Video shot/edited by Jennifer Hahn. (video link)

A lot of popular fitness trackers aren’t very active at all. They sit on your wrist counting each step you take, how long you sleep, and maybe a few workouts here and there. Jaybird’s $ 150 Reign tracker is trying to do something a bit different. Instead of focusing on steps, Reign gets to know your body when it’s both fatigued and recovered from strenuous exercise. It uses heart rate variability to tell you if your body is ready for physical activity, and it determines how much activity you should aim for when you want to push yourself further each day. Since it’s not your typical smart pedometer, there is a slight learning curve when first using Reign, but it’s an interesting option for those who believe stagnancy is just as harmful to your health as immobility.

Design: different, but not too different

When the Jaybird Reign monitors daily activity from your wrist, it looks futuristic without making a bold statement. It’s made of a silicone band that comes in two parts: one that holds the module and the other than comes in three different sizes so you can get the wristband as tight as you want. They fit together using magnetic pins, so you can stretch the bottom part of the band to fit your hand through it and it won’t pop off or go flying when you do so.