If you want real time feedback on your activities and sleep as well as notifications from your smartphones then the Striiv Fusion ticks the boxes.
The compact wearable device has a small touchscreen covered with ion-hardened glass and has built-in sensors to count your steps, distance covered, calories burned and active minutes.
The Striiv Fusion can also track the quality of your sleep.
The device is designed to fit wrists of all sizes. My wrist is on the larger side and it was easy to fit and wear.
Being lightweight (it only weighs 16g) and thin also helps with the level of comfort especially since you’re potentially wearing the Striiv Fusion 24/7.
And for those who can’t decide on a single colour for the product, you actually get three colours – red, black and blue – thanks to the ability to interchange sensor unit from the wrist strap.
The display is clear and sharp and it’s easy to swipe the screen and access all of your information although sometimes the screen takes a few taps to wake up.
And because the first screen you see is the time you don’t need to wear a watch.
But the device can not only act as a watch – it can act like a smartwatch by relaying notifications like calls, text messages, meeting reminders and weather updates. Users can also set vibrating alarms in your wrist as well.
The device can also be used to control your music playing on your smartphone.
And while this is a handy feature we were frustrated that each time the Striiv Fusion screen went to sleep we had to swipe through the screens to the apps and the find our way back to the music control.
In the end we just went back to the smartphone to navigate our music.
The product is listed as water resistant so it can handle a splash or being worn in the shower but we stopped short of swimming with it.
With any wearable activity tracker it is only as good as the companion app and the good news is the Striiv Fusion app delivers.
It can provide the real-time monitoring and analysis for your information, setting goals and inviting friends to compare stats and compete.
The Striiv Fusion will also work with other fitness apps like MyFitness Pal and RunKeeper.
On the battery side the device lasts for days. Even though the company says it will last up to seven days – the best we got was six days and that was with plenty of activities being logged, full notifications and sleep monitoring.
The Striiv Fusion is available now from JB Hi-Fi and Newslink retail outlets and is priced at $149.
VERDICT:
The Striiv Fusion offers impressive performance and, for the price, plenty of bang for your buck.
Its ability to act as an activity band as well as offering some of the benefits of a smartwatch sets it apart in a crowded category.
Striiv Fusion
Price: $149
