- Bibi Deitz
Analog wellness is so 2019. In 2020 technical wellness will be the thing.
Analog wellness is so 2019. In the year 2020, which still sounds like the distant future, technical wellness will be the thing. And if you’re in the mood for jumping on this trend, you’ll have a lot of options.
Once upon a time, one could jump in the bath or sniff some lavender oil and call it wellness. And though both of those options still obviously fall firmly within the wellness spectrum, technical wellness is twisting the action of taking care of oneself and accentuating it with a little high-tech drama.
Sure, you’ve heard of a Fitbit—you might even have one. But have you ever tried a carbon-negative bracelet? Or some perfume-infused jewelry? No? Same, but we’re down to give it all a spin. Read on to discover the most technical, out-there wellness trends of 2020.
OURA RING
It may sound like something out of Lord of the Rings, but the Oura Ring is actually all about delivering a better night’s sleep. Like other tracking devices, Oura uses data from your sleep, steps, body temperature, and even blood volume to help you hack the perfect sleep. We’ll take two.
PERFUME-INFUSED JEWELLRY
Do you ever feel like it’s just a lot to put on perfume and a bracelet? Diptyque’s got your back with their new perfume-infused bracelets, which diffuse some of their most popular scents. Whether you’re in the mood to smell like the floral, fruity Eau Rose, the fresh and heady Do Son, or the woody and velvety Tam Dao, you’ve got options.
CARBON DIOXIDE BRACELETS
We’re cruising straight for a major climate crisis, but never fear: Made from atmospheric carbon, Negative’s bracelets contain carbon dioxide captured from the air and converted into solid form. “These atmospheric ingredients didn’t exist outside the lab until recently, so we’re still learning what’s possible,” Negative’s Kickstarter says. “Our ultimate goal is to make a bracelet that is 100 percent atmospheric carbon (air diamonds, anyone?!), and this bracelet is a first step in that direction.” Um, yes, we would most certainly be interested in some air diamonds.
MEDICAL ALERT NECKLACE
No one wants to wear anything clunky around their neck, but some need to wear medical-alert technology around the clock. Medical Guardian saw a niche and created, as they put it, “beautifully designed jewelry pendants with a hidden emergency button on the back.” Available in black onyx and gold, mother-of-pearl and gold, black onyx and silver, and our personal favorite, a turquoise and silver number that looks exactly like something you’d pick up in Santa Fe, the necklaces are paired with a subscription plan to be sure the wearer is protected 24/7.
HEALTH-MONITORING TATTOOS
You can’t buy this one—yet—but it’s an incredible concept. In collaboration with Harvard Medical School, MIT Media Lab researcher Katia Vega created three different “biosensor inks”—a phrase plucked directly from the future—that can be tattooed on the body and changes colors based on your glucose, sodium, or pH levels. What?! The inks, part of her DermalAbyss project, measure changes in interstitial fluid in your skin.
INTERNET-CONNECTED RINGS
An Apple Watch is great and all, but sometimes it’s just a little unwieldy. No worries: The “smart ring” can notify your finger if any calls, texts, or social media activity comes through your phone. The ring also apparently has a screen that you can scroll through (?!), so you can discreetly check for any text message alerts or whatever during yoga class without anyone glaring at you. If this all sounds a little 2020 for you, same. But we suppose the ring companies will have the last laugh when everyone starts wandering around consulting their fingers.
DNA-INFUSED JEWELLRY
This is a sweet one and, indeed, seems like something out of a sci-fi movie. Everence’s bracelets “capture the essence of those who are truly meaningful to you,” so you can “carry them with you always in the form of a handcrafted, custom beaded bracelet with semi-precious stones and sterling silver accents.” Somehow they manage to embed shimmering crystal particles in the “Everence Bead,” the keystone of each bracelet, with the DNA of your loved ones, “so you can actually see the very essence of your loved one.” This one is beyond us, but it is an incredibly lovely concept, and the bracelets themselves are pretty cool.
