10 Wearables That Wowed At CES 2016

Wearables That Made Waves

CES 2016 kicked off this week, heralding a slew of new smartphones, tablets, laptops, and Internet of Things-based applications.

But some of the biggest products on the show floor were wearables, an increasingly popular category of connected devices that bring smartphone capabilities straight to a user's wrist.

Vendors such as FitBit, Huawei, Samsung and Casio showed off their newest smartwatches, fitness trackers and high-end connected bracelets. This year, wearable titans aimed to make their mark by showing off wearables with more functions, better premium design features and stronger battery life.

From Samsung's Gear S2 Classic to Casio's Smart Outdoor Watch, following are 10 wearables that stole the show at CES this year.

Smart Outdoor Watch by Casio

Electronics manufacturing company Casio took the wraps off its newest smartwatch for adventure junkies, the Smart Outdoor Watch.

This rugged smartwatch is built for outdoor lovers from hikers to 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. The Bluetooth 4.1-enabled smartwatch, which is based on Casio's popular G-Shock Watch, comes pre-installed with Android Wear apps, including RunKeeper and MyRadar Weather.

The Casio Outdoor Watch will be available in April, with color options of red, green, orange or black, and will cost around $500.

Gear S2 Classic

Samsung unveiled two editions of its Gear S2 classic wearable -- one encased in 18-karat rose gold and the other in platinum. Samsung's rose gold case Gear S2 classic will be available with an ivory genuine leather band, while the platinum base will come with a black genuine leather band.

The new Gear S2 classic will include NFC technology to offer Samsung Pay, which will be available to users early in 2016. Samsung is also expanding its line of watch straps and watch face options. The South Korean company has partnered with designers, such as Colombo, for premium watch straps.

Both new Gear S2 classic versions will be available beginning in February. Pricing for the Gear S2 classic rose gold and platinum have not yet been disclosed.

Project Zero By Omron Healthcare

Omron Healthcare gave viewers a first look at its Project Zero wrist and upper arm blood pressure wearable monitors at CES.

The Project Zero wrist blood pressure monitor, which looks like a smartwatch, is small, light and quiet and connects to a companion app. This device goes beyond merely reading blood pressure to also provide data about physical activity and sleep in real time, as well as tracking hypertension levels and detecting irregular heartbeats through Bluetooth Smart technology.

The wrist monitor also nudges users to take medication and records the time and date they take it to improve and track compliance, according to Omron. The Project Zero devices will be ready for sale in late 2016 and will be in the $200 price range.

Fitbit Blaze

Fitbit at CES unveiled the Fitbit Blaze, a new wearable built to help users make the most of their fitness workouts. The Blaze has a large square screen and looks strikingly similar to the Apple Watch.

The Fitbit Blaze will be available in March for $199.95, and comes with a variety of choices, including classic high-performance elastomer bands, genuine leather bands and stainless steel bands. This new product tracks daily steps, sleep, burned calories and 15 exercise types. The Blaze will also auto-track activities such as running, tennis, soccer and elliptical machine workouts.

The Fitbit Blaze has a battery life of up to five days and is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows mobile devices, so users can stay connected to receive smart notifications and accept or reject phone calls directly from their watch.

Misfit Ray

Wearable manufacturer Misfit kicked off CES by introducing a new product -- Misfit Ray, an activity tracker that shies away from the company's traditionally circular-shaped design and looks more like a bracelet.

The Misfit Ray contains a slim aluminum body with an LED "eye" and can be worn around the wrist. The Ray contains a 3-axis accelerometer for tracking both sleep and activity, and vibrates to nudge users when they receive texts or calls, or when they are undergoing periods of inactivity. Misfit Ray uses batteries and does not need to be charged, which is a plus. The wearable is also water resistant to 50 meters.

This product is available in rose gold and carbon black and will be available worldwide in spring 2016.

Huawei Elegant And Jewel

Huawei added its own products into the wearables market with two new products: the Elegant and the Jewel.

These two new watches aim to flaunt high-end, classic wristwatch designs and are crafted with premium materials. Both contain scratch-resistant, two-layer sapphire crystal and stainless steel bodies. The Elegant has a rose-gold plated body, while the Jewel's face is encircled by Swarovski Zirconia.

Both watches feature the latest version of Android Wear software and are compatible with iOS and Android devices. The Elegant and Jewel watches will be available in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2016, according to Huawei. Prices for the two watches have not yet been revealed.

Under Armour And HTC's UA Band

Under Armor and HTC collaborated to develop HealthBox, a suite of connected fitness products. At the helm of that suite is the UA Band, a band with wrist-based heart rate sensors that track daily activity and sleep.

While UA Band doesn't have built-in GPS like many other fitness wearables, it tracks an array of workouts, such as cycling and weight lifting, and nudges users who haven't been active in more than 60 minutes.

With a curved design and rubbery feel, the UA Band looks like a true fitness wearable. The band also promotes Under Armour's fitness apps, including MyFitnessPal and MapMyRun.

UA Band will ship as part of the HealthBox, which costs $400, or can be bought separately for $180. Under Armour and HTC have not revealed when the wearable will be available.

Neyya

Neyya, a smart ring, was showcased on the CES floor as a "digital companion." This ring connects to a user's smartphone and makes connecting with digital products quicker and easier in both personal and work applications.

The product can be used in the workplace to switch slides during presentations and to give daily reminders about calendar events. In a personal setting, Neyya can also be used to take photos remotely with a cellphone camera or switch music on the smartphone. Neyya comes in a titanium and gold finish, and is available now for $139.

Helix Cuff By Ashley Chloe

Ashley Chloe launched its flagship device, Helix Cuff, a high fashion digital wearable device, at CES. This fashion wearable's strongest feature is its extractable Bluetooth headphones, which fold seamlessly into the bracelet and are powered by Qualcomm and aptX technology to provide high-quality stereo audio.

Helix Cuff, which was originally funded through Kickstarter, is available in six colors, including black, white and a 24 karat-gold edition in bright red. The product is available for preorder on Ashely Chloe's website and starts shipping in spring 2016. The 14-karat gold edition is available for $299, while one regular Helix Cuff costs $169.

iLi Wearable Translator By Logbar

Logbar launched its iLi wearable translator, which records words in one language and then audibly translates them into another, at CES.

This small and light device, which can fit easily on a lanyard, translates in real time with no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi necessary. In order to utilize the iLi translator, the user holds down a button and speaks in one language, and then the unit audibly translates the words into another language. The iLi wearable translator can translate works into English, Chinese or Japanese.

The iLi wearable translator is scheduled to be available in summer 2016 at an undisclosed price.