Bluetooth-Linked Pedometers and Activity Monitors

The FuelBand has been the most motivational activity monitor I've ever used, and I've used over 100 different devices.

• Device Display: Steps, Exercise Calories, Time of Day, NikeFuel, progress towards goal with rainbow LED lights.
• App: Available for iOS 5 and higher. No Android app.
• Computer Requirement: Need web browser to set up Nike+ user account and set up the FuelBand via the Nike Connect software. Mac OS v 10.5.8 or later, Windows 7 (SP1) or Windows Vista (SP2) or Windows XP (SP3). If you buy it at a Niketown store, they can set it up there.
• Bluetooth: The Fuelband transmits data to the app with Bluetooth by pressing the button on the band. This data syncs to your NikePlus profile.
• App Display: Goal progress with fun animations when you reach your daily goal or a milestone. Graphs of your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly activity: calories, active minutes, steps, distance. Friend connection via Facebook. Your trophy case.
• Social: You can opt-in to view and share data with Facebook friends who have a Fuelband. You can also post your goal and milestone achievements to Facebook, Twitter, or Connect Path.
• Power: Recharge the Fuelband every three to four days by plugging into a computer USB port or using a USB power adapter.
• Overall Mobility: Very good. You can see your basic data on the wrist display on the go. The app displays almost as much detail as the web site, even without an internet connection. However, you do need to be able to recharge the band with electricity every three days.
• Cost: The Fuelband has a MSRP of $149 with no ongoing subscription cost.
• Review: Nike+ FuelBand

Fitbit One can be used to track your sleep quality as well as activity. You can use the app to track your diet and exercises, including activities the Fitbit One didn't track (or when you forgot to wear it). It's a great system for those who are interested in weight loss as well as exercise.

• Device Display: Steps, Distance, Floors Climbed, Total Daily Calories Burned, Time of Day, Growing Flower activity indicator, Stopwatch.
• App: An iOS app is available for iPhone 4s and 5, iPod Touch 5, and iPad 3. An Android app is available for select Android devices. Fitbit also can share data with other popular apps such as MyFitnessPal, Endomondo, and MapMyRun.
• Computer Requirement: You can set it up with either the app or a Mac or PC computer, and transmit wirelessly to either the app or a computer. The computer needs to be able to use the USB dongle to receive data and to be able to download and install the Fitbit Connect software. It also needs an internet connection and web browser. It is compatible with Mac OS v 10.5 or later, Windows 7 (SP1) or Windows Vista (SP2) or Windows XP (SP3).
• Bluetooth: Uses Bluetooth 4.0/Bluetooth Smart and transmits wirelessly to a desktop computer as well as the phone app. No need to tell it to transmit, it works int he background.
• App Display: Goal progress for steps, calories burned, floors climbed, sleep, weight, food calories, and water. You can log other exercise activities besides what is on your Fitbit tracker. You can use the food diary to log your food calories. You can review the past 14 days.
• Social: You can add Fitbit friends from the app or the web site, and on the app you see only weekly total steps for each. The app can search for friends in your contacts.
• Power: The Fitbit One has a rechargeable battery, so you need to plug it in every five to seven days. It has a battery indicator on the One itself as well as in the app and on the web site.
• Overall Mobility: Good. The One retains minute-by-minute data for seven days and summary daily data for up to 30 days of data without downloading. The app can be used offline.
• Cost: The One has a MSRP of $99.95 with no ongoing subscription cost.
• Review: Fitbit One

Fitbit Flex wristband tracks sleep and activity, but not stairs. It uses the same Fitbit app as the Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip to track your diet and non-step exercise.

• Device Display: Only five white LED lights and a vibrating alarm. The lights glow as your reach 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of your chosen step goal. The band vibrates when you reach your goal, plus you can set it as a vibrating alarm via the app or online dashboard.
• App: iOS and Android apps same as the Fitbit One.
• Computer Requirement: You can use the app and/or a computer to set-up and use the Flex, the same as the Fitbit One and Zip. You will need one or the other to view your data.
• Bluetooth: Uses Bluetooth 4.0/Bluetooth Smart and transmits wirelessly to a desktop computer as well as the phone app. No need to tell it to transmit, it works in the background.
• App Display: Same as for the Fitbit One, you can see your goal progress for steps, calories burned, Very Active minutes, sleep, weight, food calories, and water. You can log other exercise activities besides what is on your Fitbit tracker. You can use the food diary to log your food calories.You can review the past 14 days.
• Social: You can add Fitbit friends from the app or web Dashboard and see each other's weekly totals.
• Power: The Fitbit Flex has a rechargeable battery, so you need to plug it in every five to seven days. You can check the battery level in the app and on the web site.
• Overall Mobility: Good. The Flex retains minute-by-minute data for seven days and summary daily data for up to 30 days of data without downloading. The app can be used offline.
• Cost: The Flex has a MSRP of $99.95 with no ongoing subscription cost. You can buy different colored wristbands for $14.95 each or a pack of three for $29.95.
• Review: Fitbit Flex

The Zip is small and comes in pretty colors. It uses a battery so you can go off the grid with it. You use the same Fitbit app as with the Fitbit One to track your diet and exercise. The Zip lacks sleep tracking and stair climbing data but otherwise gives the same information as the Fitbit One. Here are the only items that vary from the Fitbit One information:

• Device Display: Steps, Distance, Total Daily Calories Burned, Time of Day, Smiley.
• App Display: Goal progress for steps, calories burned, weight, food calories, and water.You can log other exercise activities besides what is on your Zip tracker. You can use the food diary to log your food calories. You can review the past 14 days.
• Power: The Zip uses a replaceable battery that should last for four to six months. No need to recharge it. There is a low battery indicator to alert you when it's time for a replacement.
• Overall Mobility: Excellent. The Zip retains up to 23 days of data without downloading. The app can be used offline.
• Cost: The Zip has a MSRP of $49.99 with no ongoing subscription cost.
• Review: Fitbit Zip

The Play turns walking into a game and uses your steps to play a virtual MyLand game. It's fun and very motivational, much like the Fuelband.

• Device Display: Steps, Distance, Exercise Calories, Exercise Minutes, Stairs Climbed, Time of Day.
• App: iPhone, iTouch or iPad (iOS 5.0 or later). Can share data with MyFitnessPal.
• Computer Requirement: None! All you need is the app.
• Bluetooth: Uses Bluetooth 4.0 and transmits whenever the app is open.
• App Display: Steps, Stairs, Distance, Exercise Calories, Exercise Minutes. Weekly and monthly bar graphs of your totals. Use the app to engage in challenges to such as two more minutes of activity, 200 more steps, etc. Use your energy point rewards to play the MyLand game in the app, building a virtual island paradise. View your daily trophy case of milestones achieved and challenges won (can only view current day's trophies).
• Social: Add friends via Facebook, email or text message. They only need the free app, the Play pedometer is optional. You earn more energy points by beating their averages and bests.
• Power: Recharge every two to four days via a USB cord, either to a computer or a power plug.
• Overall Mobility: Excellent. You don't need a computer at all, just the Play and the app. In fact, you don't even need the Play, the app can use your device's GPS to count steps. But you will need electricity to recharge the batteries in both the Play and your device.
• Cost: The Play has a MSRP of $59.99 with no ongoing subscription cost. The Striiv app is free.
• Review: Striiv Play

The BodyMedia FIT system gives you very detailed data about your daily activity -- moderate-intensity exercise, vigorous-intensity exercise, and sleep quality. It also has food diary tools and a good display of your daily calorie balance. It works with many Android devices as well as iOS devices. The drawbacks are the cumbersome armband, no display on the armband, and that it uses Bluetooth 2.0, which sucks power unless you close it on exiting the app, requiring you to relink it each time you want to see your data in the app.

• Device Display: None.
• Apps: Android 2.3 and higher, iOS 4.3 and higher.
• Computer Requirement: Windows XP/Vista/7. Mac OS X v10.5, X v10.6, or X v10.7 on the Intel platform. You need a computer to upload the sleep quality data.
• Bluetooth: Uses Bluetooth 2.0. Open the app and press the button on the armband to transmit data.
• App Display: Daily total calories burned, daily food calorie intake, calorie balance, moderate-intensity activity minutes, vigorous-intensity activity minutes, steps, sleep (if data synced to computer). The colorful bars allow easy viewing of how you are progressing to your daily goals. If the data has been synced to a computer, you can turn your device sideways and view minute-by-minute details. Use the nutrition diary to log your food eaten. Use the workouts tab to time and record workouts based on time, steps, calories, minutes.
• Social: No social integration.
• Power: Recharge every two to four days via a USB cord, and they only recommend plugging it into a computer rather than a power adapter.
• Overall Mobility: Moderate. You need at least the app in order to see any of your data, as the armband has no display. They sell a display unit that works with their non-Bluetooth armband, but it doesn't work with the LINK. To see your sleep quality data and details of your activity, you need to upload the data to a computer. Data from the app doesn't sync to your online account, while data uploaded to the computer does sync to the app.
• Cost: The LINK has a MSRP of $149.99 with $6.95 per month subscription (first three months free).
• Review: BodyMedia FIT LINK

larklife aims to help you "live smarter" with its activity monitor wristband linked via Bluetooth to an iPhone app. It records steps, distance, and total daily calories burned. You can note meals and mood. Wearing it at night, it records sleep quality. It is focused on "small wins" and you get a bubble each time you have an "active break" and reach milestones such as 1000 steps, 5000 steps, etc.

• Device Display: None, lights just denote linking.
• Apps: iOS 6.0 and higher.
• Computer Requirement: None.
• Bluetooth: Once linked via Bluetooth, it transmits automatically throughout the day.
• App Display: Daily total calories burned, active minutes, steps, sleep. Turn your phone sideways to see a graph of your daily activity or your sleep activity. It also automatically detects activity periods and you can view them individually. You can log your meals, but there is no nutrition or calories-eaten tracking.
• Social: No social integration.
• Power: Use the USB power adapter to recharge the day band each night and switch to the night band. Recharge the night band each day.
• Overall Mobility: Completely mobile, you don't need a computer to use the system, just the phone app and wristband. However, you must recharge it daily, so you can't use it "off the grid."
• Cost: larklife has a MSRP of $149.95.
• Review: larklfe