If you’ve been waiting to see what Samsung would do to follow up their suite of fitness devices, you’ll be glad to know that today they have announced two new watches and a smarter pair of workout ready in-ear headphones. Say hello to the Gear Sport, Gear Fit2 Pro, and the Gear Icon X.
Bragi is a company that prides themselves on being the creators of the world’s first hearable. Since then there have been many imitators, and some brands, even Apple who’ve attempted to take a blueprint written by Bragi and right their wrongs. The true test though, is can Bragi do this themselves? Once upon a time, there was a Kickstarter that was successful that created what is now known today as the Bragi Dash. Initially, I was a backer of the product, that initially was left displeased at the outcome of the product. Like many other people, I complained about the…
When it comes to heart rate training and sports, there’s Polar and then there’s everyone else. Polar has long been the gold standard for heart rate based training, and they’re extending that expertise into the world of all-day tracking as well with the Polar A370!
I’ll start this post by stating a simple, known fact: I am not a runner. I’m more of a jogger or a fast walker, but once I’ve started I’ll at least keep going — even if my speed isn’t going to win any medals. The Vi AI Personal Trainer aims to help me become a better and more consistent runner.
“Hey, nice watch!”, I heard yet again today. That watch happens to be the Misfit Phase, a connected combination watch and fitness tracker that can count steps, distance, calories, and light as well as restful sleep. With the Misfit app on your iOS or Android device, you can easily keep track of how you are doing.
I have a soft spot for gear that works with the Withings app; I’ll admit it. I lost 43 much-needed pounds while using the Withings app in conjunction with their Smart Body Analyzer scale, and I track my nightly sleep with their excellent Aura Connected Clock. So when offered the chance to review the Withings Steel HR, I gladly accepted.
Fitness trackers sound good on paper, but the reality is they only measure one tiny slice of fitness. Cardio and steps are important, but they aren’t a full picture. Humon is a new wearable that seeks to rectify that by measuring muscle endurance instead of steps, and it’s a pretty brilliant concept!
Over the past month or so, I’ve been running exclusively with my RunIQ, the first ever Android smartwatch created by popular fitness cross trainer company New Balance. Announced earlier this year at CES 2017, the RunIQ has been putting my love for the Apple Watch to test in both practicality, and honestly… looks.
One of the complaints I’ve heard many times about smartwatches is that they’re too thick, too large, or they look too masculine. That’s understandable, especially when the one complaining isn’t a larger person. Options have been somewhat limited for those who’d prefer a less massive watch with smart features, but now there’s Ticwatch, and it’s surprisingly impressive.
I’ve been wearing an Apple Watch since June 2015. I love the ability to know the weather forecast as well as the easy way I can measure and challenge myself with the activity app.
Fitbit hardware has only gained in popularity in recent years. The company is on a roll and is now making their wearables even more powerful through new software tools. These tools deliver personalized insights, smarter guidance and more motivation to people rocking a Fitbit.
Fitness trackers are a dime a dozen, and we’ve seen out share out there, but at CES, New Balance announced a product launch that might just shake up the fitness world starting with us here in Vegas.
Misfit is determined to conquer every level of the fitness wearables market with devices that place style on the same level as function. They started with the Shine, then the Flash, and post-Fossil acquisition they’ve released the Ray and the Phase Hybrid. Now they’re looking to tackle the true smartwatch market with the $199 Vapor! Vapor appears to tick all the usual smartwatch/fitness watch boxes. It has GPS, can function as a standalone music device, tracks heart rate, and is waterproof for swimming. Where Misfit hopes to shine (no pun intended, given their flagship product) is in the style. The…
It appears that wearables aren’t as dead as suspected. That, or companies still had product in the pipeline and figured they would go ahead and release them anyway. In any case, Garmin, Casio, and Intel/New Balance have all thrown their hats into the tracking ring (wrist?)!
If you’re sad to see the Pebble smartwatch go, Nomad, a company who prides themselves on their Apple accessories is offering up a kind farewell for the Pebble Users who just simply can’t let go.
Pebble, once the crown jewel of Kickstarter, has officially folded as a viable company. They have sold some assets to Fitbit, and are in the process of refunding any outstanding Kickstarter orders. This is a sad day, since Pebble was an early smartwatch pioneer, and made some excellent watches.
Back when I had time to train for long races, I used a Garmin Forerunner GPS watch. I liked it, it was great, but there’s something to be said for the simplicity of a digital watch that goes from your workout to your everyday life with ease, even if you lose the GPS capabilities.
About 6 months after I purchased an Apple Watch, I stopped wearing it. While I’ve missed the convenience of wrist notifications, I never got comfortable with wearing what amounted to a microscopic and hobbled iPhone on my wrist. I prefer a more classic wristwatch style, but I also appreciate something smart; enter, the Engineered by HP Coach Bleecker Smart Watch.
As much as I hate to admit it, the holidays are fast approaching, and it will soon be time to figure out which gifts to give to our favorite friends and loved ones. For your consideration, I offer the new Huawei Fit. It’s not a full Android Wear smartwatch, but it is definitely smarter than the average fitness tracker.
I stopped wearing a watch around the time cell phones became small enough to always carry, probably around 2000 or so, with a Nokia chicklet phone or a Motorola Flip phone. Only when I started running long distances and trying to track my times and paces did I start to think it might be time to actually get a GPS running watch.
Much as I hate to admit it, I have a tendency to allow myself to get stressed out. I first notice it in my shoulders, then it spreads to my head and, if left unchecked, results in a pounding headache. I didn’t have much hope that the Spire Activity and Mindfulness Tracker would make that big of a difference …