Moov Now is not only just tracking activities but also it uses data to coach you. Using the sensors on the device together with their software, it’s able to reconstruct and analyze your movements. In other words, it can translate movements into coaching.
The company is relatively new, it’s based in California and began in February 2014 as a crowdfunding project. Since then it has gone on to achieve some great results which will certainly see the company grow and become a major player within this industry.
The original Moov as featured on our homepage has turned out very popular and this one will most likely be the same.
Moov Now Features
- Measures movements, calories burned, active minutes and sleep
- Pairs with app to train you with five sports
- Coaches as you workout
- Slim design
- Comfortable to wear
- Heart rate monitor support
- Long battery life
Unlike most other fitness trackers this one doesn’t actually record steps taken or distance, but instead measures your movements in what it calls a “3D space”.
The device has three sensors, it uses an accelerometer, a gyroscope which can detect rotation and a magnetometer which is able to detect the direction of movement.
These three measurements make up the 3D assessments and are seen as much more useful than tracking how many steps have been taken.
The information is synced to the app where it is then formulated so it can give you advice as you exercise.
This is where the Moov Now fitness tracker differs from others as you select your activity, running, cycling, cardio boxing or a seven minute bodyweight workout and it will guide you through whichever you’re doing.
For swimming, while it can measure your strokes and turns with its sensors, unfortunately there isn’t real time training available as there is with the other activities.
On the other hand it’s said to be the only app that has automatic stroke style recognition and lap grouping.
It will give you lap breakdowns with lap time, your strokes, turn time and your resting time. It can also display your longest continuous swim.
We think it’s important to point out in this Moov Now review that the swimming tracking capabilities aren’t the main focus, they are one of five sports it covers.
This means that if you want something specific to swimming you might want to look at something such as the Garmin Swim Watch or even the Speedo Shine.
If swimming is part of your routine and you want to include it in your fitness plan, then the Moov Now would be a good choice.
It is different to other devices in that it doesn’t use steps as the main measurement, it focuses on specific workouts and the time you spend moving.
This is how it is able to give guided workouts, which is the feature that makes it really stand out. When using it while cardio boxing, there’s also the option of wearing a device on each wrist so you can get better and more accurate data. That does, of course, mean buying two of them!
Use and Functionality
When you select the workout you want to do, you connect via Bluetooth to the app and the coaching (from a female voice) will begin after a quick sound check to make sure you can hear everything ok.
If you like to listen to music as you work out, that’s not a problem as the music level will go down when the coach needs to speak to you with an update of what to do next.
We always make the point that you’ll normally get better and more accurate data if a heart rate monitor is included.
There isn’t one with the Moov Now but it does provide support for using one. It will work via Bluetooth with a heart rate strap, but it’s not suitable for swimming.
The design is probably better than its predecessor because it’s smaller and very slim. Its disc shaped and has an indicator light which comes on when syncing is taking place. All you have to do is press the top and as long as you have the app open, the syncing will start.
It’s comfortable to wear because it has a lightweight silicone strap which has lots of holes in it.
This is to allow air in to avoid causing any irritation to the skin. It doesn’t have to be worn too tightly either.
There are two straps supplied, one for the wrist and the other for the ankle so you can choose where you want to wear it. The battery is a coin cell type and will last around six months so it has plenty of life to it.
Pros:
- Small and lightweight
- Real time coaching for your routines
- Good for swimmers
- Long battery life
Cons:
- Need to have your smartphone with you to use it
- Doesn’t count steps
- No heart rate monitor
- Some reports of device falling out of the strap
Conclusion
In some ways this fitness tracker is better suited to someone who is just starting out with a fitness routine. It’s almost as if you have your own personal trainer coaching you.
This may not appeal so much to those who have been training for some time, but it certainly is a fun and interesting way to help you to get fit.
The whole “3D space” type of measuring data is interesting because some people would like to know how many steps they’ve taken.
While it may be useful to know your steps and distance, surely having a broader overview of all of your movements is really useful? It could be argued that data presented in this way gives a better overview of your fitness and the coaching developed from it will be better.
Measuring movements is helpful when it comes to swimming because of its ability to give stroke and lap breakdowns.
It is a fitness tracker that will be of benefit to swimmers. Cardio boxing is an interesting one because, although not essential, there are suggestions it might be better to wear one on each wrist for this and that means more expense.
There’s no getting away from the fact that the device is small and stylish, plus it has a good battery life of around six months.
It is an improvement on its predecessor and could be the direction other manufacturers might consider because of the advantages discussed in this Moov Now review, but for now it stands alone and certainly worth considering.
