OMsignal has been promising a solution for women looking to use the company’s smart shirt. The problem has been that the sensors integrated into the OMsignal smart shirt are only designed to work when properly fitted to a man’s body. Instead of introducing a new version of the shirt for women, the company has done one better and has managed to integrate the same technology into a sports bra, the OMbra. This results in a product that is seemingly superior to the men’s shirt; most guys probably do not wear a compression shirt, but women are more than likely donning a sports bra when they exercise. Despite the reduced size versus the shirt, no features were shed. The OMbra records heart rate information, breathing data, and activity metrics to a small black box attached to the garment. The black box can then either wirelessly transmits the data to your phone in real time or store it for retrieval later. The OMbra will ship this spring alongside a new app called OMrun. The new app offers information catered to runners including running economy and breathing rhythm.
One of the largest challenges OMsignal faces with the OMbra is ensuring that every woman has the right fit so that data can accurately be collected. It is no secret that women struggle to buy properly fitted bras and this is an issue that could make or break OMsignal’s new smart garment. The company claims it has accounted for this, but until the bra is in the real world and in the hands of a large number of women there is no way to know for sure. To combat the issue, the OMbra has an adjustable fit band and interchangeable and removable padded cups.
Also piquing our interest, Ralph Lauren’s PoloTech shirt has promised a women’s version since the men’s smart shirt launched in 2015. The men’s shirt is basically a rebranded version of the OMsignal wearable. Without a women’s shirt to rebrand, will Polo work with OMsignal to develop a completely new product or will the fashion company rebrand the OMbra. Rebranding a sports bra seems like an odd choice for the Polo brand.
