6 Misconceptions That Could Cost You a Launch

Our appetite for technology that moves with us—on our wrists, over our eyes, on our chests—increases every year. Given their small stature, these wearable devices tend to be low voltage. That means they should carry low risk, right? Not quite.

Product safety is more crucial than ever when users are up close and personal with their devices for hours or full workdays at a time. Our team at Product Safety Consulting has been certifying wearables since their inception. We’ve watched these devices transform from clunky and cumbersome to sleek and super powered. But increased capabilities have only upped the ante for spotting hazards early. 

Let’s dive into the most common (and costly) assumptions we see manufacturers make and separate what flies from what gets flagged.

Can Low Voltage Wearables Still Cause Electric Shock?

Yes, even low voltage wearables can create shock hazards. This is especially true with exposed metal, charging contacts, or prolonged skin contact. Wearables sit directly on the skin, interacting with sweat, moisture, and movement, making fault protection and isolation testing as critical as for larger devices. We test touch current, insulation breakdown, and charging circuitry to identify and help you fix areas where insulation or layout isn’t up to code fast.

Wearables sit directly on the skin, in the mix with sweat, moisture, and movement. That makes fault protection and isolation testing just as critical as it is for larger devices.

What we test: Touch current, insulation breakdown, charging circuitry
Our role: We identify areas where insulation or layout isn’t up to code. Why? To help you fix it fast.

Does Waterproofing Guarantee Wearable Product Safety?

No, waterproofing does not guarantee product safety. While IP68 indicates water resistance, waterproof ≠ safe. Sealing in heat or poorly isolating power under wet conditions is a common failure point. IEC 62368-1 considers whether your waterproof design creates secondary risks, such as trapping heat or allowing conductive materials to corrode near users. We test thermal rise under fault conditions, corrosion, and short-circuit behavior in wet environments, pressure-testing enclosures and simulating sweat to catch these issues ASAP.

IEC 62368-1 isn’t just about water ingress. It pays close attention to whether or not your waterproof design creates secondary risks, like trapping heat or letting conductive materials corrode near users.

What we test: Thermal rise under fault conditions, corrosion, short-circuit behavior in wet environments
Our role: We pressure-test enclosures, simulate sweat, and catch these issues ASAP.

Do Simple Wearables Like Fitness Trackers Require Certification?

Yes, simple wearables like fitness trackers require certification if they have a battery, wireless radio, or charging port, they need to meet IEC 62368-1. We’ve certified everything from heart rate rings to posture monitors. Basic devices often skip formal safety design and fail late in the game. We test charging systems, battery thermal behavior, and low-voltage safety, helping you build certification into your product from the start, not bolt it on later.

We’ve certified everything from heart rate rings to posture monitors. Basic devices are often the ones that skip formal safety design, and end up failing late in the game.

What we test: Charging systems, battery thermal behavior, low-voltage safety
Our role: We help you build certification into your product, not bolt it on later.

Are Small Batteries in Wearables a Safety Risk?

Yes, small batteries in wearables can be a significant safety risk. Small lithium cells can overheat, leak, or catch fire, especially under stress. Wireless charging is even riskier without proper thermal control. We’ve seen swelling batteries, runaway charging, and magnetic connectors that get hot enough to leave their mark. We test battery protection circuits, wireless charge temperature rise, and drop/fault behavior, modeling your worst-case scenarios to help you prevent them before they end up all over social media.

We’ve seen all the hypotheticals come to life: swelling batteries, runaway charging, and magnetic connectors that get hot enough to leave their mark.

What we test: Battery protection circuits, wireless charge temperature rise, drop/fault behavior
Our role: We model your worst-case scenarios and help you prevent them, before they end up all over social media.

Does EMC Testing Alone Ensure Full Wearable Product Safety?

No, EMC testing alone does not ensure full wearable product safety. EMC compliance is just one slice of the safety pie; thermal, shock, optical, and mechanical risks are not covered in a basic emissions test. Different wireless systems (Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS) can also interact unpredictably, especially when a device is worn tightly on the body. We test RF safety, antenna placement, unintended emissions, and interference with safety systems, running full-scope testing in a single plan so nothing falls through the cracks.

Plus, different wireless systems (Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS) can interact in unpredictable ways. This is especially true when a device is worn tightly on the body.

What we test: RF safety, antenna placement, unintended emissions, interference with safety systems
Our role: We run full-scope testing in a single plan, so nothing falls through the cracks.

When Should Wearable Product Safety Be Considered in the Design Process?

Wearable product safety should be considered early in the design process. Most wearables that fail testing do so because of early design decisions like connector placement, board layout, or battery choice. Waiting until post-beta for a safety review leads to higher costs, longer delays, and rushed redesigns. We offer design reviews, pre-compliance risk analysis, and thermal simulations, helping teams build safely from the start instead of scrambling to retrofit safety systems later.

Waiting until post-beta for a safety review means higher costs, longer delays, and rushed redesigns.

What we offer: Design reviews, pre-compliance risk analysis, thermal simulations
Our role: We help teams build safely from the start, instead of scrambling to retrofit safety systems.

Don’t Let Myths Become Dangerous & Expensive Mistakes

Wearable certification often comes with a dose of reality that’s best administered early. The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to your wearable brainchild? No matter how tiny, low voltage, or seemingly harmless, the risks are real. 

And in a category that touches the body, even a minor safety issue can damage your reputation or delay your launch.

Want to know what your design might be missing?

Let’s review it together. Contact Product Safety Consulting at 877-804-3066 or info@1231520.us17.myftpupload.com for a quick pre-compliance consultation. We’ll flag potential issues before they become expensive ones and help you get certified smarter, faster, and safer.