LifeBEAM Smart Hat appeals to your head and your heart

Well, we've got smartwatches, smartphones and even smartsocks, so there's no reason we can't have a smart hat, right?

The LifeBeam Smart Hat really just does one thing -- it's a heart rate monitor.

The battery is removable so you can still wash the hat when it gets a little too sweaty -- it's meant to be worn while running after all, so you'll be shvitzing a little.

The sensor is built into the brim and -- rather than being an optical sensor as used in smartphones or fitness bands -- it's an "aerospace-grade" heart rate monitor.

The battery pack sits at the back near the velcro strap.

The Smart Hat is ANT+ and Bluetooth LE ready, and it'll also work out your calorie expenditure based on your workout.

Other than that, the hat looks pretty much like any other baseball cap you can buy.

The sensor will pair with any app or accessory that's able to work with an external heart sensor.

Sadly, the model that Scott Stein saw at MWC 2015 was non-functioning so he wasn't able to put it through its paces.

The LifeBeam team told Scott that the hat would be available soon. However it looks like they've actually been selling them since last year.

While we're fans of heart-rate sensing fitness bands, optical sensors aren't the most, erm, sensitive of devices, so a monitor with a little more precision could make this a great choice for serious runners.

Besides, if you're running outside you should be wearing a hat anyway to avoid sunburn, or even just glare.

We're also fans of the venting in the hat -- if you're a regular runner, you'll know how sweaty these things get.

Between the LifeBeam, the Sensoria Smart Sock and any number of tech-embedded shoes, fitness fans have a fully connected wardrobe to choose from these days.