Review: Runtastic Orbit fitness tracking wearable

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The search for the perfect health and fitness tracker leads us to the Runtastic Orbit, a clever and durable wearable designed for 24-hour fitness tracking.

Before I tested the Runstastic Orbit, I was pretty invested in the Fitbit Flex ecosystem and while that tracker served me well for measuring steps and activity, I felt I needed something more. The Runstastic Orbit is slightly larger than the Fitbit Flex but it has a button for control as well as a display. These two features make all the difference.

The display is great for getting updates and for getting the time. This might seem trivial, but having a health tracker that also gives the time eliminates the need for having to carry a watch and wear two devices, which can look pretty goofy. The bracelet of the Runtastic Orbit comes in a variety of colours, fits well with a metal component connecting to rubber holes. Getting the Orbit strapped on is a bit of a struggle but at least you know it is secured well.

The Runtastic Orbit itself, is really a tiny device, it slips into any number of coloured rubber bracelets, and can be charged through an inductive charger. I found a good 5-6 day range between charges. 

Once on, Runtastic tracks activity, steps and even sleep. All of this information can be accessed via a companion app (iOS and Android). Steps are tracked automatically but you need to manually enable the sleep tracking mode as well as turn it off in the morning. I found that it was easy to forget there was a sleep tracking function and really had to consciously turn it on or off.

The Runtastic App, which works through Bluetooth connection with your smartphone, quickly gives you at a glance updates of your progress as well as allows you to reference how you have been doing in the past days. A companion web app, nicely charts your activity progress as well.

You set various fitness goals via the Orbit Connect app, and the best thing is that the Runstastic Orbit gives feedback when you're halfway to your goals and makes a fair bit of fanfare when you do achieve your goals by vibrating and showing off animation.

I've often said that the best feature of these wearable fitness trackers is their ability to motivate you and keep you on track. Runtastic's Orbit does this well and offers a cohesive interface between device and software.

I also liked that the Runtastic Orbit can be worn in the shower or while swimming since it is waterproof. The Runtastic Orbit is clearly the most well-rounded and user-focused fitness tracker I've tested. The addition of a display for time and feedback as well as the accurate step tracker and software component make it a wearable worth checking out for anyone needing motivation and a way to track their daily fitness activities.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5