i3 | January 04, 2021

Clean Living: Healthy Home Tech

by 
Steve Koenig

New research from CTA reveals a fast-growing market opportunity for technologies designed to promote health and wellness at home. Known as healthy home technologies, this market includes a wide range of products from air purifiers to fitness solutions. However, despite the healthy appeal of these technologies, most consumers do not know where to start and the perceived cost can be a barrier.

Understanding consumer perspectives on personal and home health can help industry address consumers’ needs while overcoming obstacles to purchase. CTA’s Healthy Home Technologies study (October 2020) reveals 53% of U.S. adults are very concerned for their personal health and wellness, and 55% say their concerns have increased within the past year. Although consumers are spending more time at home because of the pandemic, 86% express some concern about one or more aspects of their home’s current health, such as air and water quality. There is a sizeable market for healthy home tech—some 64 million consumers—where concern for personal health and home health intersect. 

Consumer Awareness

A gigantic constellation of solutions exists at this crossroads with healthy home technologies overlapping adjacent markets like smart home, fitness tech and sleep tech. The category also includes green tech—even building materials and design characteristics—so it is helpful to compartmentalize this broad market in to three categories: cleanliness and security; sensory inputs (e.g., lighting); and environment and design.

Consumers tend to be more aware of cleanliness and security solutions than the other two categories. Products like air purifiers, water filtration systems and digital security solutions are generally well-known and understood. Air quality is a chief home health concern. As a result, 39% of consumers say they own an air purifier.

CTA’s study found consumers are aware of other home health hazards beyond air quality but are unaware of solutions to help mitigate them. In fact, 41% of consumers say they would like to improve the health of their home but do not know where to start. For instance, 58% of consumers say they are familiar with the negative effects of blue light exposure near bedtime on sleep, but just 26% were aware of lighting solutions and/or controls. Even fewer consumers (21%) were aware of sleep-oriented solutions to promote a good night’s rest.

Education is Key

The research findings illustrate a consumer waiting to pounce on home health products. Equally clear is the need for industry to educate consumers on the options available to them. Traditional, online and social media marketing may be best vs. in-store promotions to instruct consumers on healthy home tech. CTA research has documented a sharp and sustained rise in media consumption given consumers are spending more time at home amid the pandemic.

Consumers need to know they can achieve a healthy home without a major renovation. This is where tailored, Do It Yourself (DIY) products come into play—matching solutions with different sized spaces, budgets and performance expectations.

The importance of healthy homes amid the pandemic is obvious but CTA expects this trend to remain long after the crisis abates. This means a potential long-term relationship awaits the brands that are willing to educate and support consumers now on their quest for a healthier household.

Learn about the latest trends and CTA reports during the Research Summit at CES 2021.

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