Movo Wave – A cheap fitness band, but is it worth the hype?

In a world of smartwatches, there are only two reasons to go for a fitness band. Either it’s packed with an impressive number of sensors that can track your slightest movement, or it’s very, very cheap. The Movo Wave falls in the latter category. Catering to fitness enthusiasts on a budget, it’s cheaper than most high-street smartwatches, and undeniably more performing than a low-end wearable improperly named smart. Now, if we got your attention, read our Movo Wave review to find out more about it.

Background

Since its launch back in 2015, Movo Wave had a sole purpose. That of serving consumers on a budget, who still wanted to get a more accurate glimpse of their athletic performance. It has basic functionality and no bells and whistles, but it does what it’s supposed to do brilliantly.

Considering the disposable nature of fitness bands, the brand didn’t come up with a second generation of the wearable. Nevertheless, the first generation Movo Wave still brings some advantages, including a slim profile.

Features

Movo Wave is unremarkable in both design and functionality, but the truth is that you don’t need a fitness band packed with features to understand your daily habits.

In setting a very low price, Movo has managed to undercut even the most affordable devices prior to Wave, such as the Misfit Flash, which is worth saying that it’s a great achievement.

So what are you getting for the stripped down price? It is obvious that a stripped down device and app, but it still packs the basics.

In other words, Movo Wave focuses on lifestyle and simplicity rather than the data-driven world. It doesn’t connect with your handset automatically – although it is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Lacking connectivity features, it requires users to download the data into their phones through the headphone jack.

Does this make you feel like you’ve turned back to the early 2000s? Definitely. But there is a price to pay if you can’t afford or don’t want to buy a more expensive bracelet.

The mobile app is stripped too. It has a very basic layout that shows you the daily metrics. Don’t expect bells and whistles, but it’s functional.

Design

To define Movo Wave’s aesthetics, you have to think of the festival or concert bracelets that show you’ve paid the ticket. It consists of a simple silicone band with the tracking device fixed atop your wrist. It’s neither ugly nor beautiful, but it’s really lightweight.

It is also comfortable to wear, so you can easily forget that it’s there. To add some aesthetic value, the brand equipped the device with colourful elastic bands that help secure it to your body. There is nothing exceptional about them, but you could use them to match the Wave to your outfit, for a more glam look.

As you’d expect from a fitness tracker, it’s water resistant. Furthermore, it impresses with a battery life measured in weeks rather than days. There is no battery indicator, but a red light will start flashing when it needs more juice.

Fitness Tracking

We said it already. Movo Wave doesn’t excel in terms of features and abilities. It can only track your steps, calories, and distance, but it does so with utmost accuracy.

All you have to do to see your metrics is to download the Movo app and sync the bracelet by connecting it to your phone’s audio jack. While the app is basic, it still gives you the possibility to pair each day’s metrics with a photo, to create a so-called“life log.”

A thing we like less is that you can’t sync the data with any other apps, such as diet plans or sports profiles. Thus, this might not be the best fitness tracker for athletes and hard-core fitness enthusiasts.

Movo Wave Advantages

The silicone bracelet fits like a hair tie on the wrist and is very lightweight. You can easily forget that you’re wearing it.
Minimal yet functional features make it possible to track some of the most important activity metrics for a really low price.
Colourful bands – coming in red and black – allow you to match it with your sports outfit.
Easy to sync with Android and Apple devices, even if it doesn’t sync data automatically. The app is also very intuitive and easy to use.
Outstanding battery life. You can get up to two weeks of continuous runtime.

Movo Wave Disadvantages

This fitness bracelet incorporates basic features only, and you can’t create or add sports profiles.
No sleep or stress level tracking, which defies the purpose of a health and fitness tracking device.
It lacks Bluetooth connectivity, so you have to remind yourself constantly to sync the data.

Verdict

Movo Wave is an excellent choice for casual gym goers and people who want to monitor some of their activity, but don’t really care about numbers. It is perfect above all for those who want to lose some weight and that see the fitness tracker like a disposable rather than indispensable item.

This fitness bracelet is primitive to say the least. Many other bands deliver more versatility for just a few more quid. However, if you only want to know how much you’re moving in a day and don’t care at all about other bells and whistles, then Movo Wave is certainly the way to go.