distance measuring heart rate rivals suunto, weloop neo fitness tracker experience
As an enthusiast of GPS and optical heart rate equipment, I have always looked down on fitness bands: those with long battery life have poor screens, those with beautiful screens have short battery life, and most importantly, they lack independent GPS. To go for a run, you still need to bring your phone! It wasn't until the Weloop Neo band appeared that I realized fitness bands could also have built-in GPS!
Upon first encountering the Weloop Neo band, the packaging features a simple pull-out paper box design that can be hung. The front of the box reads 'Neo All-Purpose Fitness Band,' and upon pulling out the packaging, the inner box is printed with the words 'Weloop' and the Weloop logo.
Opening the box reveals the silver-black band body, black wristband, user manual, warranty card, and certificate of conformity, all in the usual minimalist style.
The Weloop Neo band uses a new generation of skin-like silicone, which is skin-friendly and highly elastic, suitable for sports use, dry and comfortable. The wristband is replaceable, available in multiple colors and styles, allowing for quick changes to match your personality. The one received this time is a black wristband, suitable for men's business outings.
The Weloop Neo band features a 0.85-inch MLCD reflective touch color screen on the body, which can stay on for 24 hours without going dark, ensuring clearer visibility under strong outdoor light.
Additionally, you don't need to raise your hand every time to see the screen content. Furthermore, due to the unique structure of the MLCD reflective touch color screen, it offers the advantage of ultra-low power consumption.
The biggest innovation of the Weloop Neo band is its built-in GPS chip, which provides runners with real-time distance, heart rate, pace, and lap data.
Pairing the Weloop Neo band with the mobile app is also very convenient. You only need to pair it once, and afterward, as long as Bluetooth is on, the band will automatically connect to the phone without needing to open the app.
Running operation is also very simple. Just press the right button and select running. Short press to pause, long press to end and save.
As a serious running enthusiast, I used the Suunto Spartan Sport WHR as a comparison device to evaluate the functions of the Weloop Neo band.
After multiple tests and comparisons, here are the comparative data from a few of the records:
◆ 8 kilometers at Bisha Park (semi-open area)
◆ 8 kilometers around Jinshui River (fully open area)
Comparing the data from both instances, the Weloop Neo band and the Suunto Spartan Sport WHR showed high consistency in distance measurement, heart rate, and step frequency, holding its own against major outdoor brands.
◆ 5 laps of walking on a standard track (semi-open area)
The GPS measurement of the Weloop Neo band is quite accurate. I imported the data from both the Weloop and Suunto into the Codoon app, ID 'Nasal-Dragon,' at 17:37 on May 1st. Those with doubts can check the more detailed data there.
◆ Car distance measurement (enclosed car environment)
On a whim while driving, I turned on both the Weloop Neo band and the Suunto Spartan Sport WHR. Even in the car, they achieved second-level positioning. Both devices recorded 11.5 kilometers of data, as shown in the table below:
As you can see, in an enclosed car environment, the Weloop Neo band's distance measurement and trajectory closely matched the actual situation. As a fitness band, it is reliable in terms of trajectory and distance measurement!
Besides running, it also supports data recording for fitness, swimming, cycling, and aerobic exercises, all of which can be done without the need for a phone.
In addition to simple step counting, the Weloop Neo band allows you to check calorie consumption, floors climbed, exercise distance, real-time heart rate, weather, air quality, compass, and WeChat messages by swiping up and down on the screen.
Additionally, the wrist-raise screen activation feature of the Weloop Neo band is very practical.
The Weloop Neo band also comes with a barometric altimeter, optical heart rate monitor, compass, music control, message notifications, sedentary reminders, and can achieve a 3ATM waterproof rating. The nine-axis motion sensor provides more accurate and reliable data.
The music control feature of the Weloop Neo band is also very convenient, allowing you to switch songs on your phone directly from the band.
The charging method of the Weloop Neo band is also very simple. By detaching the wristband, it can achieve USB direct charging. Just quickly remove the wristband and insert the main unit into a USB port to charge. The green light on the back of the band flashes while charging and stays on when fully charged. I calculated that it takes about 95 minutes to go from no power to full charge.
It is said that the USB charging port has passed a 12KG destructive test, so there is no need to worry too much about quality issues.
In terms of battery life, the band is equipped with a new generation heart rate sensor, consuming only 1/10th of the power of the previous generation. After receiving the band, I turned on GPS and heart rate recording for 4 hours, and used it normally for the rest of the time. The battery lasted a week. If you only use the Weloop Neo band to check the time and receive messages, it can last up to 10 days. However, battery life may vary based on individual usage habits.
The Weloop Neo band is equipped with a 9-axis sensor and Swimela swimming algorithm, allowing it to intelligently recognize swimming strokes, automatically count laps, distance, speed, and stroke count, and analyze stroke efficiency to improve swimming skills. The band surface hardness has been upgraded to 7H, making it suitable for snorkeling.
Since swimming was mentioned, the waterproof performance of the Weloop Neo band needs to be tested. While hiking at the Xiaolangdi Reservoir on the Yellow River, I placed the band in the shallow water of a Yellow River tributary for 10 minutes. After being washed and soaked by the water, I caught a crab with the band on, and it operated without any issues after being taken out of the water.
By setting different fitness plans for different body parts in the app, the Neo will automatically record heart rate and prompt interval times.
The Weloop Neo band can also automatically recognize your daily activities, monitor your heart rate 24 hours a day, and record sleep, helping you understand your physical condition and analyze the fatigue and recovery from exercise.
Currently, there are many brands and types of fitness bands on the market, but few have GPS. Through comprehensive testing, the Weloop Neo band can rival the Suunto Spartan WHR in running and also supports swimming, cycling, and indoor exercises. With future software updates, it will support hiking and trail running. Its charging convenience and battery life are sufficient to support two marathons. For fitness enthusiasts who dislike the bulkiness of sports watches, the Weloop Neo band is a convenient and cost-effective choice (499 yuan). Let's get moving with the Weloop Neo band!
Advantages:
◆ Independent GPS setting allows the band to be used for running and other outdoor activities without relying on a phone, with distance and heart rate measurements comparable to major brands like Suunto.
◆ Clear screen display, very responsive wrist-raise screen activation, with significant effort put into the display.
◆ Good battery life, supporting 10 hours of GPS activity, enough to complete two full marathons.
Disadvantages:
◆ The wristband easily attracts dust, a common issue with skin-friendly wristbands, requiring further optimization.
Now, let's introduce a topic for discussion: the functions that a fitness band (focused on sports) should have.
1. GPS Track Recording Since it focuses on sports, outdoor running/trail hiking/cycling are essential. Without GPS, you still need to use your phone to record tracks and then sync to the band's app. Such products exist, especially those without independent GPS, which solve this by using phone GPS. This is no different from using phone GPS directly, and such products should be avoided. Additionally, it is best if the band supports GPS data export, greatly enhancing the product's playability.
2. Heart Rate Monitoring Most single-hand heart rate bands on the market use optical PPG for measurement. While relatively accurate when stationary, dynamic measurements during exercise are often inaccurate. Brands like MIO, Garmin, and Suunto do well in this area, and new domestic brands are catching up, with the gap mainly in user base and time.
3. Exercise Guidance From a technological development perspective, smart wrist products must reach a level of professional exercise guidance. Like heart rate monitoring, this function will gradually become a basic feature as user base and time accumulate.
4. Battery Life Of course, the longer the usage time, the better. However, current fitness band power consumption is a critical issue, closely related to functionality. Sacrificing functionality for power consumption is not ideal. Some non-screen bands can last six months, while those with OLED screens generally last 3-20 days. For products I've used, 10 hours of GPS and heart rate monitoring is satisfactory.
5. Step Counting This is a basic feature of fitness bands and the core function, so it won't be discussed further.
6. Sleep Monitoring This is a useful feature, allowing you to monitor sleep quality after exercise and manage your recovery. However, while fitness bands can accurately detect sleep and wake times, the accuracy of deep sleep detection is questionable, as products have not undergone extensive validation to prove their accuracy.
Other features like reminders, voice calls, mobile payments, and music playback are not within the scope of sports, so I won't discuss them (though they are important). I hope everyone finds a fitness band/watch that suits them (considering price too ^_^) and gets moving this spring!