Why I chose the Pivotal Living Tracker

Once I realized an activity tracker could be programmed to remind me to get up and move, the search was on.  I was familiar with the idea of a pedometer, but not an activity tracker.  Researching it was fascinating to me.  There were so many options and each had their pros and cons.  These were the factors I considered while making my decision.

• Pedometer:  I think they all had pedometers, but was a pedometer all I needed?  Do I need an actual activity tracker?  If you just need to reach a goal number of steps per day a pedometer is fine, but I decided I needed more.
• Goals:  I am very goal oriented.  Just a tracker would end up boring me.  I definitely need something to push me.  I liked the idea of the trackers that would push you to improve.  The Nike FuelBand and the Garmin Activity Trackers were both very appealing to me for these reasons. 
• Food:  Some activity trackers have their own food tracking systems, some link with well known food tracking systems.  I currently use MyFitnessPal and am used to entering my calories separately.  It would be nice if they linked, but it's not a deal breaker to me.
• Inactivity Tracker:  Now this was a deal breaker to me.  I work from home and sit at the computer all day and my waistline showed it.  I need something that will remind me to get moving.  Now does it matter if it vibrates or lights up or has some sort of indication bar?  I think I prefer the vibration, but it has to have something.  And preferably a way to set it.
• Sleep Tracker:  I do have sleep issues so a sleep tracker intrigues me, but I'm not sold on it.  While I do see how the data would be interesting, what are the action items to help you get better sleep?  I may be missing it but I didn't see that info so I'm not sure how helpful this feature is.
• Heart Beat Monitor:  Yes, I do want a heartbeat monitor.  Tracking steps is good for aerobic activity, but how do you track yoga or weight lifting?  I want a better picture of my fitness routine than just counting steps. 
• Waterproof:  It would be nice not to have to take it on and off to shower every day.  Also, I have a pool.  Guess what?  You can burn calories in a pool!  Although I guess you would need a heart rate monitor for that to count.  You aren't really walking around in a pool, are you?
• Calories:  Yes, please tell me how many calories I've burned!  Steps are great for goals, but I need to know the number of calories burned so they come off my calorie count each day!  Seriously, I will work out so I can eat that cookie!
• Size:  I have a very small wrist.  When we go to a resort and they give us wristbands for the activity center I need to put it on my ankle or my husband wears it because it falls off my wrist.  Most of these activity trackers are quite bulky.  I need as small as possible.
• Look:  I want to wear it all the time, but I don't want to look sporty all the time. I would like something that can be dressed up or hidden but still effective.
• App:  Please have a good app for it to sync with!  I looked up a lot of the apps and the reviews are iffy at best.  I don't know the complications here, but I want a good app!  
• Syncing:  I want it to sync automatically.  Don't make me plug it in to sync my stats!
• Battery:  I kind of link the idea of the ones that you put in a battery and it lasts 6 months to a year without charging.  There are those that would argue that they prefer to recharge it.  Neither is a deal breaker to me.
• Price:  I hate to admit it, but I am one of those people who is excited about something for a few weeks and then I'm on to the next thing.  I also realized that if I do stick with it, what I think I want/need and what I really need may be two different things.  For these reasons I did not want to pay a high end price until I knew that this was something I was going to stick with.

After I did my research I had to prioritize the list.  Nothing had everything I wanted.  I think the Jawbone UP3 is pretty close, but it's not out yet and it's pricey.  So the next step is to figure out what's most important to me.  I decided my top three are 1) it must have an inactivity tracker, 2) have a low price point, and 3) look more sleek than sporty.  When I learned about the Pivotal Living Tracker I made my decision.  It was only $15 with shipping.  It looked nice and was about as small as anything I had seen.  It's brand new, so there were no reviews or app to play with, but I love the idea of the company wanting to make an activity tracker available to the masses and wanted to support it.  I decided that it was the perfect band to get me started.  If it's exactly what I want, great!  If I end up deciding I need other features I won't feel sick about my initial investment.

I'm looking forward to updating you about the Pivotal Living Tracker!