How To Get A Nike Sponsorship

Our Verdict

You could buy this as a handsome sentinel and slob out on the sofa - only it'll guilt you off it.

For

Aesthetically pleasing
Don't accept to sync with iPhone for info
Track your activity against friends on Facebook
Easy and convenient to wear

Against

More nannying would be benign
Swimming will be difficult as it's just water-resistant
Expensive

At its centre, the FuelBand is little different to the UP or Fitbit; it'south basically an accelerometer you wearable on your wrist that tracks how active you are throughout the day, and though its understated styling and system of monitoring and achievements on your iPhone or at nikeplus.nike.com (opens in new tab) is cleverer and richer than with its competitors, the central idea is the same. That'southward good, because the idea works really well.

Also read: The 20 best iPhone apps for designers

Motivational tech

Even if you brand no other conscious changes to your lifestyle, just having something telling yous how active yous are each day is an amazing motivator. Tired and want to go the bus home instead of walking, for instance? Ah, but that'll probably mean yous won't hit your goal for the day. It sounds nearly petty, but we're notwithstanding to run into anyone with one of these monitoring devices who isn't affected in the same way.

Looking good

It doesn't hurt that the Nike+ FuelBand just looks gorgeous, with its simple black rubbery exterior and single ring of silverish at the clasp. Press the single button on the FuelBand and a system of LEDs lite up on the face; different pretty much every other gadget nosotros've seen, these lights really do look every bit if they're embedded into the band, and the effect is mightily pleasing.

The white lights give readouts for its central metrics - number of steps taken, calories burned or NikeFuel (of which more than shortly) accrued - also as telling the time. It would exist dainty to have the option of keeping the time ever displayed so you could glance at the FuelBand like a watch, simply that would presumably have a hugely detrimental effect on the bombardment life; as it is, the battery can just about last a full week.

Wrist action

Below the white readout is a line of coloured LEDs that bear witness you how far you are towards your goal. Having all this data alive on your wrist, rather than having showtime to sync with your iPhone equally with the Upwards, is terrific. And unlike the Fitbit, which tin can only sync over a PC or Mac, the FuelBand can besides sync directly with your iPhone over Bluetooth.
The iPhone app is very slick, and though the process every bit presented is substantially cleaved at the moment, the fact that you tin rails your activity confronting FuelBand-owning friends on Facebook is neat.

Going for the burn

Although NikeFuel is a synthetic mensurate that Nike has just made upward, nosotros speedily adjusted to it; you can as well measure out steps and calories, only while their accuracy seems reasonable, the fact that nosotros tin can't question the accuracy of NikeFuel oddly fabricated us trust information technology more. Also, NikeFuel is standardised across a huge range of Nike products, and it's a level playing field – you tin can 'compete' against Olympic athletes every bit hands and as Sandra from accounts.

The accuracy of NikeFuel oddly made united states trust it more

As with all these things, we remain annoyed that you're on your own when it comes to setting goals. We'd like your first week, say, using the FuelBand for it to just monitor your typical activity levels, so gently but firmly set y'all goals to gradually get you fitter and more active over the next few months.

Nike+ Fuelband: The Nike+ Fuelband site gives you lots of hints and tips — Nike+ Fuelband: The Nike+ Fuelband site gives yous lots of hints and tips

Ready your goal

Every bit information technology is, we spent the kickoff few days (when we had no real feel for NikeFuel) setting wildly generous and and then impossibly stringent goals for ourselves. Nosotros feel like a chip more nannying would be beneficial every bit we progress; you can set goals on the Nike+ website that are bigger-film than the usual daily goals, and information technology can suggest some, only we'd like information technology to be very much more in-your-face up.

The FuelBand is piece of cake and convenient to habiliment

The FuelBand is easy and convenient to wear, and though some forms of exercise will exist tracked less well simply by the nature of the device (weightlifting, for example, or pond, since it's h2o-resistant but not waterproof), it's such a pleasant system to use that you will use it.
Nosotros'd similar GPS as well to track runs, say, but quite sympathize the technical trade-off here - it would soak up too much battery - and you could always use the separate, gratis Nike+ Running app on your iPhone for this.

A nice watch

Yep, information technology's maddeningly expensive, just if y'all can afford it – or can justify it to yourself from a pot of money yous had apportioned in your caput marked 'A Nice Watch' - it's a beautifully-crafted fleck of kit backed up by both services online and apps, and happily complements the balance of the Nike+ range. It's just a shame that it's just on sale in v Nike Stores in London - and that, for some reason, Nike won't comment on future availability.

Key info

Works with: iPhone/iPad
Price: £149
Manufacturer: Nike
Website: nike.com/fuelband (opens in new tab)
Dimensions: 74x60x19mm
Weight: 31g

This review originally featured in Tap! Magazine effect Sept/Oct.

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Nike+ Fuelband

You lot could purchase this as a handsome watch and slob out on the sofa - but it'll guilt you off it.