Sygnal calls itself the world’s first “smart fitness t-shirt”. Find out how the t-shirt works today in our review.
What Is Sygnal?
Sygnal is a t-shirt that improves your fitness while “redefining” navigation. It’s a smart t-shirt that comes with features you’d normally only see on smartphones or fitness trackers. The t-shirt can count your steps, for example, count the number of floors climbed, display the number of calories burned, display the distance walked and ran, and even provide smart GPS navigation.
Sygnal’s navigation feature is unique in the clothing industry: the t-shirt will vibrate when you need to make a turn. You just plug your destination into the Sygnal app, then put your phone in your pocket. The t-shirt will vibrate your left or right shoulder when you need to make a turn.
Sygnal is made by a Bangalore, India-based company called Broadcast Wearables Pvt Ltd. There are two products offered by the company, including a Cyclists’ Jersey and a Fitness T-Shirt.
In promotional videos, we see people wearing the shirt while cycling. When the cyclist raises his arm to indicate a left turn, for example, blinkers appear on the left shoulder indicating a left turn.
Sygnal Features
Here are all of the features you can expect to find on your Sygnal cycling shirt or smart t-shirt:
Cycling Shirt
Designed for cyclists, the cycling shirt features lights and turn signals that can make you safer and more visible on city streets.
- Independent Unit: You don’t need a phone or any other device to use Sygnal.
- Turn Indicators: The cyclist shirt has turn indicators. When you raise your arm to indicate a turn, the t-shirt detects this movement and will flash lights down your left shoulder, making it easy for drivers behind you to see where you’re going.
- Rear Lights: The cyclist jersey also has rear lights on your back, near your neck. The jersey’s LED lights can be switched on or off, depending on the situation.
- Soft Switch: The cyclist jerseys have a soft switch that can be used to switch electronics on or off. The switch is non-intrusive and won’t cause any discomfort. When turned off, it’s just an ordinary shirt.
Smart T-Shirt
The Sygnal smart t-shirt offers surprisingly robust fitness tracking – similar to what you’d find on fitness trackers or smartphones. Here are all of the features bundled into your shirt:
- Track Steps: The shirt tracks the number of steps you’ve taken all day.
- Track Floors Climbed: Track the number of floors and stairs you’ve climbed throughout the day.
- Calorie Burning: Sygnal automatically detects exercises to determine your calorie burning.
- Track the Distance Walked/Run: Know the distance you’ve walked or run, even if you’re exercising on a treadmill.
- Navigate to a Desired Location: Sygnal’s app will navigate you to a destination without having to resort to Google Maps or other navigation tools. You won’t even need to check the app to navigate: the t-shirt will vibrate slightly on your shoulder to tell you which direction you need to go.
- Waterproof: The Sygnal smart t-shirt is waterproof and washable. The electronics will not be damaged in a washing machine.
- Rechargeable Battery: The Sygnal battery lasts 5 days.
About Broadcast Wearables
Sygnal is made by a company called Broadcast Wearables Pvt Ltd. You can contact the company using the email form. The company is based in Hyderabad, Telangana, India (although their crowdfunding profile mentions a location in Bangalore).
You can find Broadcast Wearables online at BroadcastWear.com. The company explains that they started as “an idle discussion between friends”. That discussion eventually led to the creation of the world’s first programmable, touch-enabled t-shirt. They’re also working on creating a wearable phone.
Should You Buy Sygnal?
Sygnal is a type of smart t-shirt made by a Hyderabad, India-based company. The t-shirt is available in two versions: a cyclist jersey or as a fitness tracking t-shirt.
The cyclist jersey has turn signals and LED lights built into the back, while the fitness tracking shirt tracks your steps, activities, and calories throughout the day. The shirt also has built-in navigation. You use the Sygnal app to enter your destination, then the t-shirt vibrates on your shoulders when you need to make a turn.
Sygnal is a unique product created by a new tech company from India. Last year, that company launched the world’s first touch-enabled, programmable t-shirt (called Broadcast) as well as a light-up clothing called Jaltee.
With Sygnal, they hope to replicate the success of these products with another innovative article of clothing.
