Accessories

It’s clear wearables are taking the tech world by storm. Trends have shown that 2016 could be the year of truly ‘smart’ and helpful clothing as tech merges with our outfits, shoes, bras, and more. The big trend this year is clothing. At CES earlier this year, we saw lots of new products that will be coming to market sometime in 2016. Which means we’ll see awesome products being released throughout the year, but if you want to make your clothing smart now, here’s some amazing products to try.

This is the official announcement of the iPhone life Biweekly Giveaway! Be sure to enter the giveaway at iphoneLife.com/giveaways to win prizes, which we'll announce April 18! We are raffling off tons of great accessories for FREE.

Over the years I've written a lot about great Bluetooth speakers, in particular great Bluetooth speakers that are rugged and outdoor friendly. One of the most common questions I receive in the comments section of these articles has been, "Out of all the rugged speakers, which has the best sound and the loudest volume?" Do I ever have an answer for you now! Not only does this new Bluetooth speaker from Monster boast some of the loudest, most robust audio of any Bluetooth speaker I've come across, rugged or otherwise, it is packed with features that elevate it so far above the competition that it is in a league of its own.

One of the best use cases of the "Internet of Things" is the ability to track your valuables. Thanks to low-power Bluetooth, you can have a Bluetooth tracking tag attached to your purse, briefcase, wallet, etc., and not worry about changing batteries every month. The Chipolo ($29.95) goes even further. The included coin-size battery lasts for six months, and to be safe, the company includes a second battery, for a total of one year of use. This is a nice touch, because such batteries aren't as easy to find as AA and AAA batteries.

Apple and high-fashion brand Hermes have had a partnership for awhile now. At first the special edition Hermes watch was available in select stores and was eventually sold online. Now you’ll be able to buy just the Hermes watch bands to accompany your significantly less expensive Apple Watch. The bands will be available in single tour, double tour, and cuff with new colors debuting too. But you’ll still have to pay a pretty penny to get one.

When it comes to tech products people usually just go with the flow when it comes to style and design. They like their iPhones and iPads to look good, but the accessories usually just serve a purpose. If you are looking for the best external batteries to charge your iPhone on the go, you may not pay much attention to design. But Moshi wants you to love the way your accessories look just as much as you love the design of your iDevices. This design dedication is noticeable with the Moshi IonBanks.

If you have an iPad Pro, you probably also bought the $99 Apple Pencil, because the iPad Pro really only shines with a Pencil. The problem is that Apple doesn't make it very convenient to store that Pencil when not in use. That's where the Magic Pencil Holder comes in. It attaches to your iPad magnetically, so you don't leave any residue on your expensive new tablet, and when you don't want it, you can tuck it away. At the $39 pre-order price, it's quite attractive especially compared to the $79 MSRP.