Review: Bellabeat Urban activity health tracker

Ok, I’ll admit that for one of my New Year’s Resolutions I want to try and get healthier in 2017. Unfortunately, I have slowly put on weight for the last 8 years and I have decided that this will be the year that I finally get around to doing something about it.

I am experimenting with my diet and trying to get in more exercise and having spotted the Bellabeat activity tracker, which has specifically been designed for women, a few years ago and having lusted after one ever since I decided to treat myself to the Bellabeat Urban tracker in rose gold in an attempt to boost and motivate me.

Like most people who have tried to get active, I have tried other similar devices, a notable one being the FitBit which I really liked but found annoying having to charge it frequently as I would forget to put it back on! I also felt that although it looked smart and was practical it wasn’t something that would really inspire me. A major attraction of the Bellabeat Leaf Urban is the battery which can last for up to 6 months and is easily changed when the time comes.

The Bellabeat Urban is a health tracker which not only tracks activity but also records sleep, stress levels and your monthly menstruation cycle. The device itself doesn’t have a screen but it comes with a fully comprehensive and attractive app which syncs to the device via Bluetooth.

Made from a water-resistant certified wood composite and stainless steel the Bellabeat tracker is versatile and comfortable enough to wear all day long. Due to its elegant geometric design it is often mistaken for a nice piece of jewellery rather than an obvious activity tracker, blending into your life neatly and not attracting unwanted attention and questions!

Unlike most other activity trackers which sit on the wrist, the Bellabeat can be worn as a bracelet, a necklace or as a clip which makes it far more flexible and weighing in at only 16.5g it’s easy to wear and forget about! It is recommended that you wear the Bellabeat as a bracelet during the day and as a clip at night to get the best recordings, but it’s really up to you.

I really love how the Bellabeat Leaf Urban tracks activity in minutes, steps and calories so you can choose what goal you want to set yourself. So far I have found the tracking to be sensible and not wildly inaccurate from what I would expect. You can also set vibrating reminders to go off after a chosen time of inactivity to remind you to get up and moving when you’re sitting at your desk (or on the sofa!)

The Urban’s activity, sleep and period tracking help to detect potential high-stress days. The app comes with guided meditation exercises which will teach you how some simple breathing and relaxation techniques can lower your stress levels and improve your wellbeing. I have to admit I was a little sceptical about meditation but having done at least 10 minutes a day with the Bellabeat I have realised that practising mindfulness really does help to soothe and relax me.

I love being able to track my sleep and to understand how much deep and light sleep I get every night. I have to admit that I like at least 8 hours per night and it’s interesting to see how even 1 hour less can really affect my mood! Unlike other trackers (like the FitBit) which you tap to tell it you’re going to bed, the Bellabeat automatically decides you’re sleeping based on your movement which is handy although I do find myself having to manually tell it when I got up as it sometimes mistakes a nighttime trip to the bathroom as me getting up for the day although this doesn’t bother me.

Having gone through a period (no pun intended) of time where my cycle was a bit out of whack due to my contraceptive implant (never again), I have been using a tracking app to keep on top of my periods for the last couple of years – noting the dates and length of each one. I love that I can now combine this with my activity tracker thanks to the Bellabeat app. It’s great for predicting periods and shows you when you are most fertile. The tracker also has a pregnancy mode which helps you track milestones when you are expecting.