First of all, an apology: Here we are, closing in on the holiday season, and I've yet to introduce my own line of fitness bands and/or smart watches.

Clearly, I'm a slacker.

After all, if you follow the gadget space, it must seem like everyone and their tech-friendly dog has launched a wearable computer of some kind over the last 18 months. But it's only 13 new wearable products to tempt consumers, according to the Appliance Retailer website.

As it always does, Apple generated the most publicity with its forthcoming Apple Watch. Microsoft, Intel, Google (via its hardware partners Motorola and LG) and Sony have also joined this fight, along with smaller companies Fitbit, Pebble and Nike that planted their tech fitness flags first in the category. The Apple Watch won't be on sale until early next year, but most of the other products - smart watches and fitness tracking bands - will be available for holiday shoppers this season.

So it's a calorie-burning, free-for-all for shoppers at your neighborhood mall or favorite e-commerce site over the next few weeks, right? Guess again, says Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

"Right now this segment is a bit of a mess," he said. "We went from a small number of products from folks like FitBit and Nike to a massive number of offerings, which likely overwhelmed buyers who now are having trouble making a choice."

When it comes to fitness bands, Enderle still thinks Fitbit is the benchmark, especially since the company has just expanded its product offerings and price ranges. "You'll be less likely to feel you made a bad purchase if you get something from their line," he said. But the new Microsoft Band, with its 10 activity sensors, GPS, ability to work with iOS and Android operating systems, and $199 price tag, is getting good reviews. I'm eager to try one out for feel and functionality at the nearest Microsoft Store.

New smart watches include the Moto 360 and Intel's MICA (My Intelligent Communications Accessory), which technically isn't really a smart watch. With its stylish Opening Ceremony design, it's more of a smart bracelet, and Intel is hoping it will find a place of honor in women's jewelry boxes (and at $495, it darn well better).

If you're thinking you have to make your gift choices quick before inventories run out during the holidays, the Washington Post quotes analysts as saying the promise of an Apple Watch will keep some potential buyers on the sidelines in December until its 2015 launch. "I expect much of the noise to burn out of the market next year and the huge number of products with bad battery life, poor app support, and horrid business models fail in the segment or fix their problems," Enderle said. "I’d recommend spending under $200 in this class today to keep your risk low, and use the Fitbit line as a shopping benchmark for price, usability, and app support."

Or you can design and build your own fitness band/smart watch and become yet another entrant in this not-so-exclusive health club.

More Mobile Holiday Shopping In December

If you want to spend your money on a wearable tech gift now, the online measurement company comScore says more of you will be doing so on your smartphone or tablet computer.

Online retail spending overall will increase 16 percent to top $61 billion, says comScore. Nearly $8 billion of that will be done via mobile devices, a 25 percent jump over the 2013 holiday shopping season.

Keep in mind: It won't just be Amazon reaping the benefits of mobile commerce. Traditional retailers like Target and Macy's now have mobile apps and Target's will let you use the new Apple Pay mobile payment system online (but not in its brick-and-mortar stores). These companies have to ensure not only a smooth, customer-friendly shopping experience for those devices, but also a secure one.