Cuff Controversy and Wearable Jewelry Alternatives

Category: Wearable-Tech / Fashion / Jewelry / Emergent Technologies
Industry: Fashion/ Luxury / Accessories
Location: The Internet / Global
Related to: Fashion / Wearable-Tech / Safety
Reviewer: Sophie Nicole BRIAND – Parsons School of Strategic Design & Management
Company: Cuff
Website: www.cuff.io “out of Business”

Cuff founder Deepa Sood, former VP of product development at Restoration Hardware, created her company to develop a line of jewelry and accessories that would work interchangeably with a pop-out Bluetooth device.
The company was found online at Cuff.io back in 2013. It raised over $5 million dollars and sold Cuff Smart Jewelry to thousands of women online, all charmed by this promising product.

 

Deepa Sood launching CUFF jewelry at Target Open House, 2014. (courtesy image from Fashionxchangemag.com)

CUFF jewelry launch range at Target Open House, 2014. (courtesy image from Fashionxchangemag.com)

 

Since then, the Cuff jewelry has been shipped one by one, if shipped. Generating complaints and rumor of scam. Finally, in early 2016, the company have closed its doors, creating a lot of disappointed customers, to say the least.

As for what Cuff shall have done: Far from a Fitbit clone, these devices have been designed to connect to a network of friends and to get pings from loved ones. Squeezing a piece of Cuff jewelry pings everyone else you know who wears a Cuff, vibrates their Cuff, and shows them your exact location on their phone. In that regard, serving as a high-end panic button or just a way to tell someone where to meet.

 

Filed under “wearables that don’t look like activity bands or men’s watches.”, Cuff  idea was succeful and have open the way to a new segment of wearable-tech.

Here is a list of brand and product that have follow the Cuff step and suceded according to Digital Trends:

  1. The Bellabeat Leaf Urban
  2. Ringly Aries Smart Ring
  3. Ringly Aries Bracelet
  4. Caeden Sona Connected Bracelet

Ringly Aries wearable – courtesy to ringly.com