BodyMedia LINK armband Review

I was given the chance to review the LINK armband from BodyMedia. The LINK is an armband that a person wears, with a comfortable strap and a small electronic "face." The face has no display screen for manual input, and there is a good reasons for that. LINK is Bluetooth compatible and BodyMedia helps their clients get fit with an Activity Manager that is accessed online (or via Bluetooth when you download the BodyMedia APP, it's free for Android OS and iOS).

Click here to go to the BodyMedia website. (photo from website)

As you can see from the image, the LINK isn't a big, hunky device. It's actually very easy to hide under a t-shirt or long sleeved shirt. However, if your sleeve is skin tight, it will be visible. If you're not too keen on the way it looks, you can also buy accessories for the LINK on the website; there is a wide variety of really cute armband skins.   After you put it on, a few seconds will go by and you'll hear a short series of electronic tones, that means it is aware it's on your body. Those same tones will occur a few seconds after you take it off.

Setting up the LINK armband was super easy! We ARE in fact a very tech-savvy family, but no one likes a product that's difficult to use, no matter which way you splice it.  One of the first things you'll be prompted to do is select what your goal will be. This can change at any time, also. 

The LINK will help you with whatever your goal may be!

Now, we all know Bloggers are people too :P but it's true, many of us do a lot of sitting through out the day. Losing weight is definitely part of my goal, but I'd love to be more active all together. So, with that said, I chose the last option - to get active. I was given a few fields to add my info to, and chose a plan I wanted to work with for right now (remember, through your BodyMedia program, you can change your goals at any time).

This is my current daily plan of action 

After my first try with it on, I wanted to see what had recorded (I had charged it, put it on, and also slept with it on). It was a little odd to me, that the LINK didn't have a display screen that I could read my stats on and I needed to know it was working properly. I plugged the USB cord (comes with it) into the device and my laptop. 

This is what your activity manager will look like.

Yes, the LINK also tracks how well you sleep. Getting the appropriate amount of rest is really important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you have interrupted sleep or other patterns you might not be aware of, it will be spelled out for you on your dashboard the next time you plug your LINK in.

In the drop down menu are my personal "bests," I hadn't achieved much as this was only my first time wearing it.

You can make the most of this device by recording as much information as you can. Entering the food you eat is really simply. There's a big dictionary of food already available through a quick search option, but if  you can't find what your meal was by chance, you can enter it in yourself. Again, super simple!

Just follow the nutrition info off the label and you are good to go!

The BodyMedia app is just as user-friendly as the computer program version. The app provides a dashboard (pictured above only the mobile version is condensed), a section for all of your nutrition information, and when Bluetooth is enabled, you'll be able to interact with the workout section of the app.

Having this LINK armband and the accompanying programs has made tracking what I eat very easy, and takes all of the guess work out of my fitness routine. I know exactly what I'm consuming and how much I'm burning off - with a readout of HOW I'm burning it off, awesome!

I had to take my armband off to charge it, but I'd like to finish off my review with my half-day dashboard view. I'll put it back on when it's fully charged and start all over again!

I am down 7 lbs, hooray for me!

Early this morning, my daughter had a field trip and it kind of threw my whole game off. Tomorrow I'll be back full swing.

Follow BodyMedia on Twitter for exercise tips, news and info. 

"Like" BodyMedia on Facebook for the latest and greatest regarding BodyMedia Fit! (You can also find people on their Facebook page who also have the LINK armband and want to buddy up for weight loss pals or steps taken competitions - all in good fun of course!) 

*Disclaimer: I received this product free for the purpose of review. I was not monetarily compensated for a positive review; these feelings are my own and honest opinions, yours may vary from mine.
Minus the photo of the LINK armband, all photos belong to me.