Nike+ SportWatch GPS Powered byTomTom

Getting in shape isn’t easy, and when it isn’t easy or very much fun, it’s hard to find the motivation to get yourself moving. Wristband activity trackers are increasingly popular and the technology used to power them continues to get better. Actually seeing the number of steps you have taken towards your goal motivates you to push harder. When you see empty data in your results graph where your workout should be, you strive to do better. Nike has taken these pieces of motivation and workout information and put it all together in a wristband tracker.

Overview

The Nike+ SportWatch GPS activity tracker enables you to collect data on your run/jog/walk such as distance and pace. Perfect information if you’re in training. As far as sport watches or activity trackers go, the Nike+ can be oversized and a bit bulky for the wrist. The Nike+ looks a bit unwieldy with its large wristband and large display.  It may look fine on a man’s wrist but might be a little overpowering on a woman.

The watch screen displays the time, date, and battery life and a button on the left of the display allows you to scroll through its functions. Functions include tracking your time, distance, pace, heart rate and calories burned. You can view your route as well as changes in elevation. The battery charges via USB and needs to be charged about every 8 hours if you are using GPS and sensor. The Nike+ is also water resistant.

Specifications and Features

·        Weight 2.2 ounces

·        1.5 x 1.5 x 1 inches

·        Lithium battery

·        Display size 0.72 inches

·        Battery life 9 hours

·        Track Time, distance, pace, heart rate

·        Track Calories burned

·        View route via GPS

·        Transfer workout data to PC/Mac and view summary

·        Water resistant

Using the SportWatch during a workout is simple. When ready to start press and hold the yellow button until it begins looking for a GPS signal and off you go. It uses the GPS to track your location, speed, and distance. When you want to check your progress tap the screen to see the data. When you have completed your workout, press the yellow button again to signal you have finished.

Like all products, there are some Pro’s and Con’s to the Nike+ SportWatch.

Pro’s

·         Easy to use

·         Accurate tracking

·         Long battery life

·         Attractive design

·         Good Website for tracking workouts

Con’s

·        Expensive

·        Problems with GPS connectivity

·        GPS not always accurate

·        No auto-pause/stop mode

What Others are Saying

Consumers either really love the Nike+ SportWatch or they are really unhappy with it. Those that like it like the fact that runs are tracked showing mile splits and that you can set challenges, goals or even a training plan for yourself.  As for the GPS feature, it maps your run showing you your route and where along it you ran the fastest and the slowest. Connecting to the website to track your progress over time has helped many users stick with their fitness program. It has helped motivate them to not give up and many express that their running time has improved significantly.

Then there are many who have bought the device and are unhappy about the shortcomings of it, the first of which is the price tag. Consumers are saying that the Nike+ SportWatch should be more reliable at a price of 200.00. A common complaint from all consumers was the inordinate length of time it took for the GPS to connect with the satellite, and once connected it sometimes lost the connection throwing off the entire route. Many, Many reviews have complaints with the reliability of the GPS working at all. The SportWatch appears to age out very quickly, meaning that after one year it begins to malfunction and battery life is greatly diminished.

Conclusion

While the Nike+ Sport Watch with TomTom GPS is a fantastic concept, it is expensive for the features it provides and the heavy feel of the band on your wrist is not a selling point. The largest complaint is that the device won’t connect to the satellite most of the time, if it does it takes between 10 and 30 minutes and often drops the run half way through. It is unreliable.  

 The design of the Nike+ has been well received, many like the color and the placement of the scrolling buttons. For others the band was on the small side for men and a bit masculine looking for women.

Runners that want to keep track of their workouts by transferring data to the computer will like the user friendly interface. It is a simple way to keep track of your stats over time as long as you aren’t relying on GPS.

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