Nike + iPod Sport Kit Review

Pluses and Minuses for the Nike + iPod Sport Kit

The sensor has a limited battery life and should only be worn in the shoe when you are going to track your workout. That means removing it from the shoes if you are wearing them when not going for a walk or run. You can turn the sensor on and off by using a point to poke the switch on the bottom of the sensor.

This is annoying if you plan to wear your shoes other than for dedicated walks and runs. Personally, I'm buying a pair of Nike Air Zoom Moires to wear at work because they are so comfortable. But I guess I'll have to put the sensor in when I'm ready to go for a "real walk."

I wondered at first what I would do with the receiver unit when I wasn't using it, as well as the sensor if I took it out of the shoe to save battery life. I decided that the Nike+ armband makes a good storage unit for these small parts.

If you are tracking your daily steps or even your workout steps, you won't find it here. All you get is distance in miles or kilometers, time and calories burned.

Speed and Distance Accuracy

The distance and speed will only be as accurate as your calibration for your walking and running strides. It is great to get a speed readout, but it pays to calibrate the unit so you can trust it a bit more. It should be more accurate when used with the Nike+ ready shoes rather than just taped under the laces such as I did in a pinch. The plus is that the speedometer function works indoors or outdoors, while the most-accurate GPS units (such as the Garmin Forerunner or Timex Speed + Distance) work only outdoors, and even then don't work in canyons, forests, or when surrounded by tall buildings.

I bought the full system - iPod nano, sport kit, armband, and the Nike+ ready shoes (yet to arrive). I found the iPod nano to be super easy to set up and use. The sensor and receiver were also no-brainers. There was practically no setup at all other than installing and updating the software for the iPod nano and iTunes. I use my own headphones rather than the earbuds provided. The only drawback I found on first use was that it was hard to adjust the volume when the iPod nano is in the armband.

I'm an audiobook listener rather than a music listener, so I was a stranger to playlist and ripping songs from my CDs. This was extremely easy to do with iTunes, as you probably know well. You can also download workouts from iTunes, including playlists by athletes such as Lance Armstrong. You and Lance can train together for the marathon.

Nike also has a line of Nike+ workout clothing designed to hold the iPod nano. For women, they have Nike+ long-sleeved shirt, cap-sleeved shirt, fitted tank, featherweight shorts and jacket. Each has a pocket and a headphone port. The pocket is designed so you don't have to look at your iPod during your workout, it centers the select button so you know where it is to press it for an audible readout. All items come in Small-XL.
Tops for Men and Women: Compare Prices.
Jackets: Compare Prices
Shorts: Compare Prices