Category
Tech
Delegated Interfaces
Trend cluster
Category
Adaptive
Gear
Brands are launching sports tech solutions that address environmental factors.
3.9
Trend score
Trend
What is the Adaptive Gear trend?
Adaptive Gear: Brands are elevating the experiences of athletes with the introduction of high-performance tech gear that can address the demands of different environmental factors. Popular amongst fabrics, adaptive technology is now increasingly being incorporated into hardware.
Insight
The consumer insight behind the Adaptive Gear trend
Environmental factors can prove to be hard to overcome, especially for athletes and active consumers who are trying to reach the next level of their training journey. As individuals are looking for solutions that will help them seamlessly adapt to their ever-changing surroundings, many are turning to technology, creating a demand for high-performance products. In this space, consumers feel supported and protected, regardless of the climate or the geographical location they are in, making them more confident and determined during sports activities.
Trend themes
Themes within the Adaptive Gear trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Adaptive Technology
Athletes and active consumers demanding for high-performance products are turning to technology which creates a market for adaptive technology fabrics and hardware.
02
Environmental Adaptation
Environmental factors provide a challenge for athletes and active consumers, increasing their need for products that adapt to different surroundings, creating disruption opportunities for brands in the sports industry.
03
Multifunctional Wearables
The need for wearables that can support different activities and provide various functionalities emerge as a trend, spurring innovation opportunities for businesses to incorporate different abilities and features into their products.
Industry implications
What the Adaptive Gear trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Sports Technology / Wearables
The trend of adaptive technology and multifunctional wearables presents disruptive innovation opportunities for the sports technology and wearables industry.
For
Outdoor and Adventure Gear
The trend of environmental adaptation through the use of high-performance products presents disruptive innovation opportunities for the outdoor and adventure gear industry.
For
Smart Eyewear and Headphones
The emerging trends of adaptive technology and environmental adaptation also create innovation opportunities for the smart eyewear and headphones industry, with the need for products that can adjust to different conditions.
Workshop question
Conceptualize a product/service that will help consumers adapt to a given situation.
Trend signals
Trend signals for Adaptive Gear
Trend score 3.9 out of 10, from popularity 53%, activity 54%, freshness 9%.
Popularity53%
Activity54%
Freshness9%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Evidence
Examples of the Adaptive Gear trend
5 featured examples from Jan 15, 2019 to Oct 1, 2020CategoryTech
Adaptive Photosensitive Eyewear
The 'Changee' Color-Changing Polarized Sunglasses are Automated
Potential for improved eyewear solutions for athletes in outdoor sports.
CategoryLifestyle
Bone Conduction Swimmer Headphones
The Aftershokz Xtrainerz Headphones Have 4GB of Storage
The bone conduction swimmer headphones present disruptive innovation opportunities for audio accessory brands, fitness equipment manufacturers, and wellness tech startups.
CategoryLifestyle
Moisture-Dissipating Sunglass Lenses
District Vision Calm-Tech Lens Technology is Advanced
The development of moisture-dissipating sunglass lenses creates room for innovation within the eyewear industry, leading to new product offerings.
CategoryFashion
Tough Multi-Sport Smartwatches
The Suunto 9 Red Bull X-Alps Offers 120 Hours of GPS Use Per Charge
The Suunto 9 Red Bull X-Alps is tailored for athletes, indicating an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the sports and fitness industry.
CategoryTech
Outdoor Fitness Smartwatches
Xiaomi Unveiled a New Fitness Smartwatch Called the 'Mi Watch'
Disruptive innovation opportunity: Improve wearable technology by integrating advanced fitness tracking features and durable designs for active lifestyles.
