By Scott Kramer

Soon after my wife declared dead her three-year-old Fitbit fitness tracker — a particular model that was hit-or-miss, in terms of reliability — I got ahold of TomTom’s new Touch model for cardio + body composition and fitness. I would have tried it myself. But the only thing I really track on a daily basis is steps walked and miles run that my smartphone relays to me. My wife would do that with her phone, but she rarely keeps it on her like I do. So that isn’t a viable option.

The Touch has well filled that gap. She synced it to TomTom’s companion app on her phone. Everyday since, she wears the unit on her wrist, pocketed inside the included rubber bracelet. And while of course displaying it on the unit, itself, it also via Bluetooth relays all of her exercise activity right to the app. It counts all of her steps, even though her phone is tucked away in her purse while she works all day.

Every night, I hear her proudly telling me how many steps she’s walked that day. Or how she needs another walk around the park, to fulfill her daily goal. And that’s awesome.

Soon after my wife declared dead her three-year-old Fitbit fitness tracker — a particular model that was hit-or-miss, in terms of reliability — I got ahold of TomTom’s new Touch model for cardio + body composition and fitness. I would have tried it myself. But the only thing I really track on a daily basis is steps walked and miles run that my smartphone relays to me. My wife would do that with her phone, but she rarely keeps it on her like I do. So that isn’t a viable option.

But the Touch is much more than a step counter. First of all, it can measure your body fat versus muscle composition. That helps you to better understand the impact of your diet and workout activities over time. Secondly, there’s a built-in heart-rate monitor. That’s always a plus, so you can see how effective your workouts are progressing. Plus, you want to make sure that your cardio exercise routines are not only getting easier for your heart rate as you keep doing them, but you also can see when you might need to step up the effort a bit. And like other fitness trackers on the market, this one also measures the likes of active time, calories burned, and the amount of sleep you get.

She also loves that it buzzes her wrist with any text messages and phone calls she receives. The display is a touch screen that you essentially just swipe when you want to see more information. The unit is also sweat- and water-resistant. Battery life lasts up to five days, and recharges swiftly with an included USB cord that you just plug into your computer.

It’s all very lightweight, and the included strap has so many notches that it’s very simple to find the one that fits snugly, comfortably and perfectly around your wrist. The product won the ISPO AWARD 2017 in the health and fitness segment, and I can understand why. I’ve tried other fitness trackers, and each has had some kind of issue — whether it be syncing it to a phone, deciphering the app, or trying to figure out how to use the physical device. This has no such mysteries. It’s just straightforward and works from the start. And that’s the way it should be.

My wife isn’t much for technology. So when she was able to figure out everything quickly on her own, I knew this was likely to be a successful product. And of course, best of all, it motivates her to stay in good shape.

 

Scott Kramer is veteran, Southern California-based writer primarily versed in golf and personal technology. Studying Computer Sciences in college, and then working as a programmer/software engineer for about a decade, triggered my passion for today’s high-end, high-tech gadgets. I can’t help myself whenever I see any kind of cool new personal technology. I feel compelled to further check it out and see what it’s all about. And even if I have no use for it personally, I’m always thinking who it might best suit. There are exciting new innovations emerging daily that are shaping the future and simplifying life. And I hope to be your eyes to that world, through the words of this column.

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