Fitbit founders return with an LTE health and safety band

Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman have launched Luffu Link, a $250 health and safety wearable designed to operate independently of a nearby phone. The LTE-connected band combines continuous health sensing, location awareness, voice logging and communication with trusted contacts. It is available for pre-order with shipping expected in early 2027.

Luffu's concept is less about competing directly with Apple Watch or Garmin and more about helping families keep track of the wellbeing of children, older relatives or other loved ones without constant manual check-ins. The band works alongside Luffu's broader health application, which uses AI to organize family information and identify changes or patterns over time.

That approach reflects the experience of its founders, who have spoken about the difficulties involved in caring for ageing parents and family members. The product will nevertheless have to navigate difficult privacy questions. Location and health monitoring can be genuinely useful, but users need clear control over who can see sensitive data. Luffu's Fitbit heritage gives the project unusual credibility.