Image courtesy Body Media.
Last week I reviewed the Striiv, and this week I’ll look at the BodyMedia FIT system. Full disclosure: I was provided with a review unit of the CORE system for this evaluation.
The BodyMedia FIT CORE is available from Amazon and other stores starting at $143 for the basic device, but it’s worth it for the slight upgrade to the version with Bluetooth. They’re also releasing a short term, disposable version that adheres to the skin for a week. The BodyMedia device came in part from the skunkworks at Carnegie Mellon and uses technology developed by IBM.
The strength of the BodyMedia system is that it provides more information than a simple pedometer or activity meter. In addition to steps it can measure periods of intense activity and your sleep levels and quality. The BodyMedia system also allows you to manually track your calories, measurement, and weight. The advantage is that you can more accurately keep track of most of the crucial factors impacting weight loss and see it all in one place.
Mobile Apps
BodyMedia provides both Android and iOS versions of their mobile app. For the CORE model with no Bluetooth, this provides a historical record of data transferred to the BodyMedia website when you charge the device on your computer via USB. For LINK users, you can see a snapshot of your current activity via Bluetooth. It’s one of the reasons upgrading to the Bluetooth version is worth it for this system. Without a Bluetooth connection, you’re stuck examining historical data. You can’t see anything as it happens.
The mobile app also allows you to enter calorie information, and the Bluetooth connected device can also give you a mobile workout accompanied to music you’ve stored on your phone. The Bluetooth connection makes sure your workout is effective.
If you don’t have a smartphone and you do want to see real-time data, you can get a watch-like display accessory for around $99. It only works with the models without Bluetooth.
Read the rest of Marziah’s review of BodyMedia and comment at GeekMom.
