I bought the two pack for my wife and I direct from the company for $100. I've had a few other big name fitness trackers and returned them all. Not to say any of them weren't good, I just didn't think they were worth the price tag. This one however seems find that good balance between price and features. It's not as in depth as some others and really I like the different approach Moov took to fitness tracking. No steps or stairs counting just basic activity level throughout the day. It has goals and medals and levels to achieve etc. It has social features which are kind of fun, but my use is for myself mostly and don't really need to "compete" with anyone or prove I am more active than my friends on a daily basis.(or less active really). It requires NO charging which is one of the biggest selling points that drew me in. Not having to take it off and plug it in was important to both me and my wife. Battery life is TBD but for the price of a watch battery I'm back up and running. No worrying about internal battery recharge life or something going wrong. Simples and easy. I do NOT consider myself a world class athlete, just a dad who's metabolism isn't what it used to be and trying to get ahead and repair the damage I've done when I was younger and could do/eat (or more importantly drink) as I pleased.
Strap:. It comes with two straps, large and small. The fit well for both myself and my wife. I have a small frame despite being 6'3" 210#. I can wear the large on the tightest setting or small comfortably with ease. I wear the large because, although it's easy to remove the device from the strap to put it in the other, I don't like doing it. The small was too small for my ankle which is required running or biking. Rest assured this will NOT come out of the strap. The device is very secure. What might help the design is a band similar to a watch, just to supplement the "clasp" portion. Not that it's not secure, it consists of a small plastic piece that pops two posts into the holes in the band. But for runs it made me nervous the first few times out that I didn't secure it properly and might lose it and not notice. To date though it has never come off or popped out. It's softand, small, and comfortable enough to wear on a daily basis without taking it off. Should hold up nicely for a long time. The device has no display other than a small light that blinks when you sync, nice and clean simple look.
Android App:. It was built for iOS originally but they have since expanded to Android. I have not tested the iOS app so can't compare the two. I find the android app to be just enough data to keep me interested and not too much to end up off in the weeds. I records your basic activity level throughout the day. I use it with Google Fit and find between the two I get a general picture of how lazy I am and what I need to do. FYI the two apps do not sync as of yet but may come in the future. The following is a breakdown of some of the features I have used extensively.
User Interface: Smooth clean and easy to review everything you've done and a basic leaderboard if you've added some friends to compare/compete with.
Sleep: It records sleep, basically breaking it into three categories, restorative (deep), light, and awake. As far as I can figure this is based on your movement throughout the night. If you get up to use the bathroom and its only three steps away and you go right back to sleep without a lot of tossing and turning it usually considers this light sleep, not awake. Which is fine for me because I usually AM asleep in that situation. It's not going g to help you "improve" your sleep, or even "wake you at your peak sleep performance time" or whatever the other brands claim. What it does is give the approximate amount of time and type of sleep you achieved and you compare that to what is best for you. I've found it to be accurate and more than enough for my needs.
Sync: I cannot figure out how/when it automatically syncs but I'm sure it does occasionally. I tend to open the app and take a look at my progress and if it says push your Moov to sync then I do it. It's literally that simple. Open the app and click the top of the Moov. I do not know how long it would store your data if you didn't sync it once a day but if you are not looking at the app at least that much then why bother having the fitness tracker to begin with.
Running/Walking: I'm not an avid runner and after using the app I've learned nor am I even a good runner. But it actually encourages me 1) to run more because I like the feedback 2) to improve my lackluster running ability. You strap it to your ankle and select the running program best suited to your needs, or just open the run my own way.
A simple click of the device and your coach starts telling you what to do and what you're doing wrong. Easy peasy. It tells you you're landing hard, your stride is too long/short, your hips turn too much, you're hunched over, your heads down, your fists clenched, your arms aren't swinging, all of which I have been told in a single run. Before purchasing and even when I got it and saw the device I thought there's no way it can do all that with just a simple quarter sized device strapped to an ankle. But I experienced it and I don't know how but 99% of the time the device is spot on with whatever I'm doing wrong. It's not perfect for sure but it's enough for the average person. Its best used with your phone with you but you can run without your phone. A prevalent complaint I've read is people dont enjoy running with their phones because they're too big. I bought a $9 armband and stuffed my droid turbo in it and found no issue. When you take your phone with you it uses the GPS to record all sorts of additional data which I enjoy looking at, including your specific path with speeds on the map that look like Google maps traffic. After your run it breaks down cadence & range of motion along with landing. It tells you generally where your numbers should be and where you are. As you're running it also speaks to you to help correct the deficiencies and works in conjunction with your music or book. When you wrap up the run it gives you a wealth of info about avg speed, mile time etc.
7+ Minute Workout: First off, read data about the 7 minute workout craze so you have realistic expectations about what it is. With your phone in front of you or nearby you sync up and begin a small circuit using body weight to increase your physical fitness. The Moov shows you on video how to position yourself then records and counts (or does not count) reps of a given exercise. If you mess up in form it corrects you. if you don't perform the exercise completely it doesn't count. Three sets of each exercise with increasing reps and you're done. You earn harder levels as you progress through and increase your reps. Simple as that. Takes me approximately 9 minutes with given breaks and its better than not exercising at all. Like running it records a wealth of information to review and compare upon completion, more than enough for this couch potato.
Other Features: I have NOT yet tested these but based on the what I have done, can't wait to try.
Swimming: I USED to be an avid swimmer and this is one of the main features I purchased it for, sadly I have yet to use it. It appears to be very inclusive as far as recording info so as soon as I test it I'll update with results.
Boxing: Requires two Moov, one on each hand, and watching your phone display. Also appears to include a wealth of info including punch power so can't wait to test that. Also looks like a video game from the videos I've watched online.
Cycling: Another feature I haven't tried but would love to see all the neat stuff they pack into it. It appears to do everything a cadence counter would on your bike with the beauty of audible updates and instruction so you're not checking a display constantly. Will be testing it on road and mountain biking soon.
The Moov team appears to be very receptive to the input of their customers and that is encouraging. As people think of things and email or post to Moov message boards, the company responds which is refreshing.
I'm excited at how good this thing is when it's so new. It really has nowhere to go but up, and will constantly get better. I don't miss the heart rate (although I believe one can be synced with this) or steps or stairs and find the data more than enough for someone who just wants to get fit but is also curious to know what the metrics are of their exercises. It is probably the best price point I've seen for what it includes. Twice the price with twice the features i won't ever care about or use is not a good deal to me. This isn't intended to answer every question someone has, but rather to sway your opinion if you're on the fence about getting into the realm of these gadgets. Unfortunately I was NOT given this at a discount in exchange for my review and frankly I'd love to figure out how so many people are getting all this stuff free or cheap while I pay full price! Will update as my length of ownership increases and as I find new and interesting features or flaws.
Update: Cycling much like the other activities is good. It shows basically the same amount of information you get from a run except cycling specific. I've only used it road riding but there it updates every mile or so with avg speed cadence etc, through your headphones. If you're a hard core rider and want to know what you're spinning more often than once a mile it's not for you, this info is visible real time on the phone screen though if you were to leave your screen on and mounted like a bike computer to the handlebars. I'd say it's again more geared toward someone who's not training for the tour de France but wants to know more biometrics of their ride. After the ride is over you can review all sorts of data including elevations and speeds, cadence, time moving, mile time, etc. It also has a teaching aspect after you ride once or twice and it sets a baseline moov power.
UPDATE: 12/31/2018
A deceptively sophisticated, quality product for something that looks so simple.
After 4 months of steady use swimming laps, I couldn't be more pleased with this product's performance. It keeps near perfect count of my laps, (after an initial syncing with my iPhone) recording lap-time, flip-turn time - and rest-time, along with the number of laps and the type of stroke used (the Moov Now usually gets that right). If you stop for any reason, the unit records that as "rest". At the end, when the device is synced again to the iPhone App, the data shows total work-out time and total elapsed time as separate metrics.
The only time it has failed to count a lap in my opinion is attributable to a poorly-executed flip-turn by me, when I'm waving my arm around in the water (I'm not a competitive swimming). I'm almost 69, but I do swim well, usually for 1 1/2 hours, doing from 100 to 160 laps in a 25-meter pool in summer, and a 25-yard indoor pool the rest of the year. The metrics are excellent.
As note below, the battery that came with the Moov Now died rather quickly, but I replaced it with an inexpensive CR 2032 purchased online (10 batteries for $6.50), and the replacement battery lasted 3 months. The Moov App on my iPhone notified me when I synced the device that the battery was low, so I changed it pool-side in a few minutes. I used the plastic pry-tool provided with the unit to open the back, popped the old battery out, new one in, checked the correctness of these steps on the Help portion of the Moov iPhone App, synced the device and hopped in the water. (I keep a couple spare batteries and the pry-tool in a small case with my other pool supplies in my gym-bag.)
One addition Con besides the two listed below (2-hour maximum record time for swimming; doesn't record ordinary walking steps): Although all the metrics and work-out history generated by the device appears on my iPhone App, that data cannot be exported. I have written to Moov support and requested enabling such a feature. They responded quickly, and said that it was not something requested by many people, that they are a small company, and that enabling export in the App would involve some sort of programming feat they weren't up to. Seems a rather weak argument. I'd love to be able to have all my metrics and work-out history on a spreadsheet, but I'd have to enter the data myself. The overall metrics are simple and not that numerous, but the record of lap-times, flip-turn times, and rest-times is somewhat voluminous.
Again, the Moov Now is so superior to the FitBit Flex 2 that I would always recommend the Moov for swimming and discourage swimmers from buying the FitBit Flex 2. I wear both, and the Flex 2 consistently loses a good 10 laps - 250 yards - from my workout history. If the Moov misses a lap, it still records the time as "rest", so the lap can be reconstructed from the data history.
ORIGINAL POST: at the beginning of October, 2018
I've been using the Moov Now for about a month. It keeps extremely accurate count of my swimming laps, showing the time for each lap - including the time for my flip-turns. Many metrics to help measure and improve my swimming. The Moov Now also keeps track of rest periods, and doesn't count the time spent if you have to get out of the pool or stop for any reason.
The battery that came with the unit died within a week, but I replaced and have had no problems since. The battery was easy to replace. No problems with the unit leaking. It was fortunate that the Moov Now uses Cr 2032 batteries, which are readily available for great prices on Amazon. I priced them locally, and I got 5 high-quality batteries through Amazon for the price local vendors asked for 1 battery. Also, they fit my garage door openers, so I replaced those. Even if the Moov Now uses up the batteries sooner than the promised 6 months, it's no big deal, because replacing the batteries is inexpensive through Amazon.
I also have a submersible FitBit Flex 2, which cost about the same as the Moov Now. The Moov Now is far, far superior to the Flex 2 for swimming. The Flex 2 has a lot fewer metrics and it's accuracy is sporadic, usually losing 1 to 10+ laps in a swim session. In a 25-meter pool, if I do 120 lengths, the Flex 2 will lose between 5 and 12+ laps - keeping track of the time, but not logging the laps. That really messes up the few metrics that the Flex 2 reports. The Flex 2 has a rechargeable battery, which requires attention every several days. The Moov just has a lithium battery to replace every several months.
The only cons for the Moov:
1. The Moov Now does not keep track of leisurely steps - you have to be doing very active walking for it to keep track of your steps. My FitBit which does that, so I just wear both.
2. The swim program on the Moov Now has a maximum record time of 2 hours. I sometimes do laps for more than 2 hours, so I have to stop part way though and record my laps to that point, then reset the unit so that it can capture the remainder of my work-out. Most of the time, workouts are less than 2 hours, so it's not an issue. I just wish Moov would extend the record time somehow, but I suspect that that is a physical memory issue rather than a firmware issue, so I'm not expecting it. This is a minor issue, considering the accuracy of the unit and the large number of metrics it provides for swimming.
I can't comment about other exercises, although as the swim season ends, I will begin using my stationary bicycle and NordicTrac skier.
The long and short is that Moov does a better job at promoting and tracking your progress in your training than others but doesn't offer immediate data without syncing it to your phone. This tracker puts more attention on your personal achievement rather than spitting out data constantly. If you're looking for a good entry-level fitness tracker, this is the perfect one!
I like this fitness tracker. I was looking for something to capture my swimming workout that did not require a heart monitor and was not over 100$s.
I was pleasantly surprised that it also captures my Spin bike workouts and keeps me from lowering my cadence.
The app via my android phone, prompts me every 5 minutes as to my average cadence. You just have to move the tracker from wrist to ankle but very easy and you get two sizes of bands with the purchase.
Additionally, the app check the 6 month battery every time you sync. So, you do not have to remember to charge every evening or day.
One issue that I have had (I have to be hones that I have not researched on the site or FAQs) is that I have lost a few days of data and I am unsure why. One time it just lost sync with the tracker and I had to reconnect which also caused me to lose some data.
I have become completely sick of my Fitbit. After the third one I have owned died after 7 months, I am ready for something different. I tried the MOOV and was initially so impressed with it that I bought a second one so I could do the Cardio Boxing exercises. It is, essentially, like wearing a Wii controller on your wrist.
The amount of information you can get out of the MOOV is really remarkable, It is simple to pair with your smartphone and gives you all the information any other device gives you, except for some unknown reason, it doesn't count steps (at least I can't figure out how to do it). It does track swimming, biking and other things like circuit training which is great if you are participating in all those activities. It also tracks calories burned and sleep which is pretty common among devices like this.
The biggest problem with the MOOV, for me, is the lack of immediate feedback with just a glance. While you are participating in activities it will "coach" you, so there is that kind of feedback (as long as you have some kind of earphone or speaker attached), but it lacks just a simple display on the unit itself. As annoying as the Fitbit's reliability is, it does give you an immediate idea of the kind of progress you are making during the day. The MOOV just sits on your arm tracking your activity without any kind of feedback not specifically related to using your phone. Weirdly, it looks so much like a watch that I have been asked what time it is and have had to explain several times that it's not.
The preprogrammed fitness activity tracking is pretty impressive and diverse and the feedback you do get when you are all hooked up is very useful.
When you receive the MOOV you need to download the app which is a bit of a hassle because the app is extremely chubby. One of the MOOVs I received also needed a firmware update which took so long (about 30 minutes) I though it was actually broken. My other problem was with the wrist strap. There is a small two prong connector which plugs into holes on the strap. Once connected it is very secure, however the two prong piece comes off the strap and is easily lost. I lost one almost immediately but thankfully the MOOV comes with a second strap (designed for your leg which I've never used) and I was able to use the prong piece from that one to fix my wrist strap. Now that I'm aware of it I am far more careful but still it seems like a small design flaw.
Bottom line, the MOOV is like a video game controller for people who exercise a lot. The Cardio Boxing is fun and I really enjoy the feedback it gives when exercising. I just wish it was more useful with simple, immediate, visual feedback.
Feature Product
- MOOV NOW provides real-time audio coaching for running, cycling, cardio boxing, body weight (Moov 7 Minute+)
- Most advanced swim tracker - stroke type, stroke count, lap analysis, recommends ways to improve
- Tracks Active Minutes and Sleep
- A wearable fitness coach that speaks to you - actively monitors your motion, tracks your progress, and motivates you to achieve your fitness goals
- Up to 6 months battery life and waterproof. Band is lightweight and breathable.Wear it on your wrist for swimming, on your ankle for running and cycling, or wear two for cardio boxing
- Moov's Omni Motion sensor uses 3 times the sensors used in basic fitness trackers and provides real-time accuracy
- Colorful and Insightful Data in your Moov App
Description
The New 2016 Edition features a new more durable and secure band! Imagine you're running when you hear a voice chime in your ear, "You're 10 meters behind your target. Push a little harder, you can still beat your goal." Only MOOV NOW measures your exact movement and analyzes it in order to coach your form and efficiency. With MOOV's real-time audio coaching pushing you to improve throughout each workout, bringing your fitness and workout experience to a whole new level. With the free MOOV app, we offer free guided programs in sports including running, cycling, swimming, body weight training, and cardio boxing. MOOV NOW for swimming offers the most advanced swim tracking and stroke detection available so you can focus on your swim, not counting laps.
Make sure you have a new battery on hand b/c mine came with a dead battery! I tested my first workout on my spin bike and the cadence shown on the app matched what was shown on the bike computer. I really bought this to track my spin workouts b/c I am just too lazy to write down everything from the bike computer and track it and I want to improve my cadence. I didn't start a sleep session but it still logged my sleep. Second workout I tried the brisk walk - you will need headphones to use the coach unless you want everyone around to hear it too. I didn't use the coach and it recorded the activity to my app along with all the data since my first workout. You only need location and bluetooth turned on when you are doing a workout or syncing. I like the ankle strap and do not plan to wear it on my wrist. It does not look very secure but I have sensitive skin and cannot feel it at all so that's great. I've used microsoft band and fitbit clip on but I can't wear a watch at work and I kept forgetting to charge the fitbit. Just got it and started using it so will update if issues.
MOOV Now is a great device. I was skeptical about purchasing it, but now am more than happy. The device is merely a sensor (actually multiple sensors) without a screen or speaker. The raw data is uploaded to a cell phone for analysis and display. This keeps the device light weight and unobtrusive. It comes with a both with a small and large band to attach to the wrist or ankle. This band is terrific! Light, easy to adjust and clings to the skin. I can’t imagine the device falling out of it.
The Pros: Even though the device measures activity during the day and is fairly decent sleep monitor, it is designed for workouts. I think workouts are a truer measure of health and my insurance company rewards me for both workouts and steps. The App provides a variety of workouts from walking, running, swimming, boxing, and 7 minute cardio.
The walking workouts encourage you to improve your stride rate, angle of stride, distance, and duration. (Even measures the elevation.) Running is similar with both sprint and endurance workouts. The 7 minute gym works well and pushed me into the more strenuous practices quickly.
But I purchased the MOOV Now for its ability to measure my swim workouts. My fears of the device being obtrusive were unfounded. It does a reasonable job of recognizing my strokes in a 25 yard pool and an excellent job when I swim 50 meters. I was really excited when it recognized that I had swam an IM. Kicking or drills will fool it of course. It seems to do a good job of recording the elapsed time, stroke rate, and distance per stroke for each lap. When doing short intervals, it records the rest as part of the turn. I wish it showed distance off the wall. A lot of information that I will probably check once a week for improvement. But as far as recording the workout for upload to the insurance company, it is excellent, showing yardage, elapsed time, active time, and calories.
The cons: The MOOV Now App only runs on specific smart phones and requires Low Energy Blue Tooth. And since walkers/runners/etc will be carrying these with them, you will want a light weight phone. There isn’t a version for your computer. So you will have to view all those fancy charts, graphs, and data on the screen of your smart phone. MOOV was smart enough to separate the computing from the sensors, but not smart enough to do the computing on a desktop. I can’t figure why companies write specific phone apps rather then web-based apps that can be accessed from many devices. I would love to be able to see my improvement from workout to workout.
The app has options to load to MapMyFitness and Strava. I still haven’t figured out to do these.
I have used a FitBit in the past and am used to it syncing with other Blue Tooth devices whenever they were close. With MOOV Now the App must be running and you will need to press the device when prompted. This can be clunky with several ‘clicks’ to do a workout, but saves on battery life since it isn’t always looking for other devices.
This is a small company so having anybody walk you through setup, isn’t happening.
The app has room to grow, but the device is very sensitive and I am sure will become more useful.
I am training for a triathlon and I love how this tracks all 3 workouts- swim, bike, and run. It shows you where you need to improve with cadence, impact, etc. I love the running feedback and running training programs. Before I used this my impact runnin was so high that I injured my knee. Now I am running farther and faster with less impact.
This does not track steps, just overall level of activity during the day. That’s fine for me. I don’t need to know how many steps I took. Also tracks sleep so you know how long and how well you slept.
I’ve had zero technical issues so anything referenced in 1 star reviews must have been fixed.
Just got a Moov and have worn it for a week... I love it... I have had other fitness trackers but nothing like this... having the coaching/workout options already programed at your fingertips is not only amazing but I can't believe the motivation it's given me to workout already and to do it in a way that is healthy and safe for me... I am at 284#'s and hope to give another update with an improvement... way to go Moov team! You hit this one out of the park!
After getting back into swimming, I got this little gizmo to help myself with keeping track of lap times and total workout distance and duration. I am NOT a competitive swimmer by any means, but as a data junkie I was excited about the opportunity to monitor where I stand time-wise. Here is a breakdown of pros and cons regarding the device overall and swimming specifically. I do not use it for any other activities, so can't really comment on those.
Pros:
1. This is probably the most affordable swimming tracker that has decent reviews out there - features it has for 42 bucks are actually pretty impressive.
2. The design is fairly nice - simple, light,sleek, not overly bulky and can be worn on either ankle and wrist.
3. For swimming defined lap sets it is actually impressively accurate - for example, if you are doing sets of 100s with different stroke style and resting in between, it keeps track of swim and turn timings pretty faithfully.
4. You do a lot of data on your performance during each lap as well as the overall workout.
5. It is very easy to use - just sync to your phone and follow the prompts.
Cons:
1. The wrist band is BIG - I have to wrap it around my wrist almost twice to securely attach the device. The fastening mechanism is fairly fussy and can potentially come undone, which in the water is really not great.
2. As mentioned above, if you are swimming very defined lap sets it does a good job at keeping track, but some swimming behaviors make it very confused. Specifically, if you are doing kicking sets without moving your arms, it won't record it as an activity at all, just list the elapsed time under "rest" (if the MOOV is on your wrist). If you are doing kicking with your arms stretched and pulling occasionally, it can get strangely creative with both time and definition of strokes. I avoid backstroke like a plague, but during kicking drills MOOV occasionally decides to designate whatever it is I was doing as such, much to my amused chagrin. In addition, while I can't prove it for certain, I am pretty sure it sometimes decides to record just idle flailing of an arm in water as a lap (ie if you're moving your arms during rest or talking to someone) and then gets further confused when you actually begin swimming. I definitely get an occasional lap set that I know for a certain was much shorter than MOOV recorded, probably because it didn't realize I was resting and not swimming.
3. Recorded times are mostly accurate, but as other said, you do occasionally stumble upon a world record shattering lap among your otherwise mediocre results, indicating that MOOV probably failed to record the push off time correctly.
4. Syncing, while easy, CANNOT be interrupted - otherwise MOOV loses all your data. I made a mistake of starting the sync and walking away from my phone with MOOV still on to take a shower not far away. The data got lost, never to be found.
5. 10 seconds is nowhere near enough time for anyone to get into pool from the locker, or even if your phone is poolside. An option to set a lag time manually would be great. '
Overall, despite the flaws listed above, this is a good simple device for a recreational swimmer who wishes to keep better track of their progress.
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