Withings Pulse O2 Fitness Tracker

Withings Pulse Ox Fitness Tracker

By Michael S • April 27, 2014 • News

I own a Withings Pulse and gave up with the sleep monitoring when the velcro cloth band it came with worn out over time. Furthermore, the whole idea of removing the tracker from the hip clip and wearing it on the wrist prior to sleep made the whole process just a tad unbearable for me.

I’m not alone and clearly Withings has garnered enough feedback to launch a companion product to solve the problem. Owners of the old Pulse need not fret, a convenient upgrade would bring your old unit up to par with the new version Pulse Ox; bracelet sold separately.

Withings Pulse Ox attached on bracelet.

It is now convenient to track heart rate, blood oxygen level and sleep. The bracelet is a good move and adding a new measurement parameter somewhat extends the lifespan of the dated Withings Pulse.

The bracelet allows the Withings Pulse Ox to be worn on the wrist. With the update in firmware, you also have a choice of vertical or horizontal display of time. Tres Bien! A new added feature is the measuring of blood O2 level along with the heart rate. Sleep tracking will cease when the Pulse unit senses that you’ve woken up.

Personally i still see a few areas that could’ve made the Withings Pulse Ox awesome.

The Withings Pulse Ox is still not water-proof. So wearing it on your wrist and bringing it for a long sweaty run may not be the most ideal way of treating the Pulse tracker.

If auto-wake can be enabled, then why not auto sleep? With Misfit Shine, Polar Loop, Basis Band peddling auto sleep tracking, it seems funny that an update merely brings the Pulse O2 closer to the competition and not ahead.

While resting heart rate over time tend to imply an improvement in cardiovascular fitness, there is little being said about blood O2 level other than it being a health indicator detailing the efficiency of the respiratory system.

Also the watch function is not always on. In order to see the time, it’s still necessary to press the main button although you’d find yourself straining to see the display under the sun.

Will this entice you to go out and get yourself a Withings Pulse Ox?