User Expectations for Comfort, Discomfort, and Wearability of Wrist-Worn Devices

Abstract

Comfort has been extensively studied and identified as one of the most important factors in the adoption of wearable devices, yet there is still no single commonly accepted definition. Researchers have also examined connections between comfort and discomfort, but less work has connected to the concept of wearability. Extending a 1996 study from Zhang, Helander, and Drury, we conducted three between-subjects surveys designed to account for different definitions, better distinguish between the different constructs, and detect device-specific differences (watch, fitness tracker, smart watch). We found that comfort and wearability may be interchangeable in wrist-wearable research, but discomfort should be considered separately. Device function impacted user expectations for comfort, discomfort, and wearability, meaning that results from research conducted on watches may differ from that of smart watches.