Rest Easy: 5 Fitness Trackers That Will Help You
LifestyleTech January 16, 2023 Damon Mitchell
According to the 2015 National Sleep Foundation’s study, about one in two Americans sleeps well. Below the line it goes from fair to bad. That means half the country is not getting sufficient sleep. Another way to put it, is about 50% of us are walking around with grumpy bear faces. That’s a lot of crabby folks.
(Source: capturemychicago.com)
Insufficient sleep, however, is no laughing matter to the afflicted. Sleep is foundational, not only to daily functionality but recovery from exercise.
Missing the mark on Zs can carry reciprocal effects of illness, missed work, injury or even death in the case that someone suffers a tragic accident from not being alert. No doubt, it’s concerning. Fortunately, there’s an app for that.
Actually, there’s an app that goes with some technology. Because we’re all about Body Hacks, we’re going to stick to sleep trackers that double as fitness trackers.
There are a few out there that function more like appliances, integrating with your bed or nightstand. There’s nothing wrong with these, but they’re not wearable. The following sleep trackers double as fitness trackers. Smartwatches need not apply.
We’re going to cover what it will cost you to purchase each device, what is does, but what the reviewers are saying out there. We’ve compiled review data from sites like CNET, No Sleepless Nights, and Activity Tracker World to give you the best information possible.
With no further adieu, here they are, your 2016 Fitness Trackers!
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Cost: $149.95 from Fitbit, but you can probably find it cheaper.
Sleep Functions: How long you’ve slept, how long you were restless.
Other Features: 24/7 heart rate
What Reviewers Say: The Fitbit Charge HR offers accurate heart rate measurements in a comfortable, modern and slim design. The small display is OLED, which helps with battery life. Versatile, this tracker syncs with iOs, Android and Microsoft smart devices. Be advised, this device is not shower-friendly. It’s generally reviewed as a good option for the price.
(Source: jawbone.com)
Cost: $129 from Jawbone. Shop around.
Sleep Functions: Sleep time. Sleep states.
Other Features: Heart rate, steps, calories, distance, smart device notifications.
What Reviewers Say: Jawbone offers a simple design, constructed of hypoallergenic materials. The UP series offer no display, but the battery will last seven days with 60 minutes charge. As an option for a fitness tracker that does many things, the Jawbone UP series is a good option, especially since they are somewhat cheaper than the Fitbit Charge HR.
(Source: blog.fitbit.com)
Cost: $99.95 on Fitbit’s site.
Sleep Functions: How long and how well you sleep. Even has a silent alarm.
Other Features: Steps taken calories burned, floors climbed, distance traveled.
What Reviewers Say: CNET calls this a “feature-rich pedometer,” comparing it to wristband style trackers. Depending on how you prefer to sport your tracker, those wristband options may offer a better experience, but at a slightly higher cost. The One is small, light and portable. It has an OLED screen which even displays the time.
(Source: lifehacker.com)
Cost: $174.99 on Microsoft’s site
Sleep Functions: Sleep quality.
Other Features: Heart rate, steps, GPS, tracks specific activities like golfing, biking and running.
What Reviewers Say: Nearly a smartwatch, this fitness tracker packs in a lot. This may be it’s downfall, though, falling through the crack between trackers and smartwatches. The Band 2 pairs with Android, iOs and of course Windows phones. It tracks a lot of activities but offers only 48 hours of battery life, falling short of other similarly priced devices with daily insights.
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Cost: $99.99
Sleep Functions: Total hours, light and deep sleep with insights, alarms, and sleep goal setting.
Other Features: Activity-specific for cycling, soccer, tennis, basketball, swimming and more. It even displays the time. you can program notifications and motivational nudges for inactivity.
What Reviewers Say: With no display, the Shine is able to offer a very specific user experience other devices cannot. For the price, it can hardly be beat. The Shine is even waterproof. You will never have to or be able to charge the Shine battery; it’s replaceable, lasting six months. What’s more, the Shine is reputed to be insanely accurate, offering a detailed analysis of your data. You’ll hardly even notice that Shine doesn’t track your heart rate. It works with iOs, Android, and Windows devices.
(Source: askdrernst.com)
Considering your bang for invested buck, the Misfit Shine 2 is appropriately named; it out-shines the rest.
If you must have a display and heart rate monitor, then step up to the Charge HR, but don’t plan on getting it wet. Also, don’t plan on getting the same level of sleep insights as the Shine.
The Band 2 may appear to offer the most features, but is the costliest of the bunch and offers very little in the way of sleep insight. Go Shine. You’ll thank us for it.