Nike+ Sportband

The Nike/Apple relationship has always been very interesting to me. I'm a big fan of what they promote, and the Nike+ service has always looked very slick and well managed.

I finally 'caved' in and bought a Nike+ product to help me keep a better record of the running I do. I did contemplate buying the whole range; as in shoes, attachment AND an iPod nano, but when I actually sat down and thought about the cost, it was just too much. Instead, I bought the new Nike+ SportBand and that was that.

It was the previews of the SportBand that really got me thinking more seriously about it. I recently purchased a pedometer that I mainly use when I play football on a 5-a-side pitch. It's been very useful to see how far I've run, but it doesn't really offer more than that. As well as the statistical advantage, I'm hoping the SportBand can give me an extra incentive to run a bit more. Maybe even cover more distance, improve my stamina (for running!) and maybe even help me better manage my running capabilities.

The product is very nice. The sport band is comfortable and light. The electronic readout is clear and it's also quite discreet. I've even considered wearing it as a watch on a daily basis, just the fact that I'd need to charge it on a regular basis has stopped me going that far. (my previous point wasn't as valid as I thought because it's always in watch mode and I haven't yet found a way to switch it off, but in the end I decided not to go down that route just yet).

Since I play football at night, a backlight might have been nice, but I'm sure battery life would have been more of an issue.

The readout part of the band actually detaches and is plugged into a USB port for syncing and charging. It works on both a Mac and a PC, with a Mac being my machine of choice. You'll need to download software, which was less than 20Mb installed on a Mac, and have a Nike account. Other than that, there's not much else to it. It really is plug and play. You also get the necessary shoe sensor, which I have been able to tuck in nicely behind laces on my Adidas shoes! The movement was minimal and sideways, so I won't be forking out for a pair of Nike+ trainers anytime soon.

I've seen a third party accessory that acts as a shoe bag for the sensor. I may get one of this if I find my lace method doesn't holding up. As for football, my Nike astro-turf trainers have a lace cover which is snug enough for the sensor to fit in.

The SportBand is takes 2 hours for a 100% charge, which isn't too bad, considering it charges while it's syncing anyway and from my early experience a 25 minute run takes about 2 minutes to recharge the battery to full capacity.

I originally have found syncing with the website a little problematic. The website does not didn't seem to remember if your logged in, so you have to constantly log in. Even refreshing (flash based site) means you'll have to log in again. It was highly annoying when my first 1.7mile run was shown on screen as a guest, but when I finally logged in, I'd lost the ability to sync. Not ideal. I'm sure I'll be able to figure out the best way to sync soon enough, but it's a fundamental feature that should be as easy as plugging in your iPod! My second sync was a lot easier, after I noticed the smallest 'Nike+ members log in' text on the run overview screen, and also imported the previous runs I thought I'd lost.

I guess this is a reason that the Nike/Apple products came out a long while before this SportBand, Apple know how to sync. Flawlessly, in my experiences.

The Nike+ website is a visual delight and I statistics it provides are useful and the graphics give a better sense of achievement than a pedometer would!

I don't think this will spell the end of the Nike/Apple relationship, but it's a very welcome addition to the Nike+ lineup. Apple's position is still very relevant, but not everyone has, wants or needs an iPod Nano.

In all, it's an excellent product, although the £40 they are asking does seem a little steep. Had the price point been around £30, it would have been an even better purchase.

After a few more runs and syncs, I'll update with more info on how this process has gone.