Wearable adoption more than doubled in past two years

The adoption of wearables has skyrocketed, rising from 21 percent of the U.S. population in 2014 to 49 percent in 2016, according to a report by consulting firm PwC.

And parents are significantly more likely to own not just one, but multiple wearable devices, the report said. About 36 percent of respondents own more than one wearable.

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PwC’s report, “The Wearable Life: Connected Living in a Wearable World,” is an update to a report the company created in 2014. PwC created the report to better understand the wearable tech landscape and identify trends and opportunities.

The report was based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers responding to an online survey. And it noted that “the 49 percent of respondents who say they own a wearable could be slightly inflated: our definition notwithstanding, many consumers think of their smartphones as wearables.” PwC conducted a similar survey in 2014.

It found that the No. 1 reason people buy these devices is to improve their own health (no duh). The wearables include fitness trackers/bands, smart glasses, smart watches, smart clothing, and other wearable devices. This includes, but is not limited to, products such as Fitbit, Google Glass, GoPro, and Apple Watch.

Both men and women like their wearables, however, men are more likely to own smart watches and smart glasses than their female counterparts, PwC said. And, not surprisingly, millennials are far more likely to own wearables than older adults. Adoption of wearables declines with age, the report said.

The report found that consumers aged 35 to 49 are most likely to own smart watches.