Exoskeletons & Body Wearables

Buying advice

Split the list by who it serves

This page spans workplace supports, personal mobility devices and clinical rehabilitation systems, and the price gap between them is wide. On the October 2026 review, the Sarcos Guardian XO carried the top sticker at roughly $100,000 and the Apollo Neuro the smallest at roughly $399, and one listing asked for a quote instead. Where a listing is a rehabilitation system, such as those from Fourier and Ottobock, the purchase belongs with a care team and a prescription. Workplace and personal devices are bought more like tools or sports equipment, and you can judge them through supervised trial wear.

Ask which safety framework the maker used

A powered exoskeleton for industrial use is likely to fall within the EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, so ask the maker for its declaration of conformity and the standards it applied. Passive designs with no drive system may sit under other rules, and the maker should say which. ISO 13482:2014 sets safety requirements for personal care robots, including physical assistant robots worn by people, and excludes medical devices, so ask whether a powered personal model was assessed against it. Sellers who cannot name the framework behind a product are hard to hold to account after an injury.

Ask for evidence on tasks like yours

A device that helps with overhead work may do little for lifting from the floor, and the reverse is also true. Ask each maker for studies on tasks like yours, ideally independent ones, and whether any showed load shifting to another part of the body. Bring occupational health into the trial, record discomfort as well as output, and include workers of different builds so you are not sizing for the volunteers alone. For powered units, ask about battery swaps mid-shift, charging space and who repairs a damaged strap or actuator on site.

What to look for

• Passive or powered, and which joints it supports for your tasks
• Size range, time to put on and take off, and comfort across a shift
• For clinical use, its regulatory status in your country and setting

Common questions

What is the difference between passive and powered exoskeletons?

Passive exoskeletons use springs and structure to share the load, with no motors or batteries. Powered models add actuators for more assistance, at higher cost and weight.

Can rehabilitation exoskeletons be used at home?

Some are built for clinics and others for personal use, depending on the model and local regulation. Talk to your care team first, then request a quote with your setting in mind.

Sources and further reading

• ISO 13482:2014 Safety requirements for personal care robots — International Organization for Standardization.
  Safety requirements for personal care robots, including physical assistant robots worn to support movement.
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery — European Union (EUR-Lex).
  The EU Machinery Regulation, which replaces Directive 2006/42/EC and sets safety rules for machinery sold in the EU.
• Medical Devices Rules, 2017 (text and amendments) — Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
  CDSCO page holding the Medical Devices Rules, 2017 and later amendments, such as UDI and sales registration.