Research suggests 170M wearable health and fitness gadgets by 2017

We’ve seen plenty of wearable health and fitness devices being launched onto the market recently, like the UP bracelet, the FitBit and most recently the Nike+ FuelBand, and according to new research, it seems the trend to track everything you do while there’s a gadget attached to you somewhere will continue to be hugely popular.

The statistics from US-based ABI Research suggest that by 2017 there’ll be more than 169.5 million wearable devices on the market. As is the case now, there’ll be more of a focus on devices built for sports and fitness than those focused on health, but that difference is set to become smaller and smaller, as the company predicts there’ll be 90 million fitness devices as apposed to 80 million health gadgets in the next five years.

Many of the health gadgets the research company expects to see will be aimed at regular consumers, but as we noted at CES earlier this year, there’ll also be many more home monitoring apps for those living with chronic conditions or those needing remote care and constant monitoring.

ABI Research also suggests that over the next few years more and more companies will try and make their mark on the sector, whether they prove to be successful or not obviously remains to be seen, but it’s not just about big technology businesses creating products anymore, but everyone from fitness brands to healthcare providers may have something new to offer.

Principal analyst at ABI Research, Jonathan Collins, said:

“Sports, fitness, and well-being applications will be the key engine of growth in the wearable wireless healthcare market as demand for a new wave of devices will be driven not just by growing consumer interest and awareness but also by increased competition and support for a raft of new applications.”

[Via Mobile Health News]