Best Fitness & Activity Monitors
Make every beat count with Fitbit Charge 2—the all-new heart rate and fitness wristband built for all-day, workouts and beyond. PurePulse continuous, automatic wrist-based heart rate tracking to better measure calorie burn all day.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I found the Fitbit to be an incredible fitness device compared to the Apple watch. The fitbit can also track sleep, and give you an estimate of your cardio fitness score (V02 Max). Other features: Clearly the fitbit is not a smart watch, but the text and call notifications are great when you're working out and don't have quick access to your phone. Accuracy: Tie. I have no idea what the negative reviews are talking about (Maybe they received a defective device or have exceptionally hairy arms?). The apple watch is slightly more accurate when it comes to distance, and probably more suited for someone who runs at a competitive pace. I love watching my cardio fitness score change and keeping an eye on my resting heart rate overnight. Apple has a ton of 3rd party apps which are great, but it lacks the complete integration of the fitbit. I haven't decided which one I will be keeping yet, but if I were basing my decision on fitness alone, at a non competitive level, I would choose the fitbit hands down. There are other useful features that make the Apple watch appealing in my line of work, so I'll have to weigh those into my decision. The apple watch doesn't have the same coolness factor with regard to fitness, and really doesn't motivate me to workout anymore than my iPhone would. It is perfect for someone who doesn't care about tracking fitness goals, but wants to leave their phone at home during a workout. The ability to stream music, track distance with a built in GPS, and respond to text messages are wonderful. I have a 7 inch wrist and the large band fits me on the last 2-4 holes (keep it loose when not working out)."
"As a Blaze and original Charge HR owner, figured I'd try my hand at the newest Fitbit Charge 2. It replaces the original best selling Charge & Charge HR. Steps, Flights, Heart Rate, Calories Burned, Connected GPS (shows a little map post workout when tied to your phone, and yes, you need to bring your phone with you on walks/runs), and notifications (as of now, just texts, calendar alerts, and displays phone number of incoming calls). The Charge watch has been the workhorse of the fitbit line. Since you're familiar with the Charge already, let's go over some of the issues you may have experienced and highlights/common questions answered: 1) Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge. **If you had problems with your original Charge band bubbling, the ability to swap bands and how the tracker is connected to the bands should eliminate the issues you have experienced ** Obviously way too early to make a call on how the device will hold up, but given my experience with Blaze & Alta, this feels similar in build quality, if not better, and neither of those devices have suffered from bands falling apart on a wide scale. 5) Display is nice, 4x larger than the original Charge. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it. Some display day & date, and most have option to where when you tap the display it will cycle through stats (may display heart rate, date, steps taken, how far you are in your goals, your hourly movement reminders, etc). Yes, two of the watch faces are digital (numbers display, not hands) and have seconds displayed. There is no 3rd party support at this time such as facebook, instagram, etc (The Blaze watch will be offering these soon in next software upgrade, so I guess there is hope the Charge 2 will get those as well). Heart rate was spot on as it usually was with original Charge HR & my Blaze. Obviously some folks have trouble with them due to body hair and whatnot, but the sensors on Charge HR, Blaze, and now Charge 2 seem to be spot on. An issue I had with the original Charge was it getting "lost" when I hit higher cardio levels. CONS: - vibration is notably weaker than the original Charge. The Charge HR slowly scrolls texts and notifications to you, which can be annoying if you're used to the Blaze. They serve their purpose well though, and I can't ding it for this as it's a step up from the original Charge. The Blaze is their high end product at the moment, but the Charge 2 is a very close second. I'll happily answer questions as I did for when I originally reviewed the Blaze out of the gate, and edit this review to reflect common questions or any issues I face as I put the device through its paces in the coming days."
Make every beat count with Fitbit Charge 2—the all-new heart rate and fitness wristband built for all-day, workouts and beyond. PurePulse continuous, automatic wrist-based heart rate tracking to better measure calorie burn all day.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I found the Fitbit to be an incredible fitness device compared to the Apple watch. The fitbit can also track sleep, and give you an estimate of your cardio fitness score (V02 Max). Other features: Clearly the fitbit is not a smart watch, but the text and call notifications are great when you're working out and don't have quick access to your phone. Accuracy: Tie. I have no idea what the negative reviews are talking about (Maybe they received a defective device or have exceptionally hairy arms?). The apple watch is slightly more accurate when it comes to distance, and probably more suited for someone who runs at a competitive pace. I love watching my cardio fitness score change and keeping an eye on my resting heart rate overnight. Apple has a ton of 3rd party apps which are great, but it lacks the complete integration of the fitbit. I haven't decided which one I will be keeping yet, but if I were basing my decision on fitness alone, at a non competitive level, I would choose the fitbit hands down. There are other useful features that make the Apple watch appealing in my line of work, so I'll have to weigh those into my decision. The apple watch doesn't have the same coolness factor with regard to fitness, and really doesn't motivate me to workout anymore than my iPhone would. It is perfect for someone who doesn't care about tracking fitness goals, but wants to leave their phone at home during a workout. The ability to stream music, track distance with a built in GPS, and respond to text messages are wonderful. I have a 7 inch wrist and the large band fits me on the last 2-4 holes (keep it loose when not working out)."
"As a Blaze and original Charge HR owner, figured I'd try my hand at the newest Fitbit Charge 2. It replaces the original best selling Charge & Charge HR. Steps, Flights, Heart Rate, Calories Burned, Connected GPS (shows a little map post workout when tied to your phone, and yes, you need to bring your phone with you on walks/runs), and notifications (as of now, just texts, calendar alerts, and displays phone number of incoming calls). The Charge watch has been the workhorse of the fitbit line. Since you're familiar with the Charge already, let's go over some of the issues you may have experienced and highlights/common questions answered: 1) Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge. **If you had problems with your original Charge band bubbling, the ability to swap bands and how the tracker is connected to the bands should eliminate the issues you have experienced ** Obviously way too early to make a call on how the device will hold up, but given my experience with Blaze & Alta, this feels similar in build quality, if not better, and neither of those devices have suffered from bands falling apart on a wide scale. 5) Display is nice, 4x larger than the original Charge. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it. Some display day & date, and most have option to where when you tap the display it will cycle through stats (may display heart rate, date, steps taken, how far you are in your goals, your hourly movement reminders, etc). Yes, two of the watch faces are digital (numbers display, not hands) and have seconds displayed. There is no 3rd party support at this time such as facebook, instagram, etc (The Blaze watch will be offering these soon in next software upgrade, so I guess there is hope the Charge 2 will get those as well). Heart rate was spot on as it usually was with original Charge HR & my Blaze. Obviously some folks have trouble with them due to body hair and whatnot, but the sensors on Charge HR, Blaze, and now Charge 2 seem to be spot on. An issue I had with the original Charge was it getting "lost" when I hit higher cardio levels. CONS: - vibration is notably weaker than the original Charge. The Charge HR slowly scrolls texts and notifications to you, which can be annoying if you're used to the Blaze. They serve their purpose well though, and I can't ding it for this as it's a step up from the original Charge. The Blaze is their high end product at the moment, but the Charge 2 is a very close second. I'll happily answer questions as I did for when I originally reviewed the Blaze out of the gate, and edit this review to reflect common questions or any issues I face as I put the device through its paces in the coming days."
Make every beat count with Fitbit Charge 2—the all-new heart rate and fitness wristband built for all-day, workouts and beyond. PurePulse continuous, automatic wrist-based heart rate tracking to better measure calorie burn all day.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I found the Fitbit to be an incredible fitness device compared to the Apple watch. The fitbit can also track sleep, and give you an estimate of your cardio fitness score (V02 Max). Other features: Clearly the fitbit is not a smart watch, but the text and call notifications are great when you're working out and don't have quick access to your phone. Accuracy: Tie. I have no idea what the negative reviews are talking about (Maybe they received a defective device or have exceptionally hairy arms?). The apple watch is slightly more accurate when it comes to distance, and probably more suited for someone who runs at a competitive pace. I love watching my cardio fitness score change and keeping an eye on my resting heart rate overnight. Apple has a ton of 3rd party apps which are great, but it lacks the complete integration of the fitbit. I haven't decided which one I will be keeping yet, but if I were basing my decision on fitness alone, at a non competitive level, I would choose the fitbit hands down. There are other useful features that make the Apple watch appealing in my line of work, so I'll have to weigh those into my decision. The apple watch doesn't have the same coolness factor with regard to fitness, and really doesn't motivate me to workout anymore than my iPhone would. It is perfect for someone who doesn't care about tracking fitness goals, but wants to leave their phone at home during a workout. The ability to stream music, track distance with a built in GPS, and respond to text messages are wonderful. I have a 7 inch wrist and the large band fits me on the last 2-4 holes (keep it loose when not working out)."
"As a Blaze and original Charge HR owner, figured I'd try my hand at the newest Fitbit Charge 2. It replaces the original best selling Charge & Charge HR. Steps, Flights, Heart Rate, Calories Burned, Connected GPS (shows a little map post workout when tied to your phone, and yes, you need to bring your phone with you on walks/runs), and notifications (as of now, just texts, calendar alerts, and displays phone number of incoming calls). The Charge watch has been the workhorse of the fitbit line. Since you're familiar with the Charge already, let's go over some of the issues you may have experienced and highlights/common questions answered: 1) Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge. **If you had problems with your original Charge band bubbling, the ability to swap bands and how the tracker is connected to the bands should eliminate the issues you have experienced ** Obviously way too early to make a call on how the device will hold up, but given my experience with Blaze & Alta, this feels similar in build quality, if not better, and neither of those devices have suffered from bands falling apart on a wide scale. 5) Display is nice, 4x larger than the original Charge. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it. Some display day & date, and most have option to where when you tap the display it will cycle through stats (may display heart rate, date, steps taken, how far you are in your goals, your hourly movement reminders, etc). Yes, two of the watch faces are digital (numbers display, not hands) and have seconds displayed. There is no 3rd party support at this time such as facebook, instagram, etc (The Blaze watch will be offering these soon in next software upgrade, so I guess there is hope the Charge 2 will get those as well). Heart rate was spot on as it usually was with original Charge HR & my Blaze. Obviously some folks have trouble with them due to body hair and whatnot, but the sensors on Charge HR, Blaze, and now Charge 2 seem to be spot on. An issue I had with the original Charge was it getting "lost" when I hit higher cardio levels. CONS: - vibration is notably weaker than the original Charge. The Charge HR slowly scrolls texts and notifications to you, which can be annoying if you're used to the Blaze. They serve their purpose well though, and I can't ding it for this as it's a step up from the original Charge. The Blaze is their high end product at the moment, but the Charge 2 is a very close second. I'll happily answer questions as I did for when I originally reviewed the Blaze out of the gate, and edit this review to reflect common questions or any issues I face as I put the device through its paces in the coming days."
Best Activity Trackers
Make every beat count with Fitbit Charge 2—the all-new heart rate and fitness wristband built for all-day, workouts and beyond. PurePulse continuous, automatic wrist-based heart rate tracking to better measure calorie burn all day.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I found the Fitbit to be an incredible fitness device compared to the Apple watch. The fitbit can also track sleep, and give you an estimate of your cardio fitness score (V02 Max). Other features: Clearly the fitbit is not a smart watch, but the text and call notifications are great when you're working out and don't have quick access to your phone. Accuracy: Tie. I have no idea what the negative reviews are talking about (Maybe they received a defective device or have exceptionally hairy arms?). The apple watch is slightly more accurate when it comes to distance, and probably more suited for someone who runs at a competitive pace. I love watching my cardio fitness score change and keeping an eye on my resting heart rate overnight. Apple has a ton of 3rd party apps which are great, but it lacks the complete integration of the fitbit. I haven't decided which one I will be keeping yet, but if I were basing my decision on fitness alone, at a non competitive level, I would choose the fitbit hands down. There are other useful features that make the Apple watch appealing in my line of work, so I'll have to weigh those into my decision. The apple watch doesn't have the same coolness factor with regard to fitness, and really doesn't motivate me to workout anymore than my iPhone would. It is perfect for someone who doesn't care about tracking fitness goals, but wants to leave their phone at home during a workout. The ability to stream music, track distance with a built in GPS, and respond to text messages are wonderful. I have a 7 inch wrist and the large band fits me on the last 2-4 holes (keep it loose when not working out)."
"As a Blaze and original Charge HR owner, figured I'd try my hand at the newest Fitbit Charge 2. It replaces the original best selling Charge & Charge HR. Steps, Flights, Heart Rate, Calories Burned, Connected GPS (shows a little map post workout when tied to your phone, and yes, you need to bring your phone with you on walks/runs), and notifications (as of now, just texts, calendar alerts, and displays phone number of incoming calls). The Charge watch has been the workhorse of the fitbit line. Since you're familiar with the Charge already, let's go over some of the issues you may have experienced and highlights/common questions answered: 1) Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge. **If you had problems with your original Charge band bubbling, the ability to swap bands and how the tracker is connected to the bands should eliminate the issues you have experienced ** Obviously way too early to make a call on how the device will hold up, but given my experience with Blaze & Alta, this feels similar in build quality, if not better, and neither of those devices have suffered from bands falling apart on a wide scale. 5) Display is nice, 4x larger than the original Charge. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it. Some display day & date, and most have option to where when you tap the display it will cycle through stats (may display heart rate, date, steps taken, how far you are in your goals, your hourly movement reminders, etc). Yes, two of the watch faces are digital (numbers display, not hands) and have seconds displayed. There is no 3rd party support at this time such as facebook, instagram, etc (The Blaze watch will be offering these soon in next software upgrade, so I guess there is hope the Charge 2 will get those as well). Heart rate was spot on as it usually was with original Charge HR & my Blaze. Obviously some folks have trouble with them due to body hair and whatnot, but the sensors on Charge HR, Blaze, and now Charge 2 seem to be spot on. An issue I had with the original Charge was it getting "lost" when I hit higher cardio levels. CONS: - vibration is notably weaker than the original Charge. The Charge HR slowly scrolls texts and notifications to you, which can be annoying if you're used to the Blaze. They serve their purpose well though, and I can't ding it for this as it's a step up from the original Charge. The Blaze is their high end product at the moment, but the Charge 2 is a very close second. I'll happily answer questions as I did for when I originally reviewed the Blaze out of the gate, and edit this review to reflect common questions or any issues I face as I put the device through its paces in the coming days."
Best Amazon Launchpad Mobile & Wearable Tech
Spire, born out of research from Stanford University’s Calming Technologies Lab, is on a mission to give every person the power to control their own mental and physical health by capturing realtime bio-signals and making the data useful and actionable. Spire is currently working with partners across a range of mental and physical health conditions such as sleep, asthma, COPD, respiratory depression, and more: providing easy ways for people to improve their health. The Spire Stone product is sold in Apple Stores globally and has recommended by thousands of health professionals worldwide. Know Yourself: Learn where and when you're tense, calm, or productive.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As a full-time college student and part-time worker, I experience my fair share of stressful moments. The back of the device is soft and I never feel it rubbing up against my skin during daily use (most of the time, I completely forget I'm wearing it). I'll admit that the first day I used Spire, I was completely unconvinced that it was correctly tracking my breathing patterns. After leaving my morning class (which Spire told me I was focused and to keep up the good work), I got stuck in some traffic on the commute home. I checked the iPhone app upon arriving home, and Spire told me that I was in a state of tension for 20 minutes. The app presented me with several options for reducing my tension including (but not limited to) a quick relaxation boost exercise and an extended guided-meditation."
"I was just on a phone meeting and got a notification on my iPhone that it had been awhile since I'd taken a deep breath. It was just a nice little nudge, a reminder, to get back to doing what I know is important, full and functional breathing. And they have a nice 'foundation pack' teaching you some elemental breathing techniques along with getting to know your device and the app. Things I'd like to see improve: - there are times where I feel like I'm tense but Spire doesn't recognize it as such. I get that my perspective is a thought while Spire is measuring actual breathing patterns. I suppose this means that even when I emotionally feel tense, I'm still doing a credible job of breathing well. I do wish I had the ability to adjust the sensitivity of the algorithm, or increase the 'challenge level' so that it takes more to register as Calm, but that's a relatively minor quibble. So if I listen to one boost Friday afternoon, I don't get the next one unlocked until Monday morning. They are in beta testing on it and I took a look at it, and while it's still rough around the edges it has great promise and it directly addresses these two points. I genuinely believe this is one of the few wearable technologies that doesn't just give you a bunch of data that is essentially meaningless, but can actually improve the quality of your life in important and meaningful ways."
Best App-Enabled Activity Trackers
Never put your favorite fitbit at risk. Two Pack Make it fully-prepared. There are so many options, why Choose Us All Our Products are Produced under Strict Quality Inspection. 12-Month Worry-Free Warranty and Free Life-time Technical Support. Professional After-Sales Team. When charging, please make sure that you have plugged it into your fitbit correctly(the metal contact should be aligned with the interface of your fitbit) 5.Only for fitbit Alta,not for fitbit Alta HR. It has a voltage regulator inside (PTC) to protect your fibit from being damaged by overcurrent. Simply plug it into any USB port on your computer to charge your Fitbit Alta quickly and steadily. Note:If you connect it to the adapter, the current must not exceed 1A and the Voltage does not exceed 5V.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They don't seem to make contact with the fit bit after awhile.....but you can't beat the price'."
"I monitored the cords and plug for any signs of overheating, lag, or overcharging."
"It is one piece so it doesn’t have the annoying little springs that the charger that came with my Fitbit had, which coincidentally broke before I even got my Fitbit charged."
"I plugged in my Fitbit Alta as soon as I opened the package."
"a little wigglier to get it attached to the alta fitbit but once it's secure it charges well... Ive used it several times without any problems (other than getting it attached!"
"This charging cord works exactly as expected."
"I accidentally broke my fitbit’s original charger and then decided to buy these ones."
"Item fails to charge the Alta."
Best Massage Tools & Equipment
Computer users Office workers Athletes People with long, stressful commutes Those seeking stress relief People with neck, shoulder or back pain, muscle fatigue, and poor blood circulation. Relieves muscle pain and tension Increases blood circulation Worry free, 90 day money back guarantee 1-year warranty FDA Listed. RELIEVES SORE MUSCLES: Powerful 3-Dimension Deep-Kneading Shiatsu Massage Nodes relax overused and tight muscles (Automatically changes direction every minute); Advanced Heating function soothes aching muscles and can be turned on & off with ease. SAFE TO USE: The ZMA13 Shiatsu massager is equipped with Overheat Protection Device & programmed with 20-minute Auto Shut-Off to ensure safety (UL approved power adaptor works with both 110-120V & 220-240V electrical outlet); Car adapter included.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"the fabric covering the rotating massage balls frayed and opened up after 6 months of regular use."
"Update: The company did make due on their promise to replace the unit immediately for free. The massager itself works well, just don't put too much pressure on it which will lead to the stitching eventually breaking down."
"Even for this not-as mechanically involved person, I saw simple details, especially in the manner in which the switch is built, which made replacing the cover a piece of cake. Few companies have earned that kind of respect from me, and most are giants of commerce, from American Express, Lenovo (ThinkPads), Samsung (smartphones) to State Farm (though of late my loyalties with the flatter have waivered); to mid-size companies like Ameriprise Financial, the largest of the bona fide financial planning firms in the country (full disclosure here--I was a board certified financial advisor with them for 25 years, until I retired early 2016; I worked for them that long because I wanted to do personal financial planning with clients, and I was able to do just that with their full backing and support), CareFirst (a BC & BS health insurance company serving MD, DC and northern VA) and Sprint. UPDATE -- Aug 16, 2017. I initially gave a 5 star review after purchasing my "Zyllion ZMA13BK Shiatsu Pillow Massager with Heat" two years ago. At the time I was still working as a personal financial advisor (25 years) out of my home office. Well, initially I would often use it off and on much of my work day, which was mostly desk bound (I had clients scattered up and down the east coast, with a heavy concentration in SW Florida, and a smaller exposure here in western Maryland, who had been with me for a long time, so much of the work was done by phone and online, though I still scheduled face-to-face meetings in my clients' homes, including an yearly trip to Florida). Except that, not surprisingly, the moving "rollers ball-like massagers" would briefly get caught in the adhesive of the exposed duct tape. Since I was "defeated" in my homemade solutions, I decided to look around the link to the product, and see if I could find anything of help. Sure enough, and the response from Zyllion had been quite fast, as in this answer to a certain Carlo D., who asked, just less than 2 weeks ago, on Friday, August 4, 2017—. "I need to replace the cover please help". Zyllion Customer Service immediately responded the very next business day, Monday August 7, 2017—. "Dear Carlo: "Thank you for your comment! So I immediately wrote to them, sending my message using the Amazon internal system of communicating with a vendor, shortly after midnight TODAY (12:30 am EDT). By 12:07 pm EDT, not quite 12 hours after writing to them, I had an answer from them, saying that they would indeed send me a replacement cover; they just needed my address. While writing this, here at 3:17 pm EDT, they already put my replacement cover in the mail to me, with a tracking number from the USPS. That's just fancy talk which is rarely delivered in my experience (I'll soon turn 65, so I've been in this game for a long time)."
"I got this as a gift from my amazing girlfriend who knows I complain about my neck all the time. It shuts off after 20 minutes but you can turn it right back on and it's still warm, if you don't want heat you can turn off the heat and still have the rollers. I'd definitely recommend this if you have any neck pain or just want a relaxing message after work on the ride home."
Best Aromatherapy Products
First, the humidifier function adds moisture to the air to help you sleep better, cough less and alleviate dry sinuses. This handy unit also diffuses your favorite scented oils without heat, so their holistic properties stay intact. Features: No filters required. Whisper-quiet operation. Auto shutoff for safety. Visually appealing,modern Japanese design. Helps with dry, chapped skin, chapped lips and dry sinuses. Works with ordinary tap water, plus 2 to 3 drops of essential oil. Please use 100% pure essential oils with no corrosivity, Ultrasonic aroma essential oil diffuse is safe and does not harm the essential oil of any ingredients. Features include 7 color changing lamps for your choice, nightlight, programmable on/off cycles and auto shut-off.once the water runs out,it wil be auto shut-off to protect the device.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is my personal honest opinion and I get a little frustrated seeing so many reviews on amazon from people who have received free or discounted products in exchange for reviews. I am interested in people like me who have spent their money and bought a product who want to give a review. It locks so that the oil doesn't spill, so you can't just twist it on and off like a water bottle cap. If you press the "on" button once the diffuser will run for about 30 seconds, shut off and then automatically turn back on. It is just a small red or green button depending on the mist setting so if you need complete darkness to sleep it may be a problem. I have one diffuser for the main area in the house and now a second one for the bedroom."
"Bought this for my indoor grow room to keep up the humidity."
"I'm brand new to the essential oils thing but this review is strictly on the diffuser itself. Green light, it'll diffuse on for about 30 seconds and then stop for about the same amount of time and alternate until it runs out of water or you shut it off. I even have to put a small decorative piece in front of the unit because that light that shows you it's on will keep me up. Lastly, one of my favorite things about it is that it's so quiet, you hardly know it's running other than seeing the mist and a very, very slight sound."
"I love having it next to my bed and breathing it in at night, especially the eucalyptus & pine oils."