Skip to main content

Want to fix your terrible posture? This buzzing wearable trains you to sit up straight

We spend a lot of time hunched over our digital devices without much thought as to how it affects our health. Even so, anyone with an office job probably leaves their desk rubbing a very sore and stiff neck at the end of the day. Alex is a wearable that aims to help you stop craning your neck over your digital screens and improve your posture. You can even track your progress in an app.

Its creator, Namu, recently held both Indiegogo and Kickstarter campaigns that were successful, and now the Korean startup is showing it off at MWC 2016 in Barcelona. We took a look at it and tried it on. Here are our first impressions.

Although we’ve seen other behavior-training wearables, Alex isn’t something yo stick on your lower back, clothes, or chair. It’s a little headset that hooks over your ears and hangs around the back of your neck. From that point, the device’s array of embedded sensors can tell when you’re slouching and help you correct it.

The built-in vibration motor trains you to straighten your head and neck out when you start to regress into so-called texting position. It tracks your neck position with a tri-axis motion sensor and connects with your smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0 LE. The Alex packs some flash storage, so that you don’t have to sync your data all the time on its dedicated app. You’ll need to charge it now and then, but it shouldn’t be too often. The company hopes to lengthen it to 10 days for the final version. Status LED lights tell you when it’s on, off, connected, or recharging.

The app itself is easy to use and very clean looking. It simply shows your head position in real time and how good or bad it is with green, yellow, and red color coding. Red is obviously bad, though yellow can also spell trouble if you stay in that position for too long. The app will also show your progress overtime, so you can see if you’re improving your posture.

Why does it matter? Namu says that more than 80 percent of office workers suffer from Forward Head Posture (FHP) or Text Neck, and it can cause health problems down the road, including spinal issues, back pain, neck pain, headaches, and so on. Whether you want to actually wear this thing at work or not is up for debate, but it doesn’t look too conspicuous, especially if you have long hair.

The device costs $70, and if all goes as planned, Indiegogo backers will receive the devices they pre-ordered in June. It’s unknown when and where Namu will sell the Alex, though. In the meantime, you can read more about it here.

Editors' Recommendations

Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
The best Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 screen protectors
Person holding skateboard while wearing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

A new, sleek design and digital bezel help the Galaxy Watch 4 stand out in the crowd and set it apart from the traditional style of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Whether you've picked up a 40mm model with a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED screen or opted for more screen real estate with the 44mm model, that stand-out design needs protecting from scratches and knocks. That means it's time for our picks of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 screen protectors, with something to suit all budgets.

These screen protectors will all fit the 40mm or 44mm models of the Galaxy Watch 4. If you've got a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, these won't fit.
Spigen Glas.tR EZ Fit Screen Protector

Read more
How to remove watch links from the strap on your new watch
how to remove watch links fossil q explorist

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all smartwatch. If your wrists are on the smaller size, then you may find that your new smartwatch is dangling from your wrist and sliding up your forearm. No need to worry — it's a common problem. Chances are there are at least one too many chain links on the strap, but adjusting a metal-link smartwatch band isn't as difficult as you might think — and doesn't usually require a trip to the jewelers.

We'll take you through everything you need to know and the tools you'll need handy to remove links from your smartwatch so it fits snugly on your wrist.

Read more
Best Cyber Monday Deals 2022: Laptops, TVs, AirPods, and more
Best Cyber Monday Deals 2022

Cyber Week is here! With some truly epic deals out there, this is the best time of year to buy a new tech gadget. If you slept through the Black Friday sales, then the Cyber Monday sales, you better grab what you need during this week of slowly diminishing deals. From tablets to air fryers, laptops to smartwatches, we've rounded up the best Cyber Monday deals across a range of categories, and you'll find them all below.
Cyber Monday sales: Quick links

Amazon: Huge discounts on laptops, Echo devices, and tablets
Best Buy: Your destination for sales on super-sized TVs
Dell: Unbeatable discounts on gaming laptops, monitors, and more
Gamestop: Cheap video games, console accessories and monitors
HP: Gaming PCs, laptops, monitors, and printers from $129
Kohl's: Home decor, clothing and kitchen appliance steals
Lowe’s: Up to 60% off appliances like refrigerators and decor
Staples: Save big on laptops, home office hardware and supplies
Target: Tons of cheap kitchen appliances and stocking-fillers
Walmart: Great for laptops, and is restocking PS5 and Xbox Series X

Read more