In the digital age, technology and fitness are intertwined in a marriage that seeks to maximise data crunching, allowing users to always keep track of all the ‘whats’ and ‘how much’s’. Fitness trackers are plentiful in the market, an essential in the exercise and keeping fit industry. Fitness junkies love their devices and it is extremely common to see trackers being used whether on smartphones, embedded in shoes or even on its own.
The latest of such is the Polar Loop, a smart bracelet that tracks activity and shares information with a smartphone. Polar, a big name in the fitness industry unveiled the device recently and showed off its sleek design and cool display. Said to be the first full waterproof fitness tracker of this sort, the Polar Loop monitors every move throughout the day. Polar USA President, Herb Bauer, said “Polar Loop brings our expertise and insights beyond time spent exercising, providing a complete and accurate picture of all daily activity and underlining the importance of every movement made throughout the day-from running, cycling and weight training to cooking, taking the stairs and walking the dog.”
It accurately tracks 5 different levels of activity and can distinguish different types of movement such as walking, running, swimming and cycling. Users can set daily targets and the device will help guide the user on how to achieve that target through a variety of means. It could suggest running for 45 minutes, or walking for 2 hours or even swimming for 30 minutes, giving users flexibility and options. The Polar Loop houses a large LED display so all you need to do is check the display instead of pulling out your smartphone. It syncs with devices via Bluetooth and its Polar Flow app which is both iOS and Android supported.
The Bluetooth Smart feature on the device also allows users to pair the Polar Loop with a Bluetooth heart rate sensor such as the Polar H7, enabling a much more accurate tracking of data. It goes on sale in October and features a red LED display set into a rubberized wristband with a stainless steel buckle. The device will set you back $109.95 but it is definitely worth it as it has been hailed as one of the best of its kind. For now only a black version is available but a pink version with white LEDs is slated for early 2014.
