E-Textiles & Smart Clothing Market

Global E-Textiles & Smart Clothing Market Size (2024 to 2029)

The size of the global e-textiles and smart clothing market is anticipated to be valued at USD 2.88 billion in 2024 and USD 12.86 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 34.88% from 2024 to 2029.

E-textiles or electronic textiles integrate electronic components into the fabric for functional and aesthetic purposes and are mostly used in wearable technology. E-textiles enable the creation of flexible, washable and wearable electronic devices. Smart clothing refers to garments equipped with embedded sensors and connectivity to offer superior user experience and monitor various health and environmental parameters. The usage of e-textiles and smart clothing is majorly seen in fitness trackers, healthcare monitoring and interactive fashion. These technological developments have created a revolution by integrating technology into everyday clothing to offer personalized data insights and provide high-quality comfort and convenience.

The growing acceptance from consumers of wearable technology solutions is leading the way for the expansion of the e-textiles and smart clothing market. People worldwide have realized the importance of health and fitness monitoring and increasingly investing in fabric-based electronics, which has resulted in a surge in demand for smart clothing. Various industries such as healthcare, sports, and fashion have been adopting these technological advancements and incorporating these to develop innovative products to address the growing needs of consumers in regard to health and fitness. With a rising focus on connected lifestyles, the E-textiles and smart clothing market is poised for continuous expansion in the coming years.

Global E-Textiles & Smart Clothing Market Drivers:

The growing awareness of health and fitness and the increasing need for personalized recommendations to improve health and stay fit among people are primarily propelling the growth of the global e-textiles and smart clothing market. In the world of today, people have become health conscious and fuel their efforts to achieve fitness. As part of that, consumers are embracing advanced technologies such as e-textiles and smart clothing for real-time health monitoring. For instance, Hexoskin, which is a smart shirt, has been increasingly used by fitness enthusiasts to measure vital signs during workouts. The growing number of people taking fitness as a priority is expected to result in the increased adoption of wearable technologies including e-textiles and smart clothing and contribute to the global market growth.

The rising demand for wearable tech products is promoting the growth of the e-textiles and smart clothing market. Wearable tech devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and health monitoring devices have gained popularity worldwide and paved the way for the increasing demand for clothing integrated with smart features. The number of wearable shipments worldwide is anticipated to reach 900 million units annually by 2025. In recent years, the interest from consumers to have tech-integrated fashion along with comfort and style has increased considerably. The intersection of technology and the fashion industry is expected to offer numerous growth opportunities to the global e-textiles and smart clothing market.

The rapid adoption of technological advancements in wearables is propelling the growth of the global e-textiles and smart clothing market. Fabric-based electronics have been experiencing continuous innovation such as conductive threads and washable sensors, which is triggering the attention of the consumers and resulting in increased adoption. The companies operating in this segment have been putting rigorous efforts and investments to come up with advanced products to fulfill the constantly evolving demands and needs of the end-consumers. For instance, Xenoma, a Japan-based smart apparel start-up, is trying to develop smart pajamas for sleep monitoring and initiatives as such have been constantly evolving the capabilities of e-textiles.

Furthermore, an increase in the number of advancements in smart fabrics, rapid adoption of e-textiles and smart clothing in the sports industry, growing connectivity and IoT integration and a rising number of corporate wellness programs are favoring the growth of the e-textiles and smart clothing market.

Global E-Textiles & Smart Clothing Market Restraints:

Limited awareness and education about e-textiles in several countries and high production costs of smart fabrics are majorly hampering the growth of the global market. Concerns about durability and longevity, limited standardization in e-textile technology and challenges in washing and maintenance are further impeding the global market growth. Design constraints and aesthetic preferences are a big challenge to the growth of the global market. Lack of integration in mainstream fashion, security and privacy concerns and limited compatibility with existing clothing manufacturing processes are hindering the growth rate of the global e-textiles and smart clothing market.

REPORT COVERAGE:

This research report on the global e-textiles and smart clothing market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on textile type, product type, end-user and region.

Global E-Textiles & Smart Clothing Market - By Textile Type:

• Active Smart
• Passive Smart
• Ultra-Smart

Based on textile type, 42.9% of the global market share was accounted by the active smart segment in 2023 and emerged as the leading segment and the lead of the active smart segment is estimated to continue during the forecast period. The rapid adoption of active smart fabrics in military applications and the increase in the embedding of wearable fitness trackers in clothing are propelling the active smart segment in the global market. For instance, the usage of active smart fabric in military applications is currently experiencing an increase of 15% every year.

The ultra-smart segment is expected to register the fastest CAGR of 15.12% in the global market during the forecast period owing to the growing use of ultra-smart textiles in fashion and entertainment industries. Factors such as the integration of advanced technologies such as flexible displays and LEDs in clothing and the growing demand for interactive and customizable clothing designs are further favoring the growth of the ultra-smart segment in the global market.

Global E-Textiles & Smart Clothing Market - By Product Type:

• Upper Wear
• Lower Wear
• Innerwear
• Others

Based on product type, the upper wear segment had 41.1% of the global market share in 2023 and is expected to continue the domination throughout the forecast period, registering the fastest CAGR of 12.44%. The growing demand for smart jackets and smart shirts is one of the major factors driving the growth of the upper wear segment in the global market. The rapid adoption of upper wear with climate control features for outdoor activities is further contributing to the growth of the upper wear segment.

The lower wear segment was the second largest segment in 2023, accounting for 32.7% of the global market share and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.44% during the forecast period. Factors such as the growing incorporation of flexible displays and lighting in smart pants, the rising popularity of smart leggings with fitness tracking capabilities and increasing demand for connected trousers with gesture control features are primarily propelling the growth of the lower wear segment.

Global E-Textiles & Smart Clothing Market - By End-User Industry:

• Military & Defense
• Sports & Fitness
• Fashion & Entertainment
• Healthcare
• Mining
• Others

Based on the end-user industry, the sports and fitness segment captured 28.2% of the global market share in 2023 and stood as the most dominating segment in the e-textiles and smart clothing market. The sports and fitness segment is predicted to witness a CAGR of 10.44% during the forecast period. The rising popularity of smart sportswear among professional athletes is primarily boosting the growth of the sports and fitness segment in the global market.

The military and defense segment held 16.9% of the global market share in 2023 and is estimated to grow promisingly during the forecast period. The growth of the military and defense segment is majorly attributed to the increasing demand for lightweight and flexible smart fabrics in military uniforms and the rising emphasis on enhanced safety features, such as injury detection and impact resistance. For instance, the use of smart textiles in camouflage clothing is currently seeing a 15% increase every year.

The fashion and entertainment segment is another prominent segment and accounted for 15% of the global market share in 2023. Factors such as the rise in the usage of smart textiles by fashion designers for innovative and interactive clothing, increasing integration of LED lights, sensors, and connectivity in fashion garments and rising acceptance and interest from consumers for personalized and tech-infused apparel are propelling the growth of the fashion and entertainment segment.

Global E-Textiles & Smart Clothing Market - By Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa

Based on region, North America has shown pure domination in the global market in 2023 and held 54.1% of the global market share in 2023 and the domination of the North American region is more likely to continue during the forecast period. The domination of the North American market is primarily driven by the presence of several tech giants such as Google and Apple and an increasing number of start-ups in this space. The demand for smart wearables in fitness and healthcare applications is growing rapidly in North America, which is contributing to the North American market growth. The availability of significant investments to conduct R&D around advanced textile technologies and increasing focus on sustainability is further propelling the growth of the North American market. The U.S. held the largest share of the North American market in 2023 and is expected to continue during the forecast period owing to the high consumer adoption of smart clothing for lifestyle and fashion statements.

Europe occupied a share of 24.3% of the global market in 2023 and is projected to showcase a prominent CAGR during the forecast period. Europe has a favorable regulatory environment for wearable technologies, which is supporting the European market growth. The rising awareness of sustainable and eco-friendly smart clothing options, high consumer interest in personalized and connected fashion experiences and increasing number of initiatives by the governments of European countries to promote innovation in textile technology are promoting the e-textiles and smart clothing market growth in Europe.

The Asia-Pacific is the most lucrative region currently for e-textiles and smart clothing and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 16.57% during the forecast period. The adoption of wearable technologies in Asia-Pacific countries such as China and India is high, which is favoring the APAC e-textiles and smart clothing market. China captured 1^st place in the manufacturing of smart textiles among the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and contributed significantly to the Asia-Pacific to shine in the global market. Rising preference for connected devices and an increase in the fitness-conscious population are further fueling the growth rate of the APAC market.

KEY MARKET PLAYERS:

Companies playing a leading role in the global e-textiles and smart clothing market include Clothing Plus Ltd., AIQ Smart Clothing Inc., Interactive Wear AG, Infinite Corridor Technology (Infinite Water), International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Sensatex AG, I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont), Adidas AG, Ohmatex ApS, Hexoskin, Under Armour Inc., Sensoria Inc., Myant Inc., Peratech Ltd, Infineon Technologies, Fibretronic Limited, Weartech, Tektronix, Inc, Auxetix, Eriksen, Exo2, ThermoSoft International, Gentherm, and System integrators. These companies are at the forefront of integrating technology with textiles to create innovative smart clothing that ranges from fitness and health monitoring apparel to temperature-regulating and interactive garments.