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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Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband Review

For some, exercising is an easy and even enjoyable part of the daily routine, and the reward is watching yourself evolve into a swimsuit ready body.  Then there’s the rest of us. Getting fit requires motivation and a lot of dedication and sometimes you just can’t reach down deep enough to hit the pavement.

Overview

The Fitbit Flex Activity + Sleep Tracker offers an answer for even the most sedentary folks. The Fitbit Flex tracks your activity all day. It counts your steps, tells you how many calories you burned and how many minutes you have been active. It also measures your sleep quality and wakes you with a silent vibrating alarm. This may be the motivation you need to become more active throughout your day.

The Fitbit Flex will track steps, sleep, and calories. The wristband is slim and available in 3 sizes and 8 colors and is water resistant. The wristband is thin, flexible, and sleek. The only information displayed is 5 LED lights on a thin display. Each light represents 20% of your goal. 

To see information about your daily activity, the Fitbit has to be synced with your computer or compatible smartphone. You then log into the Fitbit website and your dashboard appears showing your total steps for the day, the distance you traveled, how many calories you burned as well as how much quality sleep you got the night before. The Fitbit Flex has sensors that will detect how long it takes you to fall asleep and how many times you awaken during the night.

If you choose, you can also log your water intake and your food calories.

Specifications and Features

·        Imported

·        Rubber

·        Monitors length of time asleep

·        Monitors quality of sleep

·        Silent wake alarm

·        Slim

·        Syncs wirelessly to computer

·        Tracks steps taken

·        Tracks calories burned

·        Tracks distance travelled

·        Counts very active minutes

·        5 day battery life

·        Water resistant

Everywhere you go, your Fitbit goes too. Activity trackers are becoming increasingly popular, especially the wrist worn versions. The Fitbit Flex comes with the wristband, USB charging cable, and USB wireless sync dongle all packed neatly in a tight little box. Fitbit has a track record of providing quality fitness trackers. Like everything, it has it pro’s and con’s.

Pro’s:

n  The Fitbit Flex is simple to use and is an easy way to track your activity during the day and your sleep at night.

n  It will sync wirelessly to your computer and select mobile phones

n  It has both an iOS and Android application

n  It is light, flexible and comfortable to wear

n  It is water resistant

n  Lower price than similar exercise wristband products

Con’s

n  The band is difficult to put on

n  Doesn’t track stairs

n  Doesn’t show number of steps

n  Need USB dongle to sync

What Others are Saying

The Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband has a 3 ½ star rating on Amazon. Those who like the Fitbit Flex like the lightweight feel of the wristband and the fact that it looks good on the wrist. It can be worn round the clock and only needs to be taken off to charge every 5-7 days. The fact that it comes in 8 colors is also a bonus for those that like to use it as an accessory. Another common feature that is brought up numerous times as a definite plus is the fact that it is water resistant. It can be worn swimming or in the shower.  Also high on the list of selling points was the solid TPU rubber of the wrist band. It is sturdy and holds up well to rough conditions.

The ease with which it synced with the computer and the simple interface of the Fitbit website kept people coming back often as they can connect with friends through the Fitbit app which provided an additional motivator.  Many people who bought the Fitbit Flex got a lot of use out of the silent alarm feature. It vibrates on your wrist to wake you without disturbing your partner.

But then there are those people that had specific dislikes about the Fitbit Flex. One of the biggest complaints seemed to be the lack of a physical manual that could act as a quick guide on set up and how it works. Also an issue was the fact that the band can be difficult to work with, making it hard to put on. This was a common complaint. The only other major complaint I could find was the lack of a visual telling you how many steps you had achieved toward your goal.

Conclusion

Overall the Fitbit Flex is a great product that beats out its competitors in the same price range. It is comfortable, stylish, accurate and doesn’t get in the way when working. The water resistant feature means that regardless of how much you sweat during your workout, your Fitbit will not be damaged. It’s easy to use and has a range of features and data available to you through the website.  Even with the con’s you really can’t go wrong with the Fitbit Flex.

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