Should it be all wrapped up? Impact of functional area and weight on user comfort of wearable devices based on phase change materials.

The comfort of wearable devices is determined by a variety of design factors. In this study, we developed a cold compress using a phase change material design and explored the effects of functional area and weight on the user experience in a wearable device. A total of 9 groups of 3 (high, medium, and low functional area) × 3 (heavy, moderate, and light weight) were evaluated for coldness sensation, wetness, fabrics texture, fatigue, and wearing comfort. Our study found that the functional area had a significant impact on the wearing experience of the wearable device. The high functional area performed best in terms of coldness and wetness, but poorly in terms of fatigue. Further research demonstrates that a medium functional area may be a better way to design wearables. In addition, it can also provide new design ideas and references for the development of wearable devices through perceptual errors.