Jawbone UP2 Fitness tracker

I have now been wearing the UP2 by Jawbone for a little more than month.  When I first received the Up2, I was really excited to try it out, but quickly my excitement turned to confusion. With no instructions other than a how to charge pamphlet, it was up to Jawbone’s app to guide me through the process.

The Up2 synced fine with my phone (Iphone5s) but the app was difficult to understand. I figured I would learn along the way. After a number of random vibrations, which left me feeling more confused, I decided to look up a couple of YouTube videos for guidance. I have never used a fitness tracker, so this was all new to me. After a couple videos explaining the functions I was go to go.

Taking the UP2 for a trail run

 The Up2 allows you to set a movement, sleep and weight goal. The tracker has an idle alert, a warning for when you’re being stationary for too long, and an activity alert, for letting you know the number of steps you’re at.  You can set your activity log to different activity types (running, weights, etc.) for the most accurate calorie count.  I feel like the most valuable feature of the UP2, for me, was the stop watch feature.  I would activate the stop watch and go for a run, once the run was over, the app would tell me time, steps and distance. I liked having this for my weekly mileage. The app allows you to add friends on the Jawbone network to compare weekly steps, a little extra motivation to get moving.

Overall, I feel like the Jawbone did a great job designing the UP2. The band is made from Medical grade rubber and sits nicely on your wrist. The Up2 has a low profile design, and is easy to forget you’re wearing it. While it is not water proof, it is water resistant, so no need to take it off for a shower. Charging is easy with an included USB cord that magnetically attaches to the unit.

Pros

·         Sleek design – easy to wear, don’t really notice it.

·         Water resisted – showering was not an issue for it.

·         Battery Life – usually lasted a week and charged in an hour.

Cons

·         Software – was slow, hard to understand at first.

Trying to Mtn. bike with the UP2

Verdict

The UP2 by Jawbone retails for $99 but a quick Google search and you can find it for less than that. I fell the weakest point of the UP2 is the Jawbone App. This is something; I’m sure, can/will be updated. If you are in the market for a fitness tracker, the UP2 is a strong contender with the Fitbit flex. I would buy two so you can and a friend can compare weekly steps. 

*I have only been using my UP2 for a month now, there are a lot of comments about the longevity of the product. I will update the review if I have any issues with this.