Tracking My Days With UP2

I love gadgets and I love anything that will help me live better, the UP2 by Jawbone ticks both of those boxes for me and is my favourite gadget right now!

When I was first asked to try the UP2 I assumed it was another lifestyle tracker, a band to tell me how many steps I have done. Well, it does do that but it also does a lot more! It is also not at all offensive to look at, I like that it has metal to make it look a little more stylish than a plain plastic band. As you can see I have the oat coloured band but it is available in various other colours too.

The band is linked to an app and as apps go it is a great one! You are welcomed by your own newsfeed which has your progress as well as daily tips and hints to help you reach your goals. When you click on each section you are taken to a more detailed look at your activity for that day.

The band measures your steps each day and shows you how long you were active and how long you were idle. The one thing I did find, and others with young children would find the same, is that pushing a buggy does not register as activity. As much as my steps were down each day as a result this didn’t really bother me as the positives outway that tiny niggle. The app also tells you how many calories you burnt each day, great if you are wanting to lose weight.

One of my favourite features has to be the ability to alert you when you’ve been idle for too long. I have set it for every 15 minutes and it means I do not get lost in the world of social media as I get a little vibration to tell me to get moving. I have found that I am much more active around the house as I don’t want to be ‘told off’ for being on the sofa for too long!

You can also set it to update you on your activity (step count) throughout the day which is good. I am not too fussed about my step count so haven’t used this function as yet but I know quite a few people who love to know how well they do each day and need that motivational reminder.

Another fab aspect is the ability to set reminders, a little like tying a knot in a hanky except you get a vibration and the app tells you exactly what you need to do. There are presets such as bedtime and take a pill (handy for me taking my multivitamins!) but you can also set your own.

Now the very clever bit is the fact it can track your sleep. I find it all very fascinating and when I first used it I was so excited I barely slept! That soon passed I can tell you although my sleep is not great quality in general it seems. I toss and turn throughout the night and lose about 4 hours sleep through light sleep patterns. I need to learn to wind down and relax more I think. Another of my favourite features is the fact you can be woken up in one of your light sleep cycles by a gentle vibration. So far LJ has woken me up before the alarm but it is so clever!

I love everything about the UP2 and the app and haven’t stopped wearing it since it arrived! There are so many more features to explore, I really love it!