Nine Best Pedometers
The Prevention.com website tested 38 pedometers and presents (pdf file) profiles of the nine best of these. They are Acumen Jog Mate, Omron HJ-105, Accusplit Eagle 1720, Highgear Via, Yamax SW-200 Digi-Walker, Sportline Fitness Pro Pedometer 360, Oregon Scientific Talking Pedometer with FM Radio, New-Lifestyles NL-2000 and WalkStyles DashTrak.
March 28th, 2007

Report on Four Pedometers
In its "Gear" section the Los Angeles Times carries a report, "Pedometers Catch Up To The 21st Century", with a brief look at four products.

They are:

- High Gear VIA Wrist: Combination pedometer and wristwatch. "Wristwatch does double duty."

- Oregon Scientific Pedometer with Pulse Meter: Combines a pedometer and a streamlined heart-rate monitor. "Counts steps and heartbeats."

- Omron Pocket Pedometer: Deluxe model that can download your workout information to a computer. "Work out, then geek out by analyzing data."

- Sportline 345: Basic flip-up, waist-belt ped with popular distance and calories-burned features. "Simple model with popular features."
March 13th, 2007

The More Bells and Whistles It Has, the Less Accurate It's Probably Going to Be
Pedometers seem to come with more and more extras. Do we really need them? One expert says no:

The latest models not only will count the number of steps you take but can check your pulse, show how far you've gone, tell how many calories you've burned and let you know when it's time to quit.

"We really encourage people to get the single-function step counter because most people don't want to fuss with all the extras," says Helen Thompson of America on the Move, the foundation promoting pedometer use.

"The more bells and whistles it has, the less accurate it's probably going to be. To measure calories burned or distance covered, you have to put in the length of your stride. But most people will enter a meaningful stride, which is a little longer than an everyday walk, and that throws off all the other measurements."
January 31st, 2007

The James Bond Pedometer
This is something I haven't seen discussed before. A couple of computer science experts are warning that the popular Nike+iPod - a pedometer with a radio receiver - may be able to double as a tracking device:

It turns out that the sensor in the shoe emits a signal detectable by any compatible receiver within a range of up to 60 feet, long after the workout has ended.

"It is easy for someone to use the Nike+iPod as a tracking device," said [Scott] Saponas. "It's an example of how new gadgetry can erode our personal privacy."

The technical report describes possible scenarios. A thief could track when people enter or leave their homes or a jealous boyfriend could track a woman's movements.

Though it has an “off” switch, the sensor is sold with the power on. Saponas and [Yoshi] Kohno say most users likely wouldn't bother to remove the gadget and turn the power off after each workout.

"There's a bigger issue here," said Kohno. "When people buy a toaster, they know it's probably not going to blow up when they plug it in. But when they buy a consumer device like the Nike+iPod kit, they have no idea whether the device might enable someone to violate their privacy. We need to change that."
December 1st, 2006

 

Teku Teku Angel Pedometer

The Plastic Bamboo website reports on the newest pedometer from Japan, the Teku Teku Angel. It features a screen displaying creatures whose weight fluctuates according to how much you walk. It goes on sale in Japan in December. You can read more about it (in Japanese) here.
November 20th, 2006

Xmas Gifts for Women

Fox 23 Online News, under the headline "What Women Want for the Holidays", features the Omron Digital Premium Pedometer HJ112 as one of its five picks:

If your wife, girlfriend, or mom loves to work out, or is looking for a reason to start, the Omron HJ112 is a great choice. Not only does the digital device track how far you've walked, it also tracks your walking and workout habits. For the first week The ODPP will record the aerobic steps and calories burned. You set a goal for week two, to increase your activity...and continue to increase activity in the weeks to come. Features include "Aerobic Step" which accounts for activities which burn the most fat, and data that can be saved for up to seven days.
November 15th, 2006

Sony's Sports MP3 Player - A Stunning Reply
The Hardware Zone website is impressed with the Sony pedometer-equipped NW-S203F Sports MP3 player:

Vendors who had taken a shot or two at the sports MP3 player market will tell you that it's not an easy market to breed success. Often, such products are complicated and rarely strike the right balance between form and functionality. The new NW-S203F Sports MP3 player is the latest effort from Sony to entice sports enthusiasts and it seems to be a stunning reply to the recent partnership between Apple and Nike.

...What’s remarkable about this player is how its built-in pedometer intelligently detects and records down the number of steps you take. Simply enter your height and weight and the player will tell you how far you have ran and how much calories you have burned.
November 1st, 2006

Garmin vs Timex vs Nike+iPod
An AP writer compares the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS personal training device with the Timex Bodylink:

Forerunner matches Bodylink in basic features and accuracy, and it bests the Timex system as a training buddy. Try to keep up with a Virtual Partner at a specified pace; add speed training by alternating between periods of intensity and rest.

Navigation is also better. The Forerunner automatically remembers your starting point and can give you the path back - not the shortest point across a pond, as Bodylink sometimes does.

That said, the input buttons are clunky, and more importantly, the Forerunner tends to have the most GPS troubles, especially in New York.

...It's a close call, but Timex gets my vote for city running, even though Garmin can do much more - it can even display sunset time based on your GPS position. Many mornings, I barely make it out of bed, and I'd prefer not spending precious minutes waiting for a GPS signal.

Then he looked at the Nike+iPod Sport Kit:

The device is quite limited in what it displays. You get current pace, but not the average until you finish, nor can you record split times, something core to most sports watches.

My biggest beef is the requirement for Nike shoes.

For one, Nike didn't have a "Plus" model yet for flat-footed runners like me who need extra stability. Within days, my left foot started aching - perhaps a coincidence, perhaps not.

...I may ultimately buy the Nike/iPod system as a backup, but for Sunday's Wineglass Marathon in Corning, N.Y., I'll be going solo with Timex - all 46,000-plus footsteps in my non-Nike shoes.
September 28th, 2006

Pedometer Quick Links
* "Imagine a little $20 gadget that, just by wearing it, made you move. A pedometer is just that — a device that rides with you, counting your steps throughout the day, nudging you ever so slyly." - Great article on all the benefits of using a pedometer.

* Sony is set to ship its pedometer-equipped Walkman NW-S200 Series Sports MP3 player. Gizmodo describes it as "dildo-like."

* I thought pet pedometers were just some kind of joke. Now it seems 4,000 vets are recommending them.
September 2nd, 2006

 

Pedometers for Overweight Dogs

Why are researchers at the Atlantic Veterinary College fitting overweight dogs with pedometers? Read this CBC News online report to find out.
August 26th, 2006

 

Pedometer "Fails to Count Steps"
The headline on this News Target.com report says it all:

Review: Oregon Scientific Digital Pedometer PE826 fails to actually count steps
August 26th, 2006

Is Your Pedometer Accurate?
The State newspaper in South Carolina investigates:

Inaccuracies often result because meters are too sensitive, so they record activities such as fidgeting, twisting or bending. Where you wear a pedometer — at your waist in line with the front or back of your thigh or at the side of your body — also could affect the pedometer reading.

One study from University of Tennessee found that placement caused significant underestimates only at lower speeds, although wearing the pedometer at the front of the waist in line with the thigh resulted in the least error.

Some pedometers give inaccurate readings because they can be reset unintentionally if no cover protects the zero button.

Cheap pedometers also shouldn’t be relied on to measure variables such as distance or energy expenditure.
August 9th, 2006

Put down Your Pitchforks
It seems pedometers aren't as well known in the UK as they are in America. Here's the introduction to a review from the British CNet for the new Nike+iPod Sport Kit (which includes a pedometer):

This is Apple's new pedometer. Put down your pitchforks, lynch mob! A pedometer doesn't have an unhealthy interest in children, it measures how far you've run.
July 17th, 2006

Easy, Accessible and - Let's Face It - Big Brand Solution

Shiny Shiny ("A Girl's Guide to Gadget") likes the new pedometer-equipped Nike+iPod Sport Kit. 

The Nike menu will appear on your iPod nano, and it's there that you can set up runs, choosing runs based on things like time, distance or calories burned. Sadly for me, the minimum running settings are 20 minutes, 3km or 2 miles. I could have created a custom run of - say - 10 minutes, but then the Nike+iPod would have thought I was a loser.

...I think this is an excellent service - so long as you're happy to be wed to both Nike and Apple for ever more. Similar services are available: Nokia has a sports phone with a pedometer that will give you feedback, there's also the BioTrainer, MP3 Pedometers, and the Fitbug and numerous other services. But none of them combine music, online fitness tracking, community and pedometer features in such an easy, accessible and - let's face it - big brand solution.
July 14th, 2006

A Nice Idea, Worth Exploring
PC Advisor magazine attends the British launch of the Nike+iPod Sport Kit - a programmable pedometer that slots into a pocket in your running shoes - and comes away less than impressed:

As someone who loves running (possibly uniquely among IT journalists), this sort of thing should be right up my street. And I do mean running, not 'jogging'. But I can't see myself shelling out.

It strikes me as a nice idea, worth exploring, but for now the costs involved are too big. And the unique features are a touch gimmicky.

The success of sports-based GPS kit and the extortionate price of brand name trainers only serves to illustrate the booming market for unnecessary jogging equipment. And the joining of Nike and Apple marries two beautifully airbrushed, devil-free brands for people with more money than sense.

...I also wonder about the accuracy of the distances calculated. The chap I spoke to was candid enough to admit that, while it's much more accurate than a traditional pedometer, the Nike+iPod is not as accurate as satnav. GPS kit may seem on the face of it to be much more expensive, but you can use it with any pair of trainers so it won't wear out after a few months.

My verdict? I know plenty of serious runners (without beer guts) who love nothing more than buying kit to enhance their workout experience. And make themselves look good. But they won't want to restrict themselves to Nike trainers and they don't all own nanos. I do, as it goes, but I reckon I'll stick to my GPS. (They'll probably sell millions).
July 13th, 2006

"Most Cheap Pedometers Are Inaccurate"
Tests on 1,000 cheap pedometers have found that three-quarters of them gave inaccurate readings of more than 10%, with a third of them out by 50% or greater.

John Brewer, director of the Lucozade Sports Science Academy, said he was not surprised by the findings.

He said cheap pedometers could be triggered by motion other than that associated with walking, or might not respond to the motion of every stride.

However, he added: "The whole idea behind pedometers is to get people excited about taking exercise, and achieving targets and goals, and that is a good thing."

Mr Brewer said the best way to use a pedometer was to set oneself a succession of targets of increasing difficulty.

..."There is no point in using a pedometer simply to count your daily activities, it must be an encouragement to do more."
June 22nd, 2006

The Underwater Pedometer
But will it catch on?

Students at Unity Middle School in Boca Raton, Florida, have devised an underwater pedometer, to count laps swum in the pool, as part of an annual Inventions Project.

"If you want to see how far you go, there was really no good way to measure it," [co-inventor Bill] Peery said. "You could measure the pool or guess. But this way, you know."
June 6th, 2006

Public Library Pedometers
I think this is a great idea. The Huntsville Public Library in Ontario lends pedometers, as well as providing 10,000 Steps Walking Kits. My local library has a good collection of trashy DVDs. I'd prefer they offered pedometers.
May 25th, 2006

The iPod Pedometer
Nike is to market a kit that allows iPods to function as a pedometer, giving runners information on the distance they've gone, the calories they've burned, and the length of time they've been running. The kit will include a wireless antenna that connects the iPod to specially designed Nike shoes.
May 24th, 2006

When You Want to Write and Exercise
The latest ballpoint pen from Taiwan - it comes with a built-in pedometer.
May 15th, 2006

 

New Mobile Phone with Pedometer
Nokia's latest mobile phone, the Nokia 5500 Sport, features a pedometer, enabling users to measure distance traveled and calories burned. Details here.
May 11th, 2006

Oregon Scientific MP121 Waterproof MP3 Player and Pedometer

Oregon Scientific’s new waterproof MP3 player/pedometer has attracted a couple of online reviews, and I’ve placed a short report of these on the site here. The short Gizmodo review is titled “Oregon Scientific’s Wonky MP3 Player,” though is pretty favorable. However, one reader has posted a comment wondering if a swimmer really needs a pedometer. Good point.

January 4^th, 2006

Omron HJ112 Premium Pedometer

Let’s launch this new blog with a look at the 10 best-selling electronic health monitors at Amazon. (It’s a list that changes every hour, so there might be an element of subjectivity in the choices.)

First off, a hugely popular product, the HJ112 Premium Pedometer. 

According to Omron’s own specifications:

The Omron Digital Premium Pedometer features advanced technology, which provides added durability and flexibility to count steps at all positions perpendicular to the ground. This feature allows the user to place the pedometer in a pocket, bag or clip it to a belt.

• Counts steps, aerobic steps, distance in miles and calories burned.
• Aerobic steps are counted separately when walking or jogging more than 60 steps per minute or more than 10 minutes continuously.
• Lustrous metallic lightweight design with detachable pedometer holder and spring clip.
• 1 year warranty.

(Click here for a large image.)

A short review of the Omron pedometer is at the About: Health & Fitness: Walking website, where it is the top pick. According to the review:

This advanced design lets you wear it on your belt or carry it in your pocket, clip it to your bra, anywhere it is perpendicular to the ground. The Omron HJ-112 counts steps, calculated distance and calories burned. It also tracks aerobic steps separately when walking or jogging more than 60 steps per minute or more than 10 minutes continuously. The Omron HJ-112 has a 7-day memory, a feature I prize greatly. Top rated for accuracy by a consumer magazine.

October 14^th, 2005