We recently returned from a busy trip to the 2015 International CES in Las Vegas. As expected, fitness wearables were a hot product. From cheap silicone Fitbit imitators to advanced bracelets with smartwatch capabilities, everyone seemed to want a piece of this increasingly saturated market. In the endless sea of CES fitness bracelets that we waded through over four days, here are a few notable bands we saw.
Just in time for CES, Fitbit announced that their Charge HR and Surge trackers would finally start shipping. While we made mention of Fitbit’s newest products last week, we were able to try them out on the show floor. We were especially intrigued by the Surge (the one on the right in the image), which features a touchscreen, heart rate sensor, GPS antenna, and more. All are contained in a water-resistant device that lasts seven days on a charge.
Head to Fitbit’s store or your local electronics and sports retailer to get your hands wrists on one.
From afar, the InBody Band looked like just another fitness bracelet. However, this tracker has a unique sensor on its face. Place two of your fingers on your opposite hand on the two silver electrodes, and the InBody Band quickly measures your body fat percentage. InBody as a company has been producing body composition scales used in clinics and homes for years, so we’re optimistic this will give a fairly accurate estimate of how much flab you have.
The band will be available in March.
Magellan may be best known for their GPS receivers, but they showed us their recently announced Echo Fit Smart Sports Watch. Like many fitness smartwatches, the Echo Fit has a display that can pair with your phone and show notifications and act as a remote. Magellan boasts that the Echo Fit has an industry-leading 8 month battery life on a single coin cell battery.
Click here to order from Magellan’s website.
If you prefer weightlifting instead of cardio exercise, GymWatch is a wearable that tracks your reps. Strap it onto your arm or leg, fire up the app, and choose from a selection of over 900 exercises. Gymwatch will measure your range of motion and speed and tell you if you are performing an exercise improperly or at the wrong pace.
You can buy GymWatch now.
Withings may have gotten a few strange looks when it announced its pricey $450 Swiss-designed Activité tracker, but we think they might be onto something with a watch that has a classic design with high-tech innards. On display at CES was the new Activité Pop, a watch with similar analog faces, but with less expensive materials and a lower price of $150.
Head to the Withings website to learn more and pre-order. Keep these two in mind before your next black tie affair.
Finally, Misfit announced a partnership with glass crystal maker Swarovski to make its Shine fitness tracker even more attractive to wear. The Swarovski Shine features a large crystal face that looks beautiful as a pendant or bracelet. Its upcoming purple crystal model hides a special feature: underneath the crystal is a solar cell, which means you’ll never need batteries or charging cables again.
You can learn more about this functional jewelry on Swarovski’s website.
