The co-founders of Fitbit, nearly six years after agreeing to sell their company to Google, are launching a new type of wearable tracker: a screen-free device to be worn on the wrist, aimed at continuously monitoring family members, including aging parents.
Their new company, called Luffu, announced its first hardware product last month, prioritizing a jewelry-like design over the clunky appearance of traditional medical devices. The news comes as wearable giants like Whoop, Oura, Garmin and Google embrace increasingly sophisticated screenless devices that focus on serving as sensor packs that pair with smartphone apps.
Luffu co-founder James Park said in an interview that the new device, called the Luffu Link, and an accompanying app that went into beta testing earlier this year, are designed to help families coordinate care for family members.
“We’ve seen location tracking, family calendars, fitness devices, emergency pendants and smart home tools. But at the end of the day, someone still has to manually piece all of these features together,” Park said. “Many AI agents focus on consumer tasks like booking travel or restaurants, but we wanted to build an integrated ecosystem for the family that directly supports safety and care coordination.”
The $300 Luffu Link wearable, launching in blue, black and gold color options early next year, supports location sharing, health sensing — such as activity, sleep, and heart rate — the ability to get help from family members, and voice logging for medications, meals, mood, doctor visit updates and reminders.
It offers up to five days of battery life and connects to cellular networks to allow for the sending of voice messages or health data to trusted contacts without a phone nearby.
The device syncs its data with the app, which uses AI to organize information, identify long-term patterns and surface insights for families. The system is designed to help caregivers understand in real time what has changed, what requires attention and what steps to take next, Park said.
The app will launch broadly in the U.S. later this year. It works with a $19 per month subscription, which includes access for four family members.
Park and Luffu co-founder Eric Friedman, another member of the Fitbit founding team, sold their prior company for $2.1 billion. Google used the deal to update its wearables and health device strategy, including by recently launching the popular Fitbit Air.
“The background for me is deeply personal,” Park said. “My parents live in Cleveland while I live in San Francisco, so I have to manage their care from afar. I would often learn about a condition only after a critical doctor visit, getting only part of the story, and I didn’t want to constantly call them for updates.”
Friedman faced a similar challenge while managing care for his children. “It’s not just us,” Park said. “There is a massive need. One in four American adults acts as a caregiver, whether for aging parents or children with chronic health needs.”
Luffu was built on many of the same key principles from their Fitbit days, Park said.
The company plans to eventually expand into the home with a dedicated device designed to assist multiple families across separate households.
“We view this as an entire ecosystem that can seem alive and care for you and your family,” Park said. “We also want to create a home experience that feels responsive and attentive. Users will eventually be able to capture information through the home device with or without needing a wearable.”