These guys look to have some pretty amazing gear.
It blends technology with clothing and data. It could be the beginning of something truly industry changing. In fact it’s the kind of wearable technology you’d probably see in the R&D labs of Nike or Adidas rather than a small, new start-up.
But while everything in terms of their wearable technology looks highly promising, I think they might have missed one of the key aspects of clothing. In fact this is such an oversight it could mean this company is doomed even before they begin.
Personally I try to stay pretty active. Weather permitting I’ll get out, head down to the park and have a kick of the footy. (Yes even in London I still have my trusty Sherrin).
On the not so sunny days I’ll jump onto the spin bike and punch out a few kms with MTV blasting over my entertainment system.
I even used to be a member of a gym. Used to do free weights, the machines…all the usual stuff one does at the gym. But recently I’ve enjoyed being outside in the open more often.
Now having been pretty sport-oriented back in the day I’ve got a pretty strong appreciation of sport technology. From the basics of moulded footy boots, through to heart rate monitors and recently a Fitbit flex, I think technology really can assist people to get and stay fit.
One of my favourite pieces of kit when I work out are my trusty Under Armour ‘Core’ compression leggings. I find that they help me recover faster, and importantly keep me cooler when I’m sweating it up.
Under Armour is just one company that makes compression clothing for the health and fitness industry. There’s also the Australian-born Skins and 2XU, as well as the usual players in this space, Nike and Adidas.
The market for compression wear has blossomed into a multi-billion dollar industry. In fact in the space of just over seven years, Under Armour has grown into a $9 billion company purely off the back of this kind of apparel.
And now OMSignal (OM) wants in on the action. However, OM’s gear isn’t like your typical Nike compression vest or like my Under Armour leggings.
OM’s pioneering gear has sensors and technology integrated into it. As their website states, ‘The high-energy compression shirt simultaneously simulates blood flow and increases muscle capabilities, while delivering real-time biometric data through insights designed to make you faster, stronger and fitter.’
It is really brilliant technology on the face of it. There’s a ‘Push Gauge’ for when you’re at the gym. You can measure your breathing. You can even track your ‘RPM & Fuel Gauges’.
Wearables and the Quantified-self
It’s all part of the whole quantified-self movement. And it’s a buzzing industry right now. I do believe it to be a hugely important industry. But from what I can see, there are a lot of companies that will fail in the coming years.
Sure, they are developing technology that is hugely important to the health and wellbeing of people. But these quantified-self wearables are just a bit of a gimmick at the moment.
I only need to reference Fitbit and Jawbone as two examples of this. They are both companies that have become household names. Their activity monitoring bands have sold like wildfires around the world.
I even have a Fitbit. And as great all the sensor technology is, the device itself is annoying. My Fitbit has spent more time in the drawer than on my wrist. It’s great to tell me how far I’ve walked, and useful to help monitor my activity levels.
But really I don’t need a wristband to tell me I’m being a lazy slob. I know it myself. So in my opinion the technology in the Fitbit or Jawbone will live long into the future, but not as a wristband.
And OM seems to agree with me. That’s why they’ve put this technology into their compression wear. It’s the kind of innovation we’ve come to expect from pioneering start-ups. OM’s gear is genuine smart-clothing. I commend their forward thinking and innovation.
I might even get an OM top and see how it goes. I might find I use it more than my Fitbit, which isn’t going to be too hard.
However I think OM has neglected one huge problem with their sportswear.
We don’t all have the body of Hugh Jackman
There are a lot of fat people in the world.
Sometimes I see people running along in nothing but leggings. The way I see it that’s like going for a run in your undies. So I’ll always chuck on a pair of shorts over the top of my leggings.
What I rarely see though is people running in a skin-tight compression top. And it’s simple to answer why. It’s because most people have got love handles and rolls in all the places, which they don’t want to advertise to the world.
There’s no way I’d venture outside or hit the gym in just a skin-tight compression top. Too many squidgy bits for that nonsense. I might think about it if I had 5% body fat with washboard abs.
But right now…no. And not many people would. After all, we don’t all have a body like Hugh Jackman.
And that’s the biggest problem OM will face. Their technology actually looks to be fantastic. And I think it would be hugely beneficial for millions of people. Obesity is a growing epidemic across the world. In Australia almost one in four people are obese. In the US it’s over a third.
And it’s those people that would benefit most from this kind of tech. But here’s a news flash. Fat people don’t like to wear skin-tight tops. Normal people don’t like to wear skin-tight tops.
Only the fractional proportion of the population with single-figure body fat percentages would even consider wearing skin-tight tops. And that’s why this kind of tech is going to flounder.
Sure, there’ll be a healthy take up from the really committed to health and fitness. But for the people who will actually most benefit from this tech, they’ll likely stick with oversized t-shirts and tracksuit pants.
So if you really want to build a company like Under Armour you need to branch out beyond the skin-tight gear. That’s what UA did. And they now cover normal t-shirts, footwear, accessories and sport specific gear for the NFL player and golfer.
If your sole product is skin-tight tops imbedded with tech, then you might want expand the range. All you need is a normal size t-shirt that doesn’t hug the bosom and still has all the tech bells and whistles. Then you might just have a really successful company on your hands.
Sam Volkering+
Contributing Editor, Money Morning
Ed Note: The above article was originally published in Tech Insider.
