Jawbone UP Review (opens in new tab)

(shawnwall.tumblr.com)

81 pointsshawnwall14y ago27 comments

27 comments

For a slightly cheaper approach (assuming you already have an iPhone): I have been successfully and pleasantly using "Lose It!" [1] to track all of my food and exercise for about five months now. So far I've lost 20 lbs and 2% body fat. For sleep tracking, I am using Sleep Cycle [2] to measure sleep hours and (most importantly to me) wake me up at a good time. Nike+ [3] on my iPhone tracks my running times, route, distance, etc. Total cost $2.98 (plus an iPhone of course).

I've been amazed at how easy it's been to get into reasonable shape by changing only one thing: consistently collecting the right data.

[1] http://www.loseit.com/

[2] http://mdlabs.se/sleepcycle/

[3] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nike-gps/id387771637?mt=8

Samuel_Michon14y ago

Excellent suggestions. I had assumed that Nike+ still required you to have Nike+ shoes, but apparently, nowadays it works with the iPhone's GPS. Downloading it now.

freshrap614y ago

You can buy a pouch to hold the sensor onto non-Nike shoes. They usually are no more than a couple bucks. I'm sure there are hacks out there too.

dekz14y ago

Will Sleep cycle pick up my partners movements and wake me up at an inopportune time?

nosignal14y ago

I used it, and I just kept it on my side of the bed, it worked fine. I guess it depends on your mattress, but unless your partner is shifting around enough to wake you I'd say it'd be fine.

dcreemer14y ago

I've never had that problem, though I do have a memory-foam mattress. Sleep Cycle has always worked exactly as advertised for me.

parshap14y ago

This device looks great! The software looks like it could use some work, though. Does anyone know if the data is exportable?

dreeves14y ago

I'm also eager to learn the answer to this, or what kind of options there are to access the data programmatically.

(The answer is relevant to my own startup, http://beeminder.com which is a goal-tracking and anti-akrasia service -- you pledge money to force yourself to keep your data points on a "yellow brick road" to your goal. It works especially well when you can automate the data collection with devices like this.)

joeconway14y ago

Do your users actually pay you $5 for every time they leave their 'yellow zone'? I'd be much more inclined to do this if it were a much smaller amount of money and donated to a charity of my choice instead

1 more reply

shawnwallOP14y ago

From what I have seen thus far there is no export capability for the data. There's an outstanding question on the jawbone forums with no response http://forums.jawbone.com/t5/Product-Support/Can-we-export-o...

rkudeshi14y ago

I know the FitBit has a dedicated charger that you have to use every few days to recharge the device...what about this? Or is it like those watches that can power themselves through kinetic motion?

buro914y ago

Charges via USB cable: http://eu.jawbone.com/epages/Jawbone.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=Ca...

nosignal14y ago

What's stopping these things from including a heart rate monitor as well? Do we just not have the sensors, or are they just not as cheap as a simple accelerometer? I'd be much more interested in the exercise tracking if it did something besides "steps". Most devices have the same issue as far as I know. If I'm doing an oly lifting workout I don't do very many steps but I sure do a lot of work. I'd love to be able to quantify that.

marcamillion14y ago

This looks very interesting. I been wanting something like this forever. After watching the way the WakeMate has evolved (or not), I might be inclined to try this.

Thanks for this review!

xbryanx14y ago

I love the idea, but think I will stick with the FitBit, simply because I hate wearing anything around my wrists. Especially since I am typing at a keyboard so much of the day.

dreeves14y ago

I'd love to find something that could be worn as a necklace (even in the shower). My partner had a fitbit that died when it ended up going through the laundry.

callmeed14y ago

I'm curious: there are at least 3 or 4 such products (Up, WakeMate, etc.) ... do any of them have patents?

coldnose14y ago

Only the WakeMate and all other non-UP devices are covered by patents. Evil, baby-raping patents.

The good people at Jawbone respect the integrity of babies' orifices, and would never dare to file a patent.

kkwok14y ago

How effective is its alarm?

jordanmessina14y ago

I got mine yesterday and used it last night for the first time as an alarm. It worked as advertised and since it's around the wrist it's really effective at waking you up.

fionabunny14y ago

How does the sleep tracking actually work? How can I verify the measurements?

shawnwallOP14y ago

I obviously can't say for sure how it works as I'm just an end user, but I can say you tell the device you are going to sleep and when you wake up. In between, it is obviously sensing your movement using the accelerometer, etc. My guess would be if you fidget around while you sleep this would be considered a light sleep.

theDoug14y ago

I would suspect this to be true- Fitbit works in the same way. Sleep is an activity like any other so periods of movement above the threshold are seen as interruptions.

jc4p14y ago

Holy bright yellow background, batman!

Flam14y ago

My eyes literally hurt now.

jc4p14y ago

I was very interested in the article but inverse color mode just made it worse so I had to open up Chrome's inspector and change the CSS before I continued reading.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

27 comments

dcreemer14y ago

I've been amazed at how easy it's been to get into reasonable shape by changing only one thing: consistently collecting the right data.

[1] http://www.loseit.com/

[2] http://mdlabs.se/sleepcycle/

[3] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nike-gps/id387771637?mt=8

Samuel_Michon14y ago

Excellent suggestions. I had assumed that Nike+ still required you to have Nike+ shoes, but apparently, nowadays it works with the iPhone's GPS. Downloading it now.

freshrap614y ago

You can buy a pouch to hold the sensor onto non-Nike shoes. They usually are no more than a couple bucks. I'm sure there are hacks out there too.

dekz14y ago

Will Sleep cycle pick up my partners movements and wake me up at an inopportune time?

nosignal14y ago

I used it, and I just kept it on my side of the bed, it worked fine. I guess it depends on your mattress, but unless your partner is shifting around enough to wake you I'd say it'd be fine.

dcreemer14y ago

I've never had that problem, though I do have a memory-foam mattress. Sleep Cycle has always worked exactly as advertised for me.

parshap14y ago

This device looks great! The software looks like it could use some work, though. Does anyone know if the data is exportable?

dreeves14y ago

I'm also eager to learn the answer to this, or what kind of options there are to access the data programmatically.

joeconway14y ago

1 more reply

shawnwallOP14y ago

rkudeshi14y ago

I know the FitBit has a dedicated charger that you have to use every few days to recharge the device...what about this? Or is it like those watches that can power themselves through kinetic motion?

buro914y ago

Charges via USB cable: http://eu.jawbone.com/epages/Jawbone.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=Ca...

nosignal14y ago

marcamillion14y ago

This looks very interesting. I been wanting something like this forever. After watching the way the WakeMate has evolved (or not), I might be inclined to try this.

Thanks for this review!

xbryanx14y ago

I love the idea, but think I will stick with the FitBit, simply because I hate wearing anything around my wrists. Especially since I am typing at a keyboard so much of the day.

dreeves14y ago

I'd love to find something that could be worn as a necklace (even in the shower). My partner had a fitbit that died when it ended up going through the laundry.

callmeed14y ago

I'm curious: there are at least 3 or 4 such products (Up, WakeMate, etc.) ... do any of them have patents?

coldnose14y ago

Only the WakeMate and all other non-UP devices are covered by patents. Evil, baby-raping patents.

The good people at Jawbone respect the integrity of babies' orifices, and would never dare to file a patent.

kkwok14y ago

How effective is its alarm?

jordanmessina14y ago

I got mine yesterday and used it last night for the first time as an alarm. It worked as advertised and since it's around the wrist it's really effective at waking you up.

fionabunny14y ago

How does the sleep tracking actually work? How can I verify the measurements?

shawnwallOP14y ago

theDoug14y ago

I would suspect this to be true- Fitbit works in the same way. Sleep is an activity like any other so periods of movement above the threshold are seen as interruptions.

jc4p14y ago

Holy bright yellow background, batman!

Flam14y ago

My eyes literally hurt now.

jc4p14y ago

I was very interested in the article but inverse color mode just made it worse so I had to open up Chrome's inspector and change the CSS before I continued reading.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse