Catch the Fit bug.
Although rain is lashing the windows of Test Pit Towers as
we write this, it is in fact summer right now in dear old Blighty. Ordinarily
summer is the perfect time of year to kick start a new fitness regimen, and
once the sun shows itself again (we hope soon) we have the perfect gadget to
help get you active before the leaves turn red. It's the Fitbug Orb.
The Fitbug Orb is a teeny tiny fitness tracker, about the width of a 50p coin. Included along with it is a wrist attachment to wear it like a watch, a clip to secure it to any piece of clothing you're wearing, and a lanyard to let bounce around your neck. There are no USB cables included to charge the Orb, as the plucky little thing runs off a single replaceable battery which will last for up to six months. The device itself is plastic and Fitbug are keen to point out that it is splash proof; not waterproof, splash proof. Duly noted.
The Fitbug Orb is a teeny tiny fitness tracker, about the width of a 50p coin. Included along with it is a wrist attachment to wear it like a watch, a clip to secure it to any piece of clothing you're wearing, and a lanyard to let bounce around your neck. There are no USB cables included to charge the Orb, as the plucky little thing runs off a single replaceable battery which will last for up to six months. The device itself is plastic and Fitbug are keen to point out that it is splash proof; not waterproof, splash proof. Duly noted.
In a nutshell, the Fitbug Orb will track your steps, estimate
calories burnt, and record your sleep patterns. All data recorded by the Orb
(which does not feature a display itself) is transferred via Bluetooth to your
phone and the awaiting Fitbug app. As you might expect, this is available for
both Android and iOS, and is actually pretty neat. Despite the Orb being targeted
at the cheaper end of the activity tracker market, the accompanying app is
quite extensive, allowing the user to set goals and enter what food you have
been consuming (to better calculate calories). Further info and data is available
once your phone then sends the collected information to the Fitbug website,
where a free account lets you view it all.
One advantage to the Orb is that it is compatible with the
Kiqplan series of apps. These are paid-for specialist health apps which feature
a tailored set of exercises, meal plans, and instructions to help the user with
whatever fitness desires they have. We were sent (and this must have been a
random selection, surely) the 'Beer Belly Blaster' app activation code. This is
targeted at men who want to shift their gut, and works seamlessly with the
Fitbug Orb (and several other leading activity trackers).
Using the Orb to gather the required data, the Kiqplan app
let us set targets in a similar manner to the Fitbug app, while also including
additional videos of workout exercises, suggesting the kind of food that would
help, and even motivation. It was actually quite nice to receive some
encouraging words from our phones for a change, instead of the usual "why
don't you get a proper job?" phone calls from our mothers. All in all, a positive
experience.
The Fitbug Orb might not be everyone's cup of tea. If you
want something that is fully waterproof and can display your workout progress right
on the device itself, look elsewhere. But for those who would like a cheap yet
effective way to monitor their activity and sleep, which then includes the
option to try something more extreme via the Kiqplan apps, step this way.
£27.99