AfterShokz Bluez 2
£80.99
Being able to hear what’s going on around you while having music pumped in via your cheekbones is an unusual but not entirely unpleasant experience. AfterShokz’s bone conduction technology takes some getting used to, but the Bluez 2s are definitely a good wireless headphone option for runners.
They’ve got a decent battery life and are comfortable to wear. And one button allows you to answer or reject incoming calls, as well as pause and skip tracks. The only downside is they’re a bit leaky.
6/10
Freeletics
Free
The Freeletics app wants to be the personal trainer in your pocket. It wants to get you into the best shape of your life. And it wants to change its name because you need to pay to access most of the content.
Basic bodyweight workouts are free – complete with instructional videos – and can be tailored to your goals. Personalised workouts and access to everything on the app come at a fee – £25.99 for three months or £59.99 for 12 months.
6/10
Misfit Flash Link
£20
The prospect of having a smart button to control your world will appeal to some and bring out the Luddite in others. But this is what the Link offers – control of your music, control of your selfies, control of your home appliances and your PowerPoint presentations. It also tracks your fitness.
It’s a good, affordable entry-level activity tracker, doing all the basics well – and it has a great battery life. The set-up needs to be made more user-friendly though.
6/10
Sworkit
Free
Apps that focus on tracking circuit training have a tendency to be next to useless. While Sworkit – derived from ‘simply work it’ – doesn’t offer something completely different, it does offer something a whole lot better.
You can create workouts that focus on strength, cardio, yoga or stretching. There’s a fit-in-five-minutes option, but you can also set workouts to last up to an hour. The exercises are clearly visualised and the app plays nice with Apple Health and MyFitnessPal.
7/10
sworkit.com
Lume Wellness
Free
In the next year, we’ll see more apps trying to use your data to make the connection between exercise, sleep and mental wellbeing. While Lume Wellness doesn’t watch you while you sleep, it does track your steps, mood and energy.
The theory is good, but the execution isn’t great. Lume doesn’t visualise the data as well as other health apps and is lacking when it comes to giving you actionable insights based on your activity.
5/10
Sony SmartBand 2
£99.99
The second generation of Sony’s SmartBand range is an exercise in simplicity. Everything from the design of the band to the way data is visualised in the companion app is clean and simple.
It only does a few things, but it does them well. It tracks running, steps, sleep and heart-rate (also taking stress and recovery into account). It can be paired with iOS and Android devices and is a good buy for anyone looking for an effective, budget option.
7/10
