College athletes are getting in on the popular worlds of wearable technology, artificial intelligence and crypto. 

Cudis, makers of an AI-powered smart ring that allows users to control their own health data and earn rewards for physical activity, has signed a one-year partnership with UCLA Athletics.

With the partnership, Cudis will get its rings into the hands of UCLA athletes and other students through campaigns including in-game promotions. Cudis will also pursue name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with UCLA athletes in sports including football, women’s gymnastics, and men’s and women’s basketball, tennis and golf. 

“This collaboration holds special meaning for us as we give back to the community that helped launch our vision,” said Edison Chen, the CEO of Cudis and a UCLA graduate. “By empowering UCLA’s student-athletes with our innovative tech, we’re not just improving their performance and health, we’re introducing them to the transformative power of blockchain and crypto, rewarding healthy habits along the way.”

Launched earlier this year, Cudis rings are built on the Solana blockchain platform and are powered by AI and Web 3 tech. Similar to popular smart rings from Oura and Samsung, Cudis rings track health metrics such as heart rate, sleep, stress and calories burned. Cudis also offers an “AI Coach” feature that provides personalized health insights.

The company has sold over 10,000 units since its rings first went on sale in April, and its online community has around 100,000 members. In September, Cudis raised $5 million in a seed funding round led by Draper Associates. 

Can the Blockchain Revolutionize Wearables?

Cudis’ partnership with UCLA comes as demand grows for fitness and wellness wearables, especially among young consumers. The company cited data that 35% of Gen Z consumers use wearables daily to track their health. 

Among wearables, the smart ring market in particular is heating up, with market leader Oura just raising $200 million at a $5.2 billion valuation and tech giant Samsung recently launching the Galaxy Smart Smart Ring.

According to Chen, two things separate Cudis from brands like Oura and Samsung: a reward system that encourages physical activity and the blockchain, which allows Cudis to safeguard its users’ health data. 

On the rewards front, Cudis users can earn points for engaging in healthy habits and actions, which are tracked by the ring and redeemable for exclusive rewards, including cryptocurrency airdrops. 

Cudis also uses cryptographic signatures, IPFS storage and blockchain verification to safeguard users’ health data. The company says this gives users “complete ownership” of their data.

Data as Currency

Chen argues that Cudis users benefit from a higher level of data privacy than they’d get with wearables like Oura, Whoop or the Apple Watch (these brands have data-privacy policies, although they don’t use blockchain verification). 

“Once you put the data on the chain, your data becomes your asset,” Chen told ATN. “This is the first time that users can actually own their health data as an asset. Whoever wants to use your data needs your approval – even us.”

In time, Chen says Cudis users will be able to monetize their own health data, including potentially selling their data to companies who may want to purchase it for research or marketing purposes. 

“Our data can actually be worth up to $5,000 every year,” Chen believes. 

Big Ambitions

Earlier this month, Cudis launched its second generation smart ring model, the Cudis 002 ($349), which offers up to 10 days of battery life, five meters of Bluetooth connectivity and is waterproof up to a depth of 50 meters. 

Cudis aims to sell one million smart rings and grow its online community to at least 5 million members in the years ahead, Chen told ATN. 

However, he’s quick to point out that the brand’s long-term mission goes beyond sales targets. 

“We want people to realize how important and how valuable their data is,” Chen said. “We want people to know your wellness data is an asset just like your house. If you can rent your house to get paid, you can do the same thing with your data.”

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As the flagship massage device from wellness tech company Therabody, Theraguns are popular tools for relieving muscle pain and soreness, reducing tension and improving circulation.

Therabody’s Theragun Prime model is an easy-to-use, more affordable version of the tool, perfect for a loved one or family member who might want a simpler way to access percussive therapy.

Athletech News tested the Theragun Prime to see how it compares to other percussive therapy devices and massage guns on the market.

Pros

The Theragun Prime has five speeds that you can either control with the app or on the gun itself. It’s powerful, with speeds up to 2400 PPM, along with a 120-minute total battery life and the quintessential Theragun ergonomic triangle multi-grip.

At $299 (on sale for $199) the Theragun Prime is significantly cheaper than other Theragun models, compared to the $599 Pro Plus and the $399 Prime Plus. The Prime is also the same weight (and much of the same functionality) as the Elite, at 2.2 pounds, but is around $100 less expensive.

The Prime is much quieter than other massage guns on the market, with a scratch-resistant design perfect for gym visits. It comes with four attachment heads, including the Heated Percussive Plus Attachment, the Standard Ball Plus Attachment, the Dampener Plus Attachment, and the Wedge Plus Attachment, which is perfect for specific areas around the shoulder blades and IT bands.

I found that the Theragun Prime was perfect for workout warmups and recovery, and using it 3-4 times a week for 5-10 minutes significantly reduced pain and soreness, even from working at a desk. It was surprisingly easy to reach even the upper back due to the ergonomic and triangular design of the massage gun.

Cons

With only four head attachments, the Theragun Prime has fewer than other models, which could come into play for those who want to target very specific areas of the body. It’s also not the most portable, particularly compared to the Mini, which is perfect to stick in a gym bag.

In addition, while the Therabody app is a comprehensive and well-designed tool, for those who want to use the Prime in a standalone manner, the product isn’t as comprehensive as the Theragun Pro Plus’s screen.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Theragun Prime is a more affordable tool for percussive therapy, with a quieter and more effective design than other models. Right now, it’s $199 (compared to $299 normally) for the holiday season, and it’s HSA and FSA-friendly.

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The masses are eating it up, leading to an explosion of venture capitalists infusing money into opportunities, gyms scurrying to build out or adopt wellness spaces and everyone looking to benefit by increasing lifespan and healthspan.

This $5.6 million global wellness market continues to swell.

According to a McKinsey report, more than 60 percent of consumers surveyed considered it “very” or “extremely” important to purchase products or services that help with healthy aging and longevity. Roughly 70 percent of consumers in the United Kingdom and the United States and 85 percent in China indicated that they have purchased more in this category in the past year than in prior years. 

Here, Athletech News takes a look at the products and services that key brands in the space are offering, and how they’re shaping the market.

Wellness Tech Makes Its Way to the Masses

At the end of last year, Therabody, the wellness tech company behind the Theragun, launched an innovative LED face mask that fights aging along with a new business branch, Therabody Beauty.

The TheraFace Mask, a $599 FDA-cleared LED light therapy mask that employs 648 medical-grade infrared LED lights to minimize the symptoms of aging while firming skin and promoting a healthy glow, includes Therabody’s signature vibration therapy for added relaxation. 

Therabody also partnered with United Airlines to promote wellness travel. United customers flying via United Polaris international business class are provided a Therabody amenity kit with TheraFace eye serum, face spray, hand cream, and cleansing towlette. In the United Polaris lounges, travelers will have access to Therabody products like the Lounger, Theragun, and RecoveryAir JetBoots.

Meanwhile, HigherDose, an at-home wellness tech brand, released a new Red Light Hat for hair growth.

The hat has 120 medical-grade LED bulbs emitting light at a wavelength of 650 nm, specifically selected to promote hair growth. Each session with the hat is designed to last ten minutes, with the brand recommending a daily treatment for optimal results. 

While there are several red light helmets on the market, HigherDose’s hat stands out due to its discreet design, resembling a baseball cap. The choice allows users to incorporate hair treatments into their daily routines without drawing attention.

“The opportunity is bringing wellness technology to the masses,” HigherDose co-founder Lauren Berlingeri told Athletech News about her and fellow co-founder Katie Kaps’s inspiration for creating the brand. “HigherDose’s mission is inspired by the fact that there are more saunas than people in Finland because that country’s residents are educated about well-being. The opportunity here is expanding upon that notion, making empowered self-healing and longevity accessible to the masses with efficacious products.”

Global high-performance wellness brand Hyperice has been busy this year bringing new innovations and products to market.

Weighing in at just two pounds, the Hyperice X Shoulder offers on-demand hot and cold contrast therapy ranging from 35°F to 115°F, customizable temperature control, and the adaptability to target either shoulder. The product also allows users to control the device and adjust settings from their smartphone. 

Next came their Normatec Elite boots, a wireless version of the brand’s famous recovery boots that are portable enough to be carried in a tote bag but expand to the size of standard compression boots.

Hyperice also teamed with activewear giant Nike to introduce compression massage sneakers and a temperature-changing vest that will be available to athletes at this summer’s Olympics in Paris and potentially to consumers after that. 

Designed for warmups and cooldowns, the Nike x Hyperice boot is a high-top shoe that combines heat and dynamic air compression massage for athletes’ feet and ankles.

The Nike x Hyperice vest offers athletes a way to precisely control their body temperature during warmups and cooldowns using thermoelectric coolers, delivering instant heating and cooling without ice or liquids.

Mixing & Matching Modalities

Merging wellness modalities has become a popular way to distinguish and launch new products to market in different ways, and Halotherapy is doing just that.

Looking to give operators the chance to offer a more holistic approach to therapy and recovery, the company recently launched its HaloRestore & Recovery solution. It’s the first and only series of programs merging salt therapy with the company’s complete portfolio of Restore and Recovery equipment, including red light, cryotherapy, and cold plunge

“The industry has moved into ‘next generation’ salt therapy, stacking or layering multiple modalities together in one unit to customize the guest’s experience while at the same time maximizing the return on investment per square foot for the facility owner,” says Lisa Semerly, chief revenue officer at Halotherapy. 

Another combination of modalities, Red Light Method, recently announced a franchise model with immediate success, signing 6 territories with 18 more on the way.

To create Red Light Method, Allison Beardsley, who also founded Club Pilates, paired FDA-cleared red light therapy body contouring treatments with group Power Plate and Pilates reformers.

The Red Light Method is the first in the world to combine the benefits of medical-grade red light therapy treatments with guided Power Plate and Pilates sessions, which Beardsley calls the trifecta of recovery and longevity.

Redefining Classic Wellness for the Modern Age

With all of the new brands and products flooding the market in this space, one stands alone in terms of the company’s longevity. Founded in 1927, JK Products & Services has steadily expanded its influence, emerging as a national and global market leader in lifestyle, wellness, and tanning. 

With a “recovery is the new retention” mentality, the company has been able to help facilities drive ROI with their smart and low-overhead equipment that delivers immersive experiences consumers can’t replicate at home.

Through its Wellness JK arm, JK Products & Services offers products like full-body red light beds and booths, and next-gen, ultra-quiet automated massage beds that feature airless water technology.

“We take great experiences and heighten them,”’ says Brynn Scarborough, President and CEO. “If you think about a standard automated massage and then heighten it to a full sensory immersion with aromatherapy, sound, and the benefits of water it becomes something members crave. They will get in their car and come to your location even if they don’t want to work out.”

This article originally ran in the The Business of Prevention, Recovery & Longevity Report 2024. Download the report now to read more insights into how fitness and wellness brands are making strides in key markets.

The post These Wellness Tech & Recovery Products Are Driving the Market appeared first on Athletech News.

Alphabeats has partnered with EEG (electroencephalogram) headband maker Muse by Ineraxon, making its athlete-focused brain-training app available to Muse customers.

Through the partnership, Muse users can now access alphabeat’s membership-based, music-driven neurofeedback platform, which helps athletes and high-performers train their brains to enter the so-called “flow state” to improve creativity, recovery, focus, reaction time and coordination. 

A Dutch startup that’s raised $4.16 million to date, alphabeats makes an app that syncs with compatible EEG headbands. On the alphabeats app, users can select from a catalog of music, listening along as songs change in real-time based on EEG brainwave activity. This helps people train their brains to produce alpha waves, which have been associated with the flow state. 

Alphabeats also offers visual cues and cognitive games to encourage alpha brain wave production. 

“Music is the key to making mental training both effective and engaging – a finding we’ve proven with professional athletes over the past decade,” alphabeats CEO Jorrit DeVries said of the partnership. “Muse has built strong credibility through their affordable, high-quality hardware solutions. By integrating our one-of-a kind music-driven training with their platform, we can offer professional-grade mental training at a more accessible price point to more people.”

Part of Canadian neurotech company Interaxon, Muse makes two EEG headband products – the Muse S and the Muse 2 – that monitor brain activity and provide real-time feedback to users about their levels of focus, relaxation and stress.

In addition to its partnership with alphabeats, Muse announced a new “Brain Recharge Score” feature, which leverages AI and EEG data to offer personalized insights into mental stress and recovery. The Brain Recharge Score will become available this winter, Muse says. 

Muse’s neurofeedback tools have helped golfers improve their putting scores after just seven minutes of use, the company says, citing research from the University of Toronto. Alphabeats, for its part, cites research showing that its platform has helped Olympic-level archers and professional soccer players improve their abilities to enter optimal mental states for performance. 

“Our mission has always been to provide accessible tools for brain health, and by partnering with alphabeats, we’re able to offer users an integrated approach to both mental recovery and peak performance,” said Muse CEO Jean-Michel Fournier. “Partnerships like this extend Muse’s impact into new verticals, adding more value for our customers.”

Muse 2 headbands will now come bundled with an annual alphabeats subscription – the bundle is available for pre-order at a limited-time price of $199. The regular price will jump to $399 after the promo period ends. Additionally, existing Muse 2 and Muse S owners can purchase an alphabeats annual subscription for a promo price of $79. That subscription price will increase to $149 after the promo period ends. 

In October, alphabeats named DeVries, a former Spotify exec, as its CEO. DeVries told Athletech News that the Dutch startup is looking to make a bigger push into the United States wearable market, initially targeting athletes before expanding to everyday fitness and wellness consumers. 

“If we can prove with elite athletes that our system works and that we have the scientific proof and the testimonials to underpin our story, that will ultimately create a ripple effect for what we call the ‘high achievers,’ or the ‘everyday champions’ to tap into this as well,” DeVries said in October.

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Nonprofit wellness centers such as YMCAs and JCCs will soon have new tools to help demonstrate the health benefits of their programs, thanks to a partnership between Birmingham-based Daxko and London’s 4GLOBAL.

The two companies announced the integration of their software systems today, which will enable nonprofit organizations to gather data on the health outcomes of their members and present this information to funders.

The partnership aims to address a growing challenge for nonprofit wellness organizations: proving the effectiveness of their services in preventing chronic diseases and improving public health. By combining Daxko’s operations management platform with 4GLOBAL’s data analytics, the integration will generate reports detailing how programs impact conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

These reports, known as Social Value Reports, are designed to provide quantifiable evidence of program outcomes, helping nonprofits demonstrate their contributions to public health. For many wellness centers, such evidence is critical in securing continued funding.

Wendy White, chief marketing and partner officer at Daxko, noted that the need for data-backed evidence is becoming increasingly important for nonprofits. “Quantitative proof is crucial for nonprofits—it’s no longer enough to talk about their impact; they have to prove it,” White said.

Nonprofits can use these insights not only to validate their services but also to strengthen grant applications and fundraising efforts. Alexandra Orlando, 4GLOBAL’s vice president for North America, said the partnership brings 4GLOBAL’s social value reporting expertise to United States nonprofits for the first time.

“This collaboration provides nonprofits with a powerful tool to quantify their societal impact,” Orlando said. “It highlights the role these organizations play in improving community health, and these measurable insights will help them strengthen their fundraising efforts.”

The integration offers several practical benefits for nonprofit wellness centers, including data to guide decision-making, clearer reporting for funders, and the ability to track return on investment for programs. Additionally, organizations will be able to identify areas where their programs are having the greatest impact, potentially leading to further strategic growth.

Daxko, founded in 1998, provides technology solutions for the health and fitness industry, serving nearly 19,000 facilities worldwide. 4GLOBAL, known for its DataHub, manages a vast global repository of physical activity data and has worked with organizations across various sectors to improve public health outcomes.

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Oura is going all-in on quality as it gears up to fight off competition from the likes of Samsung in the red-hot smart ring space. 

On Thursday, the Finnish brand unveiled the Oura Ring 4, which features new and improved sensors designed to offer more accurate readings, longer battery life, and increased comfort for wearers. 

The Oura Ring 4 is highlighted by Smart Sensing, with research-grade sensors housed inside the ring that adapt to the finger to deliver more accurate data for metrics including blood oxygen sensing, breathing, and heart rate. 

Thanks to Smart Sensing, Oura says the newest version of its ring offers notable improvements in overnight blood oxygen measurements (SpO2), breathing disturbance index (BDI), and daytime and nighttime heart-rate tracking. 

The smart sensors are recessed within the Oura Ring 4, which Oura says provides a more comfortable wear. In the Oura Ring Gen3, the previous model, the sensors were housed in a raised dome, meaning many users could feel the sensors while wearing the ring. 

Available for preorder now and set to start shipping October 15, the Oura Ring 4 will retail for between $349 and $499 depending on color and will offer up to eight days of battery life. 

Oura is also redesigning its app to provide users with a more streamlined overview of their overall health picture, including easy access to daily and long-term health metrics like stress and resilience, women’s health, and heart health.

“Oura Ring is designed to be a personal health companion, giving our members a holistic view of their health by pairing personal data with meaningful, actionable insights to facilitate long-term changes,” said Oura CEO Tom Hale. “The next-generation Oura Ring 4, reimagined Oura App, and the development of the Smart Sensing platform represent significant steps forward for wearables across accuracy, comfort, personalization, and design.”

Can Oura Stay on Top?

Oura, which has sold over 2.5 million rings worldwide and is nearing $500 million in annual revenue, has dominated the smart ring market since the brand was founded in 2013.

However, the space has become more crowded as of late, with new brands entering the market as demand rises for smart rings, which track a host of metrics including heart-rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen rate, body temperature, and sleep, and offer a lower profile than smartwatches. 

Samsung made headlines earlier this year when it launched its Galaxy Ring, packing it with features that make it a serious competitor to the Oura Ring. There are rumors that Apple could enter the smart ring space as early as 2025, although that’s still highly speculative. 

With the Oura Ring 4, the Finnish tech company appears to be leaning into its reputation as the “OG” in the smart ring space. With Smart Sensing, Oura wants to make it known that its rings provide the best and most accurate data on the market as users look to track their sleep, steps, and stress more than ever before. 

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Hyperice has unveiled the Normatec Premier, a powerful new dynamic air compression therapy device that takes recovery to new heights.

The latest Hyperice product comes as holistic recovery products extend beyond the needs of professional athletes and are embraced by everyday consumers looking to invest in their wellness.

The new, lightweight Normatec Premier eliminates external hoses and offers seven intensity levels and five overlapping compression zones. It’s configured with longer battery life and quiet operation, and users can wear the product while charging. The Normatec Premier also offers Hyperice’s HyperSync technology so users can mimic the massage pattern on both legs or opt for separate sessions and Bluetooth connectivity.

The new recovery device is available now in the U.K. and Europe.

“The launch of Normatec Premier signifies a meaningful next step in the advancement of dynamic air compression technology,” Hyperice CEO Jim Huether said. “As we continue to focus on providing a premium user experience, Normatec Premier sets a new standard for recovery by eliminating external hoses and control units and discreetly integrating the technology into the product.”

The recovery tech brand secured a $100 million-plus growth capital investment from Atlas Credit Partners last summer.

Normatec Recovery founder and Hyperice chief innovation officer Gilad Jacobs noted that the goal of the new Normatec Premier was to deliver a union of the traditional Normatec systems users have come to love with Hyperice’s most innovative technology.

“By seamlessly integrating the same no-hose tech utilized in the Normatec Lower Legs but on a full, lower body scale, we’re allowing Hyperice customers to elevate their recovery and wellness experience to a whole new level,” Jacobs said.

Earlier this year, Hyperice teamed with Nike to launch co-designed shoes and a vest, integrating wearable technology into activewear, giving athletes an easy and comfortable way to regulate their temperature and recover.

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For Garmin, the future of healthcare will be found on people’s wrists. 

At the 10th annual Garmin Health Summit, held this week in Prague, the tech company pointed to a future where fitness trackers and smartwatches are an integral part of global healthcare systems, with doctors having access to patients’ information like sleep and heart rate data to inform better treatment plans, and health insurance companies leveraging large biometric data sets to deliver services on a macro scale. 

Garmin is confident its wearables will be at the forefront of this movement, which the brand calls “smartwatch-enabled digital health.” 

While the smartwatch space has become highly competitive, with some of the biggest brands in the world entering the space, Garmin’s executives believe the Kansas-based company, founded in 1989, has a competitive advantage when it comes to wearables and healthcare.  

“Garmin’s business strategy is to be an ecosystem player,” Scott Burgett, senior director of Garmin Health Engineering, told Athletech News at the event. “When you look at the breadth of our wearable products, the breadth of our data, and the ease of integration – we’re agnostic between iOS and Android – we really are the best company (to work with).”

The Garmin Advantage 

During the Summit, Garmin’s executives touted its wearables as the best devices on the market to support doctors, healthcare companies, and clinical researchers, thanks to their long battery life and high-quality biometric sensors, which track metrics including stress, heart rate variability (HRV) and skin temperature, among others, with high accuracy. 

Most Garmin smartwatches have a battery life of at least 5 days, with some lasting far longer than that. That’s significantly higher than new versions of the Apple Watch (between 18 hours and 3 days, depending on model) and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (around 2 days, according to online reviews). 

Longer battery life leads to higher customer engagement and longer wear times, which means more data for healthcare professionals, Garmin points out. 

“It’s so important that you can put on a wearable and leave it on for seven days,” Burgett said. “Every time you take it off, there’s a chance you might not put it back on.”

“We focus on battery life because it’s a unique selling point that none of our competitors really can touch,” he added. 

On the biometric data side, Garmin believes its wearables are the best in the business – the brand released its first smartwatch in 2003, over a decade before other tech players entered the space. 

“In 2015, we launched our first in-house PPG sensor. We’re now on Gen 5 and you can see how often we update that throughout the year,” Burgett said. “It’s one of our constant initiatives. We continue to innovate in our sensor technology.”

Beyond its smartwatch tech, Garmin believes it’s got the best system to support businesses and organizations as they pursue digital health innovation. The brand established Garmin Health in 2014, growing it into a full-scale B2B solution for healthcare, research and clinical trials, insurance companies, gyms and fitness brands, corporate wellness, and more. 

Garmin wearables have been part of more than 1,000 research studies in areas including sleep, well-being, rehabilitation, physical activity, and disease management. 

Executives also touted Garmin’s commitment to data privacy – the Garmin Health API allows third parties to ask customers whether or not they consent to sharing their wearable data. 

A Glimpse Into the Future 

While there’s a consensus among experts that we’re at the very beginning stages of wearables becoming important in healthcare – operational, regulatory, and economic challenges currently prevent wider adoption – some organizations are already embracing the future imagined by Garmin. 

At this year’s Summit, Garmin highlighted some of the companies already using its wearables to make a difference in people’s health. 

VigiLife, Inc., and Metluma were announced as winners of the 2024 Garmin Health Awards, voted on by a panel of industry experts and Summit attendees. 

VigiLife, an Ohio-based company, created SafeGuard, a platform that protects employees from workplace hazards like heat stress by leveraging environmental sensors to detect noise, radiation, and certain chemicals. The brand uses Garmin smartwatches and fitness trackers in conjunction with its environmental sensors. 

Metluma, an Australian telehealth platform, helps women navigate perimenopause and menopause by connecting them with medical professionals and providing other digital support. The female-founded company leverages wearable data to provide treatment for its users. 

“We are thrilled to celebrate this year’s Garmin Health Awards entrants,” said Jörn Watzke, senior director for Garmin Health. “Over 75 leading providers from 35 countries worldwide submitted their innovative solutions. We were so impressed by the diversity and level of innovation demonstrated in these solutions and we offer a huge congratulations to this year’s winners and to all who participated.”

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Matteo Franceschetti co-founded Eight Sleep in 2014 to improve sleep through heating and cooling technology. Since the Eight Sleep Pod was released in 2019, the brand has become a pioneer in thermoregulation and biometric tracking to improve sleep quality. 

“I was an athlete when I was a teenager, playing sports such as tennis, skiing, and car racing in Italy, where I was born and raised,” Franceschetti, who serves as Eight Sleep’s CEO, tells Athletech News. “I came up with the idea of Eight Sleep when I realized that although I spent a third of my life sleeping, there had been no recent innovation to actually help people sleep better. Technology wasn’t being leveraged to its full potential.”

With the high temperatures at the Olympics raising concerns about athletes’ performance, thermoregulation has never been more widely discussed. Everyone requires proper body temperature regulation during sleep, not just athletes. Eight Sleep tailors its thermoregulation to each sleeper depending on their individual needs. 

“Powering every key function of the Pod is Autopilot: a collection of proprietary algorithms developed by Eight Sleep to create an individual blueprint of each sleeper to create the environment you need for your best sleep,” Franceschetti explains.

“These algorithms require complex processing to correlate multiple variables into one dynamic picture of who you are as a sleeper and what you need to get the best rest possible,” he adds. “A few factors Autopilot considers include age, biological sex, current sleep stage, how much deep and REM sleep you got the night before, and changes to your environmental temperature.” 

The Pod 4, the company’s latest release, now includes snoring mitigation, twice as much cooling power and silent performance compared to previous models. The Pod 4 has been clinically tested to improve sleep and energy. Studies show that users have up to 34% deeper sleep and fall asleep 44% faster with the Pod. 

“The most premium model of the Pod 4, Pod 4 Ultra, includes an adjustable Base that syncs with the Pod’s proprietary sleep and health tracking technology for additional groundbreaking features and benefits: snoring detection and mitigation, and custom body positioning before and during sleep,” Franceschetti notes. 

Eight Sleep’s approach goes beyond merely improving comfort or increasing sleep hours.

“There are endless benefits to optimizing your sleep with our Pod,” Franceschetti says. “We believe that helping to optimize your sleep is not just about getting people to sleep comfortably or sleep more; it’s about improving sleep quality so that the hours of sleep you get are maximized. As a result, the overall human experience and performance during waking hours can be enhanced.”

Not only is Eight Sleep driving value on a case-by-case basis, it’s also collecting sleep data from its users.

“The intention behind the design of any Eight Sleep product is to create the gold standard in sleep technology that can tackle all of sleep’s biggest problems,” Franceschetti explains. “We now have over 400 million hours of sleep data, making us one of the biggest sleep specialists in the world.” 

This extensive data collection and years of clinical research inform every iteration of the Pod, including the recently released Pod 4.

“We are always working to improve our product, no matter how small or large the change might be,” he adds.

Eight Sleep is committed to advancing sleep technology, recently appointing three world-renowned scientists to its Scientific Advisory Board: Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Matthew Walker, and Dr. Peter Attia.

“This further showcases Eight Sleep’s commitment to leading the sleep technology market, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate closely with them to help push innovation forward,” Franceschetti says. 

The company was notably concerned about the warm conditions in which Olympians were sleeping during the 2024 Games.

“We also remain committed to seeing through our mission to fuel human potential through optimal sleep, even on the global stage,” Franceschetti notes. “I recently penned an open letter to the president of the IOC, demanding better sleep conditions for the Olympic athletes and offering to send a Pod to the first ten Olympians who (reached) out to us.”

The Eight Sleep CEO also hinted at more product announcements soon.

“Our R&D and hardware teams have been focused on new and innovative products that – together with the Pod – continue to optimize sleep & recovery,” Franceschetti says. “You should expect to hear new announcements from us by the end of the year.”

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With fall right around the corner and wellness practices in high demand – particularly with Gen Z and millennials – L.A.-based Erewhon is adding Bon Charge, a wellness and holistic beauty tech brand, to its Erewhon Lifestyle Collective.

The celeb-loved, high-end organic retailer officially adds Bon Charge to the members-only collective Oct. 1, which offers a slew of savings and VIP benefits across a curated group of wellness brands.

Bon Charge Teases Special Benefits

Bon Charge’s line of science-backed wellness products and holistic beauty tech products include sauna blankets, infrared PEMF mats, a variety of red light therapy devices, blue-free lighting and glasses, sleep masks and cold therapy items, such as a cold and heat therapy massage gun and an ice roller. 

The partnership sees Erewhon Lifestyle Collective members receiving access to 25% off all Bon Charge products. They will also be the first to learn of exclusive getaways, complimentary gifts and special deals. Further expanding on the deal, the two brands plan to host several activations during the year. 

Katie Mant, Bon Charge co-founder and chief visionary officer, noted that the wellness tech brand is excited to support Erewhon health-committed community with its award-winning wellness and holistic beauty tech products. 

“Our approach to this partnership is unlike anything we have done before,” Mant said. “The Erewhon Lifestyle Collective can expect benefits that are completely unique and exclusive; so we cannot wait to reveal what we have in store!”

Erewhon: Beyond the Shopping Cart

Besides turning a trip to the grocery as a hot place to see and be seen, Erewhon has cultivated a “who’s who” list in wellness for its members. 

Last month, Erewhon inducted whole-body MRI scan company Prenuvo into its Lifestyle Collective, adding an advanced healthcare brand for its members. Other notable fitness and wellness brand names are also in the mix, including Athleta, longevity startup Function Health (which has been tapped by Equinox for a new premium $3K per month biomarker-informed membership option), Alo Yoga and Pvolve.

There are two options to become an Erewhon Lifestyle Collective member: a Membership Plus Option ($20 per month) and a Cafe Membership ($10 per month). Both include Lifestyle Collective Offers and priority access to promotions and events, although the plus version comes with additional perks (such as free delivery on orders over $150 and monthly discounts on brands).

Fitness & Wellness Industry Leans Into Perks

Everyone loves a good bargain, and perks have become a priority focus in the wellness, health and fitness space. Activewear giant Lululemon recently ramped up its complimentary membership program, offering special deals on adjacent wellness and fitness brands like Peloton, Barry’s, Oura and more. Erewhon also appears on Lululemon’s list, giving members 15% off one order.

Fitness brands have also made similar moves, such as Crunch, Planet Fitness, Solidcore and 24 Hour Fitness — each offering member perks to create a sense of brand loyalty and increase engagement. 

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