Hydration Tech Floods Market With 3 Device Types as 70% of Workers Tested Dehydrated
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 22
Hydration Tech Floods Market With 3 Device Types as 70% of Workers Tested Dehydrated
2 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 22
Summary
Sweat monitors, smart bottles and toilet-based urine analyzers are gaining traction as heatwaves and public-health campaigns push hydration higher on the consumer-tech agenda.
70% of 139 European workers in a 2018 study were dehydrated enough to impair thinking or movement, while a 2023 study suggested 1 in 4 UK adults aged 65 or older were dehydrated.
Epicore says its wearables track sweat rate, sodium and skin temperature and can prompt users to drink, but researcher Andreas Flouris says many tested sweat sensors have fallen short on accuracy, especially during intermittent exertion.
Smart bottle maker WaterH and urine-tech company Vivoo argue their products build habits or passively track hydration, though both face questions over calibration, delayed urine signals and whether constant monitoring can heighten health anxiety.
Researchers say the gadgets may be most useful in targeted settings such as sports teams or heat-exposed workplaces, even as they stress that both dehydration and overhydration matter and the body has a wider safety range than many assume.