Back in June I bought a Nike+ Sportsband to help me track my return to running and hopefully chart the progress of getting back on track after injury. I thought I might take a short moment to record my thoughts on the Sportsband product.
What is it? The Nike Sportsband has two major components, the accelerometer (or shoe pod) and the wrist band receiver. The shoe pod is mounted (strangely enough) on (or in) your shoe and sends a signal to the wrist band each time you take a step. The wristband receives the signal and displays the distance traveled, current pace, time elapsed and calories burned. The wristband also keeps a running total of these variables for the last week and also an overall total. The collected data can also be uploaded to the very successful Nike Plus website; a social network based around running where you can keep track of all your run data, set and track goals and participate in challenges with other members.
Set up: Though very simple, the initial setup is not exactly straight forward and the instructions provided are pretty sparse. Before anything else you need to download some software from Nike and get that set up on your PC. This software is the utility that manages the retrieval of data from your Sportsband and loads it up to the Nike+ site. Once the software is loaded you can now plug in the detachable USB stick from the wristband. The USB stick will now charge from the computer. There is some setup required for the utility in terms of providing some data (Nike+ username, weight, time setting etc.) but this only takes a moment to enter.
The footpod is designed to go into specially designed Nike+ shoes. Apparently these shoes have a special recess is the shoe under the arch to accommodate the footpod. I am currently using Adidas shoes so I immediately had a problem with how to mount the pod, that said, I knew this would be the case going in so it was no surprise. For my first couple of runs with the footpod I used a very attractive sticky tape and firm lacing approach. Reaching out via Twitter, Kevin from TEM podcast pointed me towards the Shoepouch, which I grabbed and which works perfectly.
Operation: So now you have a charged wristband and a mounted footpod it’s time to go for a run. The footpod and wristband need to be synched to each other at the start of each run which proved to be no problem and is a matter of seconds. And away we go, hit the GO button to start recording your run. The wristband displays the distance travelled and can be toggled as you run to display the elapsed time, pace and calories consumed. At the end of the run simply stop the unit and you are ready to upload.
The website: Back at the desk you can upload your accumulated run data to the Nike+ website. Once your data is uploaded you can see a nice little graph of your pace data as well as graphs of your accumulated distance data of time. The website also provides a number of nifty little tools for setting yourself goals and interacting with other users of the site in the form of challenges. I won’t go into the site as this review is more about the device than the web service but it is nice and while basic it is engaging.
Let’s look at some of the good points
Pacing data – I love having access to this data. I’m a slow beginner runner and I have no feeling for how fast/slow I am running. This gadget allows me to determine what a comfortable pace is so that I can drop straight into that pace on following runs without running away like a bull at a gate and exhausting myself.
Design – The band is light, sleek and simple. I think it looks quite cool.
Inspiration – The device (in combination with the website) provides additional motivation to go out for a run. I’ve found myself wanting to run more since I got the band just to meet a documented goal or to push a step further in one of the website challenges.
Charge time – This device takes next to no time to charge, it’s really quick and charges directly from the USB port.
OK, so what about the downside
Generation 1 – The Sportsband is a Gen 1 device and Nike are obviously still ironing out the bugs in the system. This is my second unit as I had to return the first as the display on my first sportsband failed.
Flakey software – The Nike+ utility has (in my experience) been really flakey. Sometimes I go for a run and while I can everything on the Sportsband display the utility does not find anything to upload. Usually (but not always) a second run fixes everything and BOTH runs come through at once.
Backlight – I understand that power in a little device like this is an issue, but I do most of my running in the evening. During the day the screen is very clear and easy to read although only one piece of data is displayed at a time. Unfortunately the unit becomes pretty much useless after dusk as there is no back light and it’s not possible to see the display.
Overall
So how would I rate the overall Nike+ Sportsband experience; well now that I have MOST of the kinks sorted out I think it is a sound system that provides great feedback. I have some concerns with the build quality and the number of failure that seem to be occurring in both the hardware and the software. That said I recognize that in this case I am an early adopter but I wish the whole setup and first use experience had been smoother. If you are non-tech savvy I’d probably recommend holding off on a Sportsband purchase, but if you are comfortable dealing with a few of the issues that come with a first generation device I recommend getting one. For me, the benefits of a cost effective feedback mechanism that assists my performance and motivation outweigh the negatives. The sense of community that comes with the website is a bonus.
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