Customer Reviews

SportBrain iStep X Pedometer

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

SportBrain has been around for several years. I bought the first version which had no readout (you had to download the data and see how many steps you had on a Web site). The new version, the iStepX pedometer has a large readout that shows you how many steps you walked or ran. Having a readout made the device much easier to use. You still have to download the step data to get the detail reports on how many miles you walked, how many calories you burned, and how you compare to your fellow walkers. The SportBrain Web site does a good job of showing your daily, weekly, monthly, and total progress. The site has discussion groups for members who want compare notes on their SportBrain experience, food, nutrition, exercise, and health. You can also form communities of people where the entire group can see your progress and you can discuss issues. Some of the groups are very competitive. The SportBrain device is what some now call an example of persuasive computing because it makes you quite aware of your activity level. The general goal is to walk 10,000 steps per day. The Web site has a graph that shows how your age/gender group does and compares your walking to that group. SportBrain lets you export your data by copying from a table and pasting into a spreadsheet.

The Pedometer clips on your hip. There is a small tie to keep the clip from popping off a belt (make sure you use this - I've found that the device can pop off and then you might be out your money). The device only weighs a little over an ounce and you forget about it pretty quickly. My battery has lasted over 6 months. The device can store a week's worth of data unless you are running marathons so you don't have to download your data everyday if you are away from a computer.

When you purchase a SportBrain, there is a fee for accessing the Web site (www.sportbrain.com) after a 40 day grace period to try out the device. You can pay monthly, quarterly, and yearly. The yearly fee is $99. I find the Web site worth the money because it tracks all my data and clearly shows how I am doing. There are other pedometers that don't require a web site like the Omron Premium Pedometer so you need to decide whether the extra data you get from the Web site is worth the $99 fee. It was for me, but might not be for others.

Chauncey

I went to Walmart to purchase an Omron, but found that they did not have that in the store. I saw the SportBrain iStep instead and decided to try this out (since 'wow' it uses USB to upload your step information). Big disappointment! In order to use their FULL software...you need to purchase the software too. The iStep packaging is deceiving. NOT worth the money and pedometer. I should have bought an Omron-HJ112 instead since, Consumer Reports recommened it. I should have stick with that purpose to purchase a pedometer in the first place. Sure you can use other online walking software journal for free, but that's like turning on the computer to type it in all the time. Mightest well get an Omron and print out your own sheet to track your steps. You can use iStep's website to download your workout, BUT as a non-member--the website will only keep record for seven days only. This is where the pedometer's online feature lacks its' great affect. I can't be too harsh on this item...so I'll say it was a nice idea for them to create the USB feature (but not for me to pay extra for the online software).

Record your progress*
Monitor your results*

*Internet Connection Required

The above are actual words from my packaging.

To not mention on the packaging that there is a cost to monitor your progress on the web I consider very misleading advertising. Keep in mind that this piece of information I only learned from a review posted here. If it is true that it costs many times the amount paid for the pedometer for the tracking service it is just as well that their website is causing troubles for me because I would not choose to pay.

I spent the last hour of my life trying to navigate their website to start an account but finally gave up. I could not get to the account creation. The software downloaded and installed. When I try to install it again it says it is installed. The next screen says it is not installed. I tried reboot, uninstalling, setting my computer to accept all cookies, deleting cached web pages, and maybe some other things. (Ok, this is really my wife's pedometer and I wanted to do something nice for her but "game over")

There did not seem to be any email or phone support. Maybe once you pay the big bucks they will help you. Again, I don't know because I was never able to make it that far.

This pedometer is brand new. This is only a rating of the website and packaging information. I cannot fairly rate the actual pedometer.

Despite some of the reviews, I decided to try the iStep Sportbrain for myself. I came up very disappointed. My husband and I each ordered one. When they came, one of them didn't work at all. They were very helpful and sent a new one right away. Then my iStep started resetting itself multiple times throughout the day and wouldn't upload all of my steps to the website. After speaking to the customer service people several times they offered to send me a new iStep (They could tell me the exact times that my iStep reset itself. They said they had been working on a new model that had more shielding, and wouldn't reset itself. I wondered why they didn't offer to replace my iStep right away. And why are they selling the ones that reset? Why don't they just sell the ones that have the extra shielding?) The new one doesn't reset itself, but it only counts about every other or every third step. After having our Sportbrains for only 2 months, my husbands just stopped working (that was the new one they sent him)! After sending iStep Sportbrains back and forth to the company, we are now very discouraged. Our family members were thinking of purchasing iSteps, but we have advised them not to. My suggestion is to get a nice pedometer and keep track of your own steps if you want to see how you do. Or you could wait until the Sportbrain people spend some money to improve there product to a level of quality we deserve.

This is a great idea, but this particular item has a design flaw. The first three days I used this, it worked perfectly. On the fourth day, it uploaded only 30% of the steps I had logged that day. When I contacted tech support, they informed me that "sort of external interference that caused it to reset and loose data". They listed many possible causes: airport x-rays, cellular phones, wireless routers, speakers, and -yes!- treadmills. Be aware that this device may not work around computers and treadmills because it was designed without shielding. This seems a foolish thing to overlook in a device meant to measure walking and then be connected to a computer to upload data. Buyer beware.

I was required by my fitness program on eDiets to buy this pedometer, although I had a perfectly good Omron HJ-112. The method of setting weight, stride and time variables is not at all intuitive and requires taking off the battery cover. The strap clip does not look like it will hold up well. The stride and weight variables only increment in even numbers -- beware if your stride is, say 27" or your weight 137. It seems like an awful lot of money to keep track of your progress, which you could do fairly easily with a spreadsheet -- or paper and pencil. I definitely would not have bought it if I hadn't been required to. *UPDATE: I finally threw this one away. It didn't count approximately 40-70% of the steps I took in a day, and, conversely, shifting in my seat at work would add steps. Use the money to buy something good, that works. I couldn't change the number of stars I gave this, but it would have been one star or less. A true waste of money at any price.

I purchased the similar iStep X2 around a year and a half ago. It worked great, as described by other reviewers, with a fairly accurate step count, good upload capability, and many more features than I ever needed.

However, the initial unit died within the first 6 months, and the warranty replacement died at about one and a half years. At this point SportBrain is saying since it only has a 1 year limited warranty they won't repair it, replace it, nor sell me a refurbished unit at a discount.

If you are happy with having to replace it every year or two its a good product, but I expect a bit more longevity out of my purchases.

The concept for the pedometer is great. That is, a pedometer that allows you to keep track of your activity on a computer. The downside is that you are limited to the SportBrain Web site. It would be great if someone would produce a pedometer that has software that can be used on a computer without enrolling on a specialized Web site. Other than that, the pedometer is great.

My husband gave me the SportBrain iStep Pedometer 2 years ago and I love it. I have only had to replace the battery once in the 2 years I have had it. I use the SportBrain free web-site to download my steps everyday. You do not have to subscribe to the pay site. I keep track of my steps on Walker Tracker because it enables me and my Mom to keep up with each others progress on the WT blog. My husband has the Omron HJ-112 and he misses a lot of steps because he isn't walking fast enough for the steps to count. With the SportBrain, every step is counted. I am going to buy my husband the SportBrain iStep because I think he will be much happier with it than he is with the Omron.