The Future of Wearables? Smart, Comfortable Clothing

Today, not only your home appliances but even your outfits are getting smart. From your jacket, socks, gloves, and hats to bras, almost every clothing item is being equipped with technology to help us track our activities and vital signs to live a healthy life.

The emerging trend of smart fabrics promises clothing items that can perform the same tasks as smart watches. It has applications for athletes, health care providers, and the military.

The market for smart wearables is actually a fast-growing one. In 2024, the global wearables market surpassed 534 million units, representing a 5.4% year-over-year growth, according to the latest data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker. 

This trend is primarily driven by smartwatches, which saw a decline of 4.5% last year. Hearables, meanwhile, grew by 8.9%. In the year ahead, both are expected to keep on growing, along with rings and glasses. 

Even smart clothing is projected to see an increase, though at a slower rate. This makes sense given that smart clothing is still mainly in the development stage. 

Advancements in smart wearables are driven by innovations in sensor technology, big data analytics, and manufacturing processes. These devices, integrated into accessories or clothing, can monitor, track, and transmit physiological and environmental data, providing valuable information for health, fitness, and lifestyle management. 

But of course, integrating technology like sensors, electronic devices, and other smart components into our daily clothes isn't easy. Doing so isn’t only complex but would also make clothing more expensive. They also have to go through the regular washing and drying cycle and still maintain functionality. 

Besides durability, comfort is another challenge. Bulky power sources and rigid sensors to make smart fabrics simply make it uncomfortable for daily wear.

When it comes to smart textiles, methods utilized to integrate sensors within clothes are important factors that influence the finished products’ performance.

While traditional methods like weaving, sewing, or gluing functional parts like sensors and conductive threads directly onto fabrics are utilized, they face limitations in terms of delivering multifunctionality. These traditional methods are also constrained by the types of materials that can be used.

So, researchers developed different ways to produce fabric with enhanced features like electrical conductivity. For instance, they developed functional yarns through coating and functional composite fibers through fiber spinning.

Click here to learn about the smart fabric that converts heat into electricity.

3D Printing Offers Transformative Capability But Not Without Challenges  

Among different techniques explored and developed, 3D printing has emerged as a transformative technology.

3D printing or additive manufacturing is one of the most disruptive technologies of the last decade. In this manufacturing process, 3D objects are created by depositing material layer by layer based on a digital design. 

The global 3D printing market size was valued at $19.33 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $101.74 billion by 2032, showing a CAGR of 23.4%. The 3D printing space is dominated by North America, which has captured a 41.4% market share in 2024. 

Driven by the technology’s ability to efficiently produce complex and customized parts, which reduces costs and speeds up production, 3D printing is being used in a wide range of applications, including manufacturing, medical, material science, consumer goods, automotive, and aerospace.

In smart wearables and textiles, 3D printing offers the ability to process various kinds of materials, fabricate intricate patterns, tailor designs for individual needs, reduce waste during production, and enable multifunctionality.

3D printing includes different methods such as selective laser sintering (SLS), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), digital light processing (DLP), stereolithography (SLA), direct ink writing (DIW), and fused deposition modeling (FDM).

These techniques deliver various materials, including powder granules, photocurable resins, viscous liquids, and molten polymers.

By enabling the creation of complex patterns and the application of multifunctional materials, 3D printing is facilitating the fabrication of sophisticated smart wearable systems for motion tracking, health monitoring, or chemical detection. 

Besides minimizing waste, it also improves the time to produce small parts and boosts energy efficiency.

Using the technology, researchers have printed functional fillers on elastomeric substrates and then attached them to the skin using straps, wristbands, or adhesives for sensing. Some adhesive components, however, can cause skin irritation, while straps struggle to achieve a snug fit, limiting the wearables’ long-term usage. 

To better cater to the demands of the consumers, engineers and researchers are building 3D-printed smart textiles where devices like circuits, electrodes, and sensors are all printed right onto the fabrics that we already use. This allows for their smooth incorporation into regular clothing for continuous monitoring. 

Much of the research in the field has put focus on embedding technological functionalities into textiles but they don’t pay any attention to how the fabric fits, feels, and lasts under regular use and maintenance.

This means that while significant progress has been made here, the approach still faces challenges in achieving functionalities and having the flexibility, washability, and durability required from such fabrics to allow for comfort and maintenance in daily wear.

What this means is having a printed layer that matches the flexibility and stretchability of the textile layer to provide comfort and avoid getting peeled off during use. In order for it to last long, the printed layer has to have a strong bond with the textile layer. Inexpensiveness and sustainability are other factors that need to be considered in modern manufacturing. 

To achieve all these features, the selection of 3D printing technology, functional printing material, and textile substrate is critical.

Click here for a list of top additive manufacturing & 3d printing stocks.

Sustainable 3D Ink Printing Method Offers Comfort and Durability 

To address the current challenges in smart fabrics, researchers from Washington State University demonstrated a 3D ink printing method that allows them to perform well even after repeated washings and abrasions.

Published in the ACS Omega¹ journal, this advancement in smart fabric provides durability and comfort, as well as a more environmentally friendly process. It shows huge potential in making smart wearables a reality.

The study was part of the doctoral dissertation of lead author Zihui Zhao, a student of corresponding author Hang Liu, an associate professor in the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles. It was funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Liu has been working on various elements of smart fabrics for several years now, and a couple of years ago, detailed a fiber with cotton’s flexibility and a polymer’s electrical conductivity that has potential uses in wearable tech.

In the latest study, the researchers used the DIW method to print conductive materials on fabrics. These materials can conduct electricity by allowing electrons to flow freely and fluidly from one point to another if connected to a power source. 

Direct ink writing is an extrusion-based 3D printing method where the liquid ‘ink’ is dispensed in a controlled flow rate. This printing technique is usually used to fabricate 3D battery and supercapacitor electrodes.

It has a higher printing resolution than FDM and is less costly and complex than other printing techniques. 

DIW’s ability to print a solution is of a considerable advantage in smart wearable development as various functional materials can be easily dissolved in a solvent as the printing ink. The process of preparing a solution is also much simpler than preparing a filament for FDM printing.

However, the solution created has a higher flowability than a molten polymer, which can lead to complex interactions between the printed solution and the fabric substrate. 

The solution's viscoelasticity, fabric structures, and compatibility with the printing material all play important roles here and can affect the printing process and the performance of the printed fabric. 

For the printing substrate, the study used commercially available fabrics while carbon nanotubes (CNT) dissolved in a solution of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) was used as the printing ink to develop conductive 3D-printed fabrics. Polybutylene succinate is a biodegradable polyester compatible with natural fibers.

To dissolve PBS and disperse CNT, they used a biobased, biodegradable, and non-toxic solvent called dihydrolevoglucosenone, which is commercialized as Cyrene. 

By replacing the commonly used toxic solvents for PBS processing with Cyrene, the study  “aligns with green chemistry principles and sustainable manufacturing practices, furthering the overall ecofriendly approach of this research.”

The team then tested the capability of their solution by using various concentrations of printing inks on two different fabrics. One was a cotton fabric, and the other was a polyester/cotton blend fabric.

The printed fabrics exhibited excellent mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, gauge factor, and stability under repeated strains, highlighting their potential for use in smart wearable devices.

Moreover, when put under small strains of 2% and 5%, the 100% cotton fabric and the polyester-cotton (65%-35%) blend fabric displayed different relative resistance responses, showcasing their potential for various applications in strain and motion sensor technologies. 

Meanwhile, the solution’s ability to penetrate into the fabric between yarns and bond with fibers boosted the fabrics' washability and resistance to abrasion, showcasing DIW printing technology’s benefits in developing textile-based sensors for smart wearables.

The fabric was found to be performing well even after twenty cycles of washing and drying. Moreover, it successfully underwent 200 cycles of abrasion and 500 cycles of tensile cyclic testing without having any scratches or cracks on surfaces.

Click here to learn about the smart clothes for motion capture to change sports and physiotherapy.

Invest in Wearable Tech

In the realm of wearable tech, a prominent name leading this space is none other than the tech behemoth Apple (AAPL +0.61%). Founded almost half a century ago and known for its consumer electronics and software, Apple has grown significantly over the last few decades.

Today, it designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, tablets, personal computers, wearables, and accessories. Products offered by Apple include iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Wearables, Home, and Accessories, while software platforms cover iPadOS, iOS, macOS, visionOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

Apple also sells various related services, including cloud services, payment services, digital content, advertising, and AppleCare. Digital content, meanwhile, is sold through subscription-based services that include Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+.

Apple Inc. (AAPL +0.61%)  

Today, we are talking about wearables, and Apple first entered this market in 2014 with its first Apple Watch. During the recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook talked about Apple Watch Series 10 becoming an essential part of people’s health and fitness journey.

According to Kevan Parekh, senior vice president and chief financial officer, the Apple Watch installed base has reached a new all-time high. Not only were more than half of the customers purchasing an Apple Watch during Q2 of 2025 new to the product, but Parekh said, 

“Customer satisfaction for Watch in the US was recently measured at 95%.”

It was a late entry for Apple with the market saturated with established players, but it didn’t take long for it to dominate the space with its smartwatches, AirPods, and head-mounted devices (HMDs).

Over the years, Apple made several acquisitions, such as AR company Metaio in 2015, eye-tracking tech company SensoMotoric Instruments and augmented reality headset startup Vrvana in 2017, and VR startups NextVR and Spaces in 2020 to advance its efforts.

Now, Apple’s wearables market share in 4Q24, according to IDC, has been 23.8%.

As part of the wearables division, Apple Watch, AirPods, and accessories sales saw a 5% revenue decline from the same period last year to $7.52 billion. This was attributed to the launch of the Vision Pro headset in the year-ago quarter.

With VisionOS 2.4, Apple will soon unlock the first set of AI features for Vision Pro users. The company will also be offering a curated and regularly updated collection of spatial experiences with the Spatial Gallery app.

The company’s future wearable roadmap is expected to also include AI-powered smart glasses, a fitness ring, and AirPods with cameras. Bloomberg has reported that both are in the exploratory phase, though. 

According to reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is currently testing ways to include visual intelligence on not only AirPods but also Apple Watch. Tiny cameras into the future versions of these wearables can potentially launch in 2027.

As one of the world’s most valuable brands, Apple boasts a market cap of $3.15 trillion with its shares, as of writing this, trading at $208.13, down 15.64% YTD. Its EPS (TTM) is 7.08, the P/E (TTM) is 29.84, and the ROE (TTM) is 152.55%. The tech giant also pays a dividend yield, though only 0.49%.

Financially, on May 2nd, Apple reported fiscal 2025 second quarter ended March 29, 2025 results, which showed a revenue of $95.4 billion, a YoY increase of 5%.

This comprises $46.84 billion in revenue from iPhone, $7.95 billion from Mac products, and $6.4 billion in iPad revenue. Services revenue came in at $26.65 billion, while that from the Wearables was $7.52 billion.

“Keep in mind, we did face a more difficult compare against the launch of the Apple Vision Pro in the year-ago quarter as well as the Watch Ultra 2 launched last year.”

– Parekh

But what’s notable is, “Thanks to our high levels of customer loyalty and satisfaction, our installed base of active devices once again reached a new all-time high across all product categories and geographic segments.”

Diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $1.65, an 8% YoY increase. Apple’s strong quarterly results, including double-digit growth in Services, came despite the uncertainty created by tariffs.

Talking about the tariffs’ impact on the business, CEO Cook said it was “limited” due to the company optimizing its supply chain.

“We will manage the company the way we always have with thoughtful and deliberate decisions, with a focus on investing for the long term and with dedication to innovation and the possibilities it creates. As we look ahead, we remain confident.”

– Tim Cook on the earnings call

The EPS growth and $24 billion in operating cash flow allowed Apple to return $29 billion to shareholders. The company also increased the cash dividend by 4% to $0.26 per share and announced an additional program to repurchase up to $100 billion of its common stock. Cook said:

“We continue to plan for annual dividend increases.” 

Interestingly, Apple reported cutting its carbon emissions by 60% over the past decade.

Conclusion

While smartwatches are the most common and widely used wearable technology, researchers are constantly exploring new ways to integrate sensors to monitor vital health metrics in other elements of our lives, such as clothing. 

But smart textiles are much harder as they not only need to ensure comfort but also must undergo regular usage and maintenance, and still maintain their performance. The latest research, with its DIW 3D printing, marks a big moment for wearable fabric as it offers flexibility, comfort, and durability without compromising the sensing performance.

Over time, as the technology gets better, more cost-effective, and scalable, we may see smart t-shirts or socks gain mainstream adoption and become a daily part of our lives.

Click here for a list of top wearable health tracking companies to invest in.

Studies Referenced:

1. Zhao, Z., Liu, W., & Liu, H. (2025). Flexible and durable direct ink writing 3D-printed conductive fabrics for smart wearables. ACS Omega, 10(14), 14138–14149. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c11367