Nike+ Fuelband activity monitor review
Wrist action for your inner Olympian
I’m on a roll. Well, a streak, actually. That’s what Nike calls it when you hit your activity target for three days on the trot. The Nike+ FuelBand aims to get you fitter by scrutinising what you do.
Motion carried: Nike+ Fuelband activity monitor
The theory is that by keeping tabs on how many steps you take, how quickly you’re burning calories and so on, the act of tracking makes you more active. Jawbone, makers of the rival Up wristband, claims activity increases by 26 per cent when monitored.
The FuelBand is a matt black rubber-coated bracelet with metallic clasp. If it’s not the right fit you can add a spacer, or remove one, until it’s comfy. Although the band is chunky (and heavier than Jawbone Up, say) it’s light enough to be quickly forgettable. That said, you should remember to take it offbefore swimming as it’s not waterproof. Still, Nike says it’s water-resistant enough for taking a shower or “dancing in the rain”.
USB charging
Unlike the Up, this bracelet has an LED screen embedded, which counts your every move. One touch of the large rubbery button and the display shows the number of steps you’ve taken today, calories burned and the time in white characters bright enough to read in sunshine. You can configure which way up this display works according to whether you wear the FuelBand on your left or right wrist.
There’s one other metric: NikeFuel. Although it’s hard to work out the equivalent in steps, this measurement is based on oxygen uptake which Nike says is a reliable way of assessing activity. This is calculated with “NikeFuel algorithms using oxygen kinetics”. If that sounds a bit woolly, don’t worry. The main thing is it’s a consistent figure so you can work out how you’re doing compared to yesterday.
Going green: monitoring software aims to lift you out of the red
I set my NikeFuel goal to 3,000, an average level, which seems to be roughly the same as 10,000 steps. You attach the bracelet to the supplied USB connector for charging. It’s on full charge again after about an hour and lasts for three to four days before it’s running low.
COMMENTS
Re: Jesus f***ing H Christ
"What the hell is wrong with just getting out there and DOING EXERCISE?"
Actually, as well as being a grumpy, mean spirited little shit you are also just plain wrong. EVERYONE uses goal/reward based incentives for excercise from the very best elite althletes right down to your couch potatoe who has finally realised that shooting pain across the chest is probably a sign they should move a bit more. Do you think Bradley Wiggens just looks out of the window of a morning and thinks to himself "You know what, I fancy a bit of a bike ride today"? Of course not. He has training plans, mileage and wattage targets and, ultimately, his reward was a brightly coloured jumper but that is not a million miles removed from a flashing green light or a "Goal reached" message on an OLED display.
There is NO WAY I could do the training I do without targets to meet - both short and long term. And trying to suggest that people are in some way doing something wrong or naughty just because they want to incentivise themselves towards a healthier lifestyle is perverse in the extreme.
Do those rewards/incentives have to involve spending £140 on a fancy bangle? No. Is there anything wrong with spending £140 on a fancy bangle (if you can afford it)? Absolutely not.
Re: Jesus f***ing H Christ
Chances are, if someone is a "weak willed, tech dependent pathetically undisciplined numpty..." then they won't own one of these. But for those that do excercise, is there anything wrong with using tech to measure your energy expenditure and spur you on to greater achievements? I think having little achievements etc helps turn excercise into a game and make it more fun. I can't see any way that is a bad thing.
Also a troll icon for you, you miserable git
Is this a joke?
£139 for what is little more than a pedometer?
Or can it do GPS, which means it could track cycling & running like a Garmin can?
A review should really spell this stuff out.
Re: Stop cycling, start watching the gymnastics instead
I've just been watching some internet-enabled video content and my Nike Fuelband says I've just swum the Atlantic.
Re: Jesus f***ing H Christ
Hark at you Mr Motivator. It should occur to you that, yes, some people do need help in terms of getting out the door to do something, especially if coming from a position of general unfit or unhealthy lifestyle (hint, people work longer hours, spend more time at their desks than at any point in history).
Exercise from this starting point gives *very* little short-term reward. It's probably about 4 weeks of exercise before you see any improvement, both in terms of weight loss or the exercise becoming any easier. That in itself is hard to get over and at any point in that 4 weeks it's all too easy to give up.
If gimmicks or gadgets help people get over that hurdle, then great. Where do you draw the line of this gadget, or £100 pair of trainers with air bubbles, or £50 per month gym memberships, or a raquet that's not made of wood and catgut?
