Sony SmartBand 2: Find out your stress levels with this tracker

Unlike other fitness trackers in this round-up, the Sony SmartBand 2 tracks not only your physical activities but also your well-being and stress levels.

It has a minimalistic design that some may find plain. Consisting of a rubber wristband and a tracking module, the SmartBand 2 is light in weight.

The wristband comes in black (version tested) and white. On the tracking module's rear is a heart rate monitor (HRM). The module can be removed from the wristband to be charged via a micro-USB connection instead of using a proprietary cable like many other fitness trackers.

It has an intrusion-resistant rating of IP68, which means it can be submerged up to 3m - but for only up to 30 minutes.

Both automatic run and sleep tracking worked well. Sleep tracking was second behind the Withings Activite Pop in this round-up, although it only shows light and deep sleep data. The recorded duration of my sleeps differed from my actual sleep duration by around 30 minutes.

I found the step and calorie readings accurate as they do not differ much from my calibrated Nike+ FuelBand.

By studying your heart rates at different times of the day and sleep patterns, it maps out how stressed you are. You need an optional Lifelog app (Android only) to see this data. I hit the high-stress mark while working on my stories.

Its continuous heart rate monitoring feature comes at the expense of battery life. With this feature switched on, it only lasted two days on a full charge. It can last five days when HRM is turned off.

TECH SPECS

PRICE: $198
WATER RESISTANCE: IP68
WEIGHT: 25g

RATING

FEATURES: 4/5
DESIGN: 3/5
PERFORMANCE: 4/5
BATTERY LIFE: 2/5
VALUE FOR MONEY: 3/5

OVERALL: 3/5

VERDICT: The Sony SmartBand 2 is a no-frills fully-automatic fitness tracker that can give you feedback on your stress levels.

See also: Why fitness trackers will stay on people's wrists
See also: Fitbit Charge HR: Lots of features for an action-packed life
See also: Garmin Vivofit 2: A capable tracker that gets you moving
See also: Jawbone Up3: Good looks, packed with lots of features
See also: Runtastic Orbit: It also shows you how efficient your sleep is
See also: Striiv Fusion Bio: Ticks all the boxes but screen could be better
See also: Withings Activite Pop: Watch tracks swimming and has great battery life
See also: Xiaomi Mi Band: Only $20, but it does the job and offers some frills too

This article was first published on November 11, 2015.
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