In the test are six current apps and electronic devices for sports and fitness. These wearables are currently recognized as the revenue drivers in the electronics market. No wonder: smartphones are the most personal of all personal devices, and everything that can be connected with smartphones must necessarily be a sales slump. As a result, new and established brands will be able to compete for the 100 Euro of ambitious leisure athletes.
Test methods Footbands
We have examined six of the latest fitness bracelets and trackers. The first surprise came at the workplace: After compiling some emails, one of the wristbands announced that they had already completed 800 meters of distance - a good value for a quarter-hour stay in a 15-square-meter office!
Sports at the desk
A car trip from Stuttgart to Munich was evaluated with around 2300 steps. This also reveals the central weakness of the tracker: the manufacturers in their brochures promise to analyze the movements precisely. In the end, however, only a sensor is located in the small trackers, which converts positional changes into steps and distances with as precise algorithms as possible.
Picture gallery
They do this with fixed values for the crotch length, which is multiplied by the vibrations - regardless of whether the user makes short or long steps. Over longer distances, however, the errors were quite good, so the distances were measured amazingly accurate. With other sports the tracker is difficult.
Fitbit Flex
If you take the idea of purchasing a high-precision instrument with a tracker, the tested devices deliver a lot of fun and nice features. For example, the smart wake-up that arouses vibrations or the apps that make the phone a Personal Coach.
Fitbit Flex is already almost one of the oldies among the activity meters, but holds surprisingly well with and especially with its app accents. The stylish tracker comes with interchangeable colorful ribbons. In addition, the small sensor can easily move into the boot pocket, if the occasion requires Rolex instead of Fitbit. About the achieved goals inform five LEDs. Multiple taps on the sensor (and, unfortunately, high-frequency vibration) will also activate or deactivate the sleep mode.
The evaluation of sports and sleep takes place via a quite successful smartphone or web app. The calorie intake and the weight can also be monitored. Practical is the dumb alarm clock, which by vibrating the carrier brings out the dreams. While the accuracy reaches a peak value of 96 percent, the cumbersome charging over the proprietary charging cable disturbs.
Garmin has made a huge impression with the Vivofit: thanks to its energy-saving LC display and good battery technology, the tracker can last for up to one year. Vivofit leaves the competition behind. In addition, the display provides reliable information about the training level, time or heart rate even in sunlight - the latter only with an optional ANT + chest strap.
No top performance shows Garmin's Vivofit in Bluetooth performance. The smartphone app comes rather sober, but shows all essential info including sleep analysis. The web app "Garmin Connect" offers more convenience with clear statistics for hobby sportsmen.
Jawbone brings with the Up 24 a fashionable accessory, which in connection with the app has quite its charms. But, really comfortable to wear is the Jawbone Up 24 with its open ends not. Unlike its predecessor, the Up 24 can be synchronized via Bluetooth, which is what it does when the app is called. This quickly forces the battery of the participating smartphone to its knees.
The Jawbone is not only characterized by simple push-button operation at one of the wristband ends (activating the day, night mode and starting or stopwatch), but also the high precision of the route calculation of 99 percent is record-breaking. Also for the possibility to wake up with a "smart alarm clock" by vibration, when the band detects a light sleep phase, the band collects plus points. There is a big minus for the steep price of 150 euros.
Sure, Medisanas Vifit is not for fashionvictims. However, the tracker is actually drawing to a close because of his renouncement of fashion. While most tracers in the test field (also) can be recognized as fashionable accessories, Medisana meditates on the medical field. This is especially evident when you look at the "Vita Dock" smartphone app and the link to the website
Here the focus is on clinical optics and the integration of other Medisana products (scales, blood pressure gauges). When syncing, the route unfortunately forcibly passes through the cloud - it does not always work immediately. In return, the user expects a lot of evaluation possibilities - an Eldorado for health statistics.
Garmin Vivofit
The enclosed rubbery, slightly applied bracelet makes the tracker to the sports watch, which is perfectly readable thanks to LED, works autonomously and can be charged flexibly via micro-USB. Medisana's tracker was not too precise: the tendency to an optimistic display can be counteracted with a little patience thanks to an adjustable step length. Finally, the Vifit shines with an attractive price - idea.
It flashes with great joy: as distinct as the Nike + Fuelband SE, no second tracker brings out its sporting claim. Light colors and a dot-matrix display that adapts to the ambient brightness are the inspiration. The thing is cool, no question.
Jawbone Up 24
But unfortunately always only for moments, as a permanent lighting would suck the integrated battery too fast. In his wakeful moments the fuel band is the best motivator in the test field: Lateral lights inform about the training level in the app, and on the device is the official fitness currency "Nikefuel". Badges for progress also abound.
Intelligent, Nike solves the rechargeability via an integrated USB connector, which is camouflaged as a binding member of the bracelet and is therefore always there. In addition, the Fuelband SE also offers the possibility to start training units directly on the belt and thus to control its performance more precisely. Unfortunately, Nike does not have any information about the distance traveled.
Polar has long since grown beyond the gadget stage and is addressing the recreational sport among us with its Fitnessband Loop. After all, the manufacturer looks back on a long tradition of sports equipment and places high demands on its sports products.
Medisana Vifit connect
Nike Fuelband
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Polar Loop
Polarsloop with its chrome-colored elements looks very high-quality: a folding clasp reminds of wristwatches. The charging and sync connector, which is coupled by means of a magnet, as well as the red LEDs in the display at the push of a button, bring a touch of James Bond to the barrel. In addition, Loop allows you to connect a heart rate monitor, which greatly improves the accuracy of the results.
Unfortunately, these values appear as a tribute to the runtime only at the push of a button. Particularly annoying is that the tape has to be shortened irreversibly by scissors and can not be easily replaced. Conclusion: a lot of potential, partly easily given away.
The new, display-supported tracker had clearly the nose in the test and directed older models on the seats. Fortunately, however, all very precise training data are recorded. Apps with numerous evaluation possibilities complete the fitness tracker products. So hobby athletes make little mistakes in the unconsidered purchase of a tracker, but with the conscious choice but much correct.
Download: Testieger
40% Features / Accuracy: In addition to the range of functions, the accuracy of the fitness bracelets played an important role. We have tested this on a 400 meter runway, 10% Display: How easy to read the display and what information is displayed, 10% Battery life: We also measured how long the battery lasted, 8% Quality / Comfort: How well the tapes sit on the arm and how hard they are, went with 8% in the overall rating, 32% Apps: The functionality of the apps, we also under the magnifying glass
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