Improving your posture is key to becoming a better runner. Trouble is, that's not easy to do unless you have a coach. Lumo (creator of聽the ) wants聽to fix that problem with its new line of workout wear.聽
The clothing, which includes a set of tights for women ($169) and shorts for men ($149), is embedded聽with a 聽at the base of your spine聽that's about the size of an energy gel. The sensor constantly measures聽metrics, such as聽the rotation of your pelvis and the up and down movement of your torso. With this data,聽it can watch for聽things pelvic drop (which tells聽you if you slouch or have tight hips)聽and bounce (how much time you spend going up and down versus聽forward). The clothing analyzes those聽numbers, then聽provides live coaching聽via the smartphone app and Bluetooth headphones. If you鈥檇 rather run in peace,聽the clothing has onboard memory,聽so you can eyeball how to improve your form after each effort.聽聽
While I鈥檝e disliked other sensor-laden clothing I鈥檝e tested, mainly because of bulky batteries and clunky apps, Lumo seems to have addressed those聽complaints. The data its clothing provides is useful to聽any runner聽and its data-delivery system is smart. And the stuff is actually comfortable: Lumo collaborated聽with 聽(Lululemon鈥檚 manufacturer) on聽fit and design聽and with聽聽(which聽has worked with Apple and聽other tech leaders)聽on hardware.聽鈥淭echnology is most successful when it鈥檚 invisible and fits with everyday life or habits,鈥 says Monisha Perkash, Lumo鈥檚 CEO. 鈥淲e鈥檙e used to wearing clothes. So we believe the future is integration.鈥
Both Lumo pieces will run for a聽month on one charge and can be washed聽with the battery in place. As far as I know, it's the only smart聽clothing with that capacity. If all these details hold true when the products launch in March, Lumo could be the first brand that聽gives us what we want from wearable tech: barely-there awareness of gadgetry, but聽insights that let us reach our full fitness potential.