What's that on their arm? The wearable health trend spotted on Lewis Hamilton, Harry Kane and England footballers

Lewis Hamilton wears one. Premier League footballers wear them. Tennis players, golfers and Olympic athletes do too.

If you've found yourself spotting an unfamiliar strap, sensor or device on someone's arm and wondering what it is, you're not alone.

Over the past few years, wearable health technology has moved from specialist sports science labs into everyday life. What started with simple step counters has evolved into a growing ecosystem of devices that track everything from sleep and recovery to blood sugar readings and metabolic health.

Some look like fabric armbands. Others are small sensors attached to the skin. Increasingly, they're appearing everywhere from Formula 1 paddocks to coffee shops, gyms and office meetings.

So what exactly are these devices, and why are so many people wearing them?

A quick spotter's guide

If you've ever seen somebody wearing an unfamiliar device and wondered what it was, these are some of the most common possibilities.

A fabric strap on the wrist or bicep

This is often a WHOOP tracker. Unlike a smartwatch, it has no screen and focuses primarily on sleep, recovery and physical strain. England footballer Ollie Watkins has been photographed wearing WHOOP on his bicep, demonstrating one of the different ways the device can be worn.

A small round sensor on the back of the upper arm

This is likely to be a CGM such as FreeStyle Libre, Dexcom, Lingo, Stelo or Hilo. These devices continuously monitor glucose levels and are becoming increasingly visible both inside and outside diabetes care.

A ring that looks like ordinary jewellery

This may be a smart ring such as the Oura Ring or Samsung Galaxy Ring. These devices typically focus on sleep, activity and recovery.

A larger watch designed for sport

Many runners, cyclists and endurance athletes use Garmin devices, which are designed around training, navigation and performance metrics.

A smartwatch worn throughout the day

Apple Watch remains one of the most popular wearables in the world, combining health tracking with smartphone-style features such as messaging, navigation and contactless payments.

From Lewis Hamilton to Harry Kane: who's wearing what?

One reason wearable technology has become so visible is that many high-profile athletes, celebrities and public figures have embraced it.

Among recovery-focused wearables, WHOOP has arguably become the most recognisable. Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton is regularly associated with the platform, while golfer Rory McIlroy became both a user and investor. Singer Niall Horan has also publicly discussed using WHOOP, helping introduce the technology to audiences beyond professional sport.

Football has played a major role in bringing wearable technology into the mainstream. Several England players have been seen using WHOOP, including Ollie Watkins, while Harry Kane and Declan Rice have both been linked to the Oura Ring. Former England manager Gareth Southgate and midfielder Conor Gallagher have also been associated with smart ring technology.

The overlap between wearable categories is becoming increasingly obvious. Harry Kane and Rory McIlroy have both invested in Oura, while Abbott, the company behind FreeStyle Libre and Lingo, became a strategic investor in WHOOP in 2026. Other investors in WHOOP have included sporting icons Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James.

A few years ago, these connections would have seemed unlikely. Diabetes technology companies, recovery platforms, sports performance brands and wellness businesses largely operated in separate markets. Today, many of them are moving towards a similar goal: helping people understand sleep, recovery, activity and metabolic health through continuous data collected during everyday life.

The wearables celebrities are using

The wearable boom

The rise of wearable technology reflects a much broader shift in how people think about health.

A decade ago, most health trackers focused on simple activity goals. How many steps had you taken? How many calories had you burned? Had you completed your daily exercise target?

Those questions still matter, but many of today's wearables are attempting to provide a much deeper picture of what is happening inside the body.

Instead of simply measuring movement, modern devices increasingly focus on sleep quality, recovery, stress, heart health, training readiness and even how the body responds to food. In many ways, wearables have evolved from fitness gadgets into personal health companions.

This change has coincided with growing public interest in wellness, longevity and preventative health.

The small sensor everyone is talking about

Perhaps the wearable that generates the most curiosity is not a watch, ring or recovery strap at all.

It is the small round sensor worn on the back of the upper arm.

Unlike WHOOP straps or smart rings, CGMs began as medical technology. Their move into wellness through products such as Lingo, Stelo and Hilo represents one of the biggest shifts currently happening in wearable technology.

Continuous glucose monitors, often referred to as CGMs, were developed to help people living with diabetes monitor blood sugar readings throughout the day and night. Devices such as FreeStyle Libre and Dexcom have transformed diabetes management by providing a much clearer picture of how glucose levels change in response to food, exercise, sleep, illness and everyday life.

Abbott's Lingo, Dexcom's Stelo and newer platforms such as Hilo are introducing glucose monitoring to people interested in nutrition, exercise and metabolic health. Rather than focusing on diabetes management, these products are marketed as tools to help users better understand how their bodies respond to everyday choices.

That shift means glucose sensors are increasingly appearing alongside WHOOP straps, smart rings and fitness watches in conversations about wearable health technology.

For many people, the sensor on someone's arm is now the wearable they are most curious about.

What about the rings?

Not all wearables are worn on the arm.

Smart rings have become one of the fastest-growing areas of wearable technology, offering a more discreet alternative to watches and fitness trackers.

Devices such as the Oura Ring and Samsung Galaxy Ring can track sleep, activity, heart rate and recovery metrics while looking remarkably similar to ordinary jewellery. For many users, that subtlety is part of the attraction.

From performance to prevention

Perhaps the most significant change in wearable technology is that the conversation is no longer just about fitness.

Better sleep, improved wellbeing, healthier habits and long-term health optimisation have become central themes across the industry.

Wearables promise to make some of those invisible processes easier to understand, whether that means tracking recovery, sleep quality, activity levels or blood sugar readings.

Ones to watch

The next wave of wearable technology is already beginning to take shape.

In the smart ring market, Oura is no longer the only major player. Samsung's Galaxy Ring has brought the category into the mainstream, while newer challengers are trying to differentiate themselves through battery life, subscription-free models and additional health insights.

In recovery tracking, WHOOP remains the dominant name, but several rivals are emerging with similar screen-free approaches focused on sleep, recovery and readiness rather than notifications and apps.

Meanwhile, metabolic health is becoming one of the fastest-growing areas of the market. Abbott's Lingo, Dexcom's Stelo and Hilo are introducing glucose monitoring to people interested in nutrition, exercise and wellbeing.

Some of the wearables worth watching include:

• Samsung Galaxy Ring – Bringing smart ring technology into Samsung's wider ecosystem.
• Ultrahuman Ring Air – Combining sleep and recovery tracking with metabolic health insights.
• RingConn Gen 2 – Focusing on long battery life and subscription-free ownership.
• Amazfit Helio Strap – A screen-free recovery tracker targeting WHOOP users.
• Polar 360 – Building on Polar's long history in sports science and heart-rate monitoring.
• Lingo by Abbott – Expanding glucose monitoring into wellness and nutrition.
• Stelo by Dexcom – Introducing CGM technology to consumers interested in metabolic health.
• Hilo – A UK-focused platform combining glucose monitoring with personalised health insights.
• WHOOP MG – Expanding beyond recovery into broader health monitoring.

What makes these developments particularly interesting is that the boundaries between categories are becoming increasingly blurred. Whether worn as a strap, ring, watch or sensor, future wearables are likely to provide a more complete picture of sleep, recovery, activity and metabolic health.

What's next?

Ten years ago, most people had never heard of WHOOP, Oura, Lingo or Stelo. Today, wearable health technology is appearing everywhere from Premier League training grounds and Formula 1 paddocks to offices, coffee shops and airport departure lounges.

The next time you spot a strap, ring or sensor and wonder what it is, the answer may be surprisingly simple.

Someone is trying to understand their health a little better.

About the editor

Samantha is editor of Libre Life and founder of Love My Libre. She writes about diabetes medtech, CGM wear, hybrid-closed loop systems and practical real-world device use.