Jawbone

Jawbone UP Move

What It Does

It may look like a toy, but Jawbone Up Move is a powerful activity monitor, food log, and sleep tracker — all in one affordable, colorful package. Up by Jawbone uses an internal accelerometer and algorithms to track your day-to-day activities, and it uses that data to suggest helpful tips and lifestyle tweaks through the accompanying (and free) Up app.

 

It’s an ideal fitness tracker for a variety of workout types, ranging from cycling to Zumba, and its three modes cover the bases in terms of activity monitors:

• Activity tracking monitors your steps, distance walked, calories burned, active time, and idle time
• The stopwatch mode allows you to track the duration of your workout, which you can then assign with an activity through the app
• Sleep tracking does what the name suggests, but you have to manually put your Jawbone Up Move into the sleep-tracking mode for it to work. So, unless you want to clip the device to your pajamas, you have to purchase the wrist strap to get the device to actually track your sleep

Specs

Up by Jawbone is compatible with most iPhone and Android devices. The battery lasts for a solid 6 months, and the straps — both the clip and wristband — are made of medical-grade rubber. The device may not be waterproof, but it’s sweat and splash-resistant, so you can safely wear your Up Move out in the rain.

 

With your purchase, you receive the Up Move tracker, clip, replaceable battery, and user guide. The interface is simple, using a series of white, orange, and blue LED lights to designate time, progress, and current status.

 

Up Move costs $49.99, and the wristband costs an extra $15, which makes this device an affordable option for users who want a well-rounded activity tracker.

What Makes It Different

Jawbone Up Move is distinct among budget fitness trackers because of its features and app. With the ability to accurately track and record fitness data, the Up app makes it easy for users to navigate their personal information — which gives it an edge in terms of tech, specs, and user experience.

 

Jawbone UP 2

What It Does

Jawbone Up 2 is a great meld of form and almost-perfect function. It’s a wearable activity monitor, food log, and sleep tracker, packed in a variety of straps that actually look great on a wrist — a distinct step up from the toylike exterior of the Up Move.

 

In terms of features, Jawbone 2 uses an internal accelerometer and algorithms to track your movement throughout the day. It has three modes, which can be toggled by tapping on top of the unit or selecting a mode in the free Up app. Among the three modes, you can track the following information:

• Workout duration via stopwatch mode. You assign an activity to the workout through the Up App, which includes workouts ranging from Zumba to cross-training
• Activities like amount of steps taken, distance walked, calories burned, active time, and idle time
• Sleep quality, duration, and even the best time to wake up during your sleep cycle

When it’s paired with the ultra-powerful Up app for iPhone or Android, the Jawbone Up 2 paints a picture of your health and fitness data in a clean, easy-to-navigate interface.

Specs

In the box, Jawbone Up 2 comes with the band (available in six colors and two strap variations), a user guide, and a USB charging cable. The battery lasts for 10 days on a single charge, and the band is made out of medical-grade rubber. The device is splash-proof, but you won’t be able to swim with it — it’ll be fine if you get caught in the rain on a run, though.

 

The device uses three LED lights: blue for sleep, orange for activity, and white for notifications. You won’t be able to tell time on it, but if you’re looking for a powerful activity tracker that looks like any other accessory, Jawbone Up 2 is a solid choice at $99.99.

What Makes It Different

Jawbone Up 2 has many of the same features as Up Move, but its minimalist design indicates a pointed effort by the company to create a wearable that people genuinely want to wear. And it pays off. With a variety of colors and strap styles, Jawbone 2 looks like it can blend into almost any wardrobe. It’s a piece of wearable technology that doesn’t look like a wearable — and that might be its best feature.

 

Jawbone UP 3

What It Does

At first, Jawbone Up 3’s biggest selling point was its heart rate tracking capabilities. But after a major firmware update and redesign, Jawbone 3 has a host of features working in its favor. For people that want a full picture of their health and fitness data, as well as access to an intuitive and user-friendly app, Up 3 is a solid choice among wearables. It doesn’t do everything — but it does enough.

 

Like other models in the Up series, Jawbone Up 3 includes an internal accelerometer, but the latest version also features bioimpedance sensors to measure heart rate, respiration, and galvanic skin response (or how much you’re sweating). Here’s what Jawbone 3 can track:

• Heart rate: Jawbone Up 3 measures both resting heart rate and passive heart rate, which means users can look at a full picture of their heart rate trends over week and month-long periods
• Sleep: Up 3 automatically tracks deep, light, and REM sleep, which feeds into the Up app to personalize tips for better sleep. Like its predecessor, Up 2, the smart alarm function will wake you up at the lightest part of your sleep cycle
• Activities: Steps taken, calories consumed and burned, workout duration … Up 3 tracks everything you’d expect out of a fitness tracker — although swimmers are out of luck because this wearable isn’t waterproof

Aesthetically, the updated Jawbone Up 3 swaps its original, confusing clasp for an improved band clasp. The end result is a minimalist wearable that looks sleek and fits comfortably on almost any wrist, which is a good thing — that means people will want to wear it.

Specs

With upgraded features comes a dip in battery life: the Jawbone Up 3 lasts for a still-reasonable seven days on a single charge. The strap is made out of medical-grade rubber, and the interface uses three LED lights to indicate different modes and alerts: blue for sleep, orange for activity, and white for notifications. In the box, you receive the Up 3 band, a user guide, and a magnetic USB charging cable.

 

The Up 3 uses Jawbone’s Up app, which is compatible with most iPhone and Android phones. The Jawbone Up 3 costs $129.99.

What Makes It Different

Compared to the other wearables in Up by Jawbone, the Up 3 is unique in its ability to track your heart rate and automatically detect when you’re sleeping. While it lacks some of the features that other wearables in this price range possess — like the waterproof Misfit Shine — the features of Jawbone’s Up app sets Jawbone 3 apart from the wearables crowd.

Jawbone UP 4

What It Does

On the surface, Jawbone Up 4 is just the Up 3 with fewer color variations. But underneath this wearable’s anodized aluminum case lies one key difference: the ability to tap-to-pay with eligible American Express cards. It’s a peek into the direction Jawbone envisions for the future of its wearables — a world where you can cool down after a run, decide you want some cold-pressed juice, and pay without ever having to worry about leaving your wallet at home.

 

The tap-to-pay feature is the biggest upgrade for Up 4. Everything else mirrors the Jawbone 3. Here’s what the Up 4 does:

• Tracks heart rate: Like the Jawbone Up 3, Up 4 measures both resting and passive heart rate. This means that you can take a peek into your personal heart rate trends and see how certain influences — like caffeine and alcohol — impact your sleep quality
• Tracks sleep: Up 4 can automatically track your sleep as you cycle through light, deep, and REM sleep. It can also use that data to wake you up at the lightest point in your sleep cycle
• Tracks activities: Whether you’re stepping, weightlifting, or logging your calorie intake, Jawbone Up 4 is an accurate activity monitor — and the accompanying Jawbone Up app makes it easy to understand that information
• Tap-To-Pay: Once your eligible American Express card is linked with your Jawbone Up app, simply tap to pay wherever American Express contactless payments are accepted

Specs

In the box, the Jawbone Up 4 comes with your band (black or silver), a user guide, and a magnetic USB charging cable. The battery lasts for up to seven days, and while Up 4 still isn’t waterproof, it’s just as splash-proof as the other Jawbone Up devices.

 

The strap is made out of medical-grade rubber, and the interface uses three LED lights: blue for sleep, orange for activity, and white for notifications. There are no smartphone notifications on the Up 4, but its tap-to-pay feature justifies a higher price of $199.99.

 

The Up 4 uses the Jawbone Up app, which is compatible with most iPhone and Android phones.

What Makes It Different

The Jawbone Up 4 is the only Jawbone to offer tap-to-pay functionality. Its other features — heart rate, automatic sleep tracking, and even the strap style — exist on the Up 3 for $70 less. If you want a powerful wearable that will eliminate your need to carry a wallet, Up 4 is perfect. Otherwise, hold onto your Up 3 and wait for Jawbone’s next release.

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