In…Out. One breath at a time, this Spire Mindfulness Stress and Activity Tracker can alleviate all your stress by tracking your breathing. But that’s not all. The Spire also tracks your steps, like a Fitbit, and the time you spent being focused, calm, and activity. Spire has taken wellbeing tracking to another level with the ability to track multiple health related aspects with the use of a small device.

How it Works

This small clip-on device can hook to your pants or to your bra to help measure your breathing and your steps throughout the day. As you wear this device, it pairs with your iOS device via Bluetooth technology and in real time on your screen you can watch each of your breaths register. But the Spire can measure your stress level through your breathing too. When you breathe while you are stressed out your heart rate begins to elevate and your breathing turns shallower. Although the device sends signals to your smartphone app and through vibrations on the tracker, you can set up your notifications of how often to be alerted. Because honestly, another notification is the last thing you need when you are already overwhelmed. But when you do read the results that were recorded by the device, it guides you on how to manage your breathing to get through the stressful time. 

Design

The Spire Tracker is known for its design. The sleek, pebble like tracker, won the 2014 People’s Design Award. With its small gray style the tracker can clip onto the waist of your pants or to the middle of your bra without being noticed. And with its sturdy clip, the Spire will stay in place so you don’t have to worry about losing it.  This small tracker only weighs 20g and is comfortable to wear, it is wrapped in a soft fabric to prevent from causing any skin irritations or uncomfortableness while wearing. Because this tracker is a clip on it isn’t one that you can easily wear to bed. Nor does it measure your sleeping patterns, which makes having time to charge your tracker without having to lose out on wellbeing results. With that being said, the battery life of this tracker is up to 6 days of constant use and the charging platform is wireless so all you have to do is drop it on top of the pod and the tracker will begin charging.

Set up

The set up for the Spire Mindfulness tracker is incredibly simple. You don’t have to worry about making sure sensors are adhered to the correct spots anywhere and you can easily wear it just by clipping it onto your belt loop or bra. The first step of setting this product up is to download the app from the App Store on any iOS device. This product is not yet compatible with the Android operating system. After you download the app it will have you set up an account, the account set up will need a few key statistics about yourself; name, email, etc. The pairing via Bluetooth technology works quickly, although the tracker does not have any lights on it to let you know if it is syncing or not. 

Troubleshooting/ Customer Service

Although there are no video tutorials on how to use Spire, there are over a hundred Frequently Asked Questions that has the answers to anything ranging from how to turn the device on to where the name “Spire” came from. They also have a support line, conveniently assigned as 1 (800) 501 CALM (2256),   where they can help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Another advantage to purchasing the Spire mindfulness activity tracker is that within 30 days of purchasing this product if you feel like it doesn’t live up to your expectations, or if it just does not work for you, you are able to return it, money back guarantee.

Inspiration behind Spire

Neema Moraveji didn’t just create the Spire Mindfulness Activity and Stress Tracker, he has also worked for Microsoft, Google, and most recently discovered the Stanford Calming Technology Lab, which is where Spire was born. Moraveji has spent years researching and studying how people can regulate their mental and physical health using technology. After he founded “calmning technology” he began his prototype of Spire. Regardless of other wellbeing trackers on the market, like the Fitbit that measures your steps, Moraveji wanted a tracker that measured more than steps by focusing on the breaths you take.   In fact, that is why he named the product Spire. Spire is a variation of the Latin word “spirant” which means to breath. But it is also is the root for words like “respiration” and “inspiration” which must be where Moraveji got his inspiration for this product.

Pros

Spire has taken the idea of a wellbeing wearable to the next level, not only does it track multiple activities, but the small, clip on device has some features that most other stress/activity tracker products do not.

• Machine washable
• 30 day money back guarantee
• 7 day battery life

Cons

Despite Spire’s ability to be able to rack multiple activities at once, there are some disadvantages that can come with so much technology within such a small device.

• iOS compatible only
• Inaccurate tracking
• Overly reliant on phone app

Although the idea of tracking your breaths, steps, and stress level with only one product is intriguing I would wait until Spire’s technology is updated to purchase this device. Because there are so many issues with the product inaccurately tracking breaths, stress levels, and steps per day waiting until their product has been updated would be the best choice. If you are a new gadget guru and must try this device out, Spire does offer a 30 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the results. And at only $150, why not demo this device for 30 days.