hDrop Gen 2 Receives a Special Mention in TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026
TIME recognizes hDrop Gen 2 as we take the next step toward making personalized sweat data available to more athletes.
hDrop Gen 2 has received a Special Mention in TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026. For our team, it is a moment to celebrate the work behind our reusable sweat sensor and the athletes who have helped shape it.
Published on October 15, TIME’s feature highlights hDrop’s integration with Wahoo ELEMNT GPS cycling computers, which brings live sweat and electrolyte data to compatible devices. It reflects an important part of our mission: making personal sweat information accessible within the training tools athletes already use.
Read the hDrop Gen 2 feature in TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026 Special Mentions.
A milestone for hDrop and our athletes
From everyday training sessions to race preparation, athletes have helped us understand where sweat data can be most useful. Their questions, feedback and experience continue to guide our development.
“We’re incredibly proud to receive this recognition from TIME. It reflects years of work from our team and the support of the athletes and partners who have helped us get here.”
Adria Abella, co-founder of hDrop
Sweat data during the sessions that matter
hDrop Gen 2 is a reusable sweat sensor designed for athletic training and racing. It uses electrode sensing and analog readings to measure sweat rate and electrolyte-related signals, bringing athletes real-time information on sodium concentration and cumulative fluid and electrolyte losses.
A single sweat test provides information from one set of conditions. Continuous monitoring lets athletes see how their losses change during a workout and compare results across sessions. That makes sweat data something they can return to throughout a training block, rather than a number collected once and assumed to stay the same.
With a fully reusable sensing surface, hDrop does not require a new disposable patch for every session. Athletes can follow their results in the hDrop app or on compatible training devices and use those insights when planning hydration for future efforts.
Explore the science behind hDrop’s sweat-sensing technology.
Introducing the hDrop Sweat IC
Alongside this recognition for Gen 2, we are introducing the hDrop Industry Collaboration Program. The program invites wearable manufacturers to explore bringing sweat and electrolyte sensing into their own products.
At its center is the hDrop Sweat Integrated Circuit, or Sweat IC, a chip currently in development. It is designed to combine hDrop’s sweat-sensing technology and signal processing with compatible skin-contact electrodes, supporting electronics and product-specific calibration.
The intended outputs include sweat rate, sodium concentration, and cumulative fluid and sodium losses. Manufacturers could use these outputs to develop hydration-related features within their own hardware and software, without developing the underlying sweat-sensing technology from scratch.
New possibilities for skin-contact wearables
One application we are exploring is using ECG electrodes for both heart-rate monitoring and sweat sensing. This could bring additional capabilities to chest straps, armbands and other skin-contact wearables, subject to electrode compatibility, technical evaluation and calibration.
Through the collaboration program, we are working with interested manufacturers to evaluate those requirements and discuss development kit opportunities. This work complements our standalone wearable business, which we continue to develop and support.
Explore what comes next
Thank you to the athletes, partners and team members who have helped bring hDrop to this point. We are proud of the TIME Special Mention and excited to keep developing tools that make personal sweat data more useful in training and racing.
For athletes: Explore the hDrop Gen 2 reusable sweat sensor.
For manufacturers: Learn about hDrop OEM sensor integration or contact our team to discuss an evaluation or development kit.