Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Update: This really works! I’m updating this review as I’ve been using this continuously for more than a week, and I would hate to see that some people miss out on the positive benefits of this device, just from reading some of the negative reviews that have been published. Please look at the positive side of this device, that I as an actual health care professional, have experienced. This is about improving health, and I can see the benefits taking shape already. Everything I measure, I pay attention to, and it improves. With this device I track my exercise every day, biking, running, power walk, whatever I do. I’m tracking and measuring it, so I’m thinking about it. I want to look at this device and see my numbers improve, so I exercise more. People are motivated that way, we have a natural tendency to want to improve, especially if we are the type of person interested in a device like this in the first place. Here is my personal experience with this device, with the aid of comparisons at my work place: I’ve tracked my sleep every night. I have access to medical grade sleep equipment, because I work in healthcare and I can compare. So, no, this isn’t the same as a device the doctor will use, but yes, this is surprisingly close and a good night-to-night sleep tracker. This tracks micro-arousals from sleep much better than other fitness watches I’ve tried in the past. It establishes a trend that allows me to track and regulate and improve my sleep habits. It doesn’t have to be perfectly accurate to allow me to trend data and improve, so long as the trends are accurate, and they are. The heart rate tracker and pulse oximeter for blood oxygen saturation work really well. I took this to work and tried it on myself and with three different co-workers who were interested. The heart rate was accurate to within 4 beats per minute compared with our medical grade devices, not spot on, but very good and allows me to easily trend data. The pulse oximeter was spot on in 2 of 4 tries, off by 1 point in one try, and off by two points in one try, again, very good and within the stated accuracy range of our professional devices; this is particularly impressive since we were measuring at the back of the wrist with the Halo device. Other technical aspects: the accelerometer for tracking overall steps and movement is sensitive and works well. Remember it is about trends, not using a clicker every time I take a step to see if the step count is one-to-one perfect. If I am stationary but moving a lot, the Halo will reflect that, which means I’m burning a little more energy than if I’m stationary and not moving hardly at all, like reading or watching television. I try to improve the count each day because I’m aware of the numbers, and I might use a hand grip strengthened, or light dumb bells, for example while watching television, in order to be doing something, and the accelerometer knows I’m moving and improves my score. So in all these tests, yes, what gets measured gets managed, and this is a great device for this purpose. After more than a week using this device and paying attention to the metrics, I am already feeling better, I have more energy each day, and I am sleeping more regularly. The Halo membership: I can’t see why anyone would complain about this, it is free for twelve months! I think after twelve months I would know if it’s worth $3.99 a month to continue. Well I already know. I would pay for it right now if I needed to. I’ve used some of the included programs such as mobility and measured my score and began some of the simple exercises. These are fast to learn and perform, geared for people of all fitness levels, and once again provide me with real measurable metrics that I can track, manage, and improve. The strap and watch face: I like this strap and the way it attaches. It is impervious to the weather, slim and good looking. I wondered if it looked too “sporty” to wear to work, but staff and clientele have occasionally commented on it, they like it, asked me about it and my experience with it. The watch face that I use (other watch faces are available) which I included in the attached pic, has an elegant and professional look to it. The charger: the Halo clips in quickly, easily, and securely. I don’t really like the magnetic-type chargers. In the first place, the magnetic chargers seem to disconnect easily and sometimes I find those devices not to be charged when I want them. In the second place, even if I haven’t had a problem with them, I have a bit of an aversion to placing magnets onto sensitive electronic devices, and I also feel I have to keep the magnets away from the screens and really all parts of my other electronic tablets and other devices. I like the Halo charger much better. So overall, as you can see, I’ve had a very positive experience with the Halo to date. It allows me to measure, manage, trend, and improve. If I can improve my health indices, what is that worth to me? Way more than the cost of this device, way more than the eventual cost of Halo membership. One trip to the doctors office costs me more than both of those expenses. I will definitely be continuing to use this device and I definitely recommend it. Original review: I pre-ordered this to improve my health overall. I have used a variety of smart watches and fitness trackers in the past, so I was quite happy when this Halo View became available. This includes so much more than my previous devices. I like that this also comes with an actual program, Halo Membership for one year, included. For twelve months that is a $47.88 savings right there. But you can’t put a price on good health. If this helps me improve my overall fitness and stave off some medical problems as I get older, this is worth far more than its listed price. I will use this to mainly monitor my movement and activity levels, body fat composition, and sleep. I’m intrigued with the tone of voice analysis and will use that too. If that improves my social interactions, makes me more self-conscious if I’m tired or not in the best of moods, that will be an added bonus. I like that new programs through the membership will continue to be developed. I’ve found over the years, both in business and in life, setting goals and measuring the data consistently produces results. The data removes my tendency to rationalize, to try to avoid exercise, continue to eat too many unhealthful foods, etc. Having an objective source of data such as this is invaluable. Once I know the measurements, I can’t help but try to improve them, exercise more, eat better, sleep more regular hours, and more. This device is just what I need, the best I’ve seen available to date.