Jawbone Up

[Beachcomber]

Has anyone tried the Jawbone Up?  Looks like a unique device that Jawbone released to the market a little over a year ago, then stopped selling it due to field failures in hardware.  And now totally redesigned it and relaunching the Up device.

https://jawbone.com/up

[iacas]

Nike has these. Some independent company has these too. There are a few of them.

I think they're great if you somehow need the motivation to do these kinds of things, to be more active, etc.

If you, like me, simply try to listen to your body and not be a lazy person, it's not only a waste of $130 but it's probably annoying as well.

And I'm saying that as a geek, too, but I draw the line. I know when I had a good sleep. I don't need to waste ten minutes a week analyzing my sleep cycles. I wear a GPS watch when I run a lot of the time, but I go without that a good bit of the time as well because I get too caught up in numbers and not just having fun, breathing, and listening to some music.

[Beachcomber]

Erik thanks for the response.  I was thinking of getting this for my wife... She does a lot of triathlons and trains 5 or 6 times a week.  She uses a food journal and sleep app already... And has a heart rate monitor that she wears on her runs.  But doesn't have a device that can tie everything together... Also I'm not sure the Up is the appropriate device as it doesn't have a built in heart rate monitor that I can see?

Are any of the Up competitors (Nike, etc.) Bluetooth based?  I was surprised the Jawbone Up device wasn't Bluetooth... Especially since they integrated this IP into their wireless headsets already.  From looking at the Jawbone site and video, you actually have to plug it into your iPhone to sync the band.  Personally, I'd prefer to have a Bluetooth band.

I think these devices are very interesting... When I'm not traveling for work - I spend a lot of time online.  And while I do try and workout in the evening... It would be nice to have a device on my wrist that tells me, "Hey lazy ass... Go do something physical for 20 minutes." to break up the daily work grind and routine.

[jamo]

Here's a review I saw today: http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/27/3694856/jawbone-up-review-fitness-band-2012

[saevel25]

Oooh that is cool, but i couldn't wear it that much. I hate watches and bracelets. Drives me nuts. I would need something else, a ring would be better, if they could make on that small :p

[newtogolf]

I've taken a look at the Up as well as the one they use on the Biggest Loser (Body Bug), they all track the same type of data, time at rest, active, calories burned etc.  If you're a numbers geek and like to look at charts that plot out your active hours versus inactive and calories burned then these are great for you.

I'm with Erik in terms of going for simplicity during runs.  I have a Garmin Forerunner 610 but I don't use it for regular runs, only when I do tempo and intervals.  When I first started running, I used the HR strap to monitor heart rate, the foot pod to track stride and the GPS to track miles and grade.  I'd review all the numbers but ultimately lost interest after I logged enough miles to run from San Francisco to Boston.  The value of this device to me is during strenuous runs to track how close to my max heart rate I am and how long I maintain it.  Beyond that it's just a distraction that takes me out of my runners mind and the enjoyment of the run.

On recovery and long runs, I prefer to just grab my Bluetooth headphones, iPhone and just run while I listen to music.

[the chopper]

I do not get these types of tech. I am very old fashioned that way, i do not need all that feedback but i do see why others love these things. i walk, cycle and swim to keep in relatively good shape. The Doctor gives me the feedback i need. I would buy the product for a friend though, who i know would use it.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by jamo

Here's a review I saw today: http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/27/3694856/jawbone-up-review-fitness-band-2012

Wow. Thanks for the link.  Excellent review to read.  Exactly what I was looking for.

[saevel25]

I think its a step in the right direction though. It would be great to get all that information. Its tough enough to try to keep track on how much you eat when you don't know how many calories you burn. Generic values for certain exercises are horrible, and can be off depending on a person's metabolic rate.

[mdl]

Just for the reminder to get off your ass and get some exercise, you can get free phone apps for that.  I use Routinely on my Android, in which you set activities you want to do and can set days of the week and times, and you can set it to give you various alerts at the assigned times.  So your phone will buzz and ding at, say, 6:30 PM with a little reminder that tells you you're supposed to be exercising that day (or practicing golf, or doing something nice for your wife, or brushing your teeth, or whatever).

[newtogolf]

It still has to approximate the calories burned using averages since it's monitoring movement, and not heart rate.  If I'm walking on a golf course it likely won't be able to discern between the calories burned from just walking, walking while pulling a cart and walking while carrying a bag.

Originally Posted by saevel25

I think its a step in the right direction though. It would be great to get all that information. Its tough enough to try to keep track on how much you eat when you don't know how many calories you burn. Generic values for certain exercises are horrible, and can be off depending on a person's metabolic rate.