HR Holiday Gift Ideas: Wearable Wellness Devices

I am the proud owner of a Nike Fuel band that I never wear because it’s too big on my wrist and looks like a Lindsay Lohan tracker device. Also, I don’t need a device to tell me that I don’t get enough sleep or sitting is the new smoking.

That’s what blogging is for!

If you are looking for a way to tell your husband that he needs to lose ten pounds or reduce his cholesterol, here are some holiday gift ideas.

1. The Microsoft Band has all sorts of nifty features like a heart-rate monitor, a microphone, and perspiration sensors. Steve Boese and I were on a panel, recently, where he waxed poetic about a watch that can interpret biofeedback and knows if you are aggravated when you read your email. I know you are aggravated. You are human and email sucks. Tim Sackett was there, too, and thought it would be a great if a watch could notify HR when an employee’s blood sugar is low. He thought it might be cruel to have access to that kind of health information and not rush to bring that diabetic guy a Snicker’s bar. I think it’s cruel to work people to death and give them a watch that watches them being worked to death.
2. The Apple Watch isn’t out, just yet. Get that on your list. Your husband will love you more if you stand in line and buy this for him. Just ask Apple.
3. Wearable wellness tech doesn’t have to be a watch. There’s the Fitbit wireless activity tracker and the Jawbone activity tracker. All of these devices — watch or not — sync with your phone. So make sure you don’t lose your phone. Although you might be happier if you lose your phone.
4. Watches are trendy. If you still want to give someone a watch, there are a ton of options out there from Nike, Garmin, and even Casio. It’s true that kids don’t wear watches, these days, but you’re not a kid.

I gave my husband a Fitbit Force, a few years ago, but we sent it back because it was recalled. The device burned some people. His particular feedback was that the device was okay, the hassle of wearing something 24/7 didn’t appeal to him, and that the data was not worth the trouble. You know what my husband really wanted as a gift? A new ice cream maker. So we got that, instead.

You can’t give the gift of health to someone who doesn’t want  it.

And ice cream is always a better gift, anyway.