How Is Wearable Tech Influencing the Future of User-Generated Content?

A customer posts a short video showing how a new coffee machine works. Another films a quick repair tutorial in their garage. Someone else shares a clip of a jacket they bought, showing how it fits during an ordinary day. These are the kinds of everyday moments that make user-generated content (UGC) useful to other shoppers.

The way people capture these moments is changing, too. Phones are still the most common tool, but wearable cameras offer another option. They make it possible to film from the wearer’s perspective without having to hold a device or stop what they’re doing.

For ecommerce businesses, this opens up some interesting possibilities. Let’s look at where wearable technology fits into UGC, what the latest research tells us about consumer trust, and how brands can make the most of customer-created content.

Why Point-of-View Footage Feels More Real

A lot of customer videos are filmed with a phone held at arm’s length or propped up nearby. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the result can sometimes feel more like a planned presentation than an everyday experience. Wearable cameras offer a different perspective. Action cameras, clip-on devices and eyeglasses with integrated cameras allow people to record what they’re seeing while keeping their hands free. That can be particularly useful when demonstrating a product in its usual setting, whether it’s preparing a meal, assembling furniture or trying out a new piece of equipment.

Consider an unboxing video. Viewers can follow the process from the person’s perspective, seeing how the packaging opens, how the product is handled and what it looks like outside a studio setup. These details may seem small, but they’re often the things potential buyers want to see before making a purchase.

Professional product photography still has its place. However, a customer showing how an item fits into their home or daily routine can answer questions that carefully staged images don’t always address.

What the Numbers Say

There is a reason brands continue to invest in customer reviews and UGC. Shoppers often want to hear from people who have actually bought and used a product.

Research from Akeneo, covered by Retail Times, found that 65% of UK shoppers trust user reviews more than influencer endorsements. The same report noted that purchases driven by influencer content declined from 54% in 2023 to 50% in 2025.

Wearable technology is also attracting attention. According to Counterpoint Research, global smart glasses shipments increased by 139% year over year in the second half of 2025. AI-enabled models accounted for 88% of shipments, with Meta holding approximately 82% of the market.

These figures measure different things, so they shouldn’t be treated as proof that smart glasses are already a mainstream content creation tool. Most customers still rely on their phones. Still, the figures offer an interesting look at two developments: shoppers continue to value other customers’ opinions, while wearable devices are becoming more visible in the consumer technology market.

What Changes for Creators and Customers

For creators, one of the main advantages of wearable cameras is convenience. There’s no need to find somewhere to prop up a phone or ask someone else to record. A person assembling a piece of furniture can show each step as it happens. A cyclist can document a repair, while someone cooking can film a recipe without having to keep picking up a camera.

The footage also tends to be less planned. A creator might capture a product working particularly well, notice an unexpected detail or share a small problem they encountered. Not every clip will be suitable for a brand’s social media page, of course, but those unpolished moments can give potential customers a better sense of what using a product is actually like.

This approach can be useful for tutorials, too. A first-person recording lets viewers follow the creator’s movements rather than switching between an overhead shot and a close-up. For businesses selling craft supplies, beauty products, tools or kitchen equipment, that perspective can make instructions easier to follow.

The format isn’t right for everything. A detailed product review may still work better with a traditional camera, especially when the creator needs to show their face or explain something directly to the audience. Wearable footage simply gives creators another way to tell the story.

What Brands and Store Owners Can Do

Ecommerce businesses don’t need to invest in wearable cameras to benefit from the growing interest in this type of content. The more useful starting point is to make it easier for customers to share their experiences, whatever device they use.

A post-purchase email, for example, could invite buyers to send a short video showing how they use their new purchase. Keep the request straightforward. Asking someone to demonstrate a product in their own home is likely to produce more natural footage than giving them a detailed script to follow.

There are a few practical steps worth taking:

• Keep submissions simple. Suggest short clips that focus on one product or experience rather than asking customers to produce a complete review.
• Give customers room to be honest. Don’t dictate what they should say or require every video to look like a professional advertisement.
• Ask for permission. Get clear consent before publishing customer footage on product pages, social media or in marketing campaigns.
• Credit the creator. When someone agrees to have their content shared, acknowledge their contribution.
• Choose useful footage. A video showing the actual size, setup or everyday use of a product may be more valuable than one that’s visually impressive but tells shoppers very little.

Customer videos can also work alongside written reviews on product pages. Someone considering a new bag, for instance, might appreciate seeing how it looks when worn, while a buyer researching a kitchen appliance may want to watch it being used before deciding.

The Risks: Privacy, Consent and Quality

Wearable cameras bring up privacy questions that brands shouldn’t overlook. A person recording a product demonstration may unintentionally capture other people in the background. This can be especially sensitive in shops, workplaces, public events and private homes. Customers should be encouraged to consider who else might appear in their footage and obtain permission where necessary.

Recording rules vary by location, and some venues prohibit cameras altogether. Brands should make sure their UGC guidelines explain these considerations rather than assuming that everything recorded can be shared publicly.

There are also questions about ownership and reuse. A customer who posts a video on social media hasn’t automatically given a business permission to use it in an advertisement or on a product page. Get explicit permission and agree on how the footage will be used.

Quality is another consideration. Point-of-view recordings can be shaky, and background noise may make parts of a video difficult to understand. Some editing is reasonable, but brands should avoid changing the context or removing details that would help a potential buyer make an informed decision.

As AI-generated content becomes more common, transparency matters as well. If a video has been significantly altered or generated, it shouldn’t be presented as an untouched recording from a real customer.

Conclusion

Wearable cameras won’t replace smartphones as the main tool for creating user-generated content, nor do they need to. They simply give people another way to share how they use the products they buy.

For ecommerce brands, the value is in seeing products in real situations, rather than relying entirely on carefully prepared marketing material. Whether a customer records with a phone, an action camera or a pair of smart glasses, useful content comes down to the same thing: showing an honest experience that helps someone else decide whether a product is right for them.