Magnetically attaching, worn as "jewellery", and promising to make you stand up properly and stop slouching, god damn it, this is not your average wearable, though it does feature step counting as well. So does the Lumo Lift justify its £80 price and really improve your posture? My posture isn't too bad – well, I don't resemble the hook bit on a coat hanger, anyway – but I was keen to find out.
Boffins claim that sitting down too much is an ill health apocalypse to rival smoking. They also say that poor posture and inactivity contributes to cardiovascular disorders, digestion problems, musculoskeletal pain, obesity and, worst of all, "mortality".
Conversely, good posture – at least according to the promotional literature of the Lumo Lift – makes you more attractive to the opposite sex. What are we waiting for? Let's get this party started!
The kit
Fair play. You get yourself a well thought-through piece of tech here. The small Lift sensor comes in a multitude of colours (see main pic) and has a strong magnetic clasp that holds it in place through most pieces of clothing (the magnet goes on the inside of your garms, the sensor sits outside, like a Star Trek: TNG communicator.
There's also a decent charging pod with USB connector to charge from your computer or a plug (via an adaptor). It takes just two hours to fully charge, and that lasts up to five days.
I was a little sceptical as to whether the clasp or magnet would hold but as sure as day, the thing stuck like its life depended on it. Most importantly, it is the perfect size to be a discrete wearable that can go about its business without being annoying.
Getting started
The mini paper guide on how to get started is extremely clear and easy to follow, though it does miss the very basic instruction to download the Android/iOS app required to make the Lift functional. Maybe that's just too obvious. Once downloaded, the app is simple to use and visually attractive, walking you through the set-up process in a minute or two. Before I knew it, it was buzzing away like an angered wasp as I slouched in my chair, waiting for members of the oppose sex to find me more attractive (I didn't ultimately gather much data on this area of performance).
The app itself shows two main things: how good your posture has been, and how many steps you've taken. It's pretty basic but it does the job. There are other options to link with others using it, setting yourself goals, checking out your posture trends (storing four weeks worth of data) and most importantly, the 'coaching'.
What I did find odd was that there was no actual guide to what "good posture" looks like. There's an assumption that everyone knows what good posture is, but I think that's misguided. I certainly didn't know, and had to rely on the hopefully expert advice of YouTube and Trevor Shaw, principal ergonomist at NHS Choices.
Using the device
The Lift determines good posture by asking you to put your shoulders back and head up, before holding the clasp down on the sensor to record that position. This I did, then set off on my bike on day one wondering if it'd make it to the end of my journey. It did.
I was checking it pretty regularly in the first couple of hours – to make sure it was still attached and linked to the app. Once I was satisfied that it was, I pretty much forgot it was even on me for much of the time.
Day one (and two) and it wasn't looking too good for me. Although I'm pretty active – lots of cycling, walking and football – my posture was confirmed as "slouchy". I was trying to be as "normal" as possible at this stage, rather than self-consciously willing myself to stand up straight.
However, having referred back to Dr Shaw, I was keen to improve my posture scores.
The proof would come in the "coaching" pudding. Flicking the "coaching" function on and off is really easy and can be done via the sensor or through the app. Again, it doesn't really tell you what is good posture and what isn't, so much as just buzzing when your shoulders aren't in the position they were when you set it.
The coach can be set to remind you for as long, or as short a time as you like, and the buzz was noticeable without being disturbing to the person next to me. I did find that you've got to pick your times when being coached because having a drink or eating lunch would set the thing off. This was pretty annoying and also messed with my stats. I was sitting up straight, honest!
Verdict
Okay, so Lift told me that I walked quite a bit and didn't sit very well. The Lumo Lift confirmed it for me so it was useful and I did try to improve how I sat, once I found out how to do so properly. On taking the advice onboard, I adopted it while tirelessly working at my desk. And my results improved, without question. It's now down to me to keep it up!
Posture is important, and this device will identify how good (or not) yours is. However, while the Lumo Lift did spur me on to avoid slouching to an extent, I wasn't exactly upset about giving it back once I'd finished this review, and I doubt I'd pay £80 for it either.
We like
It's a nice looking thing, as is the app, and it's a breeze to setup and use. However, while it got me thinking about my posture, I can't honestly say that it felt very scientific, nor were tangible results quick to come.
We dislike
The RRP is a bit of a passion killer, here. If it were £40, Lumo would have a deal, but £80? I dunno.
The Verdict
The Lumo Lift is probably best seen as a purchase for a family or group of friends. That way, you can all have a go with it and assess whether you need to stand the hell up properly. It's doubtful anyone would wear one long term, which you really need to in order to get results. However, if you're really worried about your posture and have the will power to persist with the Lumo Lift's coaching until you're "cured", this could be worth a look.
from TechRadar: Technology reviews http://ift.tt/1yMs20T
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