Smart Clothing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Textile (Active, Passive, Ultra Smart), By Product (Apparel, Footwear, Wearable Patches), By Distribution Channel (Offline, Online), By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2024 - 2030

Report Overview

The global smart clothing market size was valued at USD 3.95 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.2% from 2024 to 2030. The market is experiencing significant growth, particularly in the healthcare & sports sectors, owing to the increasing awareness of health and fitness in day-to-day life. Smart clothing offers a range of features, including activity tracking, biometric monitoring, and performance enhancement, enabling individuals to optimize workout routines, monitor health metrics, and enhance overall well-being.

Smart clothing, also known as high-tech clothing, smart wear, electronic textiles, or smart fabrics, is designed to monitor the wearer's health by providing biometric information such as heart rate, body temperature, muscle tension, and pulse rate. Advancements in wearable sensors, textile technology, and data analytics have propelled the evolution of smart clothing. This change is marked by the seamless integration of microcontrollers, sensors, and connectivity technologies directly into garments, enabling real-time monitoring of body movements, vital signs, and other crucial biometric data. With ongoing technological advancements, smart clothing is gaining greater comfort, sophistication, and user-friendliness, increasing its adoption across various applications.

Textile Insights

Based on textile, passive smart textile segment dominated the global market and accounted for the largest revenue share in 2023. Some examples of passive smart clothing are UV-protective clothing, cooling textile products, anti-microbial clothing, and more. These products do not consist of any electronic items such as sensors or wires. Yet, the fabric and manufacturing features possess technology-driven expertise to assist wearers in certain environments and situations.  

The growth is owing to active smart textile’s ability to sense and respond to stimuli, a feature beneficial in numerous applications across various end-user industries. For instance, using phase-change materials facilitates efficient heat storage and transfer. This textile type finds application in creating outfits for firefighting, sports, and defense.

The ultra-smart textile segment is expected to experience the fastest CAGR from 2024 to 2030. Ultra-smart textiles are third-generation smart textiles distinguished by their ability to respond, sense and adjust to environment.

Product Insights

The apparel segment held the largest revenue share of the global market in 2023. This is attributed to successful demonstrations of innovative developments backed by research, an increasing number of companies investing to deliver smart apparels, rising demand for assistive clothing products from various industries, including sports, defense, and others. Increasing awareness regarding benefits provided by a combination of smart technology and textile innovation is expected to generate higher demand for this segment during the forecast period.

The footwear segment is projected to experience a significant CAGR from 2024 to 2030. The projected growth of this segment is primarily driven by factors such as growing demand from the defense industry, rising investments by governments, institutes, and organizations in the development of smart shoes equipped with advanced technology, and increasing adoption of existing products by users in outdoor activities such as sports, trekking, hiking, and others.

Distribution Channel Insights

The offline distribution segment dominated the smart clothing market in 2023. Traditional retail channels, such as physical outlets & brick-and-mortar stores, play a crucial role in purchasing behavior of consumers. Consumers still prefer these settings as it provides in-person shopping experience, which helps them physically interacting with the experts and try on these products before making a purchase decision.

The online distribution segment is expected to experience the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The anticipated growth is primarily influenced by factors such as the increasing growing market penetration through mobile applications and internet usage, online shopping platform development by multiple companies, and more. The growing demand for online shopping experience characterized by additional services such as return & refund, doorstep delivery, display of reviews shared by previous buyers, and detailed product description and material information availability has also been contributing to the growth of this segment.

End Use Insights

Based on end use, the mining industry segment accounted for the largest revenue share of the global market in 2023. The use of multiple passive smart textile-based products such as clothing characterized with enhanced visibility, waterproofing materials, heat resistant fabric and more are integral in operational efficiency of mining workers. In addition, organizations have been investing in research & development for innovative smart clothing products that can assist professionals working in the mining industry.

Sports & fitness segment is expected to grow at fastest CAGR of 29.1% from 2024 to 2030. This segment is mainly driven by the factors such as increasing awareness regarding role of sports and fitness activities in human wellbeing, rise in demand for active smart clothing by individuals participating in sporting events for enhanced performance monitoring and growing availability of smart apparel, footwear, and other products dedicated for sports and fitness activities.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the global smart clothing market and accounted for a revenue share of 39.0% in 2023. Growth of this market is primarily influenced by factors such as availability and accessibility of smart clothing products in the region, the presence of multiple major companies offering related products, huge investments in research & development, and growing participation in sports and outdoor activities.

U.S. Smart Clothing Market Trends

The U.S. smart clothing market held the largest revenue share of the regional industry. Demand for smart clothing solutions equipped with advanced technology, comfort, and durability from the military and defense industry in the country primarily influences the market growth. In addition, the rising use of smart apparel and smart footwear by sports teams and individuals in the U.S. are expected to propel the market growth during the forecast period.

Europe Smart Clothing Market Trends

Europe is identified as one of the lucrative regions for the smart clothing market in 2023. The presence of multiple end use businesses in the region, including healthcare, defense, mining, and others, influences the market growth. Technological advancements in electronic product development, demand for improved textile solutions for sports and fitness, and innovation backed by enhanced research and development in the domain are expected to fuel the growth in the coming years.

Asia Pacific Smart Clothing Market Trends

Asia Pacific smart clothing market is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 30.1% from 2024 to 2030. This is attributed to large-scale infrastructural development, resulting in growing demand for safety equipment and clothing for professionals and personnel operating in extreme or hazardous environments. India smart clothing market is expected to experience significant growth during the forecast period. Increased participation in sports and fitness, entry of multiple global businesses in the country considering its growing economy, and presence of a large group of potential customers who are of age between 18 to 35 are some of the key growth driving factors for this market.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Some of the key companies operating in the smart clothing market are AiQ Smart Clothing, Sensoria Inc., Myzone, Siren, DuPont and others. Prominent firms have used product launches and developments, followed by expansions, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, agreements, partnerships, and collaborations, as their primary business strategy to increase their market share. The companies have used various techniques to enhance market penetration and boost their position in the competitive industry.

For instance, in April 2023, researchers at the University of Waterloo achieved a breakthrough by developing a pioneering 'smart fabric.' This fabric is crafted from polymer nano-composite fibers containing embedded stainless-steel wires. The fabric exhibits a unique response to both heat and electricity. When subjected to heat, the embedded wires contract, leading to a change in fabric shape. Additionally, the fabric can be controlled using electricity to alter its form.

• Sensoria Inc., a major market participant in the technology and innovation industry, offers smart socks, equipped with advanced technology and comforting fabric. The smart clothing portfolio offering of the company is characterized with properties such as cadence monitoring, foot landing monitoring assisted by pressure sensors, real-time feedback and more.

Recent Developments 

• In June 2024, Nike and Hyperice unveiled new boots (Nike x Hyperice boot) and vest (Nike x Hyperice vest ) that enhances athletes recovery & warm up efforts. The Nike x Hyperice boot on demand offers heat & air-compression massage for athletes’ ankles & feet.

Smart Clothing Market Report Scope

Global Smart Clothing Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2020 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the smart clothing market report based on textile, product, distribution channel, end use, and region:

• Textile Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020 - 2030)

  • Active Smart

  • Passive Smart

  • Ultra Smart

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020 - 2030)

  • Apparel

  • Footwear

  • Wearable Patches

  • Others

• Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020 - 2030)

  • Offline

  • Online

• End Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020 - 2030)

  • Military & Defense

  • Sports & Fitness

  • Fashion & Entertainment

  • Healthcare

  • Mining

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • UK

    • Germany

    • France

  • Asia Pacific

    • Japan

    • China

    • India

    • Australia

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East and Africa (MEA)

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE