InBody's activity tracker measures muscle and fat to help you live a healthier life
InBody's new activity tracker includes four sensors that measure your heart rate, BMI, muscle mass, body fat and fat mass.
LAS VEGAS -- The InBody Band can keep track of the steps you take, distance you travel, calories you burn and your active time. It can also measure your sleep at night, which it does automatically. These are features that almost every activity tracker on the market shares, but a South Korean company known as InBody is looking to shake things up.
With the help of four sensors -- two on the back and two on the front -- the Band is able to measure your fat mass, percentage of body fat, heart rate, muscle mass and body mass index. After placing two fingers on the front of the band, it took only 5 seconds to gather all of this information.
While I wasn't able to determine how accurate these readings were during my short time with the device (that will require additional testing), I walked away impressed. If the InBody Band can accurately track all of these metrics, it could turn the market on its head.
There's also a screen that allows you to view all of your data, along with the time and remaining battery life of the band itself. The device is water-resistant, meaning you can wear it in the shower, but not the pool. A Micro-USB port is hidden behind a cover on the side of the device. While it's nice not having to use a separate dongle to charge it, the cover was difficult to open for someone without long fingernails. As for battery life, InBody claims it should last up to eight days, which is quite good considering everything the Band can do.
InBody was also showcasing a second tracker that was more generic and cheaper, although official pricing hasn't been announced. The oddly named InLab strips out the health-tracking sensors and screen featured on the InBody Band. It actually reminded me of a Jawbone Up, but with a strap that connects around your wrist rather than the Up's open design. The bands can also be replaced with different designs.
As I mentioned, the InLab doesn't have a traditional screen. This requires you to use the company's mobile app on Android or iOS to view your data. You can, however, double-tap the screen to view an LED analog clock with the time and your remaining battery life. The smaller size also forced the company to rely on a magnetic dongle to charge the device, rather than a Micro-USB port on the device itself. Battery life was said to be the same as the InBody Band, around 7 to 8 days.
Both the InBody Band and InLab will be available in the US in March. The InBody Band will cost $179, which converts to £115 in the UK and AU$220 in Australia. Pricing for the InLab tracker wasn't announced.
We expect to see a lot more activity trackers and running watches this week at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas -- follow CNET's ongoing coverage of CES 2015 here.
