Band User Reviews

[RWD]

Got miner yesterday, and immediately wore it to bed, then on a long tour of San Diego today. Then turned it off to fit an Armour Shield screen protector.

Sleep tracking is awesome, a kilter app. Now I see why I'm so tired. The band is virtually undetectable when worn. I forgot about it several times. I wear a watch so I put it o my right wrist where it worked well. The shape of the screen and the button placement make it slightly difficult to operate.

Overall very happy. I got it for $199 on Amazon - some sellers are gouging out the eyes of buyers by offering at $100 over list.

 

[CrippsCorner]

Sleep tracking is awesome, a kilter app. Now I see why I'm so tired.

What do you see as the reason for being so tired and what do you intend to do about it lol? I've done mine a couple of times now and whilst I find the statistics fascinating... I don't really know what I can use them for!

 

[Skaughtto]

Purchased a Microsoft Band on Saturday from a local MS Store. The Zagg screen protector rang up as being free with purchase - nice surprise.

Why did I buy one? There were a few posts saying that the band works best for fitness beginners and it's a good motivator, plus it is one of the few accessories for a Windows Phone. I've been modifying eating habits, but haven't started to work on the exercise side of my life. Will it actually make me healthier or just end up being a vestigial gizmo on my wrist in a few months?

Haptic notifications of text messages and calls are very handy in loud environments or places where noise needs to be kept at a minimum. Pre-set quick replies and the mini keyboard are useful. Voice replies via Cortana are fun for showing off the watch's capabilities, but I'm not sure how often I'd stand around talking to my wrist.

The calendar and weather tiles are ok. I could see myself removing them since I use Cal and Amazing Weather HD on my Lumia 925 for more detailed information. Knowing the % rain chance lets me know if I need to grab a jacket prior to leaving the house. Hourly weather would be more useful than a weekly outlook, especially before embarking on outdoor activities.

UV is probably something I should pay more attention to, so it'll stay in the tile lineup. Maybe it'll inspire me to support sunscreen manufacturers.

Sleep activity tracking provides data and lots of numbers which may not have the greatest value, but they are something to look at. The tile will remain in use out of curiosity and overall bar graph enthusiasm.

Alarm & Timer is a little bit of a let down. The Windows Phone Alarm application doesn't have any control over this tile, where my alarm is set to go off only on specific days. There are also no reminders for extended periods of inactivity like, "You haven't taken a step in 2 hours - get off your **** for a while!", which would be helpful as a motivator... admittedly it would be a common sense alert, but unfortunately I could use those at my desk job.

Is there a reminder to do the "Get-Fit Real-Quick Workout" I chose? Despite the workout having a schedule, there aren't any entries on my outlook calendar. Today will be my first go at it, so maybe the band will keep me going in the right direction after that.

What should be step count and calorie burn goals be? Were they based on the height/weight/age data provided? Will the dashboard observations provide suggested changes? Currently the app recommends 5,000 steps per day and burning 2,200 calories. It would be nice to know where those goals came from. It's surprising that a BMI calculation isn't provided along with target goals.

Diet is the other side of the "health" coin, so I'll have to extend my dashboard experience across three apps if I really want to capture the entire picture: MS Health Vault, MS Health and MSN Health & Fitness.

Verdict:
The Band as a basic smart watch for Windows Phone is good. I'm satisfied with haptic notifications, being able to respond to texts, and viewing other basic data. Nothing really blows me away here, but I bought it knowing it's intended to be a fitness device. Satisfactory (3/5)

The Band as a fitness device... depends on your expectations. It for monitoring sleep, heart rate, steps, workout sessions, UV badness, and calories burned. I'm skeptical that it will the real motivator I'm looking for since I can't program in scheduled reminders to walk, drink water, or exercise. I was really hoping for a device to nag me into shape, but maybe that's asking too much? It tracks more than I expected. Above Satisfactory (4/5)

The Band "health ecosystem" has some hurdles to overcome. Health, Health Vault and MSN Health & Fitness need to join hands better or Microsoft needs provide a better unified interface for recording and interpreting information. MSN Health & Fitness has no connection to Health Vault anymore, which is a shame since MSN Health & Fitness has a better Diet Tracker interface. Health Vault on Windows Phone has very little information, but a ton online and via the metro app. Health sends information to Health Vault, but Health itself looks to be solely for supporting the Band. I expected something a bit better from a software company. Needs Improvement (2/5)

Hopefully Microsoft will continue to develop the band and the applications that surround it. It could be a really great device with a better software ecosystem and a couple small tweaks. Overall I'm satisfied with my purchase.

Active Tiles

• Messaging
• Call
• Calendar
• Weather
• UV
• Sleep
• Alarm & Timer
• Exercise
• Run
• Bike
• Guided Workouts

...and I'm more of a function over form guy, so the "escaped prison inmate from the future" look of the Band doesn't bother me. I've found it to be comfortable enough to wear and I haven't worn a watch in years. I'd certainly recommend it to those who are looking for the biometric tracking and own a Windows Phone... which admittedly is a very small % of the population.

 

[NBrookus]

I was visiting my grandfather this week and learned something interesting:

If you walk really, really slowly, the Band doesn't count a single step. Not sure how many potential Band users are pushing the century mark, but it probably won't work for them.

 

[Chinese_Junkie]

I love the band and the app. Unfortunately I feel like the wrist band is shocking me. That's the only way I can explain the discomfort it gives me. The bottom part of my wrist feels tender and aches. I tried switching the band back and fourth. The size is fine, not tight whatsoever, and the pain is what I imagine a wrist with carpal tunnel feels like. I've gone through 3 bands and I have the same issue with each band. I'm so upset

 

[affaiec]

On the keyboard the x types as an a. As far as I know there's no English uk setting

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

I bought one a couple of weeks ago. I have Fibromyalgia and my sleep is really bad. I wanted something that could really monitor my sleep and give me something concrete to show my GP. I also like being able to answer texts and call people using cortana on my 640XL.

In the two weeks last night was the first night of moderate restoration. Every other night has been low. I think being doped up on migraine meds and being worn out with said migraine may have made my sleep deeper and longer. I dunno. But it has paid for itself with the knowledge I have gathered about my "lack of" restorative sleep on a daily basis.

I have customised it with my avatar and pastel colours. Take photos with band camera and make notes to send to it. Also I enjoy listening to music with Music Band. Today I added moon and sun phases as an app. My band can let me know where my phone is and vice versa.

I too wear it inwards and am happy to find something so comfy to wear on my sensitive skin. Large fits me. I am a larger lady.

I am excited about the future of this product. I bought a Screenknight screen protector which is a wet fit. Seems to work ok.

In summary, for someone like me with health issues, it gives me data that previously I would have to attend the NHS for, and it gives me better data because I wear it all the time. I charge it every two days even with heavy use. I have a tile that shows my band battery life (pimp my band) and there are some great home made apps on the Windows Store.
It is the perfect companion to my new Lumia Phone and when I can save for integrated scales and peak flow meters and blood pressure and glucose monitors I will have a really great handle on keeping myself healthy.

I hope Bodbot becomes compatible, as it is the only app that produces exercises for people with disabilities.

 

[ZvjerOPC]

As a user mostly interest in the fitness band aspect, it's a close call. As a Window Phone user I have to give the nod to MS Band. Those who want the smartwatch functions will do the same. But users who don't need or want the smartwatch functions or GPS should give the ChargeHR a look.

Hello @NBrookus,
I am thinking about buying one of these in two weeks time when I go to London. There are no Fitbit od MS Band for purchase in my country so one of the things I need to make sure is that I buy a device which will not stop working.
Anyway I really like the advanced productivity features of the Band, but TBH I don't see them that advances just yet and I'm really afraid that soon after I buy the Band the Band2 will come to existence solving all the complaints the users may have had. That is one of the reasons I'm thinking about ChargeHR. Most of my needs are not that much into productivity as I need fitness features to work really well for me. I have investigated fitness data insights and so far I like the Fitbit and Strava dashboards - both after paying a premium, while Microsoft dashboard is free to use but offers little to no insight into my data. When I say insight I mean analysis and and advices, fitness reminders etc. But not just raw data - I can see that in Excel spreadsheet and have little use of that. So MS Band can export data (along with GPS and HR data) to Strava so I can read it there, but Fitbit gives me two options. Their own dashboard or the 3rd party dashboard like Strava. Only I have no idea wether my HR data would sync anywhere if I use the MobileRun feature for running while wearing ChargeHR? I just cannot find that info anywhere.

That was just a little bit off my mind while I'm digging for the information to make me come to a decision. The Band is about 60 GBP more expensive than the Charge HR and for this money I really would not want to own a last year model in a few months time. All those fitness bracelets are still very expensive toys, and not much more without the good proactive data analysis.

 

[NBrookus]

ZvjerOPC -

More fuel for your thoughts.

I didn't think I needed the GPS; I just took my phone and tracked it there. But now that I have it, I love it. FitBit's Surge has GPS, but it's more expensive than the Band. It's also HUGE.

As for owning last year's model in a few months time, that's just as likely with the ChargeHR. That doesn't mean the old ones stop working. Neither MS nor FitBit has a history of locking out old devices.

Only I have no idea wether my HR data would sync anywhere if I use the MobileRun feature for running while wearing ChargeHR? I just cannot find that info anywhere.

I'd ask that question on the FitBit forums. If I had to guess, I say probably not. FitBit is not much into importing data from other platforms.

 

[jrb363]

This is a quick review since I've only had mine about two weeks!

So far it's been great with nearly 2-day battery life, excellent use of the Microsoft Health App, easy link with Run Keeper and a smooth, easy on the eyes UI + great notifications.

I, for one, am VERY impressed with all of the tech Microsoft was able to pack into this little guy. It's not perfect and doesn't look great with a suit but for everyday wear + workouts it's very impressive and comfortable.

I'd give it a rock solid 9/10 so far because it's definitely exceeded my expectations. The only reason it's not a 10/10 is due to the fit/finish not looking as good as some competitors and I wish I could use a proper watch band (or at least a watch-looking type of band). I've never really considered anything Microsoft outside of using Windows and the occasional Xbox game but this has made me reconsider, especially with new phones coming out soon from them based on Windows 10.

 

[CB Stuart]

I love the idea of the band and would love it if mine worked properly most of the time. My band has bad battery issues. After dropping to 50%, usually after a day of normal use, it drops extremely rapidly after that. Then when I charge it it goes back up to 50% quickly. I thought that it was just a glitch with the battery meter, but even restarting it doesn't fix it. It really does drop and charge like that. So I got it replaced. Then my new band has the same issue. Also the band often stops charging while still plugged in and I leave and come back to a dead band. Aside from all that, I love my band and all the features I have on my wrist.

 

[MartynSalisbury]

Complete waste of time and money.

Mine has just powered down in the middle of a run for about the 20th time ( yes the battery was charged). Constantly needs to be resets and has to be paired with the (Microsoft) phone every day (at least).

Golf app simply doesn't work, registered 10 shots while waiting on a tee.

Support worse than useless, blame the phone (it's one of yours) even the charger!

 

[Tony Meredith]

I have no problems with my band when using for walking, sleeping heart rate etc.

Yesterday I took it out to try the Golf App. It reminded me of Windows Millennium, possibly crossed with Windows Vista with 10% of the "out of box" usability of Windows 8. Simplify that as unadulterated junk!

Despite best efforts the auto shot didn't work. Because of course layout it kept jumping several holes at a time, example, I have to walk behind the 9th tee to reach the 4th then behind the 16th to reach the 14th.

I live in England where the sun is not bright 99% of the time but viewing the screen in 'watch' mode made it almost impossible to read. What chance using it in Florida?

I had no readings on screen for distances at any point despite the GPS being locked on.

All in all this app is, for me, a complete failure.

On a brighter note the golf apps I have on my 930 work very well.

 

[tiimothydadams]

I am in loooooove with this band though i had to update my phone after going through a lot:angry: but it was totally worth it...

 

[o0Nighthawk0o]

Picked one up for my wife yesterday for her birthday. I let her do all the setup on it and she had no problems getting it paired to her L1020. Every so often I would hear her say "Oh cool" as she found different features or things it would do. So far she really likes it but she hasn't had much time to find things she doesn't like.

I do have a couple complaints though. First is Best Buy where we got it. I had to ask for them because they weren't with the other smart watches or fitness bands. They were stuck on an isle rack waaay in the back by the GPS area. Product placement like that, no wonder they don't sell. They also wouldn't let my wife try it on before purchasing. They didn't want to break the seal on the box but told me that they have a 15 day, no hassle return policy and if it didn't fit or she didn't like it we could return it. I asked what the difference was if it was opened in the store before purchase or purchase, take it out of the store, opened and returned. The seal is still broken and the end result the same. Sales guy didn't like that and went storming off.

My second complaint is, my wife got one and I didn't.

Edit:
I corrected one of my complaints. Over the weekend I got my very own band.

The Best Buy I went to this time actually had a display with a medium size band that you could try on. I got a medium and traded my wife for hers because hers was a bit too big. So far I have had few problems. The only thing was that when replying to a text using the band it wouldn't connect to the phone. I cycled power on the band and it started working again.

 

[William Westfall]

New to this forum but I have had my MSB now for 5 days. Here are a few quick tips and some of my observations:
Plus Side:
Many features all packed into this ergonomically nice package
I keep the screen on the outside of my wrist while working at my desk due to ease of scratching the face if it points down
Due to the shape, outside the wrist is harder to read; inside the wrist you just have to rotate your arm
Love the integration with MS Health and the other connected applications; can't wait for the other developers to leverage the ATOM, RSS feeds and SDK capabilities.
Since I hike, run, weight lift, walk the dog and various other activities, I love the flexibility for tracking it all. It doesn't get in the way including weight machines (like the heart rate monitor strap on my Polar).

Less Plus Side:
Scratches easily
Battery life could be better but then I plug my phone, Surface Pro 3 and other devices in nightly anyway
The challenge here is that I use the sleep function and then need to find time to charge during the day.

I'm waiting for the new windows phones to come out later this year so I can add to the full ecosystem. I am getting excited about MS direction.

 

[CB Stuart]

I agree with the poor battery life. What I do is charge while working at my desk or in the shower. That way it is charging when I'm not using it and I can still use the sleep tracking at night.

 

[papa tiger]

1st thing is I really like my new Band. Got it up and running a week ago. Things I have noticed about it include its Hong Kong type dime store quality. The screen and whole face mar easily and look shabby quickly unless you polish it constantly. The band appears to be rubber and cheap whild the contacts at the back corrode and won't charge. You need to clean them at least weekly. The rectangular face is a bit long for my wrist and leave the feeling I am cuffed. But it is new and fun so I hope it lasts past its warranty !.... Right now I believe the Hong Kong thing will kick in and it will fall apart. The battery issue is really used up if you run workouts on it for lengths of time. Overnight sleep uses small amounts of the battery and works fine for me. For those needing the Sync App for the puter here is a link. It allows you to personalize your tiles along with the rest... https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...confirmation.aspx%3Fid%3D44579&token=EJ91yqfS

 

[Ian_Superfly]

....I'm waiting for the new windows phones to come out later this year so I can add to the full ecosystem. I am getting excited about MS direction....

I would advise you to not do the same mistake as I did (I bought the L925/930).

The only "extra" feature you might get with a Windows phone is “Cortana speech to text when answering SMS”. This feature is however only available in a few countries and it is also reported to be very buggy (it will likely not even work at all with the latest firmware).

All other “Band features” are also available on iOS/Android. With iOS/Android you will at the same time get all other new MS apps and a better looking MS Office. With a Windows phone, MS will in fact treat you like a second class customer.

 

[Chinocop]

I have had my band for 4+ months now; however, I have stopped wearing it full time. The product is only version 1 so I understand it's still in "beta" testing. IMHO, it still has a ways to go before it's ready for mass acceptance.

I really enjoyed using it for the 1st 3 months I had it. The charging didn't bothered me. But once I started having issues with the Band and had to get a replacement, that destroyed all the enthusiasm I had for the device.

After it broke, I had a 4 week period where I went back to wearing my watch. I just can't go back to wearing the Band for the following reasons:

1. It fails as a time piece. I don't want to have to press a button to show the time. I know that there is a watch mode but that eats the battery

2. Water proofing is a huge issue. When I put on my watch it stays on. I don't have to take it off to wash dishes, shower or swim. I don't want to babysit the device

3. Charging is a major inconvenience. Again, I don't want to take off and put on the device to charge.

These are all issues I have after I went back to a regular watch. These are the issues MSFT and other smart device manufacturers need to deal with if they want to people to strap these things on to their wrists. People don't want to think about what's on their wrist. Too much baby sitting for something that (the watch) people for decades did not have to worry about.