Colin lives in Ventura, CA where he runs a Strength & Conditioning facility. If you have suggestions for fitness tech that you’d like to see covered or reviewed, feel free to send info over to colin@9to5mac.com
Peloton gave a teaser of an upcoming rower during their Homecoming event last May. Since no additional details have so far been given, I went ahead and put together my own Peloton Rower wish list.
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COROS is adding several new features, as well as a new public beta enrollment, for their latest firmware update. The new features being added to COROS’ lineup of smart GPS watches include improved app sync optimization, new distance units for the workout builder, Trail Run label support for Strava, and more.
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Peloton has expanded their popular Power Zone training program with two additional instructors: Sam Yo and Erik Jäger. Unlike Peloton’s other classes, members taking Power Zone workouts focus on staying in their individualized zones.
The addition of Sam and Erik brings the Power Zone roster up to six instructors – twice the size it was one year ago.
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As of today, Peloton has removed the video chat feature on the Peloton Bike, Bike+, and Tread. Previously, members who had added each other as friends on Peloton could start a video chat if taking the same class. While Peloton mentioned this feature would be taken away last week in comments on their Facebook group, the video chat feature has now finally been taken down.
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Liteboxer has launched a new shadowboxing program, Liteboxer Go, which uses punch tracking sensors that strap around users’ wrists. Utilizing Liteboxer’s full workout library, Liteboxer Go allows users to shadowbox anywhere they have access to a TV, tablet, or smartphone.
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I have tested and reviewed over 50 pieces of home fitness tech this past year. From smart wearables like the Apple Watch, to indoor bikes like Peloton, there are a ton of great options to choose from. With so much to choose from, it can sometimes be hard figuring out which should take a priority.
To help you out, I have created tier list for the best fitness tech in 2022.
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Altis, a connected fitness technology company, is launching today what may be the most advanced AI fitness trainer currently available. Similar to the Peloton Guide, Altis utilizes cameras with computer vision which plug directly into a television or monitor. However, compared to the Peloton Guide, Altis offers a significant amount of beefed up AI tech and features.
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The COROS VERTIX 2 is an advanced gps watch with an enormous amount of included features. We put together this COROS VERTIX 2 Watch beginners guide to help you learn everything you need to know. Check it out below!
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Here we are with another episode of the Weekly Watt, the podcast where we discuss the latest news and updates in connected fitness.
This week, Laura and Colin talk about the upcoming Apple Watch fitness updates, the new Normatec 3 compression system, Peloton bringing back in-person studio rides, and something strange going on with the Peloton Rower.
The topic of the day is home fitness versus gyms. The strengths and weaknesses of each and why some may prefer one over the other.
Listen or watch the episode below!
From Peloton to FightCamp to virtual reality boxing workouts like SuperNatural, there are now lots of home boxing programs to choose from. Over the past six months, I have been testing them all with the goal of finding out which home boxing workout is the best.
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Peloton has recently removed all mentions of its recently teased rower, including a post on Twitter and Instagram. This should be concerning for anyone who may have been excited to possibly buy a Peloton Rower later this year.
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JAXJOX, creator of the recent JAXJOX Interactive Studio, has announced a new partnership with former NFL tight-end and Super Bowl Champion, Vernon Davis. Davis will join JAXJOX as both an investor and brand partner.
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Hyperice, a leader in the fitness recovery tech, has launched their newly upgraded Normatec 3 compression system today. Not only does the new Normatec 3 have several improvements, but it also is being released at a lower cost than the previous model. You can get the base model (which includes the compression boots) for $799.
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This morning, our own Seth Weintraub traveled to Peloton HQ and participated in their first live studio class in over two years. Immediately after the 30-minute ride with Peloton instructor Robin Arzón was over, I interviewed Seth to see how it went!
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It’s been eight months since I started using the WHOOP 4.0 Armband. While I made an initial review after my first month, this long term review will be a bit different. It can take a bit of time to realize some features you thought were great turn out to be just okay. Likewise, other features that were not very exciting at first sometimes end up becoming a core part of the experience.
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Peloton is keeping its NYC and London studios closed for one last day as it prepares for a public reopening. Members will soon have a chance to attend live Peloton classes in person for the first time in more than two years.
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Today, COROS is releasing a new version of their popular Pace 2 GPS smartwatch called Blue Steel. This is the first new permanent color option for the Pace 2 since it was first released in 2020.
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Apple had their big WWDC 2022 keynote today, and in it they revealed tons of new fitness features coming to the Apple Watch. WatchOS 9, which will be released later this year, will include new running metrics, a custom workout builder, triathlete support, sleep phase detection, and more.
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A perfect workout program for gamers? In this Aviron Rower review, we will cover everything you should know before you decide to buy. Aviron has created a well-designed rower designed around games and entertainment that has kept me hooked. Read (or watch) below to get the full scoop.
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Welcome to another episode of the Weekly Watt, a podcast where we discuss the latest in all things connected fitness.
With seven months still remaining in 2022, we make our fitness tech predictions for the rest of the year. Will gyms continue to see a big comeback? Will Peloton be bought by Amazon or Netflix? Is VR fitness going to see any new or exciting in 2022?
Listen or watch the episode below!
In our COROS Pace 2 review, we will cover everything you need you know about this ultralight GPS watch. COROS has somehow been able to pack in an incredible amount of premium features into the budget-friendly Pace 2. Read (or watch) below to get the full scoop.
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Apple has recently started selling HidrateSpark water bottles within their stores. These smart bottles automatically record your water consumption and track it within an app, which can also be displayed on an Apple Watch.
I put a lot of value on the benefits of staying hydrated and have been happily using HidrateSpark Smart Bottles for several years. For others, the $60-$80 price tag has been harder to justify. The newest bottle, the HidrateSpark TAP, is a much more budget-friendly option – though the savings do come at another cost. Read our review below to learn more.
HidrateSpark TAP, the company’s newer line of smart water bottles, gives a lot of the company’s beloved tech to customers at a much lower price point. There is a great app-watch integration and glowing reminders. Water consumption tracking has been changed here to a simple smart device tap to the bottle via an NFC tag. This replaces the automatic bluetooth synching used by the more expensive HidrateSpark Pro.
| Size/Material Options | Stainless steel 20 oz. Tritan Plastic 24 oz, 32 oz |
| Lid options | Chug, straw |
| Item weight varies by lid type | 20 oz bottle: 393-398g 24 oz bottle: 213-218g 32 oz bottle: 238-243g |
| Item dimensions varies by lid type | 20 oz bottle: 2.99”w x 10.51-10.79” h 24 oz bottle: 2.99”w x 10.51-10.79” h 32 oz bottle: 3.50”w x 10.55-10.83”h |
| Battery | 1 Lithium Metal (included and replaceable) |
| Compatibility | Apple Health Fitbit Garmin Connect Google Fit Under Armor Map My Fitness Withings Health Mate |
The HidrateSpark TAP comes in a variety of colors and sizes. You can choose from a stainless steel version at 20oz, or a Tritan (BPA-free) plastic at 24 or 32oz. I ended up choosing the 24oz plastic since I already own HidrateSpark smart bottles in stainless steel (HidrateSpark Pro) and silicon (HidrateSpark 3). You can read/watch my review on those here.
You can also choose between a chug or straw top. If available, I would suggest getting both tops as the each are useful in different situations. For this review, I went with the straw top, which I find easier to use when running.
I think the design of the 24oz HidrateSpark TAP looks great and is well designed to fit into almost any bottle holder. I had a few issues with the straw coming loose on occasion, but it wasn’t often enough for me to be too annoyed and only takes a few seconds to fix.
At the bottom of the HidrateSpark TAP is a light which you can set to glow throughout the day to remind you to drink more water. The TAP doesn’t connect to the app directly like the PRO (or Apple Water Bottle), so you’ll need to change the settings via buttons on the smart bottle itself.
Since there is no app control, the options here are very straight forward. There are several colors to choose from, and the glow reminders can be set to repeat once per hour for 12 hours on a daily schedule. You can choose to “snooze” an hour, which can extend the schedule a bit if you’d like.
In order for the HidrateSpark TAP to track your water, you’ll need to tap your smart phone to the NFC tag after you finish a bottle.
While this tap only takes a second or two, it feels like a big step back from HidrateSpark’s other smart bottles. I loved the fact that with the other versions, I didn’t have to think about tracking the water. I feel like it is more convenient to just manually track the water on my Apple Watch (with the free HidrateSpark app) than to take out my phone to tap it.
That’s really the only issue I have with the HidrateSpark TAP. Yes, it is a lot cheaper than the PRO, but at the cost of what I feel is its best feature.
Regardless of how I feel about the HidrateSpark TAP, the app itself is great. Here you can see your daily hydration progress, as well as where you should be if you want to stay on track.
If you have friends who also use a HydrateSpark smart bottle, you can add them to see their daily progress as well to create more accountability.
There are badges to earn, monthly challenges to complete, and a very solid tracking system. You can set you daily hydration goal or follow HidrateSparks’ recommendation based on your activity level, weight, and local weather.
You can have all of this connect to Apple Health, FitBit, Garmin, Under Amour, and Health Mate as well which is great.
And best of all is the Apple Watch app integration. This allows you to add a visual reminder of your daily hydration progress to the face of your Apple Watch – likely a big reason Apple is now selling HidrateSpark in their stores.
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I personally struggle with staying hydrated, and using HidrateSpark Smart Bottles has been a huge help to me for many years now. That said, the feature I enjoy most is having my water consumption tracked automatically. Unfortunately, this is what has been cut from the HidrateSpark TAP to bring its cost down.
Truthfully, tapping the bottle to your phone a few times a day doesn’t take a lot of effort. Maybe I am just spoiled from using HidrateSparks’ more expensive options. Then again, maybe that is what makes the bottle so useful compared to just tracking hydration manually via an app.
It’s a nice bottle at a very budget friendly price. But, if you can swing the cost of the HidrateSpark 3 or PRO versions instead, I strongly suggest doing so.
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The COROS PACE 2 Watch may be referred to as a runner’s “budget watch,” but it sure does not feel like it with all of its included features. We put together this COROS PACE 2 Watch beginners guide to help you learn everything you need to know. Check it out below!
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