Nike Sportband Accuracy

March 17th, 2010 | Articles

There is a ton of content online and multiple reviews which give different opinions on whether or not the Nike + Sportband can accurately record distance, pace, and calories burned.

Keep in mind that the device costs under $60.00 and is made to do a few tasks relatively well. Having run with the Sportsband on a treadmill, I can actually say that the Nike Sportband is incredibly accurate when it comes down to recording your distance and pace. In fact, I often found the Sportband differed from my treadmill's distance calculator by, at most, 0.05 of a mile. And keep in mind, my treadmill might be the device which is off!

For that reason, after using the Nike + Sportband for many months, I would say that distance and pace calculations are the least of your concerns with this device: I have found that the display and build of the watch will deteriorate under wet, sweaty, and rainy conditions. In my opinion the display of the device is the weakest part-- it has no back light and is moderately difficult to switch between calories, speed, and distance while working out. Again, this watch costs $58 dollars and does much of what a Garmin Forerunner 405 does (which costs $300).

The Nike Sportband also syncs quite well with your computer and has a great online community for uploading your workouts and keeping yourself motivated over the course of time.

So, is the Nike Sportband any good? Yes, but keep in mind the limitations and look to better products if you are looking for more features. It is not inaccurate in saving your critical data in the least.

I have not had a chance to demo the Nike + Sportband 2 but there are other good reviews out there of it and can give good instructions on the device.

There was some chatter that the Nike + Sportband had been recalled but this was limited to a few thousand items produced.

The Sportband is also incredibly easy to use so you most likely will not need lots of troubleshooting with it at all. It is like vanilla ice cream- simple, effective, and tasty!