Design
There are 3 different fitness trackers by Jawbone, however I chose the UP24 because it is a slim band that you wear on your wrist. It has a rubberized outer casing and is oval shape. The band does not clasp or lock together, instead it is always open and clasps around your arm. The oval shape helps to keep it in place, as does the rubberized outer casing.
Pedometer
The UP24 serves as a pedometer, keeping count of your daily steps and movements, using your arm movements. You wear the band on your wrist and it senses when you step and logs it for you.
Fitness Tracker
In the same way that the UP24 band logs your steps, it can also sense when you are upping your game. When you log onto the UP app that works with your band the app will ask you if you were working out, you can then log your run or brisk walk, or whatever you may have done.
Sleep Tracker
In addition to being a fitness band the makers of the UP24 realize how important it is to get a full night of rest, therefore they added the sleep tracker to the band. I am not quite sure how the band tracks sleep and differentiates between light and heavy sleep, though I have a feeling it is via movement or pulse. When you are going to bed at night you simply push and hold the button on the end of your band and a moon will appear along with a slight vibration letting you know that you have switched the mode of your band. The moon means you are planning on going to bed (or rather it is night time.) The band will then measure how long it took you to fall asleep, how long you were asleep, and how many times you woke up during the night. In addition when you log on to the app you will also find helpful tips and advice on how to get more sleep and how to rest better.
Ease of Use
This fitness tracker is completely simple and very easy to use. There are two basic modes, night and day, and the band also comes equipped with a “soft alarm” as well as a “get up and move” alarm, plus you can use it as a stopwatch. You can change the settings for these things using the app.
Wireless Sync
Your band wirelessly syncs the data it collects with the app on your phone. Every time that you open the UP app your band will sync with the app and the app will update giving you the most up to date information for your review.
Teammates
Another benefit Jawbone has given its’ users is the opportunity to build a team. This is optional, but I have found that it is nice to be able to compare my activity with others, encourage others, and have others encourage me as well. You can choose how much or how little information you would like to share with your teammates so you still keep your privacy.
Meal Tracker
The UP app is also equipped with a meal and water tracker. You simply use the search bar to search for the food that you consumed and after you have located the right meal you touch it and it is added to your food log. If for some reason you cannot find your specific meal or the calorie count is wrong you can manually add your own meals. You can also take a picture of your food if you like.
Challenges
My favorite aspect of the UP24 are the challenges. There are “Today I Will” challenges that the app will present you and you can choose to take them on or ignore them. My current challenge is to take 4,226 steps per day and when you accomplish your challenge you are congratulated.
The Cons
Sometimes I find it difficult to log my meals because the + circle doesn’t always appear on my app.
I have also found the bracelet to be a little uncomfortable with some of my outfits and the step counter can be off a little.
Another downer is that the bracelet is not 100% waterproof. It is splash proof, however you cannot take a shower with it on and my work requires me to get my hands wet a great deal of the time so I am always having to avoid getting the band wet.
My Ideals
I believe it would be ideal if Jawbone could come up with a band that could be worn on your ankle for better tracking of steps. It would also be nice if there were a little more flexibility to the band and if the band actually closed so that I do not have to worry about it stretching out.
Overall
Overall I am satisfied with the UP24. I will continue to be an avid user until it breaks. I am satisfied with the app, and I absolutely love the challenges and the fact that I can build my own team of motivators.
If you are looking to build your team please feel free to send me a message or leave a comment and you can be a part of my team.
Out of frustration and lack of motivation I purchased the UP24 by Jawbone. My phone and the Noom Coach app had been serving as my “fitness” tracker for over a year, but running with phone in hand in an effort to count steps and track my exercise grew old very quickly. Therefore I searched for something that would make tracking my workouts, my steps, and my meals easier.