Aura at CES 2019 introduced an Apple Watch "Smart Strap" designed to measure weight, water, fat, and muscle via electrodes built into the band. The strap didn't end up launching in 2019, but Aura says that it's set to launch in March 2020, with pre-orders available now.

The Aura Strap, which is priced at $99, claims to allow users to measure their body composition and track their hydration levels and fitness progress. Aura says the band uses bioimpedance to analyze the upper body, tracking lung performance and changes in breathing, comparing that information with pulse data.

aurastrap1
The band is able to assess the risk of heart failure and notify the user, though this is something that newer Apple Watch models can do on their own without the need for an additional strap. Measuring body composition and hydration is not something the Apple Watch can do on its own, though testing will need to be done to see how accurate the Aura strap is in practice.

aurastrap2
The Aura Strap is available in four color options, including black, green, red, and gray, and it attaches to the Apple Watch using the standard Apple Watch lugs. According to Aura, the strap transfers results to the watch "via an ultrasound interface" and it works for up to six months on a single battery. It has the same waterproof specifications as the watch and is able to sync with HealthKit.

Aura is taking pre-orders for the watch as of today, with the device set to begin shipping out to customers starting in March 2020.

Top Rated Comments

cdcastillo Avatar
77 months ago
I want to see the scientific papers on peer-reviewed journals comparing this with clinical measures. Otherwise, is just wishful thinking and snake oil sales. The papers usually come out 1-2 years after a product comes to market (e.g., there have been 2 in the last few months about the apple watch and A-Fib (one about the HEART study in the NEJM, and other using the apple watch to take a 6 lead precordial EKG in other journal, can't remember the name right now).
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MareLuce Avatar
77 months ago
All that but no pulse ox measurement?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
77 months ago
Interesting technology, albeit I question the accuracy. I suspect Apple probably Will release their own version of a watch band like this in the future similarly.

But I think it’s very clear other manufacturers are seeing Apples leading with health related features, thus following by releasing products like this.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gugy Avatar
77 months ago
Looks interesting. I’ll wait until reviews comes out.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dmitrii Avatar
77 months ago

I want to see the scientific papers on peer-reviewed journals comparing this with clinical measures. Otherwise, is just wishful thinking and snake oil sales. The papers usually come out 1-2 years after a product comes to market (e.g., there have been 2 in the last few months about the apple watch and A-Fib (one about the HEART study in the NEJM, and other using the apple watch to take a 6 lead precordial EKG in other journal, can't remember the name right now).

If you can find this please update us!!
The Aura technology detects the RISK of heart failure before its development, i.e. in advance but does not make the diagnosis of AF after its development as in "new Apple Watch models". This is something different as can be seen from the US patent:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=10463260.PN.&OS=PN/10463260&RS=PN/10463260
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
google pixel 10

Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta. Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
Apple Fitness Plus expansion hero

Apple Fitness+ Coming to 28 New Regions With Digital Voice Dubbing

Monday December 8, 2025 6:19 am PST by
Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre. Apple Fitness+ will become available in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and additional regions on December 15, with Japan scheduled to follow early next year....
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...