2:07PM EST November 24. 2012 - You know the type: the person who without fail always chooses the stairs over the elevator, the one who orders a salad with no dressing, the annoying friend who actually shows up at the gym and keeps her new year's resolution.
For the overbearing health nut, we have some great gift ideas this holiday season. Heck, these suggestions even work for the couch potato in need of some encouragement.
Jawbone Up: a durable, full-featured 24/7 fitness tracker
One of this season's hottest health trackers actually made its debut about a year ago. For the brief period of time the Up was on the market, it was Jawbone's fastest-selling product, but it was quickly pulled due to hardware issues. The Up's initial downfall can be traced to minuscule amounts of water entering the band and the electronic components breaking due to its flexible nature. But roughly one year, 200 hardware designs and 16,000 man hours later, Jawbone is back with a new and improved tracker with a more durable build â€" one that will tolerate being on your wrist 24/7 in spite of sweat, water, heat and soap.
So what does Up ($129.99) do? The tracking device you wear on your wrist uses sensors to measure sleep quality and count steps, distance traveled, floors climbed and calories burned. The Up also includes a silent vibrating alarm clock that will gently nudge you awake at an optimal time during your sleep cycle so you wake up refreshed, not groggy; related to this, you can set an alarm for efficient napping â€" typically about 26.5 minutes, give or take depending on the person. The band will also send you an occasional vibration to remind you to move if you've been idle for too long. One of its main drawbacks though is that the band doesn't update wirelessly. However, the ability to do so directly from your mobile device (just plug it into the headport jack) is a nice feature.
Combined with the gorgeous corresponding app, you have a comprehensive health dashboard that will keep tabs on how you're feeling and what you're eating and drinking to find trends and draw insights on your lifestyle.
Fitbit One: a tracker that updates seamlessly
By no means is the Jawbone Up the end-all, be-all of fitness trackers. Another much beloved one is the Fitbit, which earlier this fall refreshed its Ultra tracker with the Fitbit One ($99.99).
On top of a redesigned build, the One packs a few more features. In addition to its old functionality â€" tracking steps, distance, floors climbed, calories burned, sleep quality â€" it now includes a silent vibrating alarm clock. Unlike other silent alarms, such as the Up's, this one doesn't time the alarm to your sleep cycle, instead waking you at the time specified. More welcomed though is the seamless syncing with Bluetooth 4.0, which will automatically send your health data to your dashboard. (Those without Bluetooth 4.0-enabled phones can update wirelessly with a USB dongle.)
Compared with the Up, the Fitbit One's biggest weakness is that it's not worn on the body. As a tracker that's affixed typically to pants, belts and bras, the Fitbit isn't built to be on you at all times. For example, it'll resist sweat, but won't survive a shower. Yet part of the Fitbit's charm is its ability to give you bite-sized information on your day's status on an easy-to-read low-powered screen. You won't get the same type of feedback from Up's hardware.
For those on a budget: It's worth considering the cheaper Fitbit Zip ($59.99). For $40 less, it's missing a number of features, including ones related to sleep and the ability to count stairs climbed.
Withings scale charts weight, fat percentage over time
From a user standpoint, Withings' Wi-Fi Body Scale ($159) is amazingly simple. Step on, stand still and the scale will tell you your weight, body fat percentage and BMI. Since the scale is connected to your home wireless network, all this information is sent to a dashboard that tracks these stats over time, which you can view on the Web and on your mobile device.
For those on a budget: Consider the Wireless Scale WS-30 ($129.95), the newest member of the Withings family. The scale, which launched in the U.S. in November, doesn't measure body fat percentage but will track your weight and BMI over time. It's also easier to set up (no PC required) thanks to integrated Bluetooth.
Zeo offers unparalleled sleep insights
Truth be told, the Zeo can be cumbersome to use because the single-purpose sleep monitor is worn as a head band. But when it comes to sleep insight, nothing else on the market comes close. Most consumer sleep monitors instead rely on motion, which won't tell you the whole story about your slumber.
For the health and data junkie, Zeo's Sleep Manager Pro ($99) will track brain waves during the four stages of sleep: wake, REM, light sleep and deep sleep. This information can be viewed online and on a mobile device. Furthermore, it can be imported into other health apps, such as the one from Withings, so you can see how sleep quality correlates with other aspects of your health.
Skip: the Zeo Bedside Sleep Manager ($149), which is currently sold out, takes up far too much bedside table real estate and requires you to manually upload data via an SD card.
Netatmo weather monitor
Living healthy isn't just about hitting the gym and sleeping well. The environment matters too.
Netatmo ($179) is an elegant indoor and outdoor weather monitor that collects stats on weather, air quality, humidity, temperature, CO2 levels, barometric pressure and noise level. These figures are charted over time on the mobile app to reveal trends both inside and outside the house. Armed with this information, you can make smarter lifestyle choices based on environmental factors. For example, if the air quality's bad outside, you might want to avoid cycling to work.
E-mail Alice Truong at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter: @alicetruong.
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