Wearable technology continues to get very popular. While the Fitbit Force was launched in October 2013, we’ve recently got our hands on one and have decided to do a review. It’s interesting to note that some believe the future of these fitness gadgets may be coming to end if Apple and Google crack the smartwatch market soon. Even Nike has recently made moves to start focusing more on the community and software, and less on its FuelBand gadget. With that mind, here’s our thoughts about the Fitbit Force.
About Fitbit Force
The Force is world’s first wristband fitness tracker to have an OLED display. The OLED display can indicates several, daily metric by simply pressing its single side button:
- Time
- Number of footsteps
- Miles walked
- Calories burned
- Level steps climbed
- Level of intense physical activity
Battery consumption in case of OLED screen is much less than non-OLED fitness band. There is also the added benefit of the user no longer being forced to refer to an app to check fitness statistics as the information can be read off the tracker itself. The company, however, has still provided an accompanying app for a deeper look at your fitness status, which is particularly useful to evaluate trends of time.
The price of the Fitbit Force is US$129 (RM411).
The advanced build of the Fitbit Force sets it apart from its competitors. The fitness tracker stands out from the rest in terms of ease of use. However, it is not perfect when it comes to style and design.
The pros
It may not look all that appealing from the outside, but the Force is much more engaging within. Other than the OLED display, which shows crisp, highly legible data, it has a number of firsts incorporated into a wristband fitness tracker – like an altimeter. This is useful for monitoring the number of stairs you climb throughout the day. The Fitbit Force continually reminds you to be active. Since the display reveals your statistics with a light touch on the button, instead of loading an app, the device helps to remind you to stay active.
The Fitbit Force is the sole wristband tracker to keep track of your active minutes. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person must be active for about 150 minutes in the course of a week, which is equal to a swift 3mph walk. The device adds this particular benchmark to its central user goal and displays it as a tracked statistic on the screen.
The Fitbit Force syncs through Bluetooth and there is no compulsion to plug the device into a computer or smartphone to transfer the data. The newly designed dashboard is modern and offers simplified and easy navigation. The best reason to load the accompanying app is to make the experience more social. It is possible for you to co-opt your friends on a leaderboard, enabling you to encourage them in real time. You can also transmit messages through the Fitbit app to talk smack.
The cons
One con of the Fitbit Force for some people is its appearance compared to the other slimmer fitness bands.It is noticeably clunkier than its predecessor (Flex) and has a wider band holding a thicker hub below the screen to accommodate the battery. However, the tradeoff for the large size is that you get the screen on the band.
Also, the wristbands cannot be easily secured with the wearer forced to apply excess pressure to the rubber snaps to keep them in proper place. Actually, the temperature can make a key difference. It’s typically more difficult to snap in colder temperatures than warmer temperatures. So, the Fitbit Force should bind easily in Malaysia. Lastly, the band comes in two colors – blue and black, and in two sizes only – small and large.
Should you buy the Fitbit Force?
If you’re a goal oriented person who gets motivated with simple reminders, then the Fitbit Force is an ideal solution. Its OLED display, sleep tracking and social integration easily scores above all other comparable devices in the market.
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Photo credit: USCPSC / Foter /Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
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