Lakshmi SandhanaDecember 23, 2014Review: LeapBand activity tracker for kids

LeapBand is a children's activity tracker that encourages them to move through activity challenges and exciting games

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Getting kids who are immersed in mobile devices to get up and start moving can be a bit of challenge, which is where an activity tracker for kids just might help. Leapfrog's LeapBand is a virtual pet gaming device merged with a fitness tracker that motivates kids to move using activity challenges and rewards. The more active they are, the more rewards they get to unlock cool new features. Is it enough to get them to be more physically active though? Read on to find out.

Build and setup

The watch-like LeapBand has a simple interface, with four buttons and a front-facing speaker. At 2.5 x 1.8 x 2 in (6.4 x 4.4 x 5.1 cm), it's a bit on the chunky side, but its colorful design stands out next to minimalistic adult fitness bracelets like Jawbone's UP3. One look is all it takes to realize this is made for kids.

The LeapBand is lightweight enough (7 oz/200 g) to be worn without any discomfort, has a flexible strap and seems pretty tough. We liked the bright 1.4-inch screen with its vibrant colors and good image quality. The virtual pets don't seem overly small or crowded on the screen. One potential drawback, though, is that it isn't a touchscreen, which could be confusing to today's kids.

The controls are intuitive, while the loud audio offers both easy to understand instructions and encouragement in the form of rousing cheers. Kids should be able to operate it easily without a parent's help. However there are no volume controls on the LeapBand or in the Leapfrog Connect application, which is a bit of a shame as the volume can be a bit jarring at times.

Initially it does take a little time to set up the tracker. You need to connect the LeapBand to your computer using a USB cable, download the Leapfrog Connect application onto your computer's storage and use it to set the parental controls or upload more challenges onto the device. It can get annoying to have to tether the device to the computer every time you need to access the controls to change something, as there's no native or mobile-based way to tweak its settings.

We found the controls within the software to be a tad limited too, as parents can't set the device to shut down at different times on different days. For example, on weekends you'll have to access the PC software and change the settings to allow kids to play with the LeapBand during school hours.

We did like how you're able to see a kid's activity levels for the entire week through the software though, with parents able to make use of the data to organize more play time on specific days.

One potential advantage with the PC tethering is that there are no batteries to replace. You can easily charge the tracker's built-in battery through your computer via a USB cable, or with a USB wall charger. With normal use the LeapBand lasts for around 3 days once charged.

Experience and controls

When you initially start the LeapBand (by pressing down on the activity challenges button), you go directly into the Player mode where kids can play games with a customizable pet. There's an onscreen energy bar that changes color to reflect the kid's activity level, and is tracked by the LeapBand's accelerometer.

It's a smart feature, as children can instantly view their progress (or lack of it), and we can see how kids might play and compete with each other to get a higher bar. Kids can also see how many joules (jewels) they've earned and they're prompted to complete activity challenges to unlock new pets. Getting new pets can be frustrating, however, as there's no clear indication of how much more activity they need to engage in to unlock a new furry friend.

The games kids can play here are more entertaining than educational: Pet Play rewards kids with new toys, Pet Boogie has them teach their pets dance moves and in Pet Salon they wash and groom their pets. The Pet Chef game does teach them basic nutrition though. They can collect fruits, vegetables and more, to learn what a balanced meal looks like. Earning more rewards allows them to do more fun things with their pets, like give them their favorite foods or new toys.

If the child isn't playing with the LeapBand for a few seconds, it defaults into the Move mode, where the screen turns off (like you'd see on many adult smartwatches). If you want to activate a Silent mode, where audio, gameplay etc. are completely disabled, you can do that by holding down on the left arrow button for 5 seconds.

School time mode, as you might expect, keeps the device locked during set hours, and it automatically unlocks once the school day is over. And, of course, the LeapBand still tracks movements in any mode.

Every step, hop and jump counts in the LeapBand's many activity challenges, which kids can initiate any time via a button. Once a challenge is triggered, there's a 10 second countdown that asks kids to do crazy things to get rewards and work up some sweat. We're talking activities like dancing like a chicken, hopping like popping popcorn or "wiggling like a worm until you giggle."

The LeapBand could also be great for group play, where children can compete with each other to do the physical activity challenges and compare how fast their energy bars move.

It comes pre-loaded with 14 challenges in several different categories, and parents can add another 36 to the device via LeapFrog's PC app. Unfortunately the tracker doesn't give you the option to add challenges that you make up.

Petathlon, a companion app for the LeapBand, extends the fun onto Android, iOS and LeapFrog's own tablets. Kids can play six mini-games in the app to win cool accessories like new tracksuits or medals, which they can put on their pets after transferring the data onto the LeapBand.

Conclusion

The LeapBand has some engaging games, is easy to use, kid-tough and offers up lots of varied physical challenges. But it's also a bit of a mixed bag as an activity tracker.

While it tracks movements like jumping, dancing and walking, the child's progress is only indicated via the energy bar. There's no way to know, for instance, exactly how many steps they took that day, which can be a disappointment for kids familiar with devices like the Fitbit.

Doing the activity challenges by pressing the activity button is what gives kids a little workout, as they're asked to crawl like a turtle or hop in a straight line, for example, to earn joules to unlock new pets. However children could potentially get bored with these challenges over time, after they've played through all those available, and simply not trigger the button.

Since kids can also earn joules by sitting in one place and playing the pet-oriented video games on the LeapBand, they could end up using it just for gaming. It would have been nicer if the device linked earning rewards in these games with moving about physically too.

If you add the lack of an interactive touchscreen and volume controls, it feels like the LeapBand needs more work. LeapFrog has the start of a good idea here. We hope that future versions will be more exciting and challenging.

However, for the price of US$29.99, this is already a fun and basic tracker that should get your youngsters moving.

Product page: LeapBand

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LeapBand儿童专用健身追踪器

该sandhanadecember 23，2014review：据活动跟踪器的kids

据儿童活动追踪器，鼓励他们通过活动的挑战和令人兴奋的游戏< / P >图像画廊（11张）
让孩子们沉浸在移动设备中起床，开始有点的挑战，这是对孩子的一种活动跟踪可以帮助。据跨越式的虚拟宠物游戏设备与健身追踪器，激励孩子们将使用活动的挑战和奖励合并。他们越积极，他们得到的奖励，以解锁新功能。这足以让他们更积极的身体虽然？读下去。

建造和安装
像手表LeapBand具有简单的界面，用四个按键和一个前置扬声器。在2.5 x 1.8 x 2（6.4 x 4.4 x 5.1厘米），它在大一点，但其丰富多彩的设计突出了简约的成人健身手环旁边像Jawbone的UP3。一看是所有的需要，以实现这是为孩子们。

的据重量足够轻（7盎司/ 200克）穿着无任何不适，具有灵活的带子，似乎很难。我们喜欢明亮的1.4英寸的屏幕，其鲜明的色彩和图像质量好。虚拟宠物似乎不太小或挤在屏幕上。一个潜在的缺点，但是，是不是一个触摸屏，可以为今天的孩子感到困惑。

是直观的控制，而响亮的声音提供了易于理解的在热烈的欢呼的形式指导和鼓励。孩子们应该能够很容易地操作它，没有父母的帮助。然而在据或越级连接应用程序没有音量控制，这是一个耻辱的体积可有点刺耳的时候。

最初也需要一点时间来设置跟踪。您需要连接到您的计算机的据使用USB电缆，下载越级连接应用程序到您的计算机的存储和使用它来设置家长控制或上传更多的挑战上装置。它会令人讨厌，有系绳装置每次你需要访问控件更改一些电脑，因为没有本地或基于移动的方式来调整其设置。

我们发现控制在软件有点太有限，作为父母不能设置设备关闭在不同时期的不同时代。例如，在周末你要访问的计算机软件和更改设置，允许孩子们玩据在学校的时间。

我们都喜欢你能看到一个孩子的活动水平，全周通过软件虽然能与父母数据的使用在特殊的日子里组织更多的上场时间。

一个潜在的优势与PC绑定是没有电池更换。你可以很容易地装追踪器的内置电池通过您的计算机通过USB电缆或USB充电器。与正常使用据持续3天左右一次充电。

经验和控制
当你最初开始的据（通过按下按钮，你的活动挑战）直接进入播放模式，孩子们可以用一个定制的宠物玩游戏。有一个屏幕上的能量棒，颜色的变化来反映孩子的活动水平，并通过LeapBand的加速度计跟踪。

< P >这是一个聪明的特征，孩子们可以即时查看自己的进步（或缺乏），我们可以看到孩子们可能发挥和相互竞争以获得更高的酒吧。孩子们还可以看到多少焦耳（珠宝）他们已经赢得了他们提示完成活动挑战解锁新的宠物。得到新的宠物可以是令人沮丧的，但是，有没有明确的多少活动需要进行解锁一个新的毛茸茸的朋友指示。

游戏的孩子可以在这里玩更有趣的比教育：宠物奖励孩子玩新玩具，宠物有他们教跳舞他们的宠物的舞蹈动作，在宠物店洗和培训他们的宠物。宠物厨师游戏教他们基本的营养虽然。他们可以收集水果，蔬菜和更多的，以了解什么是平衡膳食看起来像。赚取更多的奖励，让他们与自己的宠物做更多有趣的事，如给他们喜欢的食物或玩具。

如果孩子不玩了几秒钟，据，它默认为移动模式，在屏幕关闭（就像你会看到许多成人smartwatches）。如果你想启动一个静音模式，在音频、游戏等完全禁用，你可以通过按住左箭头键5秒。

学校时间模式，如你所料，保持设备在固定的时间锁定，它会自动开启一次学校的日子结束了。而且，当然，还有轨道运动的据以任何方式。

每走一步，跳的跳数在据许多活动的挑战，孩子们可以通过一个按钮启动任何时间。一旦一个挑战被触发，还有一个10秒的倒计时，要求孩子们做一些疯狂的事情来获得奖励和工作一些汗水。我们说的活动如跳舞像鸡，跳跃像爆爆米花或“摆动像蠕虫一样直到你傻笑。”

的据也很适合集体游戏，孩子们可以互相竞争来做体力活动的挑战和比较快速的能量棒移动。< / P >

它预装了14个挑战在几个不同的类别，家长可以添加另一个36的设备通过跨越式的PC应用程序。不幸的是，跟踪不给你选择添加挑战你弥补。

petathlon，为据的配套应用程序，扩展的乐趣在Android，iOS和跨越自己的片。孩子们可以在APP赢炫酷配件像新运动服或奖牌玩六小游戏，他们可以在将数据传输到据把他们的宠物。

结论
的据一些引人入胜的游戏，使用方便，孩子艰难，提供了各种物理的挑战很多。但它也是一个混合袋作为一个活动跟踪器，而它跟踪运动，如跳跃，跳舞和散步，孩子的进步只是表明通过能源吧。例如，有没有办法知道，到底有多少步骤，他们把这一天，可孩子们熟悉像Fitbit设备失望。

做活动挑战按活动按钮是什么给孩子们一个小小的锻炼，他们爬一样在一条直线上，一只乌龟或跳为例，获得焦耳来解锁新的宠物。然而，孩子们可能会把这些挑战随着时间的推移，无聊的时候，当他们在那些可以打，而不触发按钮。

因为孩子还可以坐在一个地方玩宠物型视频游戏在据赚焦耳，他们最终可能会使用它只是游戏。它会如果设备连接获得奖励这些游戏对身体运动的更好。

如果您添加交互式触摸屏和音量控制的不足，感觉据需要更多的工作。“跨越”在这里开始有一个好主意。我们希望未来的版本将更令人兴奋和具有挑战性。

然而，29.99美元的价格，这已经是一个有趣的和基本的跟踪器，应该让你的孩子运动。

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