Review: LifeTrak C410 Fitness tracker

It seems that every tech company in existence are launching smart watches or fitness tracking wristbands. Taking this into account, it's a big ask for an unknown brand to make their mark in such a crowded market. Yet this is just what LifeTrak have managed to do with the Zone C410 fitness tracker smart watch.

Gee-whizz stuff

The C410 is a fitness tracker first and a watch second. Because of this it not only tells the time, but also tracks almost everything a fitness nut would need to know.Amongst the many stats tracked are Steps. Calories are measured too as are distances covered. There's a sleep tracking function, plus heart rate monitoring.

The C410 is also waterproof up to 30 metres, so you can wear it in the shower or when swimming. Where other smart watches usually need charging on a daily basis, the C410 has a 12-month battery life. If that wasn't enough, it's also priced at a wallet pleasing $129.95 inc GST

Look and FeelWatches are as much about making a personal statement as they are about function. It's no wonder then that Apple, Samsung, Motorola and LG went all out with their design departments to give their watches some flair. This seems to have bypassed the C410, which has an uninspiring design, instead opting for a traditional black resin digital watch look.

On its right hand side there's 2 buttons - one starts and stops tracking while the other lets you view fitness tracking stats. Holding both activates the backlight, while a third button on the C410's front lets you select tracking modes. Holding it down also calculates your heart rate. Nonetheless, the conventional design of the C410 grew on me after spending a week with it. Its small enough to be wearable without discomfort. This also means it doesn't look like you've strapped a flat-screened brick to your wrist.

The C410's strap is a proprietary affair. It clips together using two notches that poke through holes on its underside. In use it felt secure and is reversible. LifeTrak offers 13 different band color combinations on its website. They're also your only real strap replacement option - Standard 22mm straps don't look compatible.

Bells and whistles

When it comes to tracking fitness stats, about the only thing missing with the C410 is a kitchen sink. It tells the time and will display steps taken, distance traveled, how many calories you burned, and how many hours you slept.

Another nice touch is a bar at the top of the C410's screen which gives an at a glance report of your progress towards daily fitness goals. These can set using a compatible Android or iOS smartphone app. Although the C410 tracks a huge amount of fitness stats, it doesn't have an alarm or even a vibration capability. Nor does it display smartphone notifications. It's a shame as doing so would have boosted its appeal beyond sporty types too.

In UseFitness information is viewable on selected Android or iOS smartphones. Information can be displayed as graphs for quick analysis. Where most smart watches auto sync, the C410 required I refresh the smartphone app and held its lower button before any info was transferred.

This isn't ideal when you're at the gym on a machine and curious about how close you are to your daily goal.

It mightn't win any beauty prizes, but it is accurate. While its heart-rate function didn't continuously track my ticker, its results were almost identical to those of the ANT+ tracker I'd strapped to my chest. Additionally, The walk I usually take my dogs on is almost 1KM exactly. The C410's distance tracking function reported I'd walked 0.61 miles, which is about the same distance in old money.

Sleep tracking was more of a mixed bag. Where other fitness widgets need to be put into a sleep-tracking mode, the C410 can in theory detect when I'd headed to the land of nod. I sometimes I found that it thought I'd snoozed off if I was watching TV or anything else sloth-like.

VerdictAs fitness tracker the C410 is a standout piece of hardware. Not only was it accurate, but it was also sensibly priced. It is feature packed and waterproof. Best of all it has none of the charging hassles of its competitors thanks to a 12 month battery life.

In short, The C410 is ideal for anyone wanting an accurate and an always on, at-a-glance overview of their exercise regime. If tracking your fitness with a smartphone or getting notifications on your wrist is a biggie, you may want to look elsewhere.