Health and Fitness – Page 3

ISOtunes Xtra Bluetooth Hearing Protection Earbuds review

REVIEW – It may be an understatement in 2019 to say that there are many Bluetooth wireless earbuds products on the market. Lots of them have very similar styling and features, but few are suitable for use in a work (or play) environment with levels of background noise high enough to cause potential hearing damage. ISOtune saw a need for a product that could do just that, and have been producing both wired and wireless earbuds with integrated professional-grade hearing protection for some time now. Their latest product is ISOtunes Xtra Bluetooth Hearing Protection Earbuds. Let’s check them out. Gadget onward.

What is it?

ISOtunes Xtra Bluetooth Hearing Protection Earbuds are Bluetooth earbuds that have special features that help not only block out noisy background sounds but do so at a professional-grade level while allowing you to listen to music or make and receive phone calls, and with a very long battery life.

What’s in the box?

ISOtunes Xtra Bluetooth Earbuds
Three pairs of “heat activated’ ISOtunes TRILOGY noise-blocking foam ear tips
3 sizes/pairs of silicone double-flange ear tips
USB to micro USB charging cable
Microfiber drawstring storage pouch
Instruction manual

Hardware specs

Options
- Black and Yellow (reviewed here) color scheme
- All Black color scheme
ANSI-certified 27 dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR)
Up to 8 hour music playback and talk time, 180 hour standby time
Micro USB-rechargeable lithium-ion battery
OSHA-compliant, including ISOtunes signature SafeMax Technology with 85 dB volume limit
Bluetooth 4.1 + EDR, compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled devices
ISOtunes signature mic with background noise cancellation for phone calls eliminates steady-state noise like engines, mowers, fans, vacuums, and saws for clear calls in loud environments
IP45 dust, sweat and water resistant
Lightweight memory wire neckband for comfortable long-term wear
Magnetic earbuds: play/pause music, answer/end calls, and keep the earbuds safely around your neck
Includes 4 pairs (XS,S,M,L) of heat-activated ISOtunes TRILOGY foam earplugs for optimal sound quality, comfort, and noise isolation. Also includes 3 sizes/pairs of rubber double-flange eartips.
1 year warranty

Design and features

My initial impression of the ISOtune Xtra earbuds was that although they appear to be fairly similar to many other Bluetooth earbuds, they included two largish pods-shaped items in line with the cable connecting the left and right earbuds—the instruction manual refers to these pods as “Battery Boxes.” I thought this was an interesting design feature and initially suspected that they were perhaps part of a noise-cancellation system, or might help provide longer battery life. More on this below.

ISOtunes Xtra includes two types of earbud tips, each in multiple sizes. Shown in the photo above and starting from the left, the first three are ISOtunes TRILOGY foam ear tips in three sizes, and the next three are silicone double-flange ear tips. ISOtunes intends the TRILOGY foam ear tips to be used in noisy environments, while the silicone double-flange ear tips are to be used in non-noisy environments.

Each earbud has a threaded post onto which the TRILOGY Foam ear tips can be twisted, which helps keep them secured to the earbuds.

The photo above shows a closeup of the three size sizes of TRILOGY foam ear tips. Their threaded plastic cores that twist down onto the threaded earbud posts are color-coded and are, starting from the left: Large (blue), Medium (black), and Small (green). It should be noted that the IOStunes site states that this product includes not three, but four pairs of the TRILOGY foam earplugs in sizes XL, L, M, and S; however, as can be seen above, the product sample that I received to review only included three sizes.

In the above pic, I’ve threaded one of the Large size TRILOGY foam tips onto the left earbud and pushed one of the Large size double-flange ear tips onto the right earbud. The double-flange eartips are made from a soft silicone-like material and do not have threaded cores like the TRILOGY foam tips, so they do not thread onto the earbud posts; instead, they are easily pressed onto the posts.

Per the ISOtune site, the best way to use the TRILOGY foam tips is to start by compressing for a few seconds—I found this easiest to do while rotating them between my fingers. Next, place the compressed foam ear tips into your ear canals, and hold them in place for several seconds, allowing the foam to expand to fit your ear canals. I tried both styles of earbud tips, the TRILOGY foam type, and the double-flange silicone type. In full disclosure, in the past, I have had major issues with earbuds of all different types staying in my ears, certainly while exercising with them in, but often even while just working at my desk. I have tried a few earbuds that have utilized various types of foam tips similar to the TRILOGY, and I have also tried quite a few more that have had silicone tips, but never with the double-flange style of ISOtunes Xtra, so I was very interested to try them. I wore both styles of tips during multiple activities: sitting at my desk working in an office setting, working out in the gym, exercising outdoors, and mowing the lawn. While the TRILOGY foam type did block ambient sound better, they did not seem to stay in my ears as well. Conversely, the double-flange silicone type did stay in my ears a bit better but did not block ambient sound quite as well as the foam tips. I suspect that, had this review sample product included a pair of the XL-sized TRILOGY foam ear tips, as stated on ISOtunes site, these might have been large enough to fit more securely in my (apparently) large ear canals.

ISOtunes Xtra includes small magnets on the ends of each of the earbuds. These magnets are actually more functional than just being a useful way to keep the earbuds around your next when you don’t have them in your ears. when removing the earbuds from your ears and attaching them together with the magnets, music is automatically paused. This is great for if someone stops by for a quick chat—you don’t have fully shut the earbuds down, and the music doesn’t keep playing. Handy!

ISOtunes Xtra features an inline controller. This controller has three buttons, +, O, and -. Like many Bluetooth earbuds, these buttons are multi-functional depending upon the mode in which the IOStunes Xtra is operating. The “O” button in the center is the Multi-Function Button, or MFB according to the manual. Holding it down turns ISOtunes Xtra off or on and also answers or ends a phone call. The + and – button will either advance music track forward or backward if tapped or increased or decreased the volume if held down briefly.

On the reverse side of the in-line controller is the ISOtune Xtra’s microphone for phone calls or using voice assistants like Siri.

Located in one of the larger inline “pods” is the charging port, which is a micro USB port that is covered with a small silicone flap that helps with ISOtunes Xtra’s IP45 dust, sweat, and water resistance rating. Beware that this small flap is attached by a very small, thin piece of silicone, which could easily be torn off and lost, compromising the device’s water resistance. While ISOtunes claims 8 hours of talk time and 180 hours of standby time, I was curious to see if they would actually last for this duration of time, and I have to say that the battery life of the ISOtune Xtra’s rechargeable lithium-ion battery life was impressive. The first time I used it on a full charge, it lasted for almost my entire workday, which was around 8 hours. I suspect that those two in-line “Battery Boxes” probably assisted with this very generous battery life.

One of ISOtunes Xtra’s features is its “memory wire neck band”. I’m not quite sure what this feature is intended to do. “Memory wire” implies that the user could bend it into a position that is comfortable and it would retain that position, but that’s not how it works. It is basically a rigid segment of cable that is almost completely inflexible. Because of its flat cross-section, it did allow the ISOtune Xtra to sit nicely on the back of my neck while wearing it, but it also made ISOtunes Xtra very difficult to coil/fold down into a small space. More on that below.

ISOtunes Xtra includes a microfiber drawstring storage pouch, which is very handy and I always appreciate it when a company includes something like this. However, one thing I would point out here is that, as mentioned above, ISOtunes Xtra does not fold down into a particularly small space, which is mainly prevented by its memory wire neckband—which not only takes up a fair amount of space but because it is semi-rigid, it prevents ISOtunes Xtra from being coiled or folded down effectively. This is really not a show stopper issue considering ISOtunes Xtra’s impressive noise reduction capabilities and that in comparison to most full-on noise-canceling earphones it is still quite svelt, it is certainly not as small as pair of Apple Airpods, for example. If you are planning to slide ISOtunes Xtra into its pouch and then into your pocket, you may be unpleasantly surprised with how much space they take up, unless you are wearing cargo pants or put them into a larger jacket pocket; of course, if you are tossing them into a backpack or purse, you are golden.

Setup

Pairing of ISOtunes Xtra, at least the first time, was quite easy and I paired it with both my iPhone 6 Plus and later with my new iPhone XR without any issues. The first time powering on the ISOtune Xtra, it was automatically in pairing mode. I simply went to the Bluetooth settings on my iPhone, found ISOtunes Xtra in the list, selected it, and it was paired. Further, I don’t recall that ISOtunes Xtra ever lost pairing connection with either of my phones, which I’ve found to be a somewhat rare occurrence with Bluetooth devices. Further, ISOtune Xtra supports pairing with more than one device at a time, and I was also able to pair it with my work-issued Lenovo X270 laptop running Windows 10, though this required a few more steps than pairing it with my iPhones.

Performance

How did ISOtunes Xtra sound? Quite good, actually. First, keep in mind that although ISOtunes Xtra does not have noise canceling capability, it does boast an ANSI-certified 27 dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). That may sound impressive (pun intended), but to what does that translate in practice? Some pretty serious ambient noise blocking, that’s what. While the silicone double-flange ear tips do fairly well at creating a “gasket” effect in your ears which helps block ambient noise, but where ISOtunes Xtra really shines in this feature is when using the “heat activated’ ISOtunes TRILOGY noise-blocking foam ear tips. When using these, I can still hear ambient sounds, but they are greatly reduced. They work like this: when using ISOtunes Xtra with the TRILOGY foam ear tips while sitting in my cubicle at work, I can still hear my colleagues having conversations around me, but they are very muffled. When I wore them to the gym, I can still hear folks around me working out, but again, the sounds are very muffled and I barely notice them. When I wore them while mowing the lawn and using the trimmer, I could still hear the equipment running, but their volume was significantly reduced. After having suffered a freak episode of acute hearing loss several years ago (from which I fully recovered), I have been very careful to protect my hearing while engaging in activities that involve prolonged excessive noise. ISOtune Xtra left me feeling very safe about my hearing while wearing them while engaging in activities involving loud ambient noise. In fact, they work so well in this capacity that I would advise against using them while out walking, running or biking along roads because your ability to hear oncoming vehicles will be almost nil.

Ambient noise-blocking aside, ISOtunes Xtra produce solid sound. I found the sound to be just a bit on the bass-heavy side, but for music I tend to enjoy this, so it was not an issue for me. I’d say the sound was generally better than average. With respect to phone calls, ISOtunes Xtra did well generally, but I had to ensure that the microphone near my face or the person on the other end could not hear me. At one point I was stretching after a workout with my head down and the mic got out of position, and my friend on the other end suddenly couldn’t hear me until I sat back upright.

ISOtunes Xtra claims an IP45 dust, sweat, and water resistance rating, and in practice I found its moisture resistance to be impressive. As allude to above, I regularly engage in relatively intense exercise, and this coupled with my seemingly superhuman sweating ability has overpowered several of the Bluetooth earbuds that I’ve reviewed. Not so with ISOtunes Xtra. It kept on functioning despite my best attempts to short-circuit it (pun intended). As mentioned above, for exercise, the double-flange silicone ear tips did work better for my ears in terms of actually staying in my ears than the TRILOGY foam ear tips. Still, neither style of ear tips (even the largest size of each) didn’t stay in my ears all that well once I really got moving—-I don’t blame ISOtunes Xtra for this, because I apparently was blessed with cavernous ear canals and no pair of earbuds, Bluetooth or otherwise, have (yet) stayed in my ears during exercise to my satisfaction.

One last thing that must be explained here. I had a substantial problem with the review sample of ISOtunes Xtra that I was provided. I had been using it for a few weeks and it had been functioning fine when suddenly it shut off spontaneously and I couldn’t turn it back on. I didn’t think the battery was low, but once I plugged it back in to charge it, the ISOtunes Xtra did eventually come back to life. Fast-forward a few more weeks and it happened again, but this time plugging it in to charge it did not bring it back—it just would not turn back on or even charge. ISOtunes provided me with a replacement and I sent the defective one back to them so their engineers could analyze it. However, the situation is with the replacement unit was actually even worse. With the second one, I removed it from the package and charged it fully, then proceeded to use it until the charge ran out, at which time I plugged it in to charge it, but I would not charge and it would not turn back on, just like the first one. It was just dead. Very frustrating to have two review units in a row fail like this and it’s something I’ve never had happen previously.

What I like

Ambient noise reduction is more effective than any other wireless earbuds I’ve tried, period.
LONG battery life (8+ hours on a full charge)
Lots of eartips options in both type and sizes to match the wearer’s fit and preference

What I’d change

Both review products that I was sent died after a few uses and would not turn back on. Epic fail.
A bit bulky
Doesn’t fold/coil down into a very small space

Final thoughts

ISOtunes Xtra functions well as a pair of Bluetooth earbuds, but that is just the basics of what it can do. It has an impressive 8+ hour battery life, very strong ambient noise-reduction capabilities, and effective moisture-resistance. ISOtunes is a bit bulky and doesn’t coil/fold down into a very small space, but I could overlook these faults in favor of its impressive functionality and performance except for one thing—the two (original and replacement) ISOtunes Xtra devices that I was sent to review both dies and could be neither charged nor turned back on. Big fail.

Price: $79.99
Where to buy: Purchase directly from ISOtunes or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by ISOtunes.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds, Health and fitness

ISOtunes Xtra Bluetooth Hearing Protection Earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 2, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Fairywill P11 electric toothbrush review

REVIEW – A couple of months ago at my 6-month dental cleaning appointment, my dentist recommended that I start using an electric toothbrush. They wanted me to buy one of the expensive Sonicare toothbrushes that they were selling there in their office. I declined and later bought a Fairywill toothbrush on Amazon for less than $20. I didn’t review that toothbrush but was recently surprised when someone from Fairywill contacted me to ask if I would like to review their new P11 electric toothbrush. I said yes, and here we go!

What is it?

The Fairywill P11 is a USB battery rechargeable electric toothbrush with replaceable brushes.

What’s in the box?

Fairywill P11 electric toothbrush
Extra brush head
USB charging cable
Travel adapter

Design and features

The P11 electric toothbrush is quite a bit larger compared to my other Fairywill electric toothbrush which is shown in the first image of this review.

The P11 has a black plastic housing with gold-tone accents. The handle is comfortable to hold for an adult but I think it might be too large and bulky for a child to use.

The toothbrush head easily pulls off from the top of the handle when it’s time to replace it and it is just as easy to reseat when installing a new one. At the time of this writing, I don’t have info on the price for the replacement brushes, but I’ll update the review when I have that info to share.

The brush has one button on the handle, a charging status LED around the handle, and a battery charger port on the bottom of the handle’s base.

The port is proprietary, so you will need to use the included USB cable that ships with the toothbrush.

As a little extra gift, a USB adapter is also included so that you can use the same USB cable to charge USB-C and micro USB devices.

A 2hr or so charge of this electric toothbrush should allow for up to 30 days of use so you won’t need to bring the cable and an AC charging adapter (not included) with you while you travel.

Operating the Fairywill P11 electric toothbrush is pretty straight forward. After it’s charged, you can put some toothpaste on the brush and press the button on the handle to cycle through the 3 brushing modes which include: Clean, Soft, and Massage. No matter which mode you select, the brush will do its thing for 2 minutes with 4 30 second intervals. After each 30 second interval, the brush will pause to let you know it’s time to go to the next part of your mouth.

I like to use the P11 electric toothbrush in Clean mode and find that it does indeed help to keep my teeth free of plaque, tartar, and other gunk that might build up if I would fail to brush my teeth two times a day. The 62,000 brush movements per cycle make my teeth feel smooth and I think they even look brighter.

The waterproof rating of IPX7 means that I can rinse off the toothpaste from the head and handle without worrying that it will damage the components.

See it in action

The video above shows the battery status LEDs on the handle while the brush is charging and shows the 3 brushing modes.

What I like

Long battery life
Large but comfortable handle
Powerful brush

What I’d change

Include more brushes

Final thoughts

I really like using the Fairywill P11 electric toothbrush. I think it does a better job than a traditional non-electric toothbrush but I won’t know for sure until my next dental cleaning appointment is at the end of August. My hope is that there will be less picking and scraping at that appointment compared to previous appointments. I’ll be sure and do an update then to let you know how my appointment turned out.

Price: $49.99
Where to buy: Pre-order now from Fairywill with delivery due on July 15th.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Fairywill.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Health and fitness

Fairywill P11 electric toothbrush review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 1, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

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EverSleep Sleep Tracker Review

REVIEW – I’m a tech guy, so when I can get hard data or charts, I’m a happy person. When the EverSleep review offer came along, I said to myself “Bring on the data!”.

What is it?

The EverSleep sleep tracker is a wrist-worn device that tracks many aspects of your sleep with the aim of improving how long and how well you sleep.

What’s in the box?

List contents – you can remove this heading and section if it doesn’t apply to your review.

EverSleep Sleep Tracker
Charger and Micro-USB Cord
Medical Tape
Ear Plugs
App instructions and Info

Design and features

The EverSleep sleep tracker is designed to help monitor your sleep. Using the data it provides it aims to help you optimize your sleep and track your progress.

It is worn basically like a watch, it includes a hospital-grade finger sensor to monitor oxygen level and pulse rate. It uses an app on your smartphone to record the results.

EverSleep advertises:

Identifies 5 types of insomnia
Continuous oxygen monitoring for breathing interruptions
Correlates insomnia and breathing events
Tracks motion events and other disruptions
Measures Fragmented sleep and quality sleep
Coaching and tips based on your sleep data

Just before the opportunity to do this review came along my doctor scheduled me for a sleep study. My wife says I probably need a CPAP machine because of my snoring and breathing patterns. When this review came along I thought it would be a great time to compare a before and after with the EverSleep device. Unfortunately, the sleep center has not processed my results yet, so I can’t compare a before and after with this unit, but when/if I do get a CPAP machine, I’ll update this review.

When you start the Eversleep app you answer some basic profile questions, then when you get ready to go to sleep, you tap “Record” and answer a few survey questions. The EverSleep app will then walk you through setting up the device for recording.

Upon completion of our night’s sleep, a report will be generated containing three sections: Overview, Details, and Coaching. The details view allows you to zoom in for finer detail on particular events and times.

The results are saved automatically for tracking trends:

The Profile portion of the app contains the “About Me”, “Doctor has diagnosed me with” and “Medications, Therapy, etc” information for the app to use to suggest coaching tips.

The Export section allows you to export a result as a PDF.

The “Learn” section provides many tips for getting better sleep.

The EverSleep sleep tracker accurately measured my sleep. In fact, I had one particular night where I tossed and turned most of the night and the EverSleep showed that I only slept for just over three hours.

On most nights it recorded that I snored 99 to 100% of the night, but I think that might have been it picking up the noisy fan in my room. This will be another good thing to compare later if I do get a CPAP machine.

I found that the strap used to hold the device on your wrist is a little difficult to put on. It’s a stretchy silicone band, I would prefer a velcro and elastic band.

The finger sensor was a little small for my slightly larger than normal fingers. It was slightly snug and annoying, but not so much as to keep me awake as long as I didn’t tape it on too snugly. I would prefer the type that I used during my sleep study that did not require tape to keep it on.

The Eversleep sleep tracker did accurately suggest that I talk to my doctor about my “mild to moderate breathing interruptions”, which also confirms what my wife was telling me.

What I like

Pulse and Oxygen monitoring
Charts and Data!

What I’d change

The strap needs to be easier to put on
The finger sensor is a bit snug

Final thoughts

Overall I feel that the EverSleep sleep tracker provides enough information about your sleep to help you identify ways to improve the quality of your sleep and track if changes you make have an effect on your sleep. If I get a CPAP machine in the next couple of weeks I’ll do some more tests and update this post.

Price: $249.99
Where to buy: EverSleep
Source: The sample of this product was provided by EverSleep.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Health and fitness, Sleep

EverSleep Sleep Tracker Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 30, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Move It Fitness MoveItSpeed Smart Reflex Punching Bag review

CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – Boxing is a great way to both build up your cardio and develop coordination, but in can be a bit intimidating for newbies (like myself). We’re checking out the MoveItSpeed Smart Reflex Punching Bag Indiegogo campaign this week. It combines motion sensing technology with an integrated app that makes the process fun, but still gives you a great workout. Let’s go punch some stuff!

What is it?

It’s a Bluetooth punching bag and motion sensors. It integrates with an app that provides video instruction, progress monitoring, gamification, and social elements to make the whole process fun and engaging.

What’s in the box?

I’m testing one of the Indiegogo packages that includes the punching bag and a pair of MMA-style boxing gloves. This pic shows the app as well, which we’ll discuss shortly.

Hardware specs

PVC and leather bag construction
ABS plastic & metal stand construction.
Adjustable height
Adjustable rebound speed
6-axis gyroscope sensor
Weighted base (you fill it with water) with suction cups for stabilization
3.7 KG shipping weight
Removable, rechargeable control element with MicroUSB port

Design and features

The MoveItSpeed is a reflex punching bag, designed for all levels of experience. The bag itself is made from PVC and Leather, which you inflate when you get the package. While it’s great for newbies and light strikers, the multilayered design and base construction is also tested to take a whomping from serious brawlers as well.

Just below the bag is where the technology happens. LED indicators ring the bag base, and the orb below that contains the gyroscope, power/connect button, and Bluetooth interface.

The charging module pops off the back of the base for recharging via MicroUSB cable, included in the package. You’ll get roughly 6 hours of continuous use between charges.

The bag height is adjustable up to 68″ with a twist-lock below the sensor. The whole thing installs with a couple of connector poles in just a few minutes.

The base is weighted with water, which you fill through the cap on the rear of the base. It adds 13KG to the total unit weight and, in combination with the suction cups on the base, keeps the whole unit stable while you are whacking away. A twist adjustment on the base allows you to change the rebound speed, which is handy as you are developing your skills and coordination.

The smart functionality comes from the unit’s ability to detect a clean strike based on the workout you are running. When you score a direct hit, the unit lights up green to indicate a good shot.

If you’re shot is off, the LED’s light up red. I think I missed the blink in this shot, but trust me when I tell you it’s there.

That’s the basics of how the unit works. Let’s go check out the app!

Using The App

Move It is a fitness app that is designed to use with a variety of smart exercise equipment. You’ll download the app to get started. I’d recommend loading it on a tablet if you have one, as the app integrates instructional videos to your workouts.

You’ll start by building your profile, and outlining your fitness goals. The app will retain this information to track your progress, using gamification elements to add a scoring system to the exercises.

Once you’ve set up the basics, you pair your bag to the app. Note that Move It supports a number of devices as seen below. Pairing is quick and easy.

Getting To Work

So we’ve set up the app and paired the bag. Let’s go hit something!

When you go to the punching bag section of the app, you’ll be presented with a series of programs to choose from. These start with basic boxing moves like jab and move up to more advanced techniques like different punches, blocks, and body movement. If you want to get really fancy you can also play with MMA-style routines that include knee strikes and the like. I decided to avoid those on my first practice rounds, but they look darned impressive.

One of the nice things about the app is that it provides instructional videos that teach you the moves. It uses music to set a rhythm, and the videos include text instructions so that you can follow and rehearse the moves. Here’s the video for basic punching techniques.

When you start the exercise the same video plays to allow you to sync your movements and to remind you of the proper form. The goal is to keep the rhythm of the model in the video and strike the bag correctly (a smooth, straight on hit in this case). If you strike correctly, the bag light flashes green and the score adjusts on the app.

Here’s a close up of the app in action while I’m punching. It’s counting each correct hit as well as how often I am successfully completing the sequence. It’s kind of got an old-school video game vibe, right? The cool bit here is that its accuracy, form and precision are more important than power to successfully complete the activities. It teaches you how to execute the moves the right way rather than just pounding on the thing.

You will be able to progress through a series of exercises that advance your boxing skills with things like hooks, uppercuts, hit & dodge routines, and more. You can also get into more advanced stuff like incorporating MMA moves (elbows and knees) or full-body movement workouts that integrate lunges and burpees. Note that more exercise packages are included with a VIP monthly subscription service.

As you advance, the app keeps track of your progress and daily use. You’ll get info on the calories you are burning, and you can update your weight as you go map out exercise to monitor how you’re doing against your fitness goals. You’ll also get little awards and badges as you hit milestones in your progress. If you’re using multiple devices, that will all get integrated in tracking your progress.

Now… you may just want to burn off some steam and hit something. Move It has some integrated games for that, too! This one is my favorite so far: Super Shoruken. You get to whomp away on a cartoon bad guy… you can also upload a picture to replace the face if you like. Go into game mode, choose the game, and blast away for 60 seconds.

Successful strikes score higher points against your virtual sparring partner. Here’s a closeup of the screen for reference from my session. I didn’t add a custom picture, but you can if that helps with your stress relief.

The games are pretty limited at this point, and include some multiplayer games that look like they are in development.

My big takeaway after using the app for a few weeks has been really interesting. You could just whomp on the bag, but it really rewards timing and precision in your strikes over power. It takes some practice to learn how to correctly hit for scoring which can be a bit frustrating at first… but the scoring system rewards you as you get better. You can then dial up the punching power if you like, or change the rebound speed to make it more challenging.

I really like the gamification elements of the app overall. It rewards progress and motivates you to keep going. Since you can calibrate the level of workout to your skillset, it’s great for newbies and experienced pugilists. There’s also a social element to the app that allows you to build a profile, see how others are participating in the programs, and see notifications when other members hit badges in their progress. I haven’t explored the social elements too deeply yet, but it looks like a nice setup that promotes motivation. You can also ignore that aspect completely if you want to.

Of course, the app would be kind of useless without good equipment backing it up. And the punching bag itself is a solid piece of gear that works as a standalone punching bag even if you don’t use the app. Add the app to the mix, and you have a really fun and useful package.

What I like

Well made punching bag & stand made for stability and durability
Excellent, well-rounded app interface
Great video tutorials
Great for both beginners and experienced boxers
Gamification & social elements add fun & promote continued use

What needs to be improved

Some learning curve to get used to striking correctly, but that gets rewarded over time
VIP subscription access required for advanced exercise routines

Final thoughts

I really am enjoying the MoveItSpeed Smart Reflex Punching Bag. It works great as a standalone exercise tool, and is made even better by the well-integrated app. The final product will retail at a starting price of about $200 when it hits production, but you can jump in on the Indiegogo now and get an early bird price starting at about $100 plus shipping (depending on how quick you move). Move It is also providing an assortment of prizes and giveaways for backers and referrals. Check out the link below for more information. The project closes at the end of July.

Price: About $200 retail, prices vary for different Early Bird backers in pre-release. Accessories like the MMA gloves are also available.
Where to buy: Indiegogo.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Move It.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Crowdfunded, Health and fitness, Sports

Move It Fitness MoveItSpeed Smart Reflex Punching Bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 29, 2019 at 9:43 am.

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Naipo Air Compression Leg Wraps review

REVIEW – Approximately 8 years ago, my father who is now 87 years old, was diagnosed with Neuropathy as a result of aging. Diabetic Neuropathy seems to be the most common type, but the symptoms are the same with the latter being more extreme. As a result of helping him with his condition, I have learned a lot about various types of issues that contribute to the level of discomfort associated with this chronic disease. One of those issues can be poor circulation. I am very interested in testing the Naipo Air Compression Leg Wraps to see how they perform and then maybe I will have my dad try them.

What is it?

The Naipo Air Compression Leg Wraps are a pair of air compression devices that you wrap around your legs and feet and then they work via air compression to aid in the circulation in those body parts. They are made of durable material and designed to be therapeutic.

What’s in the box

2 x Compression Leg wraps (“R” for right leg / “L” for left leg)
1 x AC Adapter
1 x User manual
1 x Handheld controller

Design and features

Specifications

Features

● Stress-Relieving Massage: This air massager provides cyclical air compression for your calves and feet, allowing you to enjoy an unforgettable massage experience
● Adjustable Modes and Compression Intensity: Choose a setting that works best on you for an optimal relaxation experience that helps to alleviate fatigue and pain
● Ergonomic Design: The leg air massager is made from a durable and dirt-proof fabric. The design of the air compression wraps fits naturally and comfortably around your legs
● Built-in Safety Features: The device shuts off automatically after 15 minutes for safer user experience. The corded design allows for consistent power all the time

There is one main controller that has everything that you need on the surface to use the massager. The controls are the power button, an air pressure button, and the 2 mode buttons.

At the bottom of the controller, there are four jacks for the pair of connecting cables for each side of the massager, and the power jack for the AC adapter.

Performance

The first thing that you have to do to use these leg massagers, is to wrap them around your legs and feet. They are secured via the attached velcro and have a bending section that allows you to connect the lower part around your feet and the upper around your legs.

Once you plug in the cables to the controller and turn on the power, the power button LED lights red. As soon as you push the power button, air compression begins in both leg massagers. You have the option to increase or decrease the air compression level/intensity and to change modes which changes the way the compression moves around your legs/the rhythm.

The following chart explains the control functions:

What I like

The quality of the device
The simple controller
The therapeutic massaging effect

What I’d change

The length of the AC adapter cable

Final thoughts

The Naipo leg massager is the first of its type that I have tried. It is an interesting feeling in terms of having your feet and legs wrapped in one device that can feel a bit restrictive. However, it does massage both of your legs and feet and while I hate being immobile like that, I think that this would work great for people with circulation problems. As I previously mentioned, my father suffers from Neuropathy and it specifically affects his feet. I am hoping to convince him to try them sometime soon. In terms of the compression and the massaging effect, they seem to work well, and overall, they are well constructed and should withstand daily use.

Price: $89.99
Where to buy: Naipo Website and Amazon
Sample: The sample for this review was provided by Naipo

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Health and fitness

Naipo Air Compression Leg Wraps review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 25, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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