Ralph Lauren ‘Smart Shirt’ Makes Debut at U.S Open

Ralph Lauren Smart ShirtA polo shirt which measures physical activity and communicates with the wearer’s smartphone has been introduced by fashion powerhouse Ralph Lauren. Making its premiere during this year’s U.S Open, the new garment paves the way for widespread use of compression technology in sport.

How Does it Work?

Designed by Ralph Lauren using biometric technology from OMSignal, the Polo Tech smart shirt measures heart rate, energy output and physical activity and communicates this information via Bluetooth to a connected smartphone. The fabric used is conductive and reads electrical changes made through heart rate and the inbuilt tech works out a typical day’s ‘fuel’ spent and helps the user work out which areas of their activity should change for optimum performance in their chosen sport.

How Can It Help?

The new technology is a talking point not just in the world of sports but also healthcare. Combining high fashion with wearable tech is a great way to get the message of compression to a wider audience. With millions tuning in to the U.S Open, the Polo Tech smart shirt will be seen by a huge audience of regular people as well as professional sportsmen. Although common compression hosiery is not quite as hi-tech as the smart shirt, it does pave the way for more research to be done into how best to use this tecnology to help people with medical ailments monitor and improve their health.

Compression & You

Compression has long been hailed as an excellent way for sportsmen to recover from tough challenges as well as a way to prevent muscle strain. However, you do not have to be a professional in order to reap the benefits from compression, as it can be easily implemented into your daily routine. Support hosiery can be used to treat and prevent a variety of conditions and this latest technological wonder from Ralph Lauren could help bring compression’s benefits to an aching audience.

Susie Thickpenny

10th October, 2014

*Image credit: Mashable