Fitbit's success in the wearables market is due to its popularity among older consumers, new study finds

Apple, Fitbit, Garmin and Samsung are amongst the biggest players in the US wearables space. A recent study by Parks Associates broke this market down by age-range. It found that, among American households with high-speed internet polled, 68% of the respondents aged 55 to 64 years owned a Fitbit device.

In addition, 60% of the participants aged 65 years or more owned a wearable from the same brand. This may be due to a stronger interest in health-tracking as opposed to general device functions among more senior consumers. Ironically, the new study recommended that wearable companies diversify in terms of features and functions in order to succeed in the market as researched.

On that note, it was also concluded that 79% of those who owned Samsung wearables regularly received message or email notifications on these devices, as did 75% of Apple Watch owners. Furthermore, such users were more likely to use their wearable to access information such as weather or news updates, not to mention control their music, compared to those associated with other brands.

This may or may not be good news for Google, a company that has recently absorbed Fitbit. The OEM is thought to have done so as part of a new "land-grab" for consumer data, most likely related to health and fitness.