{"id":7720,"date":"2026-08-25T17:08:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T17:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7720"},"modified":"2026-08-25T17:08:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T17:08:34","slug":"fitbit-creators-unveil-screenless-wearable-to-help-track-aging-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7720","title":{"rendered":"Fitbit creators unveil screenless wearable to help track aging parents"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Samantha Kelly, Bloomberg<\/strong><\/p>\n

The co-founders of Fitbit, nearly six years after agreeing to sell their company to Alphabet Inc.\u2019s Google, are launching a new type of wearable tracker: a screen-free device to be worn on the wrist, aimed at continuously monitoring family members, including aging parents.<\/p>\n

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The company, called Luffu,\u00a0announced its first hardware product\u00a0Tuesday, prioritizing\u00a0a jewelry-like design over the clunky appearance of traditional medical devices. The news comes as wearable giants like Whoop, Oura, Garmin and Google embrace increasingly sophisticated screenless devices that focus on serving as sensor packs that pair with smartphone apps.<\/p>\n

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Luffu co-founder James Park said in an interview that the new device, called the Luffu Link, and an accompanying app that went into beta testing earlier this year\u00a0are\u00a0designed to help families coordinate care for\u00a0family members.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen location tracking, family calendars, fitness devices, emergency pendants and smart home tools. But at the end of the day, someone still has to manually piece all of these features together,\u201d Park said. \u201cMany AI agents focus on consumer tasks like booking travel or restaurants, but we wanted to build an integrated ecosystem for the family that directly supports safety and care coordination.\u201d<\/p>\n

The $300 ($250 for preorders beginning Tuesday) Luffu Link wearable, launching in blue, black and gold color options early next year,\u00a0supports location sharing, health sensing \u2014\u00a0such as activity, sleep,\u00a0and heart rate \u2014 the ability to get help from family members, and voice logging for medications, meals, mood, doctor visit updates\u00a0and reminders. It offers up to five days of battery life and connects to cellular networks\u00a0to allow for the sending of voice messages orhealth data to trusted contacts without a phone nearby.<\/p>\n

The device syncs its data with the app, which uses AI to\u00a0organize information, identify long-term patterns\u00a0and surface insights for families.\u00a0The system is designed to help caregivers understand in real time what has changed, what requires attention and what steps to take next, Park said.\u00a0 The app will launch broadly in the US later in 2026. It works with a $19 per month subscription, which includes access for four family members.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n

Park and Luffu co-founder Eric Friedman, another member of the Fitbit founding team, sold their prior company for $2.1 billion. Google used the deal to update its wearables and health device strategy, including by recently launching the popular Fitbit Air.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe background for me is deeply personal,\u201d Park said. \u201cMy parents live in Cleveland while I live in San Francisco, so I have to manage their care from afar. I would often learn about a condition only after a critical doctor visit, getting only part of the story, and I didn\u2019t want to constantly call them for updates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Friedman faced a similar challenge while managing care for his children. \u201cIt\u2019s not just us,\u201d Park said. \u201cThere is a massive need. One in four American adults acts as a caregiver, whether for aging parents or children with chronic health needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luffu was built on many of the same key principles from their Fitbit days, Park said. \u201cFitbit was always designed to be accessible, from the user interface to the app,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of that design philosophy comes over, alongside fostering user trust. When Fitbit launched in 2007, we established clear privacy controls ensuring data was not shared with third-party providers without user content, and that commitment carries over to Luffu.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The company plans to eventually expand into the home with a dedicated device designed to assist multiple families across separate households. It didn\u2019t share timing or pricing details for that product.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe view this as an entire ecosystem that can seem alive and care for you and your family,\u201d Park said. \u201cWe also want to create a home experience that feels responsive and attentive. Users will eventually be able to capture information through the home device with or without needing a wearable.\u201d<\/p>\n

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More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com<\/p>\n

\u00a92026 Bloomberg L.P.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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