Whilst checking out all these proposed and often silly phone extension wrist fads and smart watches I came across a very different sort of smart watch – and OK I accept it’s not really the conventional watch, but is anything these days when considering this so called “smart” stuff?

The Fitbit FLEX – Activity & Sleep band.

This one is actually both interesting and also one that might just get you fitter – but only if you want to.   No forcing yourself off to a gym or anything like that, but a system that tracks your daily activity, so giving you the opportunity to maybe gently improve your fitness – whatever your age.   Now that’s what I call smart and the item is the Fitbit FLEX wrist band.

Just a plain flexible 19.2mm wide band with a few electronic gizmos inside that can monitor your activity – such as the number of steps you take, calories used, stairs climbed, distance you walk or jog (the former for me 😉 ) and an indication of your sleep quality and of course it also tells you the Time.  It also can indicate if your goal (yes you can set such a thing) is being met or otherwise with little lights on the screen.  It also has a chargeable battery – Lithium Ion no less that manages around 5 days at full charge and a Bluetooth connection to automatically download or is it upload your data to graphical display software on whatever device you happen to have, PC, Mac, Tablet and a whole range of smart phones too.

Within 20ft of your PC etc – check the results

It has quite a sophisticated 3-axis MEMS accelerometer that measures your motion patterns to determine the calories burned, distance traveled, steps taken, sleep quality and all that and also has a smart vibration motor, that vibrates when alarms are set to go off.

I told you it was smart – and useful . . . . and so much more useful than a so called smart watch that simply means you don’t have to reach into your other pocket to get your phone out!  I mean is that unfit and lazy or what?

This FLEX watch will really make you think – and might make you just that little bit fitter too!

This is certainly a smart watch I can relate to and although it’s not billed as such (smart watch) to me this is far more worthy of such a title and at around £79 (UK) not unreasonable either.  And it’s Water Resistant to 10m.

I like the idea so much that it could very well be the “smart” thing to buy – so watch this space!   Find out all about it HERE.