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Jawbone UP2 Review

Is the Jawbone UP2 right for you? 

I purchased a Jawbone UP24 last year and loved it. I wore it every day, installed the app on my iPhone and checked it daily. After about 8 months, for some unknown reason I could not charge it anymore, and the button had pushed under the rubber layer of the band. This model was no longer available so it was replaced with the new Jawbone UP2 and love it even more than the UP24.

jawbone-up2

Jawbone’s website (www.jawbone.com) says: Fitness trackers never looked so good. On the outside UP2™ is the thinnest, sleekest, most style-savvy tracker out there. On the inside, Smart Coach generates fitness insights and activity plans that make reaching your goals that much easier. And with 10 days of battery life you’ll be charging less, and living better.

Here are my thoughts on the Jawbone UP2:

The Pros

The UP2 has a better band. One that’s not going to get caught on everything you brush past, or on your clothing like the UP24. The design of the band is nice too.

The band does not need to be charged on a daily basis, like my iPhone, but instead it only needs to be charged every 7-10 days.

When compared to a couple other fitness trackers, it is the most accurate in counting my steps. When I drive my car, it doesn’t record a large number of steps which other fitness trackers did. I am sitting down and driving a car, moving yes, taking steps no!

I love that I can set alarms on my UP2 to wake me up with a vibration instead of my loud and annoying phone alarm, you can also set the band to alert you (via vibration) when you have been sitting down, or idle, for a set period of time.

The highlight for me is the app on my iPhone. It looks appealing, has heaps of features like food logging (with a large database), weigh-in, stop watch, sleep tracking, activity tracking and of course, step counter. It also features a Smart Coach for motivation, tips and insights – who couldn’t use a little bit of motivation to exercise and be healthy?!

Other great features include continuous updates, it syncs wirelessly with the app on my iPhone, it’s splash-proof, I can set goals and has an LED indicator.

The Cons

The band, on the odd occasion, unhooks and has fallen off. It is so light, I didn’t notice until someone picked it up and handed it to me.

Charging the band can be a little irritating as it doesn’t always seem to ‘connect’ with the USB charger, but at least I can use any usb charger to plug the cable into instead of only using my computer.

Changing modes was a little frustrating at the beginning. You tap once or twice and then hold to change modes. Now it’s only frustrating when I knock it by accident and the mode changes.

My Verdict: 9 /10

I love the app more than others out there, and the band itself works really well for me. It appears to be accurate, adds a bit of motivation and it looks good. I can’t ask for much more than that.

Do you wear a fitness tracker and does it work well for you?