When you hear “Bluetooth,” you probably think of those silly earpieces used to take calls on your cell phone, hands-free. Or maybe you’re a fan of Bluetooth Stereo, which transmits music from your smartphone to wireless speakers or headphones. Well, now there’s an even-better Bluetooth in town—one that can help you stay healthy and fit. Bluetooth 4.0 uses less power (read: it won’t kill your device’s battery life as quickly) to send data, like heart rate, hours slept, and calories burned, from a portable gadget to your smartphone or tablet. What kind of portable gadgets are we talking about? Here are eight health and fitness-focused Bluetooth 4.0-endowed devices that you’ll want to get your hands on as soon as they go on sale.
You think you’re living an active and healthy lifestyle, but this gadget can give you the reality check you need to really be your best. Slip a colorful Fitbit Flex strap onto your wrist and the device tracks all of the movement from your busy day (and night)—distance traveled, steps taken, calories burned—along with how long and how well you slept. All of your activity (or lack thereof) is transmitted via Bluetooth 4.0 to an Android or Apple mobile device and/or a PC, where you can track your progress toward your get-fit goals. ($100, fitbit.com/flex, available spring 2013)
Tracking your heart rate is one of the best ways to measure workout intensity. But the Polar H7 Heart Monitor does more than count beats per minute. The device also records exercise time, pace, distance covered, calories burned, and percentage of body fat lost. The gadget can be hooked up to dozens of fitness apps, including the Polar Beat iPhone/iPad app, as well as compatible gym equipment. ($80, polarusa.com)
As a busy desk-dweller, your posture probably isn’t the first thing on your mind. Good thing the LUMOback posture belt can tell you whether you’re sitting up straight or slouching your way to a sore back. Strap the belt around your lower back and load the LUMOback app onto your iOS-enabled device. From there, LUMOback monitors your body positioning while sitting, standing, walking, running, and sleeping. But don’t worry, you don’t have to stare at the app all day to know whether you're sitting or standing up straight. The belt gently vibrates to let you know when your posture is less than perfect. ($149, LUMOback.com)
Most fitness gadgets track horizontal, ground-based movement, like running and walking. But the Mayfonk Athletic Vert clip-on belt measures the height of your jumps. Vert uses Bluetooth 4.0 to send your vertical movement data to a series of sports-specific Mayfonk iOS apps such as basketball, BMX biking, track, volleyball, and even jump roping, depending on what you’re into. The gadget identifies repetitious movements that could cause overuse injuries and helps coaches and athletes gauge performance over time. ($100-$120, mayfonkathletic.com, available spring 2013)
If you can't make it to the doc as soon as you'd like, this pocket-sized gadget can help you get an idea about what's up with your body—right at home. Hold the Scanadu SCOUT to your temple and the device reads five vital signs, including body temperature, pulse, and heart rate variability. This data is then sent to a corresponding smartphone app, which is still in the works but will feature an analysis of your symptoms, a diagnosis, and suggested treatment. ($150, scandu.com, available late 2013)
There's no need to own both a real bicycle and an at-home spin bike. When the weather keeps you indoors, pop the back wheel off of your 10-speed or BMX and mount your bike onto the Wahoo Fitness KICKR Power Trainer bike stand. KICKR connects to the Wahoo iPhone app and monitors your power (wattage), speed, and cadence. Or use the app to control the KICKR's resistance for a more challenging ride. The trainer adjusts to accommodate most bikes and foldable legs make it easy to store or tote. ($1,099, wahoofitness.com, available April 2013)
This wristband looks and feels similar to the Fitbit Flex, and it tracks similar stats, like distance covered, steps taken, calories burned, and hours slept. Like the Fitbit Flex, LarkLife is meant to be worn constantly, and all data is transmitted to an iPhone/iPad app via Bluetooth 4.0 (there’s no LarkLife Android app). The bonus feature that you’ll get with LarkLife: nutrition, productivity, and time management advice from coaches, professional athletes, and business execs. ($150, lark.com)
Sure, it looks like a scary contraption you’d see in your doctor’s office, but the iHealth Pulse Oximeter offers athletes or anyone with breathing difficulties, heart issues or other health challenges a noninvasive way to check their blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate (BPM) on the fly. These stats are displayed on both the fingertip fob’s LED screen and on iHealth’s MyVitals app for Android and iOS-enabled devices. (price TBA, ihealthlabs.com, available summer 2013)
