A peek at emerging products from the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design. Explore the grid below or click through for a slideshow.
X One E-Bike With Facial Recognition
The next generation of the X One e-bike is here. The X One (starting at $3,999 MSRP) launched on Indiegogo with a bunch of features new to the bike industry. It’s got a smart screen with facial recognition, voice command functions, and kinetic turn signals that activate through your eye movement. The X One has an aluminum frame and should reach speeds up to 28 mph (45 km/hr). The bike is powered by a 750W/42V rechargeable battery.
xFyro xS2 Waterproof, Wireless Earbuds
These new earbuds from xFyro are not only wireless but also waterproof. The xS2 earbuds ($40) come inside a protective case that doubles as a power bank, are fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating, and have a Bluetooth connection range up to 50 feet. Whether or not you’re getting them wet during watersports, these wireless earbuds should deliver on style and sound.
Greenbelly Backpacking Mud Meals
A food company founded by thru-hikers is out with its latest project: a drinkable backpacking meal in a bag. The Mud Meals ($6-7 each) come in two flavors and contain a whopping 600 calories each. They’re a perfect trail boost. The meals contain ingredients like avocado, vanilla, monkfruit, matcha, and macadamia nut. We haven’t taste-tested them yet, but the just-add-water, no-stove concept is intriguing.
Black Diamond Mission LT Approach Shoes
Black Diamond’s newest Mission LT shoes are engineered for approaches without sacrificing comfort. And they actually look comfortable. The Mission LT ($140) shoe has a sock-like fit reinforced by a webbing cinch system with a breathable knit upper, a high-performance rubber sole, and, of course, webbing loops for securing to your pack when not in use. It’s available now for men and women.
Ballo Cork Eco Sunglasses
South African brand Ballo’s new sunglasses enter the sustainable sphere with cork and recycled canvas construction. The Cork sunglasses ($69 and up) are lightweight, can float in water, and are carbon-neutral. Besides the sustainably sourced frames, the glasses have CR39 lenses with your choice of polarized or UV400 ratings.
Evil Chamois Hagar Gravel Bike
Evil Bikes’ latest invention is its take on a hardcore gravel bike. The Chamois Hagar (starting at $4,799) brings a mountain bike style to gravel, with a shorter stem, longer top tube, and a carbon frame. Build the bike out with your choice of SRAM or Shimano GRX shifters, brakes, and derailleurs as well as 1X and 2X gear options. It’s built to be steady on the downhill, singletrack, or wherever you find yourself riding.
RideEasy Line Snowboard Footrest
RideEasy Snowsports has created something pretty cool — a retractable footrest for snowboarders to use on lifts. The RideEasy Line ($40) is both a snowboard rest and board lock. It easily retracts to fit in the 3-inch-tall unit, which easily secures to board bindings. The RideEasy comes in two different heights and consists of a reinforced combination lock and strengthened cable.
Title Nine Reversible Running Tights
Female-owned company Title Nine is making more than just apparel with the addition of its new running gear. The women’s Mad Dash reversible tights ($99) were invented for active women on the go with a 2-in-1 design. The tights have both solid and patterned sides, drop-in pockets, an adjustable waistband, and reflective accents, so you can run no matter the time of day.
Mophie Powerstation Go
Power banks aren’t often big news, but this one could be. The Mophie Powerstation Go ($160) functions as a power bank as well as a tool to jumpstart your car. It’s the brand’s first foray into jumpstarters. The Powerstation has two USB ports, spark-proof jumper cables, and wireless charging. It’s a bit expensive for a power bank, but the price seems great considering the portable jumpstart feature. The Powerstation Go launched at CES this week and hit the market today.
Suunto 7 GPS Sports Watch
A long-awaited launch in the watch industry, the Suunto 7 ($499) is finally here. The new Suunto watch integrates Google’s Wear OS system with a new interface via features like a full-color touchscreen, over 70 sport modes with exercise tracking, and offline maps. The watch uses a combination of GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo navigation systems. Suunto will start filling orders on January 31.
2020 DPS Pagoda Piste 90 RP Skis
DPS’ classic RP-tapered ski is now available in new styles and widths for 2020. The Pagoda Piste 90 RP is meant to be playful on the slopes while still offering lots of carving power. With these new skis, DPS is testing out a new method of combining hardwood and carbon in the skis’ core and sidewall construction. The skis will be available to check out later this month. They’ll put you back $1,299, though.
BioLite 200 Headlamp
Headlamps are a necessary piece of gear if you’re recreating in the outdoors. For those of us who don’t want to hassle with batteries, a rechargeable headlamp is a great option. The new BioLite HeadLamp 200 ($45) is an ultra-lightweight (only 50 g) model with a 200-lumen light, one-handed tilt, and white, red, dim, and strobe modes. The new 200-lumen model can run for up to 40 hours on low mode and 3 hours on high.
