Get up and move

The Up Move from Jawbone is an activity tracker that works with an app to monitor not only your movements but also your food intake and sleep patterns. If you really want to improve your lifestyle by getting more active and fitter, this is a great item.

The device comes with a clip for attaching it to your clothing, where it keeps track of your movements around the clock. Or you can buy a wrist strap for the tracker, somewhat handier when you’re sleeping.

The Up Move has a built-in accelerometer to count your steps, but you need to download and install the Up app from Jawbone – available in both iOS and Android versions – to get the most out of the tracker. You input your personal data to the Up System and get all sorts of guidance in return.

First you must register for a free account with Jawbone, and then link up the app via Bluetooth. The connection will fail if not done within the app – you can’t link directly via your smartphone’s Bluetooth function.

Once your phone is connected to the tracker, you have to input your gender, height, weight and birth date to get effective analysis of your activity level and burned-off calories.

With the Up System you can also set goals for how many steps you plan to take each day and whether you want to increase or lose weight, and how many kilograms.

There is no display on the Up Move device itself. The information comes to your phone. The tracker only has LED lights and icons indicating Workout mode or Sleep mode, plus a single button. Press this once and hold to enter Sleep mode, telling the tracker you’ve gone to bed. Press twice and hold to enter Workout mode and it begins watching your activity. In Workout mode you can also tap the screen to enter or exit that mode.

The fun begins once you’re into the Up System. From now on you need to keep updating your weight with the app on a daily basis so the system can monitor and “encourage” you toward your goal. The prodding comes from the AI Smart Coach.

To ensure the monitoring is effective, use the app to track what you eat and drink. Take a photo of your meal using the app and you can learn the nutritional value of the different kinds of food, or select items from a food list, or scan the food-package barcode, which also carries the nutrition value.

During my test, the Up Move counted 10,066 steps in one day. That was to and from the office and at the office, which for me includes a climb to the 31st floor. There are 620 steps, but it counted 811. (I can’t say I really minded.)

Jawbone explains that the Up Move uses a motion sensor and a powerful algorithm to count the steps, distance, calories, active time and idle time. Then the app calculates calories burned based on your age, gender, height and weight, along with the intensity and duration of your activity.

The device also took note of my seven-minute, 12-position workout before bed. I was pleased to have the Workout-mode option because I do several exercises each day that don’t involve walking in steps, including cycling and yoga.

The app displays your activities in a daily chart, with the total number of steps and the equivalence in kilometres walked, the longest idling time, the number of minutes active and the longest period of activity. It also shows the number of calories burned both actively and passively.

As for snoozing time, I found the tracker quite useful. As well as the number of hours I was I bed, it told me how many hours I’d slept soundly and how many hours I’d slept lightly. It even noticed that I’d awakened twice one night!

The tracker can be worn in the shower, but not while swimming, since it doesn’t like being submerged.

Jawbone’s Up Move tracker retails for Bt2,590. The optional wrist straps will go on sale separately soon.

 

KEY SPECS

 

Sensor and interface: Bluetooth 4.0 BLE, Tri-axis accelerometer

Device material: Nylon-like material

Back Panel material: Anodised aluminium with less than 0.5 per cent nickel

Clip material and strap: Medical-grade TPU rubber

Battery: non-rechargeable, CR2032 Lithium Coin 3V 225mAh battery

Battery life: Up to 6 months

Size: 27.64x27.64 x9.75mm

Weight (tracker only): 6.8g

In the box: Tracker, clip, replaceable battery, manual