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At the World's Fair Nano in San Francisco, multiple companies were hawking their wearable wares. The diversity in the category indicates that wearables are still unsolidified as a product category: Each company seems to be wondering "Should the design be led by technology/function, the user experience, or aesthetics?"

In the next few entries we'll cover some of what we saw on display. Let us know your thoughts on the practicality, desirability and/or usefulness, if any, of these items. First up:

Ashley Chloe's Helix Wearable Cuffs

These are a pair of stereo earbuds connected to each other by a cable. At the midpoint of the cable hangs the controller. The earbuds do not physically connect to your phone/device, using Bluetooth instead.

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The earbuds are designed, when not in use, to be stored within a compartment in the attendant bracelet. 

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The bracelets come in a variety of colors.

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So the key distinction of this product appears to be that the earbuds are always conveniently (if you like bracelets) on hand--assuming you don't find the process of inserting or removing the buds into the bracelet a hassle:

What consumers have to decide:

An obvious competitor to the Helix is Apple's AirPods ($159 vs. Helix's $149), which have no cables and are stowed in a little pillbox when not in use. The different approaches taken by each product necessitate some decisions on what type of user experience the wearer wants to have:

- Do I prefer the physicality of the button control on the Helix, or the tap interface on the AirPods?

- Do I want a cable connecting the earbuds or not? Do I want the weight of a separate controller, however light, attached to a cable?

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- Do I prefer to store the earbuds in a bracelet around my wrist, or in a pillbox which must then be stored in a pocket or bag?

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- When I need to hit "pause," do I want to physically remove an earbud from my ear, as I must do with the AirPods, or tap a button on the Helix controller, allowing the earbuds to remain in place (and both hands to remain free)?

- The bracelets are visible on the body. Do I want to make a fashion statement?

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Assuming the sound quality and noise-canceling technology between both platforms are equal, which product do you find superior? I suspect it all comes down to personal preference, with there being no one "right" answer. Which is what makes wearables such a tricky category to tackle.