Health Tech

Amazon Halo View Review: It Will Track Your Steps, Your Fitness, and Even Your Tone!

Reviews, Health and Fitness

Amazon Halo View Review: It Will Track Your Steps, Your Fitness, and Even Your Tone!

Smartwatches are everywhere, but that doesn’t mean there’s no niche for a dedicated fitness tracker. Sometimes, you want that laser focus on your health over every notification possible. Amazon thinks they can get a foot in the door with the Amazon Halo View. We’ve put it through its paces to see if it can compete for wrist space among some stiff competition. The Amazon Halo View is a delightfully lightweight companion. It comes in at around 21g, which is just slightly more than half the weight of an Apple Watch. It’s quite slim and doesn’t interfere with wrist movements when…

Woman pouring Tailwinds Active Hydration into her water

Health and Fitness, Outdoors, Reviews

Tailwinds Active Hydration Review: Convenient Drink Packets That Help You Stay Hydrated and Healthy

I will be the first to admit I have a problem with hydration. Intellectually, I get that you need to drink plenty of liquids, especially if you’re working out regularly or living through the current east coast heat wave. But I’m terrible at actually drinking enough water, so when I was offered the chance to try the new Tailwinds Active Hydration Drink Mix, I was excited that it might improve my usual dehydrated state. How was it? Read on to find out!

Taotronics 10 Speed Massage Gun

Health and Fitness, Reviews

Taotronics 10 Speed Massage Gun Review: Proof That You Can Sometimes Get More Than You Pay For!

We’ve reviewed quite a few massage guns at Gear Diary; most of them are priced in the $75 to $125 range, and all do an excellent job of unclenching sore muscles and improving recovery times. One company has taken the budget-friendly massage gun concept to a whole new level by selling theirs for under $30. But is it possible to make an effective massage gun and sell it at that price? We’ve been testing the Taotronics 10 Speed Massage Gun, and we have some good news!

Privacy and Security in Mobile Health Apps

Editorials, Health and Fitness

We Need to Talk About Protecting Your Privacy When Using Health Apps

Privacy has become a big discussion point these days since it feels like every app wants permission to use your camera, access your microphone, and track you all over the place. Ensuring that your private information is securely kept becomes especially relevant when considering apps that track your health, particularly those that track your reproductive health. Do you really need to be concerned about your privacy when using health apps? For many reasons, the answer is yes.

Kokoon Nightbuds

Reviews

Kokoon Nightbuds Review: Better Sleep Through Sound

Some time ago, I told Judie that I’d hit a period where falling asleep was difficult. She told me about the Kokoon over-the-ear sleep headphones she had backed on Kickstarter, and she’d be happy to send them to me. She did, and the Kokoon headphones were a huge help, and now the new Kokoon Nightbuds have just been released for those who prefer in-ear buds to over-the-ear headphones for sleep.

Taotronics 10 Speed Massage Gun

Gear Bits, Editorials

A Reminder: Buying a Massage Gun Shouldn’t Mean That You Have to Break the Bank!

We received a pitch for a massage gun that clocked in at a jaw-droppingly cheap $26.31 (or as low as $22.10 if you buy in bulk!). In an email to me, Judie questioned whether a massage gun that cheap could possibly be effective. While we plan to review this inexpensive massage gun to see how it does, I pointed out that while $26 does seem overly cheap, the reality is that a massage gun is a relatively simple device that probably shouldn’t cost $300 and up, either!

43mm Withings ScanWatch Horizon Review: A Dive Watch by Any Other Name Is Just a Dive Watch

Reviews, Health and Fitness

43mm Withings ScanWatch Horizon Review: A Dive Watch by Any Other Name Is Just a Dive Watch

There’s something so effortlessly fashionable about the chunky, utilitarian design of a traditional diving watch. But other than being able to withstand abyss-like pressures underwater, even the most expensive diving watches can’t do much more than tell the time and apprise the wearer of how long they’ve been underwater. The Withings ScanWatch Horizon, on the other hand, offers luxury dive watch design and features, but it is so much more than just a great-looking watch that is also water-resistant to 10ATMs.

Woman wearing the All Joy U Neck G1

News

All Joy U Neck G1 Shoulder and Neck Massager Review: Enjoy Shiatsu Massage at Home

I grew up in suburban NJ, and while I try to dispel most stereotypes, I did spend a lot of time hanging out at the mall as a teenager. Nothing beats wandering the mall and then spending a few minutes getting pummeled by the massage chairs at Brookstone. I’ve been reliving the electronic shiatsu experience while testing the All Joy U Neck G1 Shoulder and Neck Massager, but how does this budget massage pad stand up to fancier offerings?

Woman spraying Fend Airway Cleansing Mist

Reviews

FEND Airway Cleansing Mist Review: Should It Be Part of Your Arsenal Against Covid?

The messaging about Covid has been a mess; people don’t understand the role vaccines play (i.e., they don’t cure Covid or even prevent catching it), and many have stopped appreciating the importance of masks and social distancing. But why wouldn’t we use every possible tool to fight this? FEND Airway Cleansing Mist wants to be part of that arsenal. But should it be?

liteboxer vr

Reviews

Liteboxer VR and Oculus Will Bring the Boxing Gym to You

Like most people, I’ve managed to get pretty well settled in my home gym. I have a good arsenal of kettlebells, some dumbbells, a rowing machine, and other ancillary equipment. Everything I have has to be relatively compact to be stored away in my small space. As a result, while I love boxing, it’s hard to find the space to hang a bag or set up a stand. This is a pretty common issue, and the folks at Liteboxer have a creative solution — box in virtual reality with Liteboxer VR and Oculus!

Muse S

Reviews

Muse S Review: A Brain-Sensing Band That Promises EEG-Powered Meditation and Sleep Support

I tried out the original Muse EEG-Powered Meditation headband; it looked like something out of Star Trek, but it worked as promised. I was amazed that a simple band could read my brain activity and, using biofeedback, help me meditate. The new Muse S brain-sensing band has a more refined design, and it now comes with Sleep Support technology. It promises to offer EEG-powered meditation and sleep support, but does it work?

Lumen Review: Hack Your Metabolism and Learn About Your Body!

Health and Fitness, Reviews

Lumen Review: Hack Your Metabolism and Learn About Your Body!

There are many ways to track your overall health, but most focus heavily on physical markers like heart rate; this is helpful, for sure, but that doesn’t always tell you how your body is doing when you’re not actively working out. You can track what you eat and guess pretty well, but being able to quantify whether you’re burning fat or carbs and how your body responds to workouts can make a huge difference — enter Lumen, which aims to “hack your metabolism” to maximize your health.

QuietOn 3

News, Travel

QuietOn 3 Sleep Earbuds Are Perfect for Home, Work, and Travel

Dan reviewed the QuietOn 3 Sleep Earbuds with active noise cancelation a few months ago; he’s happy to report that he still uses them every night. With CES 2022 on the way, I got the opportunity to check out a different use for the QuietOn 3; I wanted to see how well this latest generation worked while on a plane or in other situations where I might find myself needing peace and quiet.

Gear Diary's Best of CES 2022

Events

Gear Diary’s Best of CES 2022 Awards

After spending countless hours scouring the latest press releases, sitting through virtual embargoed showcases on new products, planning to be in Vegas, and once again having to attend virtually, we’ve found that the best-laid plans don’t always work out. Even so, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most innovative and exciting tech that came out of CES while trying to stay away from products that won’t ship or become available in 2022. So, without further ado, we present Gear Diary’s Best of CES 2022 Awards!

Steambox

Gear Bits

Steambox Is a Self Heating Lunchbox That Will Allow You to a Enjoy Hot, Delicious Meal Anywhere in Just 15 Minutes

Do you often bring your lunch to work or school? It’s so much better to bring your own food than to dine out or pick up fast food, but it’s usually so inconvenient! I’ll bet that you hate having to microwave your leftovers or prepped foods (it makes them so dry!), or even worse, eating them cold. If that’s the case, you probably ought to check out Steambox; it’s a new way to keep your packed meals hot and delicious with steam.

Elitone

Gear Bits

Elidah ELITONE Brings Discreet and Effective Therapy to Women with Pelvic Floor Disorders

One of the most interesting parts of CES each year is seeing the innovations in health and wellness. It’s a chance to showcase both the big technological leaps in health as well as the opportunity for smaller companies to show how they’re looking to make our lives better. The Elidah  ELITONE is a device aimed at women to solve an issue that many women won’t talk about: pelvic floor disorders.

Withings Body Scan

News, Health and Fitness

Withings Body Scan Features a 6-Lead ECG; It Can Assess Nerve Activity and Measure Segmental Body Composition, on Top of Tracking Your Weight

Smart scales continue to get more intelligent, and none is more advanced than the Withings Body Scan, which provides daily analysis and record of biomarkers associated with common health conditions. Not only can the Body Scan monitor segmental body composition, heart rate, and vascular age, it also provides measurements that will assess nerve activity and heart rhythm using a 6-lead ECG. With a tool like this in your arsenal, it has never been easier to take proactive control over your health!

Morphee Zen

Health and Fitness, Gear Bits

Morphee Zen: A Screen-Free Device That Offers Meditation and Wellness Breaks On-The-Go

Every now and then, you need to take a mental break, even if just for a few minutes, so you can manage your anxiety and stress and “place your thoughts elsewhere.” But picking up your phone or looking at another distracting screen isn’t necessarily the best way to get that done. The Morphee Zen is a pocketable, screen-free, and non-digital solution that can provide mental wellness sessions throughout the day to reduce anxiety and boost concentration and mental focus.

Oral-B iO10 with iOSense

News

Oral-B Continues to Innovate, Strengthening Their Commitment to Access, Education, and Improvements in Oral Health

Have you been taking care of yourself as well as you did before the pandemic began? Or have you fallen into a survival mode existence? With all of the extra stressors, uncertainties, and everything that has been going on, has your diet, oral health, and general well-being become collateral damage? If it has, you’re not alone. While Oral-B can’t solve or stop the trauma that so many have been dealing with, the company is trying to help refocus our attention to the importance of oral health and self-care by making the tools to achieve it more accessible.