Technology

Fitness gear, plus a musician’s secret to scoring “likes”

1. Fitbit Aria Smart Scale

$180 | fitbit.com/ au Not only does the Fitbit Aria Smart Scale measure your weight, it also tracks your lean mass, BMI and body-fat percentage. And it uses your home wi-fi to sync all that data into easy-to-understand charts. Naturally, it also works with your Fitbit tracker to help you set health and fitness goals.

2. Beddit Sleep Monitor

$224 | harveynorman.com.au While there are plenty of watches and fitness trackers that can monitor your sleep, they’re not always comfortable to wear in bed. The Beddit Sleep Monitor lies across your mattress, under the sheets and undetectable. From there it can track your movements and breathing then send a detailed analysis of your sleep to your phone each morning.

3. Huawei Watch 2

$549 | huawei.com/ au Huawei’s original Android Wear watch was well regarded for its functionality and style and the Watch 2 continues that heritage with a slightly sportier look and feel. Heart-rate monitoring and GPS make it great for runners, while the 4G option lets you insert a nano-SIM and leave your phone at home without losing the ability to make and receive calls.

4. Fitbit Alta HR

$250 | fitbit.com/ au The latest product from Fitbit, the Alta HR is the slimmest tracker to offer constant heart-rate monitoring. The app’s improved sleep tracking pairs with the pulse sensor to measure your resting heart rate, which is an indicator of your fitness baseline. A winning feature is the interchangeable band, which you can swap for a leather one if you want a different look.

5. Sony Walkman MP3 player

$199 | sony.com.au Sony’s newest sports MP3 player is worth a look if you train in the water. Wear it for up to half an hour in the pool, using the onboard memory to access your music. Thanks to saltwater-proofing (this is new for the range), you can also take it on ocean swims. Out of the water, the MP3 player will use Bluetooth to pair with your phone.

6. Jabra Elite Sport

$329 | jabra.com.au It’s difficult to imagine anything else fitting into something as small as Jabra’s Elite Sport wireless Bluetooth earbuds but they also have a built-in heart-rate monitor. The earbuds sync with the Jabra Sport Life smartphone app to let you analyse your overall fitness and receive advice on recovery strategies post-exercise. Personal coaching via in-ear audio gives you real-time guidance during your workout. The three-hour battery life gets a boost from the carry case, which can recharge the Elite Sport up to two times.