10 Wearables That Stole The Show At CES 2017

Winning Wearables

Wearables stole the show at CES 2017 -- but the products vendors are showcasing this year are much different than the traditional, fitness tracking smartwatches consumers have seen in the past.

The definition of a "wearable" connected device is extending far beyond just a wristwatch. At this year's CES, attendees saw connected shirts (such as the Xenoma E-Skin) or headsets (including the Leti Relax). In addition, wearables are functioning as more than fitness trackers -- they now are pairing as blood pressure monitors or anti-nausea connected devices.

From the Casio WSD-F20 Smartwatch to the BACTrack Mobile, here are the 10 coolest wearables we saw at this year's CES.

Xenoma E-Skin

Imagine the ability to track your motions and activities without any hefty wearables or headsets -- just through a shirt. This is the goal behind Tokyo-based Xenoma's e-skin, a lightweight shirt that tracks motion through a "human-friendly" interface.

The machine-washable, durable e-skin can be used for gaming and VR experiences, fitness and health care. Xenoma e-skin, which will launch in February for an undisclosed price, includes the e-skin shirt, one e-skin hub and an SDK interface unity platform.

Withings Steel HR

Nokia-owned Withings introduced its new smartwatch, the Steel HR, at CES -- a classic analog watch that tracks activities and doubles as a built-in heart rate monitor.

This smartwatch, which comes in a black and silver casing, is perfect for swimming or running -- the device is water-resistant up to 50 meters. It also functions as a sleep tracker and monitors users' restful and wakeful periods, as well as the duration of sleep and heart rate during sleep. Withings, Cambridge, Mass., also claims that the Steel HR has an impressive battery life of up to 25 days. The smartwatch is currently available, starting at $180.

Vert Intensity Tracker

Vert, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company that specializes in wearable athletic technology, wants to help athletes find a better balance.

The company at CES unveiled new technology called G-Vert, which is a tracker that measures the intensity of workouts in real time. Vert said that its new wearable, which is a module that users wear around their waist, is the first multi-appendage monitor to track how long and hard athletes are exercising in real time.

The module can track asymmetry in the user's motion, helping to prevent injuries, as well as exerted power and the height of jumps. G-Vert is now available for pre-order for $149.

Omron Project Zero 2.0

Japan-based Omron, which specializes in wellness technology, showcased its next-generation prototype wearable, Project Zero 2.0, which is an ultra-compact wearable wrist device that measures blood pressure and tracks health data like sleep patterns.

While it looks like a wristwatch, this wearable is essentially a wrist blood pressure monitor that connects to a companion Omron app -- so users can track and share vital data with their health-care providers. Omron Project Zero 2.0 features a rechargeable battery and lasts about a week on one charge. The wearable is still in its prototype stage, and its final specs and pricing will be released once FDA clearance has been received.

Leti's Relax

Relax is a wearable headset aimed at improving stress management in settings outside the clinical environment.

This device monitors alpha waves generated by the brain while it is relaxing, using electrodes inside the device. The device then works with an app that helps teach users how to monitor -- and replicate -- their states of relaxation so they're able to reduce their stress.

Members of the Leti team, including lab manager Pierre Jallon (pictured), were showing off a demonstration version of the device during CES Unveiled. Details on a commercial version from the French company have not yet been finalized.

Bloomlife Pregnancy Wearable

Bloomlife showed off a wearable at CES that does much more than track fitness -- it tracks contractions for pregnant women.

This wearable is essentially a patch with a built-in sensor, which women can stick below their belly button. The sensor connects to a companion Bluetooth app and keeps track of real-time contraction patterns. With this wearable, women can review past recordings to understand how their contractions are changing and discover what is "normal" for them.

The wearable from San Francisco-based Bloomlife is currently available for $149 for a one-month lease. A two- and three-month lease costs $249 and $299, respectively.

Relief Band Neurowave

Horsham, Pa.-based Relief Band Technologies is launching the next generation of its wristband, the Relief Band Neurowave.

This wearable device, which has been cleared by the FDA, delivers small electrical pulses that modulate the neural pathways in the body that connect the brain and the stomach -- ultimately restoring the normal gastric rhythm and relieving a user's nausea.

Improvements to the new generation of the device include the addition of more settings for getting a precise level for the pulse and a change in the design of the device so that it's smaller and sleeker. The device is expected to be available by as soon as the end of the first quarter of 2017. Pricing hasn't been finalized but it's expected to be in the range of $150 to $160.

Quell

Quell is a wearable device that helps those who suffer from chronic pain by using electrical stimulation to trigger a response in the brain, ultimately blocking pain signals. The device, worn on the upper calf, is ultimately 5X more powerful than other over-the-counter pain relief devices, according to its developer, Waltham, Mass.-based NeuroMetrix.

The Massachusetts-based company launched the second generation of the FDA-cleared device at CES, and it's available for $249.

Casio WSD-F20 Smartwatch

Casio typically uses the CES show floor to unveil its newest rugged smartwatch, and this year was no exception.

The Tokyo-based company revealed its newest rugged watch, the Casio WSD-F20, and it comes with Android Wear 2.0 and a range of built-in activity trackers. Like many of Casio's smartwatches, it is also built for outdoor enthusiasts -- with a MIL-STD-801G rating for protection and waterproof capabilities of up to 50 meters, this gadget can survive both rocks and rain.

The WSD-F20 also contains a low-power GPS sensor, as well as support for color maps, and can operate both online and offline. Casio's new watch will go on sale in April.

BACTrack Mobile

It's always wise to be aware about how much alcohol you have consumed whether you're at a bar or a party -- and BACtrack wants to help people keep this in mind with a new wearable device. With BACtrack's wearable, users can monitor their alcohol intake right from their wrist.

This smartphone breathalyzer connects to user smartphones through Bluetooth, enabling them to easily estimate their alcohol level and drink responsibly. BACtrack is still under development and will be available this summer, according to the San Francisco-based company.