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29 Karma

Review on ๐Ÿ“ˆ Monitor for Performance by Jake Meyer

Revainrating 5 out of 5

A technical marvel packed into a small device that's bigger and heavier than it is

My cardiologist had just adjusted some of my medications due to spikes in blood pressure and low heart rate so I had already bought a blood pressure monitor, Oxypulse and a new Kardia EKG machine when I came across Bodymetry from the unfortunate case on the search. I'll admit I was a little confused by the price and couldn't find any reviews or documentation other than a quick start guide and a hardly trustworthy QVC video. (!) But Amazon does a great job with returns and I thought I'd take a chance even though I've already bought the tools for most of the features of this device. and the risk seems to have paid off beyond my hopes. Opening the box, I was struck by its tiny size: place a business card on top and all you can see are wood shavings sticking out from the edges. I mean, I thought, an Omron heart rate monitor the size of a cantaloupe โ€“ how is that tiny piece of plastic supposed to replace it? after). I have been collecting various gadgets for decades and have been a beta tester on several hardware projects over the years and I know how difficult it is to get it right and then provide a quality production for it. During installation I kept discovering neat little things to help you learn and use the device - no wonder there isn't a proper manual - if you don't need a lot of specs you can find the information on the device itself or in quick start. In less than 20 minutes I set it up for myself and tested all the modules and it took so long because I'm a geek and had to toggle all the settings, features and options on and off first. . Following the pictograms and live instructions, I simply calibrated the blood pressure function using my Omron heart rate monitor - the same one they show off in a YouTube video I found. Although there is a composite module called "Body Check" that combines multiple tests into one report, I looked at each individual module and compared the readings to the devices I already had and found almost no differences, which I found in terms of trust has been very reassuring the data it has generated. By the way, a module that many will not have the slightest idea of, the /hrv/. it means "heart rate variability" and is used to synchronize your heart's electrical signals with your breathing. Many years ago I bought the first wearable device, the em-wave, to use this relaxation method and this device cost about the same as a Bodymetric which does a lot more. I think it will still cost about 1/3 the cost of bodymetry just for a wearable HRV device. it was a saturday night and after a few hours of play i had questions and suggestions and used the web form on the bodymetry site to get in touch with them. I received a reply less than two hours later and I believe it came from the CEO and we have exchanged several emails since - an unimaginable level of support. The only criticism I have is about the app, not the device. The app works almost perfectly (I had to give it up and then came back asking me to find my device from time to time) to transfer your files from the device to the phone from where you share them in other places be able. However, some tweaking is needed for simple things like using a date/time in the filename and a feature called "Air Tracing" that shows real-time EKG data on your phone, which you can't properly exit. Almost every bug I've reported to them should be relatively easy to fix in software, even without the need for a firmware update, and I've been told they're working on most of my suggestions. At first glance I didn't like that it was white as discolouration seems inevitable but there was a nice transparent silicone skin in the box so the problem was anticipated and solved. There are small details that show the thought that went into almost every aspect of this project. I wish they would turn on the backlight, but that would be a major hardware overhaul in such a small device and battery drain. Also. I wish it had a 24-hour timer, but Bodymetry says they have that in their medical version and that this model is aimed at consumers for whom it might not make much of a difference. I couldn't be happier with this purchase and mine will travel with me everywhere from now on./friend

Pros
  • Alright!
Cons
  • Good but not great