Did your mom ever pester you to get outside more as a kid? Now there’s a fitness tracker to recreate that nagging feeling.
Unlike most fitness bands, which use step counters to encourage exercise indirectly, LifeTrak’s Brite R450 actually knows when you’ve been inside for too long, using ambient light sensors. It’ll send a notification when it thinks you need more natural light.
Why this matters: Me-too fitness trackers are everywhere these days, but at least the Brite R450 has an original angle. Beyond just reminding you to get outside, the device’s light-spectrum sensor can also detect blue light—the sleep-damaging kind that emanates from a computer screen—and recommends getting less of it before bed.
Typical fitness band, neat hook
Aside from its light-sensing capabiilties, the Brite R450 has the usual grab bag of fitness tracking features. The step counter estimates calories burned, using a “pace-based algorithm” to tell whether you’re walking or running. The sleep tracker automatically detects when you’ve gone to bed and waits for a light sleep cycle to wake you up. With a paired iPhone, the watch can show icons for several types of notifications.
The hardware is waterproof to 30 meters. It uses a CR2032 coin cell battery that doesn’t need recharging, but it must be replaced when it dies. The watch strap comes in three color options and is reversible.
At $130, the Brite R450 is on the expensive end for a fitness tracker—at least, among those that don’t have built-in GPS. But if you lack the willpower to police your own screen time, maybe mom can help chip in. The watch is shipping in mid-October.