LifeTrak R450 Activity Tracker

The advent of smart watches have been followed by a slow but large wave of fitness trackers such as FitBit and the JawBone UP (these two being the more premium and well-known models). This in turn was more quickly followed up with by combination devices that monitor your physical activity alongside remote smartphone notifications, conveniently delivering to you the latest in your digital and online activities. The LifeTrak Brite R450 is fitness tracking company LifeTrak USA's latest flagship product, first launched towards the end of September and now available here in Singapore.

 

In addition to basic activity tracking, the R450 boasts some pretty impressive (-sounding, at least) features:

• ECG-accurate heartrate monitoring that allows for more personalized calorie-burn information
• light exposure levels, particularly the blue wavelength, which is said to affect mood, energy levels, and quality of rest
• nap/sleep management, waking you up at an optimal time when you are not in deep sleep so that you are properly refreshed
• enhanced step filtering and dynamic distance calibration (basically no more pedometer cheating like you did by rattling your Digimon)

The R450 also helps keep a check on your fitness goals (totally need this...), and lets you know when you have fallen behind or accomplished your goals, to keep you on trak (teehee). It syncs with the LifeTrak smartphone app to save longer term data for deeper insights. It supports 8 types of smartphone notifications, including IM, SMS, reminders and notifications from major apps.

At this point the R450 is compatible with iOS devices (click link to product page in first paragraph for detailed product compatibility), but the website as well as the distributor here confirms that the company is hard at work to expand compatibility to Android devices by the end of the year. Data can only be fed to the LifeTrak app right now, but "development is underway to get it integrated with Apple Health Kit and the Android equivalent". Which is tres bien. The watch uses a coin cell battery, avoiding the need to charge every other day (press release claims up to 6 months, which I think is quite impressive considering the stuff it purports to do), but neither is it self-recharging, so half-yearly battery replacements will be necessary if you choose to get this watch.

Lastly, the R450 is waterproof up to 30m, so basically having it with you 24/7, in the shower and while you swim, will be no issue. The only advice given is to try as much as possible to avoid pressing the device's buttons while underwater.

The LifeTrak Brite R450 is now available for S$179 at Axtro Sports, Challenger, Courts and Perfect Watch at Sim Lim Square. As I type, a test unit is on its way over, so stay tuned for the full review!