BodyBugg Product Review
What is BodyBugg?
BodyBugg is a device that is worn all day (like you would wear a watch) and all night too if you wish. Its primary aim is to measure the number of calories you burn throughout the day (at a rate of 92% accuracy if you believe the BodyBugg website). So, unlike the usual way of doing this kind of thing which is via a pedometer (counting the number of steps you take per day), this nifty little gadget calculates how many calories are used doing everything from writing a blog post, to sleeping, from cleaning your teeth to running the 100m in the Olympics (although I’ve never actually seen Mr Bolt wearing one!).
In the UK, the BodyBugg is branded as the Ki-Fit – but they are exactly the same as far as I can tell.
As I mentioned above, the BodyBugg can track calorie burn, physical activity and steps (like a pedometer) and also, which you don’t see too often it can monitor your sleep in terms of duration and effectiveness.
This is important especially if you are trying to lose weight. We all know that the only way to lose weight is to have a calorie deficit ie more calories are used than are consumed. Food consumed (ie what you eat), when done properly can give quite an accurate picture of your calorific intake. Now, with the BodyBugg you are able to compare this with the total calories used in a day. This can be incredibly motivational, especially if you there is a big gap and it should encourage you to eat less (or better!) and / or exercise more.
How does the BodyBugg work?
The BodyBugg uses an accelerometer (technology used in the iPhone), a kind of pedometer and various sensors that connect with your skin to measure temperature and something called galvanic skin response (GSR - explained by wikipedia much better than I could do it!).
Data is then uploaded to a website, in much the same way Garmin do it for their GPS watches. The website is the control panel for all of your targets and analysis.
Part of this software allows you to do your food diary as well, which is great as it allows you to keep a log of what you have eaten and they have a huge database of foods on there.
How much does the BodyBugg cost?
As always, prices vary, so it is always worth checking for updates.
Amazon
have the best deal and you can see it on their site by clicking here.
In the US right now, the price starts at $179.99 for the kit. You will then need to subscribe to the web analysis tool at a cost of between $6.95 per month to $12.95 per month, depending upon which package you choose. You don’t have to do this straight away though as the first month is free.
Although you can buy direct from the manufacturer, the Amazon package appears to be better value – and you all know Amazon right?
Disadvantages of the BodyBugg
- Cost. Compared to something like the Garmin where the cost is simply in the hardware (eg the watch), the BodyBugg does have a paid for subscription model to get to the online analysis tool.
- No wireless updates – getting the data from the device to the computer with a wire – that is so last decade
- Addiction – be prepared to be very addicted:)
Cheers
Andrew
PS – Any of you guys used it and got any comments? Maybe you got it for Christmas and have been using it since? I wonder how many
Amazon
wishlists it is on?
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