FIT
BANDS TO TRACK HER DANCE ILLUSTRATION BY ROCHEFORD MEDIA
MUSE™ BRAIN SENSING HEADBAND PRICE: $299 BATTERY LIFE: 5 HOURS Review by Jere Keys Though a lot of wearable fitness tech is built to monitor your body, Muse helps you workout and monitor your brain. This meditation aid uses sensors to monitor your brain activity and help you achieve a state of calm and relaxation. Paired with an app on your phone or mobile device, you go through a series of 3-minute exercises designed to help you concentrate on your breathing and let go of distractions; audio cues help you focus when your thoughts wander. I found actually wearing the headband a little uncomfortable at first, but quickly became used to it. This is definitely not a passive piece of everyday wear, rather something that requires you take a 5 to 10 minute break for set-up, calibration, and the 3-minute exercise.
SAMSUNG GEAR LIVE™ POWERED BY GOOGLE’S ANDROID WEAR PRICE: $199.99 BATTERY LIFE: 1 TO 2 DAYS Review by Amanda Younger Wearing the Gear Live quickly proved that complete strangers will always ask you about the device. No, it doesn’t have a speaker, so no annoying Dick Tracy scenes in the locker room. There is, however, a microphone for voice commands like sending notes and texts, checking on the score of the game, or setting an alarm. Vastly customizable with a huge library of Android Wear apps and interchangeable wristbands, the 1.63” square display was large enough to read with brightness settings for theaters and direct sunlight; it was discreet enough for social situations. The IP67 water and dust resistant rating makes it durable enough for an active lifestyle. You can load music directly on the watch and pair the watch to bluetooth headphones, which would be a great way to ditch the phone during a workout.
HONORABLE MENTION
SENSORIA SOCKS PRICE: $199 Avid runners will love these breakthrough socks, which use textile sensors and conductive fiber to measure the cadence of your run, your foot contact, your form, speed, steps, and heart rate.
FITBIT™ CHARGE PRICE: $129.95 BATTERY LIFE: 7 TO 10 DAYS Review by Elizabeth Craighead One of the newest products in the Fitbit family, the Charge markets itself as an advanced activity and sleep tracker. Goals are easier to follow and obtain with real-time tracking and a digital display to check your progress at a glance. The display also facilitates bluetooth-enabled caller ID. The clasp feels more secure than previous Fitbit devices and I appreciated the automatic sleep tracking. Who wants to remember to press a button to turn on sleep tracking as you are dozing off? Although it is water resistant, water can get trapped under the band and become uncomfortable. It felt a little bulky at times on my feminine wrist. I feel that it didn’t do the best at tracking many gym-related exercises—I never felt that the numbers were accurately accounted for if I was using a cardio machine other than a treadmill.
THOUGHTFUL DESIGN AND CONSTANT INNOVATION ARE DRIVING TECH’S NEWEST TREND OF PROTOTYPES AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS: WEARABLES. AS BRANDS BATTLE FOR BODIES, THE NUMBER OF OPTIONS CONTINUES TO SWELL. THE TREND IS FELT MOST ACUTELY IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY, WHERE WAVES OF NEW GADGETS ARE FLOODING THE MARKET. TO HELP NAVIGATE THE MURKY WATERS, OUR EDITORIAL STAFF SELFLESSLY TINKERED AND TOYED WITH SOME OF TECH’S HOTTEST NEW TOOLS. 60