PowerDot
What it is: An electrical muscle stimulator designed to promote recovery, increase muscle performance or provide massaging relief.
Verdict: Buy
"For my clients who are looking for more muscle relief than foam rollers, I recommend smart muscle stimulators like this. These smart tools help my clients address the exact muscle knots that can be getting in the way of their recovery or performance," says Andrew Laux, Fyt personal trainer.
Bala The Power Ring
What it is: This 10-pound ring looks like a Pilates ring, but isn't flexible. It's designed to be a cross between a dumbbell and a kettlebell that you can hold or swing as you go through your workout routine.
Verdict: Pass
"I'm not spending $85 on one 10-pound small circle weight. I don't care how cute the color is. I could think of many other multipurpose items you could use for your home gym for less than $85. That said, I do love the feeling and quality of all Bala products!" says Borden.
Hyfit Gear 1
What it is: A resistance exercise tool designed to simplify your workouts by monitoring reps, calorie burn and more. Then it adjusts your training in real time.
Verdict: Pass
"The equipment is quite expensive when taking into account that a lot of products out there offer the same type of workout at a lower cost. Suspension trainers, such as TRX, allow you to attach the straps to your hands and feet enabling you to do most of the workouts that can be done with Hyfit. However, the wrist and ankle straps are great features on this system allowing you to replicate workouts you would do on a cable machine in a gym," says Ben Walker from Anywhere Fitness.
Lumen
What it is: By blowing into its device, Lumen claims to help users hack their metabolism. How? By telling them if their body is using fats or carbs for fuel. Based on that, it gives food recommendations.
Verdict: Pass
"The accuracy of the readings can be questionable on many occasions. If tightening up your nutritional habits is more of a priority than worrying about your metabolic rate, you're better off with an app that offers bigger meal planning libraries or more advice on the benefits of specific nutrients and how you can functionally build your own program," says Walker.
Whoop
What it is: A lightweight and waterproof fitness tracker that measures your sleep, workout intensity and how your body recovers from your workouts. It then gives advice based on the user's results.
Verdict: Buy
"I am a huge advocate for quality sleep as our entire well-being starts with whether or not we have had quality sleep. It's important to understand how to recover. There are a number of controllable things people take for granted or don't prioritize until it's an issue. Whoop can provide valuable lifestyle feedback to help people make huge day-to-day changes for their mental and physical well-being," says Borden.
