TOP 5 fitness trackers for activity control

Xiaomi Mi Band Pulse

The very first fitness tracker from Xiaomi (model Xiaomi Mi Band ) proved to be the best. A year after the announcement, the successor of the bracelet saw the light, which received in addition the ability to measure heart rate.

The heart rate measurement function is implemented in two ways: by calling from the smartphone menu, as well as by activating the "Jog" mode. The optical heart rate monitor recognizes the heartbeat quite accurately, which cannot be said about counting steps – the gadget’s accelerometer takes some hand movements for them. In pedometer mode, the tracker also counts the distance traveled and the number of calories burned. All indicators are collected together in the proprietary MiFit application, the functionality of which is constantly expanding.

In a separate line, it is necessary to highlight the function of monitoring the quality of sleep, thanks to which you can track all its phases. "Smart alarm clock" will allow you to find the right moment to wake up, after which the gadget will vibrate three times. The vibration motor is quite strong, but if you wear the strap lightly, you may not hear it. Notifications also work for incoming calls or for the three applications specified in the settings. The last function, unfortunately, is not available to owners of smartphones running iOs.

Bottom line, Xiaomi 's fitness tracker can offer a variety of features that even more eminent rivals cannot boast of. Well , its main trump card is still battery life: with the heart rate monitor turned off, the bracelet can work for a month in a row, and with it turned on, up to 10 days(depending on your activity and the number of notifications you receive).

Sony SmartBand 2

The second generation of the fitness tracker from the Japanese company Sony has received a significant upgrade compared to the previous version — now it is equipped with a built-in heart rate monitor.

The sensor that counts the number of heartbeats is located in a plastic module that is inserted into a special recess on the silicone strap. The heart rate monitor measures the pulse in three modes: continuous, 6 times per hour and on call. You should not worry about the accuracy of the indicators — even with active physical exertion, the data will remain reliable. In addition, the main module of the bracelet is equipped with a built-in accelerometer, which is responsible for tracking movements and counting the number of steps taken.

The device is protected from moisture penetration according to the IP68 standard and you can engage in water sports with it — the bracelet can withstand immersion to a depth of up to 3 metres for half an hour.

The gadget does a very good job of tracking sleep phases — it determines the beginning of a light phase and wakes up its owner using the built-in vibration motor. The latter is given an important role in notifications that are configured in the SmartBand 2 application (for iOs and Android). It also records all the data on the heart rate, the number of steps taken and activity graphs are built. For Android, there is an even more functional application called Lifelog — it is engaged in full monitoring of the life of the smartphone owner, including active browsing time, listening to music, etc.

The music control function on the phone is implemented in an interesting way: a single tap on the bracelet case pauses playback, a double tap allows you to switch to the next track, and a triple tap to the previous one. Not everything is so rosy only with battery life: the included heart rate monitor drains the battery in 10 hours, and without measuring the pulse, the gadget can live on a single charge for up to 5 days.

The fitness tracker is worth the money spent on it, as it can really do a lot. The device will become a faithful and accurate companion for anyone who wants to monitor their health and activity indicators.

Fitbit Charge HR

Wearable gadgets under the Fitbit brand have won a considerable army of fans around the world. Fitbit Charge HR is one of the most prominent representatives among all the products of the Californian company.

The first thing that catches your eye is a small OLED display in the form of a thin strip, which displays the main indicators of activity (the level of daily tasks, the number of steps taken and calories burned, the number of flights of stairs). In standby mode, the screen shows the time, and with an incoming call it is able to show the name of the contact (for this it must be saved in Latin).

In comparison with the younger brother in the face of Fitbit Charge the model with the HR index (from the English heart rate — heart rate) has learned to count the pulse. To do this, it is equipped with an appropriate sensor, which slightly protrudes from the body and crashes into the hand when the gadget is worn for a long time. During intense exercise, heart rate may be low. And it’s also not very convenient to track them, since the screen does not constantly broadcast the number of heartbeats — the data is displayed by pressing a mechanical key on the left side of the device.

The fitness tracker is compatible with all major mobile platforms (Android, iOs and Windows Phone) as well as desktop operating systems (Windows Vista and above, Mac OS X 10.6 and above). The FitBit branded app is highly functional and easy to manage. The only “but” is that the application menu is presented exclusively in English.

As fitness trackers are supposed to, the device controls sleep very well and brings it out of it into a fast phase with vibration, providing the most comfortable waking up. Unfortunately, the vibration motor does not support third-party notifications (from text messages or installed programs), but it will not forget to remind you of the level of remaining progress for completing daily goals.

The device is endowed with all the basic functions for tracking physical activity parameters. With an activated heart rate monitor, it can last about 2 days on a single battery charge. If you start the process of measuring the pulse forcibly, the bracelet will live for 5-7 days. It lacks only one thing — water protection, which excludes the use of a fitness tracker in the pool.

Jawbone UP 3

According to the California manufacturer, its wearable gadget is one of the most progressive models among fitness trackers. But is it really so?..

At first glance, it really seems that the Jawbone UP3 has conquered Olympus: it has body temperature sensors, environmental sensors and a bioimpedance heart rate sensor in its arsenal. Of all this variety, only a heart rate monitor works, which initially measured the heart rate readings exclusively at the moment of awakening. With the advent of updates, he began to record data more often, but somehow this process cannot be controlled — the gadget decides when it is necessary to take measurements.

The bracelet is not equipped with any screen, and the role of indicators is performed by three coloured LEDs. This allows you to hold out on a single charge of a 38 mAh battery for about a week. The gadget is firmly held on the hand, but some owners blame the fact that the sensors can cut into the skin.

The branded application deserves the greatest praise. In addition to measuring activity and the number of steps taken, it allows you to enter food data, add other users to the comparison, build all kinds of graphs and give useful tips. Also, the application is very motivating, sending notifications during the day about the percentage of completion of daily goals.

Out of the box, the gadget was not able to determine the moments of the beginning and end of sleep — these parameters had to be set manually by tapping on the body, which does not always respond to touch. Arrived updates saved the device from this shortcoming and the bracelet learned to track sleep quite clearly, making mistakes only within 10-15 minutes. The "smart alarm clock" on board the tracker effectively recognizes the phases of light sleep and wakes up its owner at a predetermined time interval.

Jawbone engineers didn't finish their product a bit. In terms of “hardware”, it really is ahead of competing models, but it’s still impossible to use all its functions. The only good news is that each new update brings fresh “buns” to the bracelet.

Huawei TalkBand B2

A hybrid of smart bracelet and wireless headset is an atypical model among other players in the wearable gadgets market.

The engineers of the Chinese company Huawei made a 2-in-1 device — it can track activity indicators and turns into a Bluetooth headset in one movement. The metal capsule with the hardware is made in the form of a curved cradle, which is detached from the elastic bracelet by pressing special buttons. On the back side, the cradle is equipped with a silicone ear cushion that securely clings to your ear. The sound quality from the built-in speaker is comparable to low-cost wireless headsets.

The functionality of the bracelet is fully revealed in the role of a fitness tracker. The device has in its arsenal an accelerometer and a gyroscope, with the help of which activity indicators are monitored. Data is displayed on an OLED display with a resolution of 88x128 pixels or transmitted to a connected smartphone with a pre-installed Huawei Wear programme. The screen can display icons of the date and time, distance traveled, the number of calories burned, the duration of running and sleep, and also acts as a stopwatch. The model does not have a built-in heart rate monitor.

The bracelet automatically recognizes the start time of sleep, and the associated programme plots its quality. The smart alarm function also has a place to be, but it does not always correctly determine the phases of REM sleep.

In standby mode, the gadget's screen shows the date and time, which once again confirms the very thin line between fitness trackers with a screen and smartwatches. Huawei TalkBand B2 went even further and so far has no analogues at all — there are simply no other similar hybrids of a smart bracelet and a wireless headset.