The Jawbone Up24 was one of the most popular activity trackers available. The company has since replaced the band with the Up2. Unlike the new and more expensive Up3, which tracks heart rate, the Up2 has the same features as the older model, but is more affordable.
It's $100 in the US (converted to £65 and AU$125), which is $30 cheaper than the competing Fitbit Charge and less expensive than the Up24 used to cost. Out of all Jawbone's new fitness bands, it's the one we'd recommend. And yet still, Jawbone took two steps forward and one step back with the Up2. It improves upon earlier models, but it still isn't perfect.
What can it do?
The Up2 is capable of measuring the steps you take each day, your distance traveled and calories burned. There's sleep tracking onboard , too. A double tap on the top of the band will display an activity light to indicate which mode the tracker is in. While this light is active, a long press will enable sleep mode. I had some trouble with this gesture, and found it to be unresponsive on multiple occasions; I had to tap the band several times to get it to work. You can train the Up2 to automatically recover sleep data you forgot to track by adding the range of hours you slept.
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Still, it's a shame that Jawbone hasn't released a band with worry-free automatic sleep tracking, a feature found in recent trackers from Misfit, Fitbit and Garmin. The Up2 doesn't have a display, but it does have a vibrating silent alarm, one of my favorite features on an activity tracker. You can set an alarm that will gently vibrate on your wrist to wake you. There's even a "Smart Alarm" feature that will attempt to wake you when you're in a state of light sleep.
I used the silent alarm feature every night as I tested the Up2. I find it a lot more peaceful to wake up to, rather than the blaring sounds coming from my smartphone. I chose not to use the Smart Alarm on weekdays, only because I was scared it might make me miss work.
Design
The Up2 is more discreet than Jawbone's previous trackers. The Jawbone Up and Up24 were sometimes viewed more as fashion accessories rather than activity trackers, but this isn't the case for the new Up, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. While the new band strips the textured design of previous models, it's 45 percent slimmer and adds a clasp for improved wrist security. It's comfortable, lightweight and you barely feel it on your wrist, which is the way an activity tracker should feel.
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Despite these improvements, though, the Up2 still fell off on more than one occasion. I had to be extra careful removing my coat or a long-sleeved shirt, or if I were to bump into the wall or cabinet. Oddly enough, the Up2 is incredibly difficult to put on, but once it's on, there is little reason to remove it. The Up2 is water-resistant and can be worn out in the rain, while doing the dishes and even showering. It cannot be worn while swimming, however.
None of Jawbone's activity trackers include a display, which may be a turn off for quite a few people. The band is essentially a data collector that syncs with your Android or iOS device. I found myself frequently glancing at my wrist hoping to see the time, which was never there. It was also annoying to have to open the Jawbone app every time I wanted to check my activity progress.
Jawbone is no stranger to build-quality problems. I know quite a few people who are on their third or fourth band. Jawbone's superior customer service is usually great about replacing broken bands, even in cases where the warranty has already expired. But, my concern is with the new clasp on the Up2 (the Up3 has it, too). It doesn't feel very secure, and while I've experienced no wear and tear over the past week, it's something to keep an eye on.
One of my colleagues pointed out that the new design of the Up2 doesn't allow it to be worn around the ankle, which he would do with the Up24 when cycling. I never thought of using it around my ankle, but it's an interesting concern for bikers who do.
Software
Perhaps the best thing about Jawbone's Up activity trackers is the software. The Jawbone Up mobile app (available for Android and iOS) is colorful, powerful and one of my favorites. The app provides you with a lot of the tools you need to live a healthier lifestyle. Aside from activity tracking, there's food, drink and mood tracking, and you can create teams to compete with others. The software can also connect with a huge selection of third-party apps, such as MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, Strava, IFTTT, Nest and more. (Just make sure you're using the purple app for syncing since, weirdly, Jawbone has two different apps and they pair with different sets of devices.)
The first thing I did after I created a Jawbone account was join a team with my CNET colleague Scott Stein. As he tested the Up3 and myself the Up2, I was able to keep tabs on his daily activity progress . A leaderboard that displays our total step count over the past seven days kept me motivated. Unlike with the Fitbit app, however, there was no way for me to challenge Stein to daily competitions.
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